The Liberation of Paul McCartney (1971)

 The Top of Pop

By Lillian Roxon

Daily News

September 5, 1971

    Poor Paul McCartney. One year the prettiest face in rock and roll. This year, the man everyone loves to hate. Everyone's at him. His old friend and workmate John Lennon has a nasty song about him in his new album. His old girlfriend and housemate Fran Schwartz has 20 pages about him in her just-finished and still very hush-hush book. His most devoted fans get into fights with him, and now Rock Liberation has chosen him as its next big target.

     Rock Liberation? Oh yes! If you think women's liberation is heavy, wait till Rock Lib gets really steamed up this fall. It was Rock Lib that staged that big party in the street outside Bob Dylan's house on his birthday this summer. Not that he was there or anything, but he sure as hell heard about it. And the next thing we know, there he was, liberated as all get out, up on stage at the Bangladesh concert with George Harrison, singing all his old songs and pouring money into the pockets of the poor and needy. Incredible.

     Maybe Rock Lib has nothing to do with it at all, but you can't blame them for feeling encouraged. So flushed with success, they have now turned to Paul, not early enough to get him to Madison Square Garden, alas, but still. 

    In what must have been more than a casual coincidence, the day the Liberators chose to shake up the former Beatle was also the day the women of New York chose for their second annual mass march up Fifth Avenue. What I think the rock people were trying to tell us was that they are all kinds of oppression, and that it is probably better to be born female than to have to listen to another Paul McCartney solo effort. 

    In any case, there they all were at 79th and Park, where the McCartneys sometimes stay when in town, waving placards and making speeches designed to goad Paul like Dylan back into the land of the living. It was no use telling them it's not nice to parade noisily outside people's homes, and that besides Paul is getting a band together with the talented and beautiful Denny Laine.

    It was no use pointing out that anyone truly interested in liberating rock might do better to use that energy promoting new, fresh artists instead of trying to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to old ones. It was no use because Rock Lib does have a point. Paul has been snotty and isolated. If musical aristocrats like Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts could come out of their isolation to back Howlin Wolf in one of the most magnificent and important albums of the year, the London Hall and Wolf Sessions, then it's hard to see what Paul has been trying to prove all alone there in Scotland. The sooner he's liberated, if you ask me, the better

The Girl Who Pesters Me (1971)

Paul and Heather on the farm in June 1971 

 I am posting another story about the incident between Paul and Carolyn Mitchell.  And again, I am going to remind you all to be kind about what you say because Carolyn has been known to visit this site.   Reminder: This occurred 55 years ago—this didn't just happen.  Carolyn was a 24-year-old girl and was finding her way in the world.   She did a reckless and stupid thing by going to Paul's farm in Scotland.  She deserved to be treated poorly by Paul.  Whatever Paul said to her was justified.  

However, many fans at that time came to the UK from America and other countries to see the Beatles and ended up staying for an extended period.  No one would ever have told Lizzie Bravo she was a crazed stalker, and she did the same thing -- she came to the UK from Brazil and lived there for many years to see John Lennon.  As an adult, Carolyn has admitted that she was in the wrong.  She regretted all her actions.  And yet I know that many of you will say in the comments how she was a crazy stalker.  You will insult her and lump her in with John's murderer because she made a very bad decision 55 years ago.  

At the end of the day, Paul and his family were not hurt, Carolyn came to regret the entire ordeal, and it is part of the history of the time.   

I recommend anyone who wants to read about Carolyn's time in the UK as a Beatles fan to locate her book, All My Lovin' 

The Girl Who Pesters Me

By Alisdar Buchan

Daily Record

July 2, 1971

    Former Beatle Paul McCartney spoke bitterly yesterday of the girl fans who still make his life misery.

     In particular, he spoke of a 24-year-old American girl called Carolyn Mitchell. Carolyn is a tall blonde Mormon from Salt Lake City, Utah. She is also a Beatles fanatic who has shadowed the group's ex-members for two years, and she also happens to be accusing Paul McCartney of breaking her finger and making her nose bleed. 

    Carolyn claims that her former idol assaulted her as she sat on a hill overlooking his farm at Campbellton, Argyle.  But Paul, 29 denies the attack. He says that Carolyn left unharmed after he had told her bluntly to go at the farm yesterday. 

    He said, "For years now, I've been asking her politely, pleading with her to leave me and my family alone. She refuses to recognize that I am married with a family, and when I saw her sitting looking down on us, that was the end. This time, I told her to go away, and not politely.

     "I admit it, I was rude. You've got to understand, when you tell girls like her to push off, it's as though you had jilted them. Maybe she would have liked me to assault her. Obviously, when I told her to push off, something snapped.

     "The words I used were very rough, but there was no rough stuff. Whatever happened must have happened after she left here."

     When he spoke to me outside his farm high in the hills above Campbelltown, Paul denied that he did not want to speak to any of his fans.  He said, "I don't mind fans, but I object when they become fanatics, you know, the movie scene where you look out the window and see the spy in a trench coat under the lamppost? Then the next night, then the next night after, until you start to go psycho? Well, that's what it's been like for the past two years.

     "There are one or two girls like this. I have one who writes all the time from America, like she's my wife. She calls herself 'Paula McCartney'. She writes and says, 'I got the money', and 'Thanks for the new record', and 'I will be over when I can'.

     "Look, I don't mind talking to genuine fans. There were a couple of American girls here recently, and they were okay. We had a very nice, friendly talk together."

     The millionaire idol of millions explained how he had changed the direction of his pop career and his attitude toward young girl fans. "It's all right for Tom Jones doing that bit at the end of his act, where he goes and shakes hands and kisses the girls in the front row, but I have made it clear that that's not what I want to do.

     "I haven't been part of that for over three years. Even if I wanted to go around making love to other girls, which I don't, I couldn't. I am married with a family, and I'm very happy."

     Yesterday, Carolyn, who says she came to Scotland for a holiday, described her two years as the Beatles' number one fan. She said, "I know and have spoken to all the Beatles. At first, Paul was very friendly, but now he just won't speak to me.

     "I came over to England two years ago to be near the Beatles. I've seen them at Apple HQ and at their homes. I was never invited in, but spoke to them at the door," she said.

     She added, "Since Paul got married, he has changed completely. She (Paul's wife, Linda) has changed him. She's very possessive."

     Then Carolyn, who was writing a book on the Beatles from a fan's point of view, told of the walk which ended her liking for the Liverpool pop star. She said she had not gone to Campbelltown with the intention of speaking to Paul. She added, "I had gone up to the farm next to Paul's and sat on the hillside watching him farm from a distance. Paul came out of the house and drove up in his Land Rover. He jumped out and began shouting and swearing. I don't remember much about what happened, but my nose was bleeding, and my hand began to swell."

     A Campbelltown police spokesman confirmed that a complaint had been made and that a report would be sent to the prosecutor's office in due course,

Beatles Besieged in Hotel Scene (Glasgow, 1965)

 Beatles Besieged in Hotel Scene 

By a "Record" Reporter

The Daily Record

December 4, 1965

    Hundreds of fans mobbed Glasgow Central Station last night — even before The Beatles’ show had ended. News that the Four were going to stay overnight at the Central Hotel had spread like wildfire as the Beatles played to their second-show audience.

    Railway police set guard rails inside the entrance to Central, keeping the screaming youngsters from the rear of the hotel. When The Beatles’ limousine swept from the street into the tunnel, the screams rose to a crescendo.

     The boys went straight to the hotel to a third-floor suite of three rooms on Hope Street. At least 300 fans chanted: “We love The Beatles,” and sang: “Why are we waiting?”

    At 11.30, about a dozen police started to clear the station courtyard and the fans left quietly.

     A spokesman for the hotel management said: "The Beatles are spending the night in the hotel and will be leaving at midday tomorrow."

    Earlier, 6000 Beatles fans were at the show’s two houses at the Odeon, Glasgow.

AMBULANCES

Outside the theatre an ambulance stood by for fainting cases. A mobile canteen of the St. Andrew’s men and nurses, serving cups of tea, waited in the chilly air. 

    Six girls were taken to the Royal Infirmary semi-conscious, and 125 were treated by ambulancemen for hysteria and fainting.

    As the second show ended, fans tried to rush onto the stage, but 150 attendants kept them back. The Beatles escaped through a side door.

    More than 200 extra police were on duty for the group’s visit. A police spokesman said later: "The crowds were very good and there was no serious trouble."

    Beatles publicity man Tony Barrow said later: "The boys loved their Glasgow audience — but they always do. It was a pleasure to be here."

    A Central police spokesman said later: "There have been a number of arrests for breach of the peace."

    At a Press conference before the show, George Harrison revealed that one of his 14 guitars had fallen from the boot of the Beatles’ car on the A1 between Berwick and Glasgow. He added: "We stopped the car and went back to look for it. It was in little pieces when we found it. I don’t know how much it was insured for. I don’t even know if it was insured — but it was one of my own guitars and I liked it very much."

Remember

 November 5, 1970 

Top Gear As Supergroup Runs On (Wings 1975)

 

Top Gear As Supergroup Runs On

By Norman Dunn

Aberdeen Evening Express

September 25, 1975

    A final crash of chords and Wings are off stage after two hours full steam in the Aberdeen Capital. The last wave to the howling fans massed around the stage front. "See you next time!" shouts Paul. The lights dim and go out.

     Backstage, the group rushes for the steep stairs up to the tiny dressing rooms. As they climb, the ear-shattering din from 1000 fans fades to a dull roar. Sweat running down his face, Paul grabs a towel, dabs his face, and then winds the cloth around his neck. He and Linda pick up cool drinks and slump into chairs. The rest of the group, Jimmy McCulloch, Denny Laine, and Joe English, file in. A French camera crew troops in next, loaded with equipment, and immediately turns the room into chaos.

    Jimmy McCulloch, glass in hand, tries out his French as the bewildered crew stumbles about, tripping over cables and bumping into publicity men, "Tres bien? Tres bien?" he keeps asking. The Frenchmen scurrying about with cameras, lights, and mics, smiles absently at him and nods. Over in a corner, drummer Joe English and the guitar man Denny Laine are talking earnestly. Outside, the noise has died down. 

    Two years have passed since Wings last toured in this country. Will there be a next time? "I want to go on tour as often as I can-- until I get bored with it all, that is," says Paul. Wife Linda sits quietly beside him, long legs tucked under her on the chair, and passively watching the turmoil in the little room.

     "I remember coming up here with The Beatles," said Paul, "We did Elgin, Dingwall... I don't recall all the gigs, but wow, I remember Fraserburg, wow. That was really wild!"

     Everyone's relaxed, even the camera crews are still smiling, and the whole tour has just been as easy-going and amazing sort of family progress. Three weeks on the road, 12 gigs passed, and one to go, two coaches, two limousines, two lorries, and a van transport. The 50-strong Wings entourage around the country between gigs, all at the easy-going pace befitting such a good-natured gathering. 

    "We usually stop at some roadside cafe for tea in the afternoon", explains Barry Humphreys, one of the publicity managers on the tour.

     "I really like this," Paul adds. "I enjoy taking Wings out to meet the people. And I like the family thing of touring ."

    "Family thing", it certainly is. There's Paul and Linda with their three daughters, Heather, Mary, and Stella, looked after by the McCartneys' housekeeper, Rose. Remember Red Rose Speedway? Paul wrote this and dedicated the song to her.And while the tour was in England, it included Denny Laine's wife and their boy, Laine, plus a tutor. 

    "It sure doesn't make money," admits Paul, "but we've got a world tour coming up in four months, Australia, and then Japan, and finally America. I reckon America will pay for the present tour. "

    The tour also means they're playing together all the time. "The present LP Venus and Mars is going well, but we'll be working on another one in about four months' time."

     Only 24 hours before, Paul, Linda, Jimmy Denny, and Joe were taking their bows after a fantastic session at the Glasgow Apollo. This was one concert that had really impressed the band. "Terrific! Really something else!"  agreed Linda as Paul described their tumultuous reception. "Aberdeen was just as good, but the stage was a bit small for all that equipment."

     According to the band back in Glasgow, Wings had gone offstage, but the fans kept up the chant, and eventually, they came out again, wearing kilts. It had been a hurried change, and there was one member of the group who had to take things a bit easy during the encore due to the absence of a very important article of clothing. Important if you're wearing a kilt and prancing about the stage, that is!

    The formula, once back at the hotel,  is to relax by watching a film. In Glasgow, they watched American Graffiti. The band carries their own films along with two lorry loads of stage equipment and instruments, and they reckon it's the best way to unwind after a heavy gig. Two or three in the morning, the group was in bed, and by one o'clock on Monday afternoon, the Wings family traveling show was on the road to Aberdeen.

     Publicity men, bodyguards, and the four-man brass section, headed by Tommy Dorsey, and even he's got his wife and kid with him, all this, plus the band and their families on one bus. But a very special one, there's a kitchen on board, toilets, a television, and even a bar. The road crew, with their own coach, had gone on ahead to Aberdeen the night before. What a progress and a welcome one. 

    Barry Humphreys leans over and says, "Paul likes being on the road. Originally, the tour was just planned for England, but Wings wanted it to be an English, Welsh, and Scottish tour. Paul has a farm in Scotland, the country means a lot to him."  He adds, "Wings are different. They are a free animals. World-class band, moving around so easily." He adds. "High-pressure touring is out the window as far as this band is concerned."

     Picture the scene in the coach on its way up from Glasgow this week as the bus powered along: Paul and Linda sat by a window holding hands with Stella, their youngest daughter, lying sleeping on their laps. And it's more than just a country progress. The tour is sharpening up before the World Tour, starting in November. "We have this tour to get ready for Australia. Australia to get ready for Japan, and when we hit America, we'll be in overdrive," one publicity man comments.

     Before the rush back to the hotel, there's an interview to be done with the French TV crew. They see Paul and Linda together and surround them with lights, mics, continuity girls, and cameramen. They're still relaxed and smiling. "Why Wings?" the interviewer, in a heavy accent, says. Paul, "Why Wings? Because we're flying," he answered.  Linda: "Flying high like les oiseaux."

     Persevering, the French man switches topics, "Usually British rock and roll is sad, but the Wings make it happy. Why?" Paul: "I always thought rock and roll was happy. We enjoy playing. If you think our music is happy, it's because we enjoy doing it."

     Paul is asked with brave disregard for previous stories about his reaction to being questioned on Beatles, why he sang Beatles songs. "Why? he asked.  "Why not? I haven't gone away from the songs, because they're my songs. If I didn't sing them, they would just vanish. The people like them," he continues. "They make them happy, and that's what they are there to do."

     Paul says that he is just as happy with Wings as with the Beatles-- a different type of happiness, because he's a married man with a family. Now, the band is up on their feet. The crowd's roar grows as successive doors are opened to set them out into their car, out into the cold night. There are plenty of bouncers in attendance, but there's not the usual scrum. The people watch and wave. They're smiling as much as Paul and Linda. Could it be that Wing's attitude to pop is infectious?

Vintage Music From Wings (Aberdeen 1975)

Vintage Music By Wings

By H.M.

Aberdeen Press and Journal

September 23, 1975

    One time Beatle, Paul McCartney and his band Wings hit Aberdeen's Capitol Cinema last night with vintage music almost reaching the caliber of that famous Four--- but with none of the attendant fan hysteria. 

    In fact, anybody expecting screams and tears must have thought the audience distinctly low-key, but so much the better, as this was very much music to listen to. Save for a slight delay in starting because of sound problems, the concert was strictly a non-news event.

     Mind you, the uninitiated couldn't fail to have been impressed by a massive array of instrumental lighting and sound equipment. But all the honors go to a band of immense stature, whether knocking out heavy rock or quietly reflective material. 

    The five-piece band, which includes McCartney's wife Linda, revolves around McCartney, who amply proves that they do come back, switching brilliantly from guitar to piano. He dominated the proceedings, singing better than ever with material ranging from the heavy sounds of "Letting Go" to the subtlety of "Yesterday." The other band members all do their share and more, and the act was enhanced by an excellent horn section. 

    One outstanding feature of Wings is their energy. They worked their way nonstop through a two-hour program, which would have left lesser musicians gasping, but they still came back on stage to answer the deafening clamor for an encore. Then the audience quickly and quietly filed out. There hadn't been a single incident that evening.

    Wings are welcome back to Aberdeen as soon as they like. It was a pleasure having them, and it was equally a pleasure to be a member of such a discerning and appreciative audience. What more could one want from a pop concert?

 

So Easy to Get High On Wings (Glasgow 1975)

 So Easy to Get High on Wings

By Douglas Graham

Daily Record

September 22, 1975

    Kilted Wings blasted out their encore of "High, High, High" at Glasgow's Apollo last night, and how the fans loved it. They were left on a musical high after two hours of the magnificent Paul McCartney road show. What a difference even since they were last here. They're so much together, so gut full of talent, and incredibly, they sound just the same as on their albums. So often, working bands are only a watered-down version of their records. McCartney plays piano, guitar, and sings all the time, urging the band on, yet he still finds time to spotlight Denny Laine and little Scot Jimmy McCulloch. But you should have heard the cheers when Paul was left alone on stage and sang the wistful " Blackbird " and "Yesterday." McCartney, the magician, has achieved a superb musical mix.

Summer in Scotland

 

The Harrison family on a holiday trip to Scotland during the summer of 1950.

Alive and well in Scotland

January 5, 1970
 

Wings over Scotland

 December 15, 1979 

Life Magazine snaps the family

 October 26, 1969

Family Holiday to Scotland

 

End of June / Beginning of July 1969

I always thought Julian and Kyoko were adorable in their matching Scottish clothing. It's such a shame this trip had to end with a car accident because it looks like a lovely family trip.   

Rugged

 

Leaving the hotel

 May 24, 1973

Martha with Jane and Paul

 December 11, 1967

George and Ringo by the marriage room in Scotland

 

Looking Back I had a dream

I always love it when I can find the story of a photo taken by a fan.   So I was thrilled when I got the April/May/June 1972 issue of McCartney Ltd fanzine and found the following story, because I could match it with photos.   From the story, we know the photos were taken on August 19, 1970.   

However -- I want to put a warning before I post the photo.   I don't want you all commenting about how these girls stalked Paul and invaded his privacy.    Yes, they did invade his privacy by going to his farm.  However, Paul didn't seem to mind with them.    We have to look at these stories through the lens of 1970 and not 2018.    And we need to accept that this is what happened.    If you agree with it or not -- this is what happened.    Because I know these ladies are still active in the Paul McCartney fan world, I am going to put their initials instead of their full names.    Personally -- I love the guts the girls in the late 60's and early 70's had.   I dont know if I could have walked eight miles to see Paul at his farm.  

Looking Back I Had a Dream

By L.W.

Published in McCartney Ltd

April/May/June 1972

When K.M., J.F. and I set out for London in July 1970, we were all very doubtful that we would see Paul.  That is why we planned on seeing him … no matter what!  Here is our wild story about our encounter on meeting Paul on his farm in Campbelltown, Scotland.

We all set out for Scotland that cool Wednesday morning in London on August 18^th.  You should have seen us – it looked like we hadn’t slept for weeks but there was hope and excitement in the air, so we carried on.

Arriving in Glasgow airport sent chills down my whole body!  However, I was not aware of the hours of traveling ahead of us.  There was a half hour ride to the bus terminal from the airport by taxi, plus a five and half hour ride by bus to Campbelltown itself.  A funny thing happened at the bus terminal thought.  There was a young ticket man at the counter and when we replied that we wanted to go to Campbelltown, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “Americans going all the way up to Campbelltown just to see Paul!!!”  My face flushed and I asked him how did he know.  He said that there were quite a few foreigners going up there for the same reason.  We also learned in amazement that the fare was 58 shillings and now we saw our spending money getting lower and lower.  We had a three-hour wait so we decided to tour the dingy seaport city of Glasgow.  Needless to say, I hated it but I was really surprised to see a Woolworth’s there in the heart of the town!  ( I wish I had more money, sweaters were so cheap).  Hours seemed like days but the bus finally left and we were on our way!

The scenery in the highlands is breath-taking, especially the purple mountains in the background overlooking the Lake Loughlomin (where the famous monster is).  We were really relieved when we finally got to our stop.  Speaking for others as well, we really couldn’t believe we were in the famous village of Campbelltown!  I had made reservations (from London) for our hotel (the Argyll hotel) but having only 63.10 each left to our names we couldn’t afford to stay there two nights as we had planned.  Being very tired and weary after our long trip, we tried to look for a vacant room in the area before checking our hotel.  We went to this particular one and was told they were all filled up but we could come back the next day and she would have a room for us then.    She asked us if we wanted to stay in her living room but we were afraid that we would be intruding too much.  We walked over a few blocks where the hotel was and signed in (everyone kept looking at us like they knew why we’re here).  At this point, K and I got a little giddy and acting stupid.  I guess Paul get to us that way.  Anyway, we got to bed early that night for the big day ahead of us.  A rooster woke me up the next morning so we got up and headed towards the main dining room.  We were the first ones there.  We were starved and the food was atrocious so we grabbed some rolls and bread from surrounding tables and stuffed them in our bags.  It was then that we went back upstairs, packed our things and checked over.  We went over to Kathy’s room and still didn’t know which way to go to Paul’s farm.  It was about 9 a.m. now and Kathy was surprised to see us so early.  As soon as we put our things down, we asked Mr. Ashley the direction to Paul’s farm.  He gave us a map and told us (warned us) that it was a long walk (close to 8 miles) but we didn’t care.  It was then that I was about to chicken out but thanks to K’s reassurance we started walking up and down the big hills.

 After about 2 hours of walking, we spotted a farm from a distance that looked like Paul’s (from the photos) but we learned from the workers that “High Park Farm” was another two-hour walk!  It was now about 12:30 and we finally came to this fork in the road Mr. Ashley had mentioned.  The three of us didn’t like the looks of those cows.  It was the strangest thing I ever saw – al the cows were literally staring at us.  There were two men working form a distance and they waved to us as if to say “come on, Paul’s farm is this way.”  I was shaking all over with nerves.  So many things kept on passing through my mind like what Paul would do seeing us “invading” his privacy.  We then hit “Low Park Farm.”  Paul’s neighbors are the MacDougalls.   We heard lots of strange things from kids in London about him.  Upon walking up to his farm, MacDougall greeted us with a shotgun in his hand.  Talk about being scared.  We were literally on the verge of a nervous breakdown at this point.  MacDougall was drunk and dirty and alongside of him was his dingy wife.  We greeted them with a “hello there” and he looked at the lot of us in a “pirate” manner and asked us what we were doing up there.  We tried to explain that we wanted to give these presents to Paul.  We were rudely interrupted by his heavy Scottish brogue saying, “Aye, that’s what they all say…”  I was getting a bit annoyed now because our hearts were to see Paul not have a chat with a drunken farmer.  After answering a few questions he finally let us go and we were now entering Paul’s land! 

 At this point, we were afraid of our shadows, never mind the sheep.  We were all silent now.  I suppose they were all thinking back on the first time they saw Paul.  It was my second time now.  We finally hit the top of the hill and saw HIS farm below us.  I was really surprised to see it.  How in the world Paul could live in such a run-down place such as that one.  When we hit the gate that said,  “Keep Gate Closed” we were all wondering if we should go up to the house and knock?  Thinking back now, I laugh at what we must have looked like.  We must have looked like the cowardly lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow walking down the yellow brick road to see the Great Wizard of Oz!  Our heads at a downcast, we walked to the house.  I was the one that was greeted by a pair of muddy boots near the house.  THERE WAS PAUL!  I swear, I wouldn’t have ever recognized him if it weren’t for those eyes of his.  I greeted him with a very soft, “Hello Paul” and he said hello to us and before we could say anything else he told us (very nicely mind you) “..you know I don’t like anyone coming up here!”  I explained (at this point it looked like I would be the spokesman for the group) to Paul, “Paul we’re very sorry,  but we just had to see you before we left for the States.”  Paul then asked us, “Where are you from then?”  We all chanted in flat unison “New York.”  Paul gave us a half smile and then I broke in and said, “Oh here Paul (giving him the presents) there are for you.  We were going to buy Linda some flowers, but we are dead broke.”  It was then I got my good look at him.  His hair cut short, he had a 5’clock shadow (needed a shave badly), he had on a blue flannel shirt, with a pullover red sleeveless sweater, very baggy trousers tucked inside these big boots of his.  But we still love Paul all the same. 

 The conversation shifted over to Martha when she made her grand appearance.  She decided that I was her first target and jumped right on me.  Now I had a skirt on and that is the worst thing to wear when going up to a farm.  Paul kept staring at my legs – not that I’m any Liz Taylor but it was embarrassing.  Then Martha wanted to be friendly with K and tried to jump on her.  K ran around J (J who stood there in amazement) and I whispered to K (what seemed like a whisper) “K don’t be afraid!”  Paul replied, “She’s (Martha) not afraid of you!”  I smiled at Paul and he in return stared at me.  That was then that our attention for a minute was drawn to the house at the side.  Linda appeared.  I was worried that she would start shouting and yelling at us.  Paul turned to her, nodded his head to her to signal to her to go in the house and said, “It’s alright!”  He then turned to us and gave us another one of his famous half smiles.  It was then J asked if Mary was in the house.  Paul gave J a simple “Yes” answer.  When J asked if we could see her, he gave a simple “no”  (He wasn’t nasty –still nice).  K asked then if he was going back to London.  Strangely, Paul asked us, “Have you been around the house?”  I don’t know how that ended but I was glad it did.  I then asked Paul if he was still writing.  Paul looked at me a bit mixed up and J said, “Paul, you know … writing!”  Paul looked at me in a “sexy” way and said, “I’m always writing.”  We were running out of things to say so remembering what K said before we saw him.  I said, “Paul would you mind if we take a picture? Paul replied “just one”.  J asked if Linda could get in the picture also and Paul replied: “I’m not posing.”  So we all clicked at the same time.  I practically banged my camera in my face  I was so damn nervous. 

 Unfortunately, we ran out of things to say (really what could we talk about especially after that court mess with Apple?).  We were all looking at each other and Paul said in a long paul between each of the last words.  “Well…cheerio.”  I wanted so bad to go up to him and hug him, and I wanted to tell him how much I loved him.  Of course, I couldn’t.  As we walked up his muddy path, we wanted to turn around and wave but we were still so nervous so we didn’t.  Paul’s workers drove us down to the village.  I can’t describe how I love him, maybe that’s what they call love….

Just a little off kilter

Beatles artwork

This photo was taken in Scotland in October 1963.   From what I understand the man with the Beatles drew this caricature of the Beatles and presented it to him.  Then the Beatles signed it and it was give away for a contest prize.  

Old McCartney had a farm

All photos taken by Linda McCartney