Sunny Heights

Found on the Kenwood Blog.
You do not find a lot of photos of Ringo signing autographs at his doorstep.  This is a rare treat!

Here's Ringo!

Ringo's homes

Ringo's home, Sunny Heights in 1968

Ringo's home, Round Hill in 1970

The Heights

This adorable photo of Ringo, Maureen, Zak and their puppy dog standing in the doorway of Sunny Heights must have been taken by Harry Grossman because there were many of his photographs taken at Ringo's home with Ringo and and Maureen wearing those exactly clothes.  (update in comments section)

What I think about when I see this photo is that this is what it would have been like if you knocked on Ringo's door in 1967.   I just love seeing the Beatles at their homes.

Tune in!

This is from the Antique Road Show's facebook page.   A little closer look at Leslie's Paul photo.

Another reminder for those of you in the U.S.A. that the episode that features Leslie (Samuels) Healey and her John Lennon autograph will be on PBS at 8 eastern (7 Central).   Make sure to tune in if you can.   It is awesome to have one of our own showcasing something Beatle-fan related on T.V.    Let's all hope for Leslie that Paul is watching as well.   

Rick Smith from the Standard-Times wrote a wonderful article that is well worth reading.   I am also posting the photos from the article (with Leslie's permission) because they are so great.   

Leslie's autographed photo of George at Kinfauns (in color!)

Leslie with Ringo in 1967 at his home at Sunny Heights

 Leslie Healy's "Beatles story" begins like this: "I have always been in the right place at the right time, and I've been blessed," began the San Angelo Realtor.

Who can argue with her?

As a 14-year-old New Yorker, she screamed along with a crowd of other teen girls in Ed Sullivan's auditorium as the Beatles performed.

"They were amazing," she said. "I couldn't hear anything they were singing for the screaming. I don't even know why I was screaming, but I was."

After that she knew what she had to do.

"From that day on, I said when I graduated I was going to England to see the Beatles."
Some friends called her crazy, but she planned her strategy carefully.

"I was the head of one of many New York Beatles fan clubs," she explained. Her club "had a whole bunch of kids in it, and I got to know people."
At age 17, she flew to London for a "study abroad" program.
Her first stop was to study the Beatles. Thanks to her Beatles fan club contacts, she figured out how to find the Fab Four.

"I knocked on their door, and they let me in," she said. "It was so cool."
Now, decades later, Leslie has dozens, maybe hundreds of stories about her Beatles days.
She also has scrapbooks full of pictures of the Beatles and Beatles-related keepsakes.
Recently she took several of her treasures to Corpus Christi for an appraisal by the experts from the "Antiques Roadshow."

"I love watching the show on TV," she said. "It's fascinating."
PBS's highest-rated series, "Antiques Roadshow," travels to different cities each season. The show's experts appraise items brought to them by people who flock to the taping. Almost 10 million viewers see the weekly show.

Traveling to Corpus Christi last summer to be part of the show, Leslie again was in the right place at the right time.

One of the show's appraisers studied the Beatles items. What she said surprised Leslie.

The memorabilia included a book written and autographed by John Lennon, a picture Leslie shot of Paul McCartney reading to her from the book, and a taped recording she made of Paul's reading.
Leslie said she's familiar with the prices of vintage records and autographs, but she wasn't certain what her Beatles souvenirs might bring.

"I thought the book might bring $2,000," she said.

Instead, the appraiser said it might fetch thousands more at an auction. Even though many Beatles autographs are counterfeit, Leslie's autographed book had the ring of truth, thanks to the photo and recording of Paul reading the book.

I asked her if she would be willing to sell her treasured book at an auction.
"I don't know," she told me, shaking her head.

Leslie's story took an interesting turn in the early 1980s when she once again found herself in the right place at the right time.

In 1981 she moved to San Angelo to buy a kennel and start a business. Almost immediately she met another Texas transplant, Matt Healy.

"We came from totally different backgrounds," she said. "We fascinated each other."

They married in 1982, and the couple now run their own real estate business, San Angelo Homes Realtors.

"Spouses Selling Houses," their business card reads.

The Beatles once changed her world, she said, but "Matt changed my world, and still does, every day.
"And that's my Beatles story, in a nutshell."

The episode with Leslie is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. Monday on PBS stations.

Large Sunny Heights

Ringo at Sunny Heights

I was super excited to have won this Ringo at Sunny Heights photograph off ebay a few weeks ago. I was excited about the photo for several years. The main reason was because Ringo photos in front of his house aren't as common as the other 3 Beatles. Another reason was that I knew I had a photograph from this same day in my files that I have shared in the past. The last reason was because Ringo is holding a Beatles Book Monthly magazine and I thought I might be able to pinpoint the date of the photos.

Sadly....my Cd-rom does not want to work anymore. I have that Cd-rom of all the original Beatles Book monthly magazines, but I cannot loot at it right now. I can tell that the magazine Ringo is holding is showing a photo of John and Paul from a Sgt. Pepper session that took place on March 3rd! Thank you zoom!

Anyway....it is always wonderful to see "new" Ringo fan photos from 1967!!

Sunny Heights

I am fairly certain this photo is of Ringo at Sunny Heights because Ringo has the 1967 look going on. However, the background doesn't exactly look like S.H. Beatles homes experts, what do you think???

A return to Sunny Heights

When I first saw Gina's scan of this photo, I assumed it was one from this blog post from 2009. But upon further inspection I see that it is a slightly (and I mean very slightly) different than those posted there. Here is a photo to make the Ringo fans happy. :)

My Beatle Dream Came True

I found another article Pattie Emerson wrote about her 1967 visit to London where she met Paul and George. I have always loved Pattie's photos, especially the ones from Kinfauns and meeting George. I have scanned the photos from the first article I posted about her visit (see archives for that one) because I had bad scans and these are much better. So I am including ones from this article as well as the one I have previously submitted. Enjoy!

My Beatle Dream Came True

By Pattie Emerson, 14, McKinley Junior H.S. Flint Michigan

(Ed Note: On holiday in England, lucky Pattie Emerson, 14, visited the homes of the Beatles, met two of their wives, Jane Asher, and got ot talk to Paul and George at length.)

When I went to England this summer, I 'd hoped ot just see one of the Beatles. I was really surprised to actually met two the, their wives, and Jane Asher.

After being in London a few days, my friend Joyce Kulhawick and I went to Paul's house. We expected a mob, but only one girl was there - Betts Logan, who lives in New York. She said Mrs. Mills (Paul's housekeeper) said Paul would arrive back form Scotland that afternoon. A man drove by and said Paul was on the corner getting a haircut. Another said he was at the pub, and still another said he was at the beach. This guy gets around!

Betts and I came back the next day, July 15, 1967, and met Wendy Joyce, who lives in London, goes to Paul's every day (except Thursdays), and has met Paul so many times that she sells his autographs! She's really great.

We waited all day while such people as Mike McGear (really McCartney), Paul's brother drove out. People just drive in and out of Paul's like it was a hotel. When we took "Mike's picture he said, "you have the wrong one." It was kinda pathetic.

At about 5:30, Jane Asher, and Martha (Paul's huge sheepdog) were driving to the park by Mr. Harris (Paul's temporary employee) in Paul's green Aston Martin. Shortly before 6:00 Jane and Martha walked back, and we talked to her. Jane looked like you'd expect Paul's girl to look -- very feminine, in a green flared skirt, flowery Victorian high collar blouse. Her half-way to the waist fiery hair was done in a braid on her head.

I told Jane I was from America and that I'd seen her in "Juliet" and asked her if she could please bring Paul out. She said she would, but I was doubtful. Certainly the great McCartney wouldn't come out for a mere fan!

About five minutes after Jane went in, we heard a noise behind the gate. Hopefully I got my camera ready. Sure enough, it was Paul! He said, "Hello, girls." and asked what part of America we were from. Someone said she liked his brother, Mike, and Paul said, "Ah, It's the comedian again!" He has a real deep voice, and muscular arms (he wears two watches), and every time he blinked his eyes I thought he'd take off, his eyelashes were so long!

I was a lot more calm than I thought I could be. I told him I loved Sgt. Pepper, and he thanked me. He was very nice. One of the nicest people I've ever met.

A week later Betts and I were back at Paul's. Mr. McC wasn't in. He'd left for Athens that morning with John and his family. We met two girls who'd been with us meeting Paul, and we walked Martha to the park (Regents Park) with Paul's cousin from Liverpool, John McCartney. He was staying at Paul's with Paul's father, step-mother, and step-sister Ruth. He was really nice and we had a of time to ask him questions about Paul.

When I met Ruth, (who is seven and isn't' all that thrilled about having a famous bother), she said "You know, he's just a boy." She was hobbling around on a broken leg at the time. P.S. Paul, John was wearing your jacket!

On July 26, we drove to Esher but George as still in Greece. At Weybridge, John wasn't home either, and no one was there. We walked all over the place, taking pictures off balconies, and enjoying the lovely Lennon scenery, the pool, the gypsy caravan (given to Julian for his fourth birthday), statues, and a brightly-colored wheelchair in the back! My dad drove right up into John's garage, and turned around.

On to Ringo's (Sunny Heights). At Ringo's I felt very bold and knocked twice on the door. Maureen answered. I didn't recognize her at first, with the blonde hair, and asked "Is Mr. or Mrs. Starkey in?" After making a complete fool of myself, I gave her the scarf I had knitted for the new baby. We talked awhile, then I left to take pictures of the place. As I was leaving I saw Ringo, Zak and some other unknown person eating lunch in the kitchen. I didn't have the courage to wave.

There are all sorts of things written all over all of the Beatles' gates like "Ringo for Prime Minister" and "John is sexy." It's really funny!

I spied on the Beatles in London (part 2)

"side view of John's house."


"front view of Ringo's house":



"In front of Paul's house"



"Jane Asher's house. Paul sometimes stays on the second floor over to the left."

"George's house"

"Me holding George's cat, Corky"

"Me in front of Sibylla's--George's club. I'm standing where Paul stood the night we stared at each other."

I never got around to posting the other part of the article Carol Bedford wrote for Datebook about her 1966 trip to London. It was published in the September 1967 issue.

I went to England last summer with my Mom and my brother, Billy. We stayed two wonderful weeks in London. The first week we went to the historical sights. The second week was all mine! Guess what I did!

First I went to Paul's house because he is my favorite. I saw two girls standing under a tree. As I got out of the taxi, the two girls told me that they had thought I was Jane Asher! I couldn't have been there for more than two minutes when Mr. Kelly, Paul's gardener, came out screaming and waving a hoe at me. He said that Paul had just come in at 3 a.m. and needed rest. I looked up to see the curtains being rustled on the middle window of the second floor. Mrs. Kelly came out, and when asked if Paul and Jane were married, she answered, "No, of course not! That's a bunch of rubbish!"

Neil Aspinall drove up and went into the house. As he was coming out, one of the girls asked, "Did you touch Paul today?" "No, luv, not today," he said.

That night, my brother and I decided to go to Sibylia's, George Harrison's club. Billy and I walked down the stairs that wind around. We saw, over to the left, two coat-check girls. Billy asked them if we could speak to the manager. A tall, good-looking young man dressed in black slacks and a red/white striped shirt came over. After convincing him that we really wanted to see the club, and after paying a cover charge, we followed him to a table right in front of the dance floor. Everything was blue -- blue lights, blue rugs, blue walls, blue ceilings, blue tables, and even blue ashtrays.

At 12 o'clock, I saw Jane Asher and Paul McCartney walk in! I nearly died! She wore a brown striped suit and her hair was almost down to her waist. Paul wore tight, black slacks and a white shirt without a tie. His coat was open. They sat down opposite us, across the room. Jane sat smiling as Paul talked to her.

The young manager who had spoken to us earlier went over and asked Paul to join him and his girlfriend a their table. Paul and Jane got up and went to sit with them.

At about 1 or 2, Billy hit me in the ribs with his elbow -- Jane was walking out and Paul was coming behind her. An old woman stopped him at the door to introduce him to her daughter, who wasn't even interested! Paul was smiling, laughing and shaking hands with all the people standing around. I could tell he wanted to catch up to Jane. He gently pushed past the people and walked out. I was about ready to faint!

Wednesday night we came back to the club. WE sat there until 3 a.m. I told Billy that I would go and get a taxi while Billy went to the rest room. I went outside and told the doorman to get me a taxi.

I saw a blue, compact station wagon drive up. A man got out of the driver's side and I realized it was Mal Evans! The doorman walked over to the passenger's seat and said, "Oh Mr. McCartney, how are you tonight?" Paul got out of the car saying, "Oh you know how it is. Nothing going on, so I decided to come here." I could have fainted! I didn't' know what to do, so I just stood there. Mal and the doorman drove the car off to park it. Paul stood beside me, about 4 feet away! We were the only people on the entire street!

I stood paralyzed and looked straight ahead. I decided to look at Paul because I didn't know how long it might be before I would ever see him again. I turned my head to find that he was looking straight at me!

I didn't know what to do! I couldn't speak! If you've ever loved the Beatles, you'll know how I felt. I just stood there looking into his face. I took a step toward him and he said something to me! I Was too numb and scared to ask him what he had said.

Mal joined him and they walked into the club. I was just about to faint when Billy came out and said that he just bumped into two guys as he was coming up the stairs. Billy and I immediately went back into the club. I could not find Paul anywhere. I went into the rest room to try and calm myself. As I came out, Paul brushed past me and walked up the stairs. That was the last I saw of him!

Two versions of the same story

As I have mentioned, I am currently in the middle of reading Carol Bedford's book "Waiting for the Beatles." I have been enjoying reading it, although I honestly question the validity of some of her stories. Nonetheless it has been a fun book to read and I am glad that I finally got the chance to read it. Strangely enough I also purchased a teen magazine called Teen Datebook and I purchased the September 1967 issue which happens to have an article written by Carol Bedford about her visit to England with her mother and brother in 1966. Here are the photos from part of that article. The first story is the one from the Teen Datebook and the 2nd one is the same story from the book, "Waiting for the Beatles." I will let you decide what you think about it. But I found some glaring contradictions.

Thursday I met six English girls and we all went to Surrey to see the other three Beatles. First, we went to George's only to be told that he had gone to John's. As we were waiting for the bus to John's one of the girls saw George's car parked in front of the grocery mart. We ran into the store and found Patti Boyd Harrison!

She wore a short, pink jersey dress with a purple bag lined in pink. Her blonde hair was in a slight flip on the sides. She was really nice and so cute. she was pushing a grocery cart that was overflowing. Patti told us that the store would not accept her checks and she did not think she had enough money with her to pay for the groceries. I could not believe it! Here was a Beatle's wife worried about money!

She signed autographs and talked to us about the new Beatles LP. I saw her counting out her money to pay for the groceries. Several men were whistling at her and she blushed as she picked up her change. She came outside carrying a box, followed by two men also carrying boxes. I asked her if she would stop, so I could take a picture. She stopped, put the box down, and smoothed her hair back. I took two more and then our bus had come.

We went up to John's and Ringo's. At Ringo's one of the girls went inside the open gate to take a picture of the house. "Get out!" came a scream from within. It was Ringo. We went to the back of the house to try and look over the fence. I turned around to see a huge airdale dog growling at me! Ringo's workmen had let him out! The gardener came around and asked, "Why did you let the dogs out?" We started walking off.

We went back to George's. I saw George waving to us from a large window by the door. I could see Patti walking around inside the house. George was talking on a white telephone. He wore a dark suit with a turtleneck sweater. The police arrived and I asked if George had called them. "This is one of the few times that Mr. Harrison has NOT called us," they said. I plan to return to England this year. Anybody want to come along? Carol Bedford Age 16, Dallas, Texas.

Except from book.....


Ruth arranged to meet me the next day at one of the train stations. We were going to travel out to Weybridge and Esher. George Harrison was living in Esher with his wife, Pattie Boyd, John Lennon was married to Cynthia and they lived in Weybridge, as did Ringo and Maureen.

Our first stop was Esher. Once there we walked past a grocery store and Ruth shouted, "that's George's mini!" It was a bright orange Mini with all sorts of Indian designs painted on it. We went into the supermarket to see if George was inside. He wasn't, but Pattie was.

Pattie was lovely. You could instantly understand why she was a top model. She was wearing a Foale and Tuffin pink crepe mini dress. It was one of the first minis I had seen. They were just coming into fashion. She was slightly shy when Ruth and I walked up to her. She knew Ruth and Ruth gave her a photograph of George taken at their home. Pattie was very pleased with this commenting that it was a good picture of George and she didn't have many. She appeared very honored that Ruth had given her a copy.

When she was leaving, she was having trouble carrying her box of groceries and trying to open the car door at the same time. To make matters worse, a couple of men were whistling and cat-calling to her. She was getting very embarrassed. Ruth took the box so Pattie could open the door and get in the car.

Ruth told Pattie we were "doing the rounds", going to all their houses. Did Pattie know if any of them were at home? Pattie said George was out until about five and then both of them were going out to visit friends. She said John and Ringo were in, as far as she knew because George had called them earlier to chat. She then thanked Ruth for help with the groceries, waved goodbye and shouted as she drove off "Happy hunting. hope you see them today."

WE decided to go straight to Weybridge and then back to George's after five. We took a short bus journey and when we disembarked we were in the Weybridge area. We had quite a lengthy walk, though before we would reach John's house. We passed a country club where we saw several couples playing tennis. Weybridge was so green and wooded. As we walked along, I kept straining to see the luxurious houses set behind thick clusters of trees. We started up a rather long incline. I was just on the point to getting winded when I saw a huge wooden gate. Ruth said this was John's house. I looked through the open gates and saw a very long curved driveway that led up to a huge house. Ruth proceeded to walk up the drive. I hesitated, staring at the "No Trespassing" sign, but my curiosity forced me to follow her. Also, I Was a bit scared and wanted to stay with her.

As we followed the curve in the driveway, I noticed that the front door to the house was in the back. Across from this "front" door was the garage. Ruth looked and said he was home because both cars were in the garage. Ruth knew the cars they drove and could tell if they were in or not by the evidence of the car.

She went up to the door and did something I would have thought impossible. She rang the doorbell. A stocky lady answered, "Hello Ruthie! How are you? Haven't seen you round for a while." "Hi" Ruth said. "Yeah I am tied up with a lot of baby sitting lately. I'm showing an American girl the sights. " Ruth pointed to me and laughed. I smiled, still in shock. "Is he in?" she asked the housekeeper simply. The lady leaned close to Ruth and whispered something in her ear. "Come on. Let's go," Ruth said to me. Once we reached the gate, Ruth told me what the housekeeper had said. "She told me John was in, but in a bad mood and didn't want to see anyone. When John's in a mood, it's best not to bother him."

We had reached Ringo's house which was small in scale and close to the lane than John's. Ruth again rang the bell. There was a shout from an upstairs window. We backed up so we could see who was shouting. Ringo's head was sticking out. "Hello Ruth!" He cried when he saw her. I could see Maureen behind him. "Hi Ringo. We came from a visit." "I can't today Ruth, really busy. I'm about to go out. Some other time?" "Sure, see you soon. Bye." Ruth called. "Bye," Ringo and Maureen waved their greetings and moved away from the window. Ruth looked at her watch and said, "We'd better get back to George's. It's getting close to five."

We went up the gravel path passing all kinds of semi-modern bungalows. Ruth said Esher was good for retired colonels and such. We went up to their house. It was white, L-shaped bungalow set in a clearing with trees surrounding it. Like John's house, there a high wooden fence around the property and it had a curving driveway. Margaret, George's housekeeper, came out of the house. She was going home for the day but, seeing Ruth, she stopped for a chat. She said that Pattie had come in the house and told George that the girls were very nice to her. She told him about the trouble she had getting into her car and avoiding the two men. We then saw George standing in a full-length window. He was talking on the telephone and when he saw us he waved. Margaret said Pattie and George were coming out soon because they have a dinner engagement. We decided we could only wait half and hour because it was getting dark. We could no longer wait for George and Pattie to come out, so we walked back to the train station to head back to London. I told Ruth I would return, especially now that I knew it was possible to know the Beatles.

More from Sue Baker

While searching the Internet in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep, I discovered that the news reports on Sue Baker's Beatles photos use different photographs! Sue is quoted as saying, "I just hope someone gets enjoyment out of them. They bring back great memories for me." If only Sue knew the amount of enjoyment I personally have been getting out of these photos. This has honestly been the highlight of the week for me. Her photos have made me smile and I am so thankful that she decided to share ALL of them with the news organizations before she sells them. Honestly, she doesn't need to sell them. I think it would make more sense to put them in a book (such as one that Lizzie is planning) of fan photos. Anyhow..... I want to thank Susan Baker for sharing her wonderful photos with the Beatles community after all of these years.

Sue meets the Beatles (the find of the month!)

The envelope Paul wrote the other Beatles addresses on


With John at Kenwood



Little brother standing outside Ringo's door at Sunny Heights.


With Ringo at Sunny Heights

Photos of Kinfauns

Sitting on George's mini at Kinfauns.

Meeting George at his home!

New photos and story! I am in heaven! I hope you all enjoy as much as I did!

For most Beatles fans, a meeting with one of their idols during their heyday would have been a dream come true.
However, for Sue Baker, it was a weekly occurrence.
The superfan was just 15 during the mid-Sixties when she would visit the Fab Four every weekend


Mrs Baker, now a grandmother, took photos of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr on their doorsteps.
She tracked down McCartney's London home having read a vague description of it in a Beatles magazine.
He eventually asked her if she ever visited the other three, and, when she said no, he gave her their addresses which she wrote on the back of an envelope.
She spent the next two years visiting each Beatle – and told how they were always happy to open the door to them.
However, if they were out recording, or on tour, Mrs Baker would have a chat with their wives and bring them chocolates.



Mrs Baker, 59, who lives in Reading with husband Ken and has four children and two grandchildren, has decided to sell the photos and envelope - which are expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction.
She said: 'I was a real Beatlemaniac and I remember reading in the Beatles Monthly magazine that Paul had moved into a new house.
'It gave a description so I went with a friend to try and find it. It had electric gates and an old lamppost in the front garden.
'We looked everywhere and eventually someone showed us where it was for half a crown.
'From then on we went every weekend and Paul would always come out and sign things for us.


Then he asked if we visited the others and I said we didn't know where they lived.
'So he gave us their addresses and we started to visit them.’
Mrs Baker also asked her friend to take a picture of her sitting on Harrison’s Mini when he wasn't in - and then took a snap through his bedroom window.
On his house you can see among the loud painting the words ‘Mick and Marianne were here’ - referring to Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful.
There is a picture of Mrs Baker with Lennon who is sporting huge sideburns, and snaps of Starr with a cigarette in his hand.



The teenage fan had two paper rounds in her home town of Reading, Berkshire, to be able to afford to travel by train to meet her heroes.
She often took her five-year-old brother Phillip who is also in some of the photographs.
Phillip was about the same age as Lennon's son Julian and sometimes the pair would play together while Mrs Baker spoke with the legendary singer-songwriter at his home in Weybridge, Surrey.
Sue's brother Philip at the front door of Starr's home in Weybridge
Mrs Baker added: 'After a while the people who lived near John hired security because there were so many of us.
'They picked me and a friend up once and we insisted we were visiting John and he was expecting us.
'They knocked on his door and when he came out he said we were right and he was expecting us and never to stop people from knocking on his door again.
'Because I delivered newspapers to pay for my trips to see them I would read the news and anything that mentioned the Beatles.
'I put all the cuttings and the photographs in a box and it has been in the attic for years. I have been thinking about selling them for some time.
'I kept up the visiting for about two years during 1965, 1966 and 1967.


'I just hope someone gets enjoyment out of them. They bring back great memories for me.'
The sale at Cameo auctioneers in Reading takes places on August 3.
Spokesman Alan Pritchard said: 'This is a wonderful collection of unseen photographs and memorabilia.
'There are a lot of Beatles fans across the world and I'm sure they'd all love this unique archive.
'Already there has been a lot of interest as there always is with good Beatles memorabilia.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1294323/At-home-Beatles-Unseen-photos-taken-star-struck-teenager-visited-Fab-Four-weekend.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0tZibRyJJ