We're Speechless Said V.I.P. Fans
By Fred Norris
Birmingham Mail
December 16, 1963
Cheryl Fellows, a 16-year-old schoolgirl of 95 Bromsgrove Road, Halesowen, kissed the back of her left hand, which had been autographed by Paul McCartney, and said, "This I will never wash again."
Mr. Edwis ard Turner of 165 Robin Hood Lane, Hall Green, a dedicated Beatles fan, yet at 69, a sort of elder statesman of the party, declared, "The experience of a lifetime. How I admire the vitality of these four young men. I can never thank the Evening Mail and Dispatch enough for this day of days in the life of a man who has already been actively interested in theater."
Miss Fellows and Mr. Turner were two of the six winners of the Evening Mail and Dispatch "Meet the Beatles" contest.
Yesterday, they all visited the Aston studios to attend the recording of the special Christmas edition of ABC TV's. Thank Your Lucky Stars. It was a bonus plus occasion. They not only saw the full dress rehearsal and the recording of a show they can see at home again next Saturday on their TV screens. They also met the Beatles, chatted to them, and became VIPs in their own right for the night.
Because of heavy commitments on the previous day, the Beatles had arrived four hours late to the studios. This threw the day's schedule completely out of gear. Miss Carol Ann Young, a 17-year-old American girl from Charleston, West Virginia, now staying at 79 Clarence Road, Kings Heath, said, "Just seeing them as they appear on a TV show is good enough for me. I'm happy enough now."
But minutes later, Miss Young and the other winners found themselves talking to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Miss Young walked out of the studio nursing her arm as though it were in a sling. "Do not touch," she said, "Paul has autographed it and like Cheryl, I am never going to wash it.
"They were so wonderful to me. They are completely unspoiled, just like boys who might live next door. I told them I came from America, and I wish them well on their visit next year. I'm sure they will do well. I've written to all my friends in the States saying how marvelous they are. "
Mrs Yvette Jones, a 43-year-old mother of three, of 29 Beechwood Road, Smithwick, said, "I have hardly been able to eat ever since I knew I was a winner of the contest. This has been one of the greatest thrills of my life. I have a 19 year old daughter, Rosemary, a 16 year old son, Alan, and another daughter, Barbara, who's 13. They're all fanatical Beatles fans.
"Before the Beatles came along, I was a cube, more than a square, but their fantastic vitality won me over completely. Tonight has been the most wonderful Christmas present I could ask for, I mean, actually, to meet the Beatles and talk to them. I'm speechless. "
1 5-year-old Mary Hatwell of 240, Gillot Road, Edgbaston, was equally speechless for a while, but she had an added thrill. Her father, a keen Bing Crosby fan, once had his photograph taken with the famous old groaner. "Now that I have my photograph with The Beatles", she said, "I consider I've got my own back on Dad." Just then, Mr. Hatwell arrived to drive his daughter home. Let him have the last word,
"Yes, Mary," he said. "And in years to come, you will show that photograph to people and say, 'Remember those old squares who called themselves the Beatles?'" Mary protested. "Never!"
All that Mr. Hatwell said was " I said the same thing about good old Bing."
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