The Fan Club reception

 

December 17, 1967 -

George and John attended a reception for all of the UK area secretaries for the Beatles Fan Club in London.   The secretaries were treated to an early showing of the Magical Mystery Tour film and the Shea Stadium film.    They were given the Magical Mystery Tour EP and the 1967 Christmas record.  But  the best part of the gathering was when George and John showed up and signed an autograph for each of them and posed for photographs.   What an amazing gift to those fans!

50 years ago -- Area Secretary gathering

50 years ago the UK Beatles fan club area secretaries all gathered for a private screening of the Magical Mystery Tour film in London.

For those of you who aren't familiar with how the Beatles Fan club in the UK was organized, let me quickly explain.     First there was a national Fan club secretary, which of course was the lovely Freda Kelly.     She worked from the main office which by 1967 was located in Liverpool.    Freda did all of the major work for the fan club, however there was so much correspondence from fans around the UK that there was no way one person could handle it all.   Each region of the UK had what was known as the "area secretary."     So if Freda got letters from fans in say Blackpool, she would mail that batch of letters to the Blackpool area secretary.  That girl would then answer the letters and correspond with the local Beatle fans.   Freda sent the A.S. updates from the Beatles on what was going on and the A.S. would then spread the news to the fans in their immediate area.   They wrote newsletters several times a year and did a lot of work without getting paid. 

To show the area secreatries their appreciation from the Beatles,  they were all invited, along with one guest (who was usualy another fan club member) to go to London for a special screening of the Beatles new film.      Of course the girls all hoped that the Beatles would be there as well, but it wasn't expected. 

As you can see from the letter I posted above, the day started with a screening of the full version of MMT (I am still not sure if they got to see it in color, but you would think that they did) followed by 30 minutes of refreshments (tea and cake) and ended with (thanks to John Lennon's recomendation)  showing of the Beatles at Shea Stadium film.      The fan club secretaries also received their copy of the 1967 Christmas flexi and I think a Magical Mystery Tour EP.       So all of that is enough to make for a great day!

However -- what was set to be a great day turned out better than expected when George Harrison and John Lennon showed up during the refreshment time!!    Ringo was in Rome filming "Candy" at the time and Paul couldn't make it, but two Beatles are better than no Beatles and the fans were thrilled!  I am pretty sure that each area secretary was allowed an autograph and a photograph with John and George.    Beatles Book Monthly photographers were there to take photos, but a few fans had brought their own cameras to the event as well.     There was no crazy mania going on (at least not outward) and all of the fans were on their best behavior and from everything I read, it seemed like it was great for everyone that was there. 

I have said before and I still stand by it --   if I could go back to a Beatles moment in time.   This would be in my top 5.   To be able to be that close to John Lennon and actually speak to him would have been outstanding.

Photo with Freda Kelly's autograph from Sara Schmidt's collection 

Women who know tell all about the Beatles

This is a fun little article about the girls that ran the Beatles Fan Club in London in 1964.   I found it in some newspaper archives from the "Teen" section of an un-sourced Washington D.C. newspaper. 

Women who know tell about the Beatles

By Rodney Burbeck

July 25, 1964

They are the most envied girls in Britain possibly the world.  They work in a smallish office in the West End of London surround by letters and photographs. Their work is exhausting,  keeping them in the office for 10 or 12 hours a day. But there isn't a girl anywhere who wouldn't  give her right arm to do their job. They are the Beatles' secretary.  They work for a firm called NEMS enterprises, the organization headed by Brian Epstein that handles the business affairs of the Beatles.

Who better than these girls to give us a first-hand account of the Beatles at work, rest and play?  The boys often pop into the office to relax with a soft drink, to chat with the girls and keep themselves up to date on fan club news.   One of the girls told me of the day she first me the Beatles.   "It was about a year ago at a BBC recording. Of course, those were the days before things were quite so pottie and they are now, but it was my first taste of Beatlemania. I found the boys very polite and splendid and everything was going swimmingly --until I glimpsed through a glass door.  Crowds of girls were going mad trying to get at us .  I was petrified, but Paul, who was with me, just calmly waved his hand. We raced up the stairs to the canteen and I was scared stiff in case they came after us."

  Another girl commented on the Beatles intense politeness, “I remember when they got back from the Swedish tour.  They were dead tired but even then they bent over backwards to be nice and help out all they could."

When the boys descend on the office, the girls prepare for anything happening. "We never know what crazy things they'll get up to.    If we let them into the phone, they usually say something like 'Mark and Spencer's stock department' or 'Russian embassy'. If they sit down and want to chat, we shove 30 or 40 photograph in front of them and get them to do some signing while they talk. They usually pop in when they have been shopping in the West End.  Once John came rushing in with a fantastic blue cashmere sweater.  He was terribly excited as if it were the first thing he has ever bought. Everybody had to feel it and say how nice it was. We never know when they are going to come in but it is always lovely to see them.

Often fans visit the office is open to see the boys. One girl came to pay her fan club dues and on the way out passed John on the stairs. A minute later there was a knock on the door and back she came trembling all over and asking 'was that really John?'"

"We assured her it was and got John, who had gone into another office and sign of photo for her.  She left in a daze. "

How do you get a job as a Beatle secretary?” Well one of our best typists is a fan who just happened to call when we were so busy we were going potty . She says 'do you need a shorthand typist?'  And we said 'DO we!'   The Next day she rang up and asked if she could have the job.   We gave her an interview and took her on.   She really is a marvel."

  What sort of person do you have to be?  "You have to be able to work very quickly and be prepared to work all hours. It also helps to be a little crazy."

  I asked the girls to sum up each of the boys as they see them and this is what they told me

Paul:  he is the supreme diplomat,  in fact he could have been a diplomat.

 Ringo is tremendously generous and takes a genuine interest in people. He's also a bit of a clown --a lovable clown.

 John:    fabulous. We all adore him.  He is  terribly witty  and very very sharp and quick.  He's so intelligent it might frighten you.

 George is a bit of a puzzle. He's just nice.  He doesn't say very much but when he wants to say something he just says it. He is funny and helpful.

 “The appeal of all of them is that they could quite easily just be the boy next door. They all make you feel as if you matter. John might walk passed  you without recognizing you.   I think he seems to see people’s faces as a blur. But then Ringo comes bounding up and says' hello nice to see you' and then they all remember you and say hello.  Being so close to the boys, it is a little difficult to realize how big they have become. We don't think when talking to them 'good gracious, thousands of girls would give anything to be in my shoes. ‘We just think they are nice  boys to know.”

Tea and Sympathy

Magical Mystery Fan club party

I know that I have been focused on the 50th anniversary of Beatles events lately, but I wanted to take a moment to remember an event that occurred 46 years ago today.   It is one of the events that I would set my time machine to go back in time and I would attend.    On December 17, 1967 George Harrison and John Lennon showed up at a party for area Beatle fan club secretaries (and one guest).   The area secretaries were given an early viewing of the Magical Mystery tour film that was to be released 9 days later.    I am not sure if they got to see it in color or not.   They then had what I always have known to be a "mixer" where you have some dessert and something light to drink and walk around to chatting to others.     During this time, George and John showed up unexpectedly to these fans.     The two Beatles signed autographs, posed for photos and chatted with their guests.    Each person there was given the 1967 fan club Christmas album and the Magical Mystery tour EP.   

Last week on ebay one of the autographed Christmas albums was sold for $2,375.  Two photographs were also sold along with the autographs.    Here is the story that was with the auction from the person who obtained the signatures in person

The flexi record was given to me on 17 December 1967 when I went with a friend (who was Secretary of the Beatles Fan Club in the North) to see the preview of Magical Mystery Tour, at Hanover Grand in London. 

We saw Magical Mystery Tour and were ushered into a reception room where we were offered tea and the most spectacular cream cakes I had ever seen in my life.
Whilst drinking the tea and eating the cakes, John Lennon and George Harrison came in - no one was expecting that! Also, Spencer Davis appeared (from the Spencer Davis Group).
Immediately all the girls flocked round them.
I then thought I would go up to the professional photographer, who was going round, and ask if he would take a picture of me with John Lennon. I said to him I would happily pay! - the photographer ignored me.
I went back and had another cake and then thought blow this, I will ask the photographer again, which I did.
He still ignored me, so then I went up to John Lennon and said "I have asked your photographer if he would kindly take a photo of me with you and I have offered to pay, and he ignored me twice".
John Lennon then beckoned to the photographer to come over, and take a photo of him and I. Then he beckoned George to come over too for a photograph.
The photographer took my name and address and a few days later, I received two black and white glossy photos with a compliment slip from the photographer, which I wish to keep for myself.
When we were at the private screening, we were given this Christmas flimsy record which was sent to Fan Club members. I can't even recall playing the record, it is excellent condition and on the sleeve it has the signatures of George Harrison, John Lennon and Spencer Davis'.

Time to sort the mail...

Girl that work for the Beatles fan club pose for a few photos during the height of Beatlemania as stacks upon stacks of fan club letters were piling in.   

Extras on MMT

More Magical Mystery Tour in the news.   Here is the story of two girls who were area fan club secretaries that were able to be extras in the Magical Mystery Tour film.   Similar to how I am curious as to who all was present on the rooftop, I am just as curious to figure out who all was present on the Magical Mystery tour coach.   Here are two more names we can add to the list:   Sylvia Hillier and Jenni Evennett.   http://shapersofthe80s.com/tag/beatles/

Jenni in the back ground during the film

Sylvia and Paul during filming

TWO BEATLES FANCLUB SECRETARIES recall how they hopped on board The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour bus at 7am one day in 1967 as special guests of the Fab Four. Sylvia Hillier was a 19-year-old receptionist in a factory who lost her job as a result, while 16-year-old schoolgirl Jenni Evennett bunked off school to join the week-long filming. They told this morning’s Saturday Live on Radio 4 that it was a bit like a “happening” where nobody was given lines or seemed to know what they were doing. Sylvia was dressed all psychedelic in orange, “my flower-power stage, with kaftan, flairs, bells and beads”. Jenni said that for continuity they couldn’t change for a whole week: “I wore a little brown spotted dress with white collar, bells and beads and lots of deodorant.”