Spending Time with the Harrisons

Mom and Dad Harrison

Mum and Dad Harrison

A stop by the Dingle

I love how happy these fans appear to be when stopping by Ringo's family home in Liverpool and seeing his folks.   What a much simpler time it was then.  Fans could just ring the bell and hand flowers over to the mum of a Beatle.

George's 21st birthday

George Harrison had the privilege of being the first Beatle to have a birthday after Beatlemania hit America.   Actually, George's 21st birthday occurred just days after the Beatles landed back in the United Kingdom.

Letters and gifts came pouring into not just the Beatles fan club in London but also into George's home in Liverpool from all around the world.  Girls sent cards, stuffed animals, cakes,  drawings and plenty of keys (and one person even sent a door).   Keys?   Why keys?   Well...in parts of the world (including England, Scotland and New Zealand) there is a tradition of giving someone the "keys to the house" on their 21st birthday as a symbol of them being an adult and the head of the household.  I am not sure if this was a custom in the United States at the time, but I know that typically they give people alcohol on their 21st birthday around here and no one gets a key.

And as silly as it sounds, today we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of George's 21st birthday.  But most importantly, we celebrate the life of George Harrison, a man I know we all love and miss dearly. 

Meanwhile back home in Liverpool....

Richard Starkey's Mum

thanks Mo!

This is a newspaper clipping my co-worker has saved from a scrapbook she has had since the 1960's.

This is a photo of the Starkey family taken by Ringo.

Maureen and Ringo in 1968



It is always sad when someone in the Beatles family passes away. So many of the key figures in the Beatles story have seemed to have been taken from us way too soon, and that was very much the case of Ringo's first wife, Maureen, who passed away on this date in 1994. At a time when I know I personally did not have easy access to the Internet, the news was slow to get to me. I actually think I did not hear of her passing until February of 1995. I would have loved to have read a book by Maureen about her life, if she would have written one (I never would have thought Pattie would have done so, but she did!).

I have a hard time choosing a favorite "Beatle girl." I typically say Cyn (most likely because I am a John fan) or maybe Linda (because I love what a strong woman she is) but honestly Maureen in in that mix as well. She was a fan favorite early on and treated many fans who came knocking on her door to meet her famous husband with kindness and respect. So here are a few photos and clippings in memory of Maureen.

Beatle parents

In a recent auction, a fan named Barb had autographs and photos of Ringo and George's folks. Many fans went out of their way to try to meet the parent's of the Beatles. George's mother was the most welcoming and Ringo's mother and step-father weren't too far behind. They really were a blessing to fans who just wanted to get close to the boys.