Leaving Sydney

The Beatles had just stopped off in Sydney for the press conference and some rest.  They did not perform there that first day in Australia, that was to come later.   They boarded an airplane in Sydney that morning  and headed out for Adelaide for their first performance.

Fans were there waiting to bid them a temporary farewell.  One of them was a 15 year old girl named Mary Kostin who was wearing her maroon and grey school uniform.  She lept over the police barriers and ran towards the Beatles car on the tarmac.  She ran past several police officers before she was caught.  As she was getting caught, she threw a copy of John Lennon's book toward the Beatles and it hit George on the shoulder.  The three three Beatles and Jimmy Nicol signed the book and it was returned to Mary.    Good aim Mary!!!

Margaret Paul, age 22 was the stewardess on the flight from Sydney to Adelaide.  "the airline had prepared all these expensive savories with caviar and oysters but all the Beatles wanted was peanut butter sandwiches.  John came to the gally area himself to ask for them and I nearly fell over.  I thought he was one of the most beautiful men I'd ever seen.  Before they left the plane they all autographed a sick bag for me, which I presented to my 14 year old sister, who promptly lost it."

We welcome you to Hong Kong

Take a flight to Hong Kong

Fact: After their performances in Holland, the Beatles  (well the three with Jimmie) flew back to London and boarded a plane for Hong Kong.  They did not fly to Hong Kong from the Netherlands.  I recall having an argument with someone on a Beatles forum online many years about that fact.   I have often wondered what the stewardess on the flight's story was.  She sure posed for a lot of silly photos with the guys.   Paul recalls that the flight to  Hong Kong seemed to go by really fast because they were taking pills.

Flowers in Hong Kong

Ticket to Ride

Another story from issue 415 of Rolling Stone magazine from Feb 16, 1984.  This one is about Carol Gallagher, who was the flight attendant on the flight from New York to Miami in 1964.  She is the girl who is seen holding a huge box of chocolates in a heart box. 


It was driving my car home from the beach.  I heard on the radio that The Beatles would be coming to Miami on National Airlines Flight 11, and I said, "Oh my God, that's my flight!"

I went bananas because I was madly in love with them.  I say MADLY in love with them.  I was 22 years old, a normal Beatles freak.  The flight was two weeks away at that point.  It was the roughest two weeks of my life.  I was worried sick about my hair -- Is my hair fixed?  Typical fan reactions.   The day before the flight, my supervisor called me and said they would definitely be on the flight and did I think I could handle it?

The day of the flight got very calm, my hair turned out good, my face didn't break out.  At Kennedy, we went down to the gate lounge.  We waited and waited and all of a sudden, there they were.  They floated in with a million reporters.  I was just stunned.  They were just the most gorgeous, fabulous men I'd seen in my life.  They didn't call them the Fab Four for nothing.

The public relations people propped me on the pane steps with a big box of candy and took all these pictures.  Somehow, we managed to get everybody on board.  It was a two hour flight.  They were very, very excited except for John who was very quiet.  Sat in the last row with Cynthia.  The rest of the Beatles spent most of the flight autographing stacks and stacks of photographs.  They weren't impressed with themselves.  I remember Paul asking me, "Do you think anyone will be in Miami to meet us?"

As we approached Miami, Ringo insisted on putting on a life jacket and looking out for sharks.

When the Beatles deplaned, they just popped into a few limos and left.  There were thousands of people there. The poor fans didn't get to see much.  I went home.  It took me about three days to simmer down.  I was very excited about it for a long, long time.

A Hard Day's Night for John

Never mind the stewardess

Happi to fly with the Beatles

A few weeks ago someone named Mark happened to email me and told me that his mum was the airline stewardess that flew with the Beatles to Japan in 1966!  Now that is the dream of any Beatle fan, isn't it?   To be "stuck" on an airplane with all four Beatles on a long flight!    

His mother's name is Satoko Kawasaki and in 1966 she worked for Japan Airlines.   She wanted to be the stewardess that was on the Beatles flight, and so basically she was told by the head person of the airlines that she would make sure that the Beatles were wearing the Japanese Happi coats that had the Japanese Airlines logo on them (JAL). 

And so Satoko was given the task of being the stewardess of the Beatles flight.  She met the Beatles in Alaska during their unplanned layover due to the weather.  

Now you and I know that the Beatles had strict orders from Brian Epstein to never give free publicity to companies.   And you may also recall that John Lennon particularly disliked this practice of being used to give out free publicity.   You might recall a photo of an angry John pulling a sticker off a car in Australia?     So Satoko might have had hit a dead-end in having the Beatles wear the JAL Happi coats if it wasn't for a bit of luck on her side.

When the Beatles were unexpectedly delayed in Alaska, they were not able to get their luggage out of the plane.   So they were wearing wrinkled, old clothes.   John just so happened to ask Satoko to press his suit jacket, which gave her the opening to offer the Happi Coats to the group.   She said that it would be a great way to cover up the old clothes they had one and when the fans see them in Japanese garb, they would be thrilled.   Surprisingly, John thought it sounded like a great idea and the Happi coats were handed out and worn by all four Beatles.  

I have a Christie's auction catalog from 1995 in which one of the coats was sold, and it states that nine coats were made and given out.   The way I figure it from looking at photos the coats went to:  John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Brian Epstein, Mal Evans, Alf Bicknell, Neil Aspinall and Robert Whitaker.   

Besides the one sold in 1995, another one was up on ebay a few years ago.  That one had Ringo's name inside, but it couldn't be proven to be one of the true coats or not.   A company now makes the Happi Coats that look just like the Beatles ones and sells them online.     So funny that the advertising for Japanese Airlines goes on today!

Mark's mom, asked the Beatles for their autograph on a photo, which she still has to this day.   Plus she was given tickets to see them at their concert in Tokyo.   What an amazing story!

To read about this and see a neat video, please visit  Mark's blog.  

Satoko serving Paul in the airplane to Tokyo.  

Slightly different frame

Coffee Tea or me?

More lucky stewardesses who got the chance to hang out with the guys on the plane during the 1964 tour.   What a job!

Snapped

Stewardress photos 1966

That Julien's auction that is selling the Pattie Daily photos is also selling this interesting item.  These are photos and autographs that a stewardess obtained during the Beatles 1966 North American tour.  I wish they were larger and better quality, but I don't have the money to buy this item, so this is what we get.   Neat photos!

Interesting photo...

According to the auction where I found this photo, this is George and John (obviously) with the pilot and two stewardesses who were on the plane with them in 1964 and this photo was taken right before they landed in Los Angeles for the Hollywood Bowl performance. I believe the stewardess who is standing up in the photo is the person who was selling the photo. But mysteriously, just as quickly as I saw this photo, it disappeared off ebay. Maybe the former stewardess decided she wasn't ready to part with this treasure.