Lennons told Stay on Isle! (1971)

Lennons Told Say On Isle!

Written by Standard Foreign News Desk

Evening Standard

April 24, 1971

     Former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, have been ordered to stay on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, following the alleged abduction of Yoko's daughter.  The Lennons were allowed to leave the island's police headquarters in Palma early today, after spending 14 hours there. 

    Investigating magistrate Senor Juan Mari spent the night taking statements from the Lennons and Yoko's former husband, American Anthony Cox. The issue was the custody of seven-year-old Kyoko, the daughter of Yoko and Mr. Cox, who alleged that Kyoko had been kidnapped. Yesterday, he left the police headquarters with the child. 

The case must now go to Manacor, 35 miles from Palma, because the alleged abduction took place there. Later court sources at Manacor said Lennon and Yoko must appear in court on the first and 15th of each month until brought to trial. They added that the date of the trial has not yet been fixed.

     At their hotel suite this afternoon, the Lennons talked with an English solicitor and a Spanish lawyer. The solicitor who flew to Majorca today was Mr. Andrew White. The Spaniard was Señor Caesar  Losano Aldea.  Also there was Mr. Peter Howard of Apple. 

    A spokesman said, "It is much too delicate at the moment to make any statement. John and Yoko are staying in their suite."

     One of the problems being discussed was whether the couple would be allowed to leave the island. It is understood that Mr. Cox, a film director, is also not allowed to leave Majorca until the authorities at Manacor decide whether there was an attempt to kidnap the girl. 

    The Lennons reported to the Palma police station yesterday afternoon. John was carrying little Kyoko. Police sources quoted Lennon as saying, "I took the girl to my hotel because I wanted Yoko to see her daughter."

     According to Mr. Cox, Kyoko had disappeared from a playground at a tourist complex. Her father reported that she had been kidnapped by two unknown men. 

    In fact, according to Lennon, she had been taken by him and his wife to their luxury hotel in Palma. The Lennons revealed that a British Consulate source told the investigating magistrate that they left a lawyer to find Mr. Cox and tell him where Kyoko was. The lawyer could not find the girl's father, and the alarm was raised. As the hours went by at the police station, lawyers representing both Mr. Cox and the Lennons arrived at 2:45am. Mr. Lennon was called before the investigating magistrate for a further statement. Mrs. Lennon told the magistrate her divorce, granted by a court in the Virgin Islands, did not give the custody of the child to either parent. As the legal wranglings went on, a doctor arrived at the police station to treat the child for a high temperature. 

    The first to leave the Magistrates Court were a beaming Mr. Cox with Kyoko on his back and his present wife, the couple embraced on the courtroom steps. A few minutes later, the Lennons departed. They looked serious and disappointed, said witnesses. The former Beatles Secretary, Mr. John Richter, said police returned Mr. and Mrs. Lennon's passports, which they had earlier withdrawn when they left the magistrate's office. 

    There was a 'Do Not Disturb' notice on the door of the Lennons' bedroom at the Melia Mallorca hotel this morning. Staff at the hotel said the couple returned rather dejected earlier this morning. Mr. J. G. Joyce, British Vice Consul in Palma, who was at the Palace of Justice with the Lennons, said, "They're very surprised to be accused of abduction. They brought the child to spend the day with them in Palma and buy her a few presents. At the hotel they noticed she had a slight fever and called a doctor. It was then the police arrived."

     The Lennons arrived in Spain three days ago. Their private aircraft landed at Madrid airport, but was prevented from continuing to Majorca due to technical trouble. 

Mr. Cox and his wife have been in Majorca, attending meditation classes given by the Indian guru. Maharishi.

Getting Kyoko

 April 22, 1971 

John and Yoko visit Spain

John and Yoko autographed this matchbook on this date.

 

April 20, 1971 

Disaster Nearly Struck the Beatles! (1963)

 Disaster Nearly Struck the Beatles!

By June Harris

Disc

May 25. 1963

    Just over a week ago, the Beatles got back from a great holiday in the Canary Isles and Spain. But you'll never believe how close the four of them came to becoming a duo! For George Harrison and Paul McCartney both had incredibly narrow escapes from drowning. 

    The boys told me all about it when I met them in their manager's London office last week, and although they treated it as a huge joke, it couldn't have been very funny at the time. 

    "I got the worst end of the deal," said Paul McCartney, who had gone to Tenerife with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, while John Lennon went to Spain with manager Brian Epstein. "I left George and Ringo on the beach and went for a swim. When I got past a reef, the waves started looking murderous, so I turned back, but got washed out. I started waving frantically to the boys, but they just grinned back.

     "Suddenly, I felt miserable. Here was everything just happening, and no Paul McCartney to share in the benefits. I whacked the hell out of them when I eventually got back on the beach."

    " As for me, I got my foot caught in a rock," said George, "and I can hardly swim at all. Those currents look a darn sight more dangerous when you think you're drowning. Ringo wouldn't have laughed so much if it had happened to him!"
     

    Surprisingly, most of the time the Beatles had bad weather. But this didn't deter them from having a real ball. "We stayed with some German friends. Well, what decent hotel would have us?"said Ringo, "and we hired a car, a Hillman Minx, but your readers can be told it was a Rolls Bentley.

     "We drove all around the island, which is about three feet square, decided there wasn't enough room for all of us and dropped George on top of a mountain."

     "That bit about me on top of the mountain is quite true," admitted George. "When it's cloudy on the island, you drive up the mountain and through the clouds. When you reach the top, the sky is a fabulous colour blue, and the sun just beats down on you.

     "We didn't take coats or anything, because everyone said the weather would be just great. But we got out at Barcelona airport, and we had to start searching for the sun. Then we were told our flight to Tenerife had been canceled because of bad weather. We tried to make the receptionist understand that they just couldn't have bad weather there, but all she did was direct us to the nearest hotel. 

    "We finally arrived at the Canaries a day later."

     They still managed to get in some sunbathing, however, and have returned with gloriously tanned bodies and white faces (which they couldn't explain.)

     On one occasion, they attended a bull fight. This gave rise to a particularly colorful scene in their London office, with three of them playing Matador, Picador, and bull. "They made this big production scene even when the most frightened of amateur Matadors comes out," said Ringo. "The trumpets play, everyone shouts, 'Olay'. And if the matador shows a yellow streak, they start throwing Coca-Cola bottles at him.

     "The first bull came in the area with such a cool look. It was unbelievable. It then glanced up at the matador with the expression, 'Okay, Buster, get in there and pitch.' And the poor guy had a hell of a job after that. When the star bullfighter comes on, there's as much fuss as if it's Cliff appearing on the Palladium.

     "Finally, this bloke managed to stab the bull a couple of times, and then just when you thought it was dead, it stuck its face on one side and groaned."

     Apart from making a financial bid for the island, the three Beatles came home laden with the usual kind of presents for the family. George Harrison bought a new washable suede coat. Paul McCartney bought some shirts, but Ringo pipped the lot of them, buying 36 China bulls, a dozen swords, and some torador miniatures. 

    But they were still relieved to get home. "Next time we'll go somewhere in the sun," they said. "Maybe like the Caribbean."

Bull Fighting

 September 19, 1965 

Beatles on display

 July 3, 1965 - Barcelona, Spain 

A flower for Paul

 July 1, 1965 - Madrid, Spain 

Wings over Spain

 

Madrid meeting

 November 3, 1989 - Madrid, Spain

Spanish Beatles

 

Grand Prix in Spain

 June 4, 1978

Playing guitar on the beach

 October 23, 1966 

Leaving Spain without Kyoko

 

April 26, 1971    Yoko looks so sad in these photos.   My heart breaks for her when I think about how long she looked for Kyoko and did not see her again until many, many years later.    Unless a mother is abusive, no mother should be removed from a child's life like that.   

Spanish guitar

 

Ringo in thought while visiting John in Spain

 

Strawberry Fields in a fisheye

Spanish bass

The Beatles in Spain

Arriving in Spain

Notice that look the girl is giving the boys?   Yeah---she has some Beatlemania for sure.

A drunken man

This photo was taken July 5, 1965 in Madrid Spain when the Beatles were guests of the mayor, who had a party in their honor.   According to the caption of the photo, Paul is here pretending like he is a drunk man.   Pretending?    No one will know for sure!