Day The Beatles played in a front room in Lancashire
Lancashire author Richard Houghton's new book captures the memories of Beatles fans who saw the Fab Four play live. Here he shares memories of concerts in the Red Rose county.
Amazingly, I was able to track down someone who was at Woolton Village Fete when Paul McCartney and John Lennon met for the very first time as well as stories from people who saw The Beatles’ last paid performance at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966.
So “The Beatles – I Was There” tells the Beatles’ story from beginning to end in the words of people who were there at the time.’ The book includes memories of the Fab Four’s appearance at Preston’s Public Hall in October 1962, when Love Me Do had been released but Beatlemania was yet to grip the nation.
Alan Parkinson was at that gig and spoke to drummer Ringo Starr, who he had seen working at Butlins. “Only about 100 people were there” recalls Alan. “We recognised the drummer who was at Butlins with Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. Of course that was Ringo. And my cheeky mate said, ‘Remember us from Butlins?’. To which he said, ‘Yes’. I’m not sure he did.”
A 14-year-old Pete Morris was also at that Preston show. He says: “To me as a young teenager, it seemed that they had arrived from another planet. I remember leaning up against the front of the stage when they played their first spot and the dance floor was almost empty.
“John Lennon was holding his hand over his eyes, looking out and saying ‘Good evening, everybody, wherever you are’.”
By: Mike Hill
Source: Pendle Today
