Antrobus Hotel

The Antrobus Hotel - again. I did not get to stay in the Beatles Suite but had breakfast (alone of course) at a table close to the wall where.....see the join ? Enough already, I have kids for God's sake.

Brian Jones and Winnie the Pooh

One of my favorite weird Fab tracks is 'You Know My Name (Look up the Number)' on which the Fabs' favorite Stone, Brain Jones, played the sax. Yes, yes, tell us something new. (note to self : stop talking to self. Note back to self : who are you talking to ?). Well, little did I know but said Stone died at Cotchford Farm which (wait for it, wait for it...) is but a throw of a stone (oh God, stop it) from the House of Brilig ! Being of a shy nature (I not E) I have yet to venture up this muddy path...but will at some point. Winnie the Pooh lived in that farm house. I also read somewhere that George Harrison visited the place - could a Beatle  really have been in such close proximity to Casa Brilig. I am ridiculously interested in that possible scenario....

Seven Dials

For a man of style and elegance, I was surprised by the naffness of this building; the location of Brian Epstein's business in the early 1960's. For th record, 13 Monmouth Street, Seven Dials, Covent Garden. The plaque was revealed by our Cilla in Sep 2010. Interesting.. depending on your position on the scale that dare not speak its name.

Mad's Day Out

‘There’s trouble at mill !’ The North beckoned last week. Herr Brilig was instructed to head an uncomfortably long round the Un-Magic Roundabout and up the Devil’s Own Highway to take notes and report back. Now, having spent a ridiculous portion of my adult life stuck on the sodding M25 and M1 behind jack-knifed mega-trucks, or dumb sheep or…(I’m sure there are other things) I decided to do myself a favour and ‘let the train take the strain’. Yes, it so long since I last did so that that was the advert. Anyhow, having observed whatever I was supposed to have observed I headed back on a ‘125’ which chugged along at something more like ‘25’ but finally pulled in to dear old St Pancras on Friday afternoon. St Pancras, erm….what happened there ? Something Beatle-y ? No damn Wi-fi on train at least for the plebs in the cheap seats and, of course, never remember the Beatles’ London book. Ah-ha ! Yes – it’s coming back to me ! The Mad Day Out leg in a park…with a church…and sitting on a bench smiling stupidly ! 

A bit of srtoll from the exit of the station but really worth the effort. A very tranquil spot a once there, suddenly very familiar objects – the church entrance, the water fountain and the bench.

I thought this may have been the spot where the local crowds mingled with the Fabs but a quick check on Kenwood Lennon indicates that it actually 180 degrees wrong - never mind.

 And here is the bench ......wait a doggone minute !!! What does it say there ....

Well I never ! I feel less of a freak when I see things like this. Someone out there is even more of a nut than I am - and God bless them.

Ah yes - and here is the front cover of the first Beatle book I bought as a young-un, probably about 12 years old. Little did I suspect that this interest was to turn into an obsession in middle years and that at three score years and minus ten - I would be sniffing around an obscure spot in central London (on my own) taking photos and wanting to tell the innocent idlers that 'THIS IS WHERE THE BEATLES SAT IN 1968. DID YOU KNOW THAT ? DID YOU KNOW THAT'. (I do need help and I know it)

There are places I don't remember..

Having failed to convince the kids to sell their Summer Time Ball tickets for £900 a piece, I left them at Wembley Stadium - broken leg and wheelchair and all (they have to learn to survive) - and caught the first Jubilee Line back to St John's Wood. Very busy around the Abbey Road crossing

A skip at the studio - quickly emptied contents, assessed each piece, nothing to report.

Then on to Cavendish Road.    Apparently Billy Fury lived at No. 1 - no many people know that. 

  

Then it was all downhill. Most of the Beatle sites I chose to visit were covered up. First, the Apple Shop in Baker Street

Then the original Apple offices in Wimpole Street - the building does not seem to exist at all any more.

The Richard Frazer Gallery in Duke Street

Then how about this ? What is going on at No. 3 ?

Even the Devonshire Arms close to the old EMI building was closed - dang !

The walk from the back of the EMI offices to the taxi...

A bit of retail therapy at the Beatles' Shop in Baker Street - liked the look of the Yellow Submarine pinball machine but could not quite stretch to the £5000 asking price.

So not a great day and I had to fight way down Wembley Way with wheelchair and kids screaming stupid Justin Bieberlake and Jazzy J tunes in my ear at midnight - all too much.


So here's a quiz - what is the Beatle significance of these two pics ? Answers on a postcard to the I Hate Justin Bieberlake Fan club address

Shakespeare Day in London

Ok - it started out as a Shakespeare Day out in grand olde Londinium and yes we did 'do' the Globe but that only took a few minutes (cough, cough) and so we had the whole of the day before us and I just happened to have packed the Beatles London book in the Yellow Submarine rucksack ( I'm sharing too much). So we made a BeaLine for the Abbey Road Cafe and thence onto the studios. Worth noting that extreme caution is required these days as drivers get terribly upset by the hordes messing around. The young Brilig became increasing emotional (very strange) when I forced her to cross the road for the hundredth time then pushed her through the Studio Gates as, through the tears, she protested 'The sign says 'Strictly Private' Daddy !!' I reassured her that it was quite unlikely she would get arrested as I positioned myself back behind the railing to get the long distance shot - well it was no use us both getting into trouble.

Sgt Pepper Party - Chapel Street

Twas here almost exactly 45 years ago (19th May) that Epstein hosted a party to launch the Sgt Pepper album. Fascinating ? Absolutely ! Took a few snaps half expecting the Belgravia private police force descend on me at any moment but seemed to get away with it.

Is this the drawing room... with the mantle ? and the LP ? and the second meeting of Macca and the American photographer ?

Stay away from the balcony John

A very pleasant pub just down the side alley called the Horse and Groom - a candidate for Pubs Where They Supped ? Just how many times did they visit Eppy at this address ?

West Malling - Magical Mystery Tour

Dehydrated after a bit of session the night before with friends previously seen a quarter of a century back, I made my way back on Saturday morning, rather gingerly, from olde Folkestoneium back into the the heart of ancient Cantium stopping briefly in West Malling  for purposes of re-caffination. But not Kings Hill - even I could not bring myself to search out that Durello Spot again. No, no, no. Just thought I'd spend a moment in the High Street and observe the Baldocks clothing emporium where, during the filming of MMT, Ringo bought a few items of groovy gear (and possible the Lennon hat). Then perhaps observe once more the shop front where Ringo bought the MMT ticket from Lennon. Now the Rain Grill (see below)

But wait ! I said wait up there ! What in the name of Boutros Boutros Ghali is going on here ???? A Beatles Weekend ? Yes ! Let excitement be unconstrained ! The MMT coach is making the journey from Newquay to West Malling next week and all local Beatle Nuts and any locals who recall the Fab days in West Malling 45 years ago are to be made very welcome. I'm excited, I'm excited.....

But wait a second. How will this work ? "Hello, I like the Beatles, do you ?".."Yes, I like the Beatles, too.".."Which one did you like best ?".. "Well, they were all good, but my fave was John Lennon..." Awkward silence. "They were great, weren't they ?"   Silence...Maybe, urmmmm...

Here is the view from the MMT Ticket Shop to the Trouser Shop. What the hell is happening to me ? I could be at home with kids...

No wonder the kids hate me...

Help ! It's the Antrobus Hotel

Enough of this introspection already...back to the eponymous boy band.

Long story but stopped at Antrobus Hotet in Amesbury near Stonehenge yesterday as this was the place the Fabs rested for a few days and nights during the filming of the Salisbury Plane scenes in Help ! The receptionist was very helpful in leading me to the bar 'open to non-residents' and when asked in my most cringe-worthy fake innocent tones 'I read somewhere that the Beatles stayed somewhere around here back in the day..." she enthusiastically told me about the 'Beatles Suite' dedicated to the FF available at a very reasonable £110 per night for two including breakfast. All good stuff but the real joy was when she pointed out the well thumbed copy of 'Now Those Days Have Gone' book in the lobby. What the heck is this ? How come a fanatic like me has not heard of Michael Peto and his excellent (truly excellent) record of the Beatles in 1965 ?? It includes many photos of the very hotel I was standing in - I was looking at JL sipping his afternoon tea then looking up from the book to see the very same spot in front of me. Incredible. I though about slipping book into briefcase but resisted and retired to the bar for a small pint of Upham Ale.

This was great end to an otherwise forgettable day. I wished I could have taken a few more shots but did not want to appear a complete freeeeko. Maybe return in a few weeks.

The book is out there somewhere on the Information Super Highway - but very much limited edition - cost about £450.

I hate you Myers-Briggs - Belfast

The thing I most hate about Myers-Brigs is that it's taken as a green light to those normally exhibiting good ol’ British self control to start self-obsessing all over the place.. "I thought I was a non-feeling person but turms out I really do care !" or "Don't mess with me coz I'm an ESTF !"....What ?! What did you say ? Stop right there, I don't give a damm about your stupid letters and stop talking about yourself ! It's deeply, deeply unsettling.

Anyhow, having been appointed recently to the role of Generalist Extrodinaire which comes with the keys to the executive loos, I was mortified upon discovering that the 'higher echelons' (cough, cough) are expected to engage in a focussed programme of self awareness in order that one might become an even greater leader. Gosh and gosh again. What exactly might this programme be ? Surely just a quick speed-read of a few of the latest trendy management books ? "Good to Great and Back Again", "The Allure of Toxic Leaders" (like the sound of that one) etc etc but no ! I've gotta a tree-hug and 'share' with fellow pretentious non-entities that line the corridors of make believe power. God, I hate being in a club that accepts me as a member

So we start with Myers-Briggs. I don’t want to fill in this bloody form of 80 questions that reduces every single human being on the planet into one of 16 personality types. How in the name of Nelly Fertardo could that possibly be ?!. One tick in the wrong box and I could suddenly discover I am a psycho - Go with the flow. Go with the flow. Don’t over reveal, steady as she goes boy. Play the game – remember the executive loo..And so into analysis with my 4 meaningless letters of ESTJ (deep down hoping that my tendency to obsession is not about to be revealed to all) But wait, the more enthusiastic members of the non-entity club have spotted these 4 letters of mine and one complete burke (who has worked with me for a quarter of a century) shouts out – “He’s not an E ! He’s and I”. “What the f** are you dribbling on about ?” say I trying to maintain a passive aggressive level of detachment and the same time inwardly panicking that ‘I’ is bad. At this point the ridiculously overpaid consultant / facilitator starts telling us all we are expected to act as One Team and that we are there to support each other. Bollocks, bollocks. He then turns to me and says “Well, what do you think you are ? An I – introvert, or an E – Extrovert’. So I blurt out “What the hell do you mean !? How dare you insult me with your bloody 4 letter bollocks ! I am obviously an E !! An E !! I am an extrovert !!” Then to my extreme displeasure, the masses start discussing my E/I balance as if I am not there.. “Listen to me ! I spend half my bloody life standing in front of the masses telling about things ! Of course I am an Extrovert “. Then a moment of silence. The consultant turns to me and with a pained expression of sympathy he says “But do you enjoy it ? Is it what you wanted to do ?”. He’s got me on the back foot but I come back fighting.”What the hell has that got to do with the price of eggs ! I do it coz I have to !” It’s weak and I know it. The caring, sharing team then spend the next half an hour trying to coax me out from under my desk. When I finally emerge, I wipe the tears away and sign the form in blood to confirm that, deep dowm, I am an ‘I’.

But there are some upsides. Our ‘One Team’ is sent to Belfast for a tree-hug with our NI cousins. And over a few beers in our hotel (which has the unfortunate record of being the most bombed hotel in Europe) we agree not to discuss Myers-Briggs (for fear of further kafuffle) and so focus on the ever-interesting pub staple topic of ‘My Favourite 3 Songs’. So what’s it going to be ? Do I reveal myself even further to this new set of friends ? “Well,” I start without really thinking this thing through properly “It’s going to be tough because there are about 250 songs to choose from of course..” Raised eyebrows around the table..”I think about this all the time..” Some start to shuffle a little..”but I would have to go with Sexy Sadie, A Day in the Life and err...probably In my Life”. One of them then mumbles “So, you’re a Beatle fan then..?”. Then they spot my Beatle cufflinks, then notice my tie has a pattern of (subtle, I think) little Apples. The person opposite then points out that my socks say Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. As I walk back to my hotel room I swear I hear one of them whisper “I knew he was an 'I'”.
I read that it is important to humour the ISTJ otherwise they are prone to dwell and obsess on memories and past events. Surely not ?

Later, I seek re-assurance from the kids. I tell them about this stupid, stupid thing called Myers-Briggs and that they should never get involved with it coz its like witchcraft. Should not have said that of course as this stirred their interest. The eldest (always least sympathetic) asks for an example of the type of question so I oblige "Well, for example, there is one question which goes like this ..'When you are with friends, do you find you are the one who normally gets the conversation going ?'". The youngest then looks at me and says without intended malice "Which friends are you talking about ?"

The therapy will be long and expensive