George Harrison escorts Hayley Mills to the cinema, 1964.
Ringo and his bride, Maureen Cox, on their honeymoon in 1965. It was forty years ago, and counting, that my biography of the Beatles was first published, on September 30, l968. In a trade advertisment, Heinemann, the publisher, was doing its best to make it sound terribly exciting …
The Beatles at home with their families in 1968, taken by ace photographer, Ringo Starr, especially for the first edition of this book: Paul McCartney and Jane Asher.
Bottom: the John Lennons: Julian, Cynthia and John.
The Ringo Starrs: Jason, Maureen, Zak and Ringo. A bit grainy as Ringo had to set the timer on his camera and rush back to his position.
Pattie and George Harrison. Me, right, with Neil Aspinall in Abbey Road, 1967, listening to the Beatles working on Sergeant Pepper. Postcard from John in India, 1968, out there with the Marahishi. Note the joke. It is signed John and Cyn.
The only photos, alas, that I’ve been able to find of me actually with the Beatles during my l8 months work on the book – and even then it’s only a photocopy. Thanks all the same to the Cheshire Observer of Sept 1, l967, for snapping the Beatles through a railway window carriage when their train stopped at Chester, on the way to meet the Maharishi in Bangor. Top, me, right, with George. Below – the back of my head as I sit facing Paul, Ringo and John.