When John and Paul McCartney met for the first time
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Nancy R wrote:
Kestrel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
Today is the 62nd anniversary of their historic meeting!
Its a shame that the scout hut hasn't survived as,according to drummer Colin Hanton, thats the true location of John meeting Paul for the first time.
What is a “scout hut?” Like a small cabin? Where exactly was it?
Yeah, small cabin...or a big shed. It was where the local scout troop held their meetings. The Quarrymen were allowed to store their instruments in there before and after their performance,while they went around looking at the stalls. It was while they were storing their instruments post performance that John and Paul were (offically) introduced to each other for the first time. According to Colin Hanton that is. I wasn't there !! Actually I wasn't even born. From what I understand, the hut was located in the far corner right hand corner of the field behind the church where the fete was being held. A primary school is now on the site. The field has further shrunk over the years as the churchyard was extended onto it. Today you can clearly see a wide green path that seperates the graves from the pre-late 1950's to those post late 1950's. The location of the Quarrymens stage is today the near left-hand corner of what is now the schools playing field. Its just beyond the boundary hedge that is at the rear of the churchyard . Sixty years ago the hedge wasn't there of course and with the field being larger, the stage was further away from the original churchyard boundary. If any of that makes sense?
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Kestrel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
Kestrel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
Today is the 62nd anniversary of their historic meeting!
Its a shame that the scout hut hasn't survived as,according to drummer Colin Hanton, thats the true location of John meeting Paul for the first time.
What is a “scout hut?” Like a small cabin? Where exactly was it?
Yeah, small cabin...or a big shed. It was where the local scout troop held their meetings. The Quarrymen were allowed to store their instruments in there before and after their performance,while they went around looking at the stalls. It was while they were storing their instruments post performance that John and Paul were (offically) introduced to each other for the first time. According to Colin Hanton that is. I wasn't there !! Actually I wasn't even born. From what I understand, the hut was located in the far corner right hand corner of the field behind the church where the fete was being held. A primary school is now on the site. The field has further shrunk over the years as the churchyard was extended onto it. Today you can clearly see a wide green path that seperates the graves from the pre-late 1950's to those post late 1950's. The location of the Quarrymens stage is today the near left-hand corner of what is now the schools playing field. Its just beyond the boundary hedge that is at the rear of the churchyard . Sixty years ago the hedge wasn't there of course and with the field being larger, the stage was further away from the original churchyard boundary. If any of that makes sense?
Thanks for all the info! I wonder why/how the story got changed that they met in Woolton Hall across the street? The stage that was originally in there is now at the Liverpool Museum, but did they also play on that stage during the fete? They probably played there sometime as it is indoors.
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Nancy R wrote:
Thanks for all the info! I wonder why/how the story got changed that they met in Woolton Hall across the street? The stage that was originally in there is now at the Liverpool Museum, but did they also play on that stage during the fete? They probably played there sometime as it is indoors.
As you stated in your original post,it was the 62nd anniversary of their meeting and the passing of sixty two years is a long time to remember specific events or sequence of events. The Quarrymen certainly played that evening in the church hall across the road and Paul was there to watch them. So everything on that plaque is true other than it wasn't (quite) the first time they met / were introduced. I'm sure John and Paul got to chat to each other longer that evening though than perhaps the twenty minutes in the scout hut in the afternoon, which is probably why the people who were there remember the occasion more easily. The main reason why I tend to go with the 'scout hut' theory though is that a) Colin Hanton says he witnessed John and Paul's introduction and b) that he didn't go to the church hall that evening as he had a prior engagement. So he never saw John and Paul in the church hall. This is all made clear on page 111 in David Bedford's Liddypool book.
Interestingly on the same page, Len Garry claims that Paul went home after the fete to fetch his guitar and then cycle back to the church hall. What is clear though is that everyone there that day has a slightly different memory.
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Kestrel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
Thanks for all the info! I wonder why/how the story got changed that they met in Woolton Hall across the street? The stage that was originally in there is now at the Liverpool Museum, but did they also play on that stage during the fete? They probably played there sometime as it is indoors.
As you stated in your original post,it was the 62nd anniversary of their meeting and the passing of sixty two years is a long time to remember specific events or sequence of events. The Quarrymen certainly played that evening in the church hall across the road and Paul was there to watch them. So everything on that plaque is true other than it wasn't (quite) the first time they met / were introduced. I'm sure John and Paul got to chat to each other longer that evening though than perhaps the twenty minutes in the scout hut in the afternoon, which is probably why the people who were there remember the occasion more easily. The main reason why I tend to go with the 'scout hut' theory though is that a) Colin Hanton says he witnessed John and Paul's introduction and b) that he didn't go to the church hall that evening as he had a prior engagement. So he never saw John and Paul in the church hall. This is all made clear on page 111 in David Bedford's Liddypool book.
Interestingly on the same page, Len Garry claims that Paul went home after the fete to fetch his guitar and then cycle back to the church hall. What is clear though is that everyone there that day has a slightly different memory.
I would tend to agree with Colin’s account as well. If Paul did cycle home and back, that would be quite a long way, wouldn’t it?
I have David’s book Liddypool, so will re-read that part tomorrow.
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Nancy R wrote:
If Paul did cycle home and back, that would be quite a long way, wouldn’t it?
I guess it depends on which route he took but I guess it would only be about 10 minutes by bike if that.
The year before last I walked from Paul's house to the church and it didn't take too long. I took the most direct route I could think of which is crossing the dual-carriageway at the top of Forthlin Road. Then I think I walked up a road roughly opposite that goes up to the golf course. I took the (left hand side) folly that goes up to Menlove Avenue. Then I turned left,crossed the road,passed Mendips, and then turned right up Vale Road. Once you get part of the way round there, there's (I think) Linkster Road (or something like that) which will take you right up to Church Road, coming out just up the hill from St Peter's. I think it may have taken me half an hour to walk it but on a bike it would have been a lot quicker.
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Check out what Paul says about that day at a current concert in Vancouver:
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Kestrel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
If Paul did cycle home and back, that would be quite a long way, wouldn’t it?
I guess it depends on which route he took but I guess it would only be about 10 minutes by bike if that.
The year before last I walked from Paul's house to the church and it didn't take too long. I took the most direct route I could think of which is crossing the dual-carriageway at the top of Forthlin Road. Then I think I walked up a road roughly opposite that goes up to the golf course. I took the (left hand side) folly that goes up to Menlove Avenue. Then I turned left,crossed the road,passed Mendips, and then turned right up Vale Road. Once you get part of the way round there, there's (I think) Linkster Road (or something like that) which will take you right up to Church Road, coming out just up the hill from St Peter's. I think it may have taken me half an hour to walk it but on a bike it would have been a lot quicker.
You’re right, of course. I didn’t realize actually how close Paul lived to St. Peter’s. I was looking on a detailed map online and it seemed further away.
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oobu24 wrote:
Check out what Paul says about that day at a current concert in Vancouver:
Love when he reads the sign about it being 62 years ago that day and he says “Was it?” He has no clue!
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The site of where Paul sees The Quarrymen play for the first time.