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“there’s a rabbit hanging over me HI BUNNY!”

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Arnhem War Memorial, 16 August, 1960

In 1960, when the Beatles were on their way to their first season in Hamburg, they took a wrong turn and ended up in Arnhem on Tuesday, 16 August. While there, John stole a harmonica from a shop and began playing it in the minivan during the rest of their journey. 

Allan Williams commented, “We had time to kill so we went round the town centre and into a music shop, and when we came out they were all laughing their heads off. I said: “What’s the joke, lads?” and John pulled out a mouth organ— he’d stolen a bloody mouth organ! I thought, ‘Christ, we’re never even going to get to Hamburg, we’ll all be in jail.’ The first time abroad and he had the audacity to rob a shop!”

Many years later, a Beatles fan traced the shop (Bergmann Muziek, Koningstraat 19, Arnhem) and went in and paid for the harmonica that John had stolen. The shop currently stores a supply of harmonicas which they give with certificates of authenticity stating that the harmonicas were bought in the shop where John stole his.

— Bill Harry, Love Me Do

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The Incredible Tale of Paul’s Boner

During a 1964 interview on Roundup, Paul McCartney was spotting quite the bulge.

So what was going through Paul’s head at the time? Let’s find out.

And we never spoke of it again.

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“The one you love is only a step away…" 

Lainey scoffed at the words of the old gypsy fortuneteller. Then the woman handed her a locket ring revealing her grandmother’s deepest secret, and the magical ride began.

Beatle: Paul Genre: Comedy, Romance Warnings: None. Status: Complete

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Marisol Hemingway isn’t looking for love when she meets Paul McCartney on holiday in the summer of 1963. She is nursing a broken heart, and he is on the verge of international success. But the attraction between them is undeniable. Will Paul be the holiday fling everyone expects or is he destined to become the romance no one expected?

Beatle: Paul Genre: Romance Warnings: Mature content. Status: Complete

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What’s your opinion on the mclennon ship? Why do you think it’s still such a big ship today? Do you think people shipped it back then too?

Well, I’m going to answer this from a fan fiction point of view. (I know there’s other ways you could love McLennon, but fan fiction is my bag). This may be a little off topic… 

First of all, some of you may know I write Beatles fan fiction, but I don’t write slash. I don’t mind slash. I think it’s fine if you want to write it. But the best fan fiction, of whatever kind, is always one that explores the relationships between the boys. 

Many years ago, I helped someone who was doing research and writing a dissertation on fan fiction, in particular the phenomenon of slash fiction. She found that the role of fan fiction was three fold. 

1. Wish fulfilment (I wish I could date a Beatle! I wish the Beatles had never split up! And so on). 

2. Extension of the fandom (Briefly, it’s a way of enjoying the fandom further, especially when it’s an older fandom and there isn’t as much ‘stuff’ happening as you might like. Bands that broke up 50 years ago for instance). 

3. The exploration of relationships between characters, or in our case, Beatles. And slash is the most extreme instance of this; to imagine our boys literally in romantic love with each other. 

And for that reason, yes, most definitely there was McLennon back in the day. McLennon is the overwhelmingly most popular because John and Paul are always the most popular Beatles (it’s true), and of those, it’s Paul. When I had the Beatles Fan Fiction Directory at it’s full strength, there were over 1000 Paul stories, and I think John was second, but only with around 500 odd stories, half of what was written about Paul. 

Fan fiction itself is a lot older than people think. The Bronte Sisters (those of Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) used to write stories about the Duke of Wellington - RP Fan Fiction there. I’ve heard legends (but alas, have no proof, though I think it’s true) that Beatle fans and Apple Scruffs would write Beatles fan fiction in notebooks that they passed around each other to read and to add to. I would bet a portion of that could have been slash. 

Why is McLennon so hugely popular? I don’t know, I’m a George girl (ha), but I think it has a lot to do with that magical thing that the Beatles possessed that make us fall in love with them and continue loving them. Can’t name it, it doesn’t have a name, but I’m sure you’ll all know what I mean. 

I love how Paul explained to Ron Howard that he wanted Eight Days A Week to be like the Beatles fan films he’d watched on YouTube that showed the love that has existed between the boys. Perfect and it is the magic of the Beatles. (It could have been a very different film - it could have been about the horrors of touring, but it was about the love). 

So ship on, shippers! Let the love grow. 

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John, Paul and George leaving the Angel Hotel in Cardiff on 28th May 1963. The Beatles had played Cardiff the previous night, supporting Roy Orbison on their tour of the UK and were en route to Worcester for a show that night. These candid fan photos were taken by Beatle fan, Edwina Timms and are offered for auction next week. 

Pics: Edwina Timms.

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@the-cosmic-empire

my warm-up today is everybody’s son, george harrison: a confirmed sweet bean. (original photo,1963)

i tried a looser style and really like how it turned out!! 

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OFFTOPIC | Unseen picture of Paul McCartney taken by Linda in 1969, from family collection.

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December. 1968.

Paul out and about with soon-to-be step-daughter Heather, Margaret Davies and her daughter Caitlin. Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Assuming the photographer to be: Linda McCartney

More photos of this visit to come. Stay tuned in.

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Swinging London Kings Road in Chelsea, London during the summer of 1967.

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1965

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Paul McCartney on Countdown at Abbey Road from Aug. 1980 (interview)

In which the other three are alive and kicking and all very well, Japan was a spot of bother, and a “daft” answer to his best work is She Said She Said, just ‘cause it’s a track he likes. (~paraphrasing paraphrasing)

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“The cast, crew and The Beatles were based at the Salway Arms pub for the day when they weren't filming the promo for Penny Lane. Work was delayed by the late arrival of the red hunting jackets worn by the group; eventually a newspaper distributor named Ernie Smith drove to Commercial Road in Stepney to collect them."

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Paul on holiday traveling through Bordeaux, France and Sevilla and Cordoba, Spain, filmed by Mal Evans. (November, 1966)