Christmas with the Beatles
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/12/beatles-christmas-party
John Lennon played Santa and George Harrison was keen to have the
Hell's Angels along at the Beatles' festive bash in 1968
Caroline Boucher
12 December 2010
Food wasn't high on the agenda at Apple. The Beatles' Savile Row
headquarters in the late 60s was such a temple of cool it wasn't the
done thing to be filling your face. In Derek Taylor's smoke-filled
press office, you were more likely to be offered Scotch and Coke or a joint.
Except for the 1968 Christmas party. An impetuous man (when doing
press at the Monterey festival he had hung up a sign that read "We
can no longer relate to your problem" and abandoned his post), Derek
decreed that mountains of food and drink and the largest turkey
available (43lb) be ordered.
He persuaded John Lennon to be Father Christmas, so Yoko elected to
be Mother Christmas. That they were both vegetarian didn't matter
this was way before high-handed backstage demands for daft
foodstuffs. Hordes of children tore around, John went around in his
red outfit and cotton wool beard "ho-ho-ho-ing". Children seemed
mildly puzzled by Yoko, also in red, "he-he-he-ing" at his heels.
Ringo and his wife Maureen were there, but not Paul and Linda. A
chapter of Hell's Angels from LA dropped in (George asked everybody
to be very hospitable to these "good people") who nearly derailed the
party when they threw a hunger tantrum despite the mountains of
sausage rolls because the turkey was taking so long to cook, so
they spent the time chasing girls.
It's not easy telling an Angel to piss off, so I hid in the loo with
a plateful of sausage rolls. Every time I eat one I still think of
that mad party.
.
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