Tuesday, 2nd December

The Times published  three photos of three Beatles in today's paper (p19).  They were on holiday in Tenerife with Astrid Kirchherr in 1963. Rare colour pictures taken before Beatlemania and are "expected to fetch £6,000 when they are sold at auction". And the caption was "Yesterday when all their roubles seemed so far away"

Just before getting out of bed this morning I heard a song called "Look to the Future" (words which seemed meant for me!).  And the singer was .... Paul McCartney.

Last few days ...

Thursday, 20th November: "Ringo Starr (Thomas the Tank Engine). The most unlikely post-Beatles career turn of any of the Fab Four came with Starr's contribution to the mid-1980s TV incarnation of the rail icons".  This came from the Top Ten Children's TV Voices list in added to the end of a review of the new Paddington film (T2, p9)

Saturday, 22nd November: "Paul McCartney earns 60K per day".  Overheard conversation at Whitemoors Antique Centre - a group of unit holders were discussing an article in a tabloid newspaper.

Monday, 24th November: "Pete Best, original drummer for the Beatles, 73" from The Times "Birthday's Today" (p30).

I was doing a bit of tidying up in the Library and saw some discarded papers near the printer.  I picked up them to put in the "lost work tray" and saw they were lyrics for "She Loves You" - some budding musician must have printed them off ... aargh.

And as I type this Johnny Walker is telling me about his new radio show which will follow Paul McCartney's career after he left the Beatles and formed Wings.

Friday, 14th November

Children in Need took over R2 today.  It was All Request Friday.  On Simon Mayo's show you could pay a little extra to get Dr Mosh to introduce your choice - providing it was heavy rock, of course.  Simon helpfully explained that "Dr Mosh will not be introducing the likes of ... Paul McCartney, but Slayer - yes"

Sunday, 9th November

Always takes me a couple of days to read Saturday's Times.  Today I read the Magazine and on p15: Paul, Linda and Stella on location in the desert. The family were in California with Wings recording their fourth album, Venus and Mars.

I caught a little bit of Sweet Sixteen by Ringo this afternoon on Johnny Walker's show.  This week's guest was Captain Sensible who spoke about his early days touring explaining it was a "Magical Mystery Tour-like the Beatles film".

But my favourite reference was in The Times Saturday Review (p9).  In a review of a new book, "A history of the 20th century in 100 maps" I read the following sentence: "And the childhood haunts of John, Paul, George and Ringo are meticulously plotted on a 1974 map catering for the millions of Beatles fans making the pilgrimage to Liverpool". Great, eh!

Saturday, 1st November

"You know what was more thrilling to me than meeting Sir Paul McCartney?" writes Caitlin Moran in The Times Magazine about her love of "civic infrastructure".  The answer - finding a wifi network called geysers in a very remote part of Iceland.

I heard "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright on R2 this afternoon.  Johnny Walker explained the song was based on a poem in a book that was given to the songwriter by George Harrison.

I went to the movies last night so missed "Strictly Come Dancing" so watched it tonight.  One couple danced the Paso to Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die". It was a good performance - got them second place on the leader board.

Saturday, 25th October

Caitlin Moran (my favourite journalist) devoted her regular column in The Times Magazine to discussing who's the best Beatle.  She started with Ringo, her writing as humorous as ever, but she finally chose - Paul McCartney. I think I agree.

All that listening and watching last night meant I didn't read Thursday's T2 until this evening.  On Page 5 there's a long article about the BBC releasing a charity single of Brian Wilson's "God only knows" by a group of A-listers.  Daniel Finkelstein describes it as the song that shaped him - and was introduced to it by Paul McCartney who he heard on the radio in 1966 saying that  "Here, There and Everywhere"  (off Revolver) was inspired by it.

A music business expert was talking on Simon Mayo's show tonight about "covers" and the money they make for the writers.  He mentioned Lennon and McCartney but I didn't catch any details - I was too engrossed in my T2 crossword.

But I did hear Iggy Pop on "Newsnight" explaining that his boyhood musical influences where The Beatles and The Kinks which he listened to on the radio.  He was being interviewed by Kirsty Wark because he's recently delivered a lecture on music and its relationship to business (I think).

I watched "Only Connect" tonight.  During Round One the teams have four sequential clues.  Clue 1 in one sequence was "we all stand together". Three phrases later, the connecting word turned out to be frogs.  And that initial clue was, of course, from Paul McCartney's "Frog Chorus"

I never watch "Would I lie to you" - but I caught the last 10 minutes tonight.  Lee Mack was trying to convince the others that he had a system for remembering the teletubbies and added ... "Stuart, but he left before Ringo"! I must have missed something, because doesn't really make sense does it?

Something else I missed was in yesterday's Times (until I read it late last night in bed): was a little piece about  lego artworks:  "Lego recreations of The Beatles, One Direction and a telephone box will go on display as part of The Art of the Brick ... " (p21).

And as I type this I'm listening to "Mull of Kintyre" as Anton and Judy dance a waltz on "Strictly Come Dancing"

Wednesday, 24th September

The cover of T2 today showed a picture of George and Olivia Harrison with the heading: Loving George: My Life with the Beatle.  Olivia recalls a hike up Machu Picchu - "just backpackers alone up the mountain, and two pan pipe players appeared playing Hey Jude.  I sent it to Paul on my phone, he said 'Ah, you see, you can't get away'". Beatlewatch's point exactly.

I've just ordered Leonard Cohen's new album.  Mark Ellen recalls chats with him in yesterday's "Times 2" (p4) and writes: "Most songwriters are fearfully pragmatic, Lennon and McCartney famously agreeing times in their diaries ... to write ... But in the dusty, delightful and exquisitely romantic manner that's characterised his career, Cohen still waits humbly for the muse to visit him.

I get the "i" newspaper at work (for the students).  I don't often flick through it, but I did today.  And what did I see ... a photo with the headline "Mr McCartney sticks the boot in with a stellar frow".  In other words, the British Brand of Hunter "drew a heady mix of names for its London Fashion Week Show" - including Stella and Paul McCartney.

In 30 minutes time its the first episode of "Cilla".  I may save it for another tonight, but I'm sure it'll feature in several future posts.

Monday, 1st September

"McCartney in storm of abuse after urging Scotland to stay ... McCartney, whose love song to Scotland, Mull of Kintyre, featured in the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, signed a letter that made the case for the Union" (Times, p2)

My newspaper's lead story concerns the British ISIS guard responsible for yesterday's filmed killing of an American hostage. "One former hostage said that he recognised the voice to be that of a jailer known as John.  The group were jokingly referred to as "the Beatles", he said" (The Times, p1).  The Radio2 news bulletins tell it slightly differently saying that 3 or the 4 jailors were British and known as John, Paul and Ringo. Either way, its not a reference I am happy to record.  And I imagine Paul and Ringo are distressed at this use of their names.

I  caught a little of dear old Desmond Carrington's show on R2 tonight.  His playlist included an old Liverpool song "Fair Maggie May" .  The version he played was by The Quarryman - and, of course, he didn't fail to mention that Harrison, McCartney and Lennon were former band members.