BEATLE ISLAND (Room 320)
I'M A BEATLE! GET ME OUT OF HERE! (Room 320)
The Beatles were experimenting with psychedelic drugs throughout 1967 and their assistant Pete Brown famously recalls that it was becoming harder to tell what part of the madness surrounding them was drug induced and what part of it was their day-to-day existence. They had certainly been in the eye of the hurricane and John suggested that they create their own normality by escaping to an island. “Let’s buy our own island” was John’s suggestion, and the only inhabitants would be The Beatles, their families and close friends. Magic Alex (one of the ‘hangers on’ in their entourage) suggested his native Greece. Brian’s assistant, Alistair Taylor, was duly despatched to sort it out in July 1967. The fact that a military junta had just seized Greece unfazed John who retorted, “I don’t care if they are all fascists or communists, they’re all as bad as here!”
Alistair found Leslo, an island of 80 acres with four idyllic beaches one for each of The Beatles. All of the entourage travelled except Brian whose father had passed away; Brian was still in official mourning. Although supposed to be a secret, they were followed on the mainland by crowds and journalists everywhere, there was no escape. They then took a yacht and cruised the Aegean, which they adored although Ringo had to return to England to be with Maureen who was expecting. Upon their return, Alistair was left to seal the deal. However it was a period of very stringent government currency controls and an appeal to the Chancellor to be allowed to take enough money out of the country to purchase the island fell on deaf ears. The Chancellor allowed only £95,000 to be exported, which would buy the island but not build their houses or furnish them. Still they bought £95,000 of property dollars from the UK government only to go cold on the idea a few months later! They later sold their property dollars at a ten per cent profit, one of the only times Apple made a profit joked George! Ringo was even more scathing “We had big ideas but it was safer making records because once they let us out we went barmy!” In later life John was to repeat this experience by cruising in the Bahamas but they never did realize their dream of “Beatle Island”.
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON
I'M A BEATLE! GET ME OUT OF HERE! (Room 320)
The Beatles were experimenting with psychedelic drugs throughout 1967 and their assistant Pete Brown famously recalls that it was becoming harder to tell what part of the madness surrounding them was drug induced and what part of it was their day-to-day existence. They had certainly been in the eye of the hurricane and John suggested that they create their own normality by escaping to an island. “Let’s buy our own island” was John’s suggestion, and the only inhabitants would be The Beatles, their families and close friends. Magic Alex (one of the ‘hangers on’ in their entourage) suggested his native Greece. Brian’s assistant, Alistair Taylor, was duly despatched to sort it out in July 1967. The fact that a military junta had just seized Greece unfazed John who retorted, “I don’t care if they are all fascists or communists, they’re all as bad as here!”
Alistair found Leslo, an island of 80 acres with four idyllic beaches one for each of The Beatles. All of the entourage travelled except Brian whose father had passed away; Brian was still in official mourning. Although supposed to be a secret, they were followed on the mainland by crowds and journalists everywhere, there was no escape. They then took a yacht and cruised the Aegean, which they adored although Ringo had to return to England to be with Maureen who was expecting. Upon their return, Alistair was left to seal the deal. However it was a period of very stringent government currency controls and an appeal to the Chancellor to be allowed to take enough money out of the country to purchase the island fell on deaf ears. The Chancellor allowed only £95,000 to be exported, which would buy the island but not build their houses or furnish them. Still they bought £95,000 of property dollars from the UK government only to go cold on the idea a few months later! They later sold their property dollars at a ten per cent profit, one of the only times Apple made a profit joked George! Ringo was even more scathing “We had big ideas but it was safer making records because once they let us out we went barmy!” In later life John was to repeat this experience by cruising in the Bahamas but they never did realize their dream of “Beatle Island”.
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON
I'M A BEATLE! GET ME OUT OF HERE! (Room 320)
The Beatles were experimenting with psychedelic drugs throughout 1967 and their assistant Pete Brown famously recalls that it was becoming harder to tell what part of the madness surrounding them was drug induced and what part of it was their day-to-day existence. They had certainly been in the eye of the hurricane and John suggested that they create their own normality by escaping to an island. “Let’s buy our own island” was John’s suggestion, and the only inhabitants would be The Beatles, their families and close friends. Magic Alex (one of the ‘hangers on’ in their entourage) suggested his native Greece. Brian’s assistant, Alistair Taylor, was duly despatched to sort it out in July 1967. The fact that a military junta had just seized Greece unfazed John who retorted, “I don’t care if they are all fascists or communists, they’re all as bad as here!”
Alistair found Leslo, an island of 80 acres with four idyllic beaches one for each of The Beatles. All of the entourage travelled except Brian whose father had passed away; Brian was still in official mourning. Although supposed to be a secret, they were followed on the mainland by crowds and journalists everywhere, there was no escape. They then took a yacht and cruised the Aegean, which they adored although Ringo had to return to England to be with Maureen who was expecting. Upon their return, Alistair was left to seal the deal. However it was a period of very stringent government currency controls and an appeal to the Chancellor to be allowed to take enough money out of the country to purchase the island fell on deaf ears. The Chancellor allowed only £95,000 to be exported, which would buy the island but not build their houses or furnish them. Still they bought £95,000 of property dollars from the UK government only to go cold on the idea a few months later! They later sold their property dollars at a ten per cent profit, one of the only times Apple made a profit joked George! Ringo was even more scathing “We had big ideas but it was safer making records because once they let us out we went barmy!” In later life John was to repeat this experience by cruising in the Bahamas but they never did realize their dream of “Beatle Island”.
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON