This day 57 years ago John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time. The venue was Woolton, Liverpool where Paul had come along to see John's skiffle band, The Quarrymen, play at the St Peter's Church Fête on the invitation of his schoolmate and band member, Ivan Vaughan. McCartney later recalled that the 'grown-up and dissipated character' he met that day was well oiled when they spoke for the first time - a claim refuted by the other Quarrymen even though they admit that beers were had by the band that day. I like the way Phil Norman describes the gravity of the occasion in his relatively recent biography of John - Lennon: The Life.
"More desultory conversation went on while church helpers completed preparations for the Grand Dance or emptied dregs from tea urns unaware of an encounter that was to rank alongside Gilbert's first with Sullivan or Rodgers with Hart."
Their first meeting puts me in mind of many, many first encounters of my own and of the sterling relationships that followed as a result and for which I am both honoured and grateful. So what I'm really trying to propose, what this really is, I suppose, is a post and a toast to friends! Cheers.
An encounter with fête!
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