Borrowed hat and a £5 note – memories of a Beatles movie

Stuart Woledge

MORE than 40 years after The Beatles famously filmed Magical Mystery Tour in the Sevenoaks area a new documentary has been released charting their time in the district.

Fab Four fanatics David Lambert and Keith Gray have spent the past year tracking down and interviewing people with memories to share of the 1967 film.

And they gathered at the Holiday Inn, Wrotham, on Friday for a private viewing of The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour Memories.

The film was the first piece of work The Beatles had embarked upon following the death of their manager Brian Epstein.

Its making was a tale of chaos. Without a manager to do it for them, the world's most iconic pop group failed to book studios or hotel rooms.

Following a week in Cornwall besieged by screaming fans, "The Boys" arrived in West Malling.

Mr Lambert said: "They didn't know what they were doing.

"They didn't realise they were so accessible to the public."

Paul McCartney, who had been the driving force behind the film, found out the airfield, now the site of Kings Hill, was available and snaffled up the opportunity.

West Malling man Tim Baldock, 61, had a number of encounters with The Beatles over the course of the next 10 days.

"They mixed in with us," he said. "They weren't stand-offish at all."

His friend Stan ran the tobacconists and The Beatles decided it would make a good venue for filming the scene where tickets were sold for the Magical Mystery Tour.

But he would not let them in until the shop had closed.

"They asked my mate Stan if he wanted to be paid," said Mr Baldock.

"He said no, they could have it for free.

"Paul stuffed £5 in his pocket and said 'have a cigar on me'."

Later in the week Mr Baldock kitted out Ringo Starr with a new pair of flared jeans and a pink shirt after he popped into his clothes boutique.

The Fab Four nearly gave Michael Gliddon the best birthday present any 12-year-old could have wished for, but his party was ruined almost as suddenly as it had started.

"They took a photo of me," said Mr Gliddon, now 51. "They signed it and gave it to me.

"I'm standing there looking at it and a girl came up and snatched it out of my hand."

He never saw it again.

Jennifer Sharman spoke about how her grandfather's hat had come to appear in the film.

The 57-year-old said: "We were standing outside the shop. John Lennon said 'Can I borrow your hat?'

"He did the whole scene in it."

All three agreed that when The Beatles arrived they were given a more modest reception to the one they received in Cornwall.

But for those who were there at the times it clearly marks one of the proudest moments in the village's history.