Future bandmates and songwriting pair Paul McCartney and John Lennon would meet during a “snail’s pace” church fete, according to Lennon’s sister.
Julia Bird, Lennon’s sister, would say the pair met at the church fete, which was confirmed by both men during The Beatles‘ Anthology documentary. Writing in her book, Imagine, Bird offered some further details on the meeting. McCartney would say Lennon didn’t know the words to the song he was performing, while Lennon would confirm an offer was made to McCartney to join the band that same day. Bird wrote: “The entertainment began at 2pm with the opening procession, which entailed one or two wonderfully festooned lorries crawling at a snail’s pace through the village on their ceremonious way to the Church field.
“The first lorry carried the Rose Queen, seated on her throne, surrounded by her retinue, all dressed in pink and white satin, sporting long ribbons and hand-made roses in their hair. These girls had been chosen from the Sunday school groups, on the basis of age and good behaviour.
“The following lorry carried various entertainers, including The Quarrymen. The boys were up there on the back of the moving lorry trying to stay upright and play their instruments at the same time.”
Bird says Lennon would eventually give up trying to balance on the back of the lorry and, instead, sat with his legs over the edge of the van. She continued: “John gave up battling with balance and sat with his legs hanging over the edge, playing his guitar and singing. He continued all through the slow, slow journey as the lorry puttered its way along.
“Jackie and I leapt alongside the lorry, with our mother laughing and waving at John, making him laugh. He seemed to be the only one who was really trying to play, and we were really trying to put him off.”
In 1995 McCartney himself reflected on that moment he met Lennon. He said: “I remember coming into the fete and seeing all the sideshows. And also hearing all this great music wafting in from this little Tannoy system. It was John and the band.
“I remember I was amazed and thought, ‘Oh great’, because I was obviously into the music. I remember John singing a song called Come Go With Me. He’d heard it on the radio. He didn’t really know the verses, but he knew the chorus. The rest he just made up himself.”
“I just thought, ‘Well, he looks good, he’s singing well and he seems like a great lead singer to me.’ Of course, he had his glasses off, so he really looked suave. I remember John was good. He was really the only outstanding member, all the rest kind of slipped away.”
