#alf bicknell

[muzaktomyears]

[At the 1965 meeting between Elvis and the Beatles] The chauffeur/roadie/personal assistant [Alf Bicknell] leaned towards the drummer and said: “You know I’ve been thinking, Ringo. Elvis is just one guy and he has about a dozen folk looking after him. “Yet there’s four of you and only three of us.” There was silence as Ringo considered the query before deadpanning: “Whatsa matter, Alf, d’you wanna raise?”

Ticket to Ride!: The Ultimate Beatles Tour Diary, Alasdair Ferguson & Alf Bicknell (1999)

[ludmilachaibemachado]

The Beatles enjoying a day of sunshine by the pool at their rented house on 7655 Curson Terrace in LA, on August 26th, 1966, soon after their last tour in North America. Also photographed in this picture are Joan Baez (sitting next to George), David Crosby (far right, striped shirt), chauffeur Alf Bicknell (standing, back left), and PR Tony Barrow (white shirt, behind Paul), while John can be seen playing with a toy yellow submarine in the pool🌸🌼🌺🌻🌹

Via @60sgoodtimes on Instagram🍁

[zilabee]

Alf became used to seeing the Beatles when they were stoned. They were even more mischievous but there was never any real harm done. “It was always silly pranks. When they weren't touring or recording they would party very hard. Some nights I'd bring them home from a club and it would be 5/6am in the morning. “One morning like that we were coming back from the Ad Lib club. We were coming off the Edgware Road. I knew London very well and would use back roads. We passed this dairy and there were crates of milk outside it. 'Stop, Alf,' said John.” There was conspiratorial whispering and then much hilarity. Then Lennon piped up, “Wait there, we're off to get some milk.” Alf laughs. “I then saw one of the most surreal sights I have ever seen. Four of the most famous and richest musician stars in the land furtively walking up to the dairy, then grabbing a pint of milk each. “They jumped back in the car and Lennon shouted, “Right Alf, let's scarper!” like they'd just robbed a bank or something not pinched a couple of pints of gold cap. “This was in the early days and I remember thinking: What have I let myself in for?”

Ticket To Ride, Alasdair Ferguson and Alf Bicknell

[dateinthelife]

28 October 1964

After a show in Exeter, the Beatles take chauffeur Alf Bicknell out for his 36th birthday.

[mrepstein]

Collages from Derek Taylor’s 1973 memoir As Time Goes By

[estacium]

Ithe incorrect quote was from @ringothedrumminglion shsh ngl this reminded me of that incident where Alf accidentaly broke harrison’s guitar and Neil got mad at him HAHA (I hate uploading in pc) 

[beatlesblog]

LECTURE 16: MORE POPULAR THAN JESUS: Here’s a superb mini-documentary on John Lennon’s 1966 “More Popular Than Jesus” controversy, featuring clips of Bran Epstein, John’s sister Julia Baird, the Beatles’ chauffeur, Alf Bicknell, and others. It also includes footage of The Beatles Boycott, carried out mainly in the Deep South Bible Belt states (but also in other parts of America as well). The reaction in the United States against Lennon’s “More Popular Than Jesus” comments in an interview he did with British journalist Maureen Cleave today may seem outrageous and over the top, but they also symbolized the increasing power of the Christian Right backlash underway against the counterculture in general and The Beatles in particular in the summer of ’66. 

[zilabee]

Messages sent to Alf Bicknell (the Beatles' chauffeur) for his book "Ticket To Ride".

"We all have experienced trust misplaced over the last 25 years and I can tell you all it is pretty ugly. Alf, along with Neil and Mal, was priceless. Their contribution to the 'Fabness' of us four was immeasurable, yet through the years that followed - - having had plenty of opportunities to 'sell' their "true story" - the real true story is that they were our incorruptible friends..." - - George

"Not everyone you meet is loyal, not everybody is someone you can trust, and not everyone is a likeable person, but Alf scored easily on all three points. He came with us through the craziness, the emotion, the fun and the nonsense, and I was always glad to have had him on our side." - - Paul

"He was thrown into the madness and mayhem of that phenomena Beatlemania. He did virtually everything during that time for John and the boys except bathing them and putting them to bed!" - - Cynthia

[There is a page torn out of my copy right at the front, so I honestly don't know if Ringo sent something and it's been torn out, or if it just doesn't exist. But either way, he was very close with Ringo too, I doubt there's any meaning to it if it's missing.]