The Beatles nearly came for supper in Harrogate family's house

Memories of the day The Beatles played Harrogate are to feature in a new book about Beatlemania and it seems the Fab Four nearly came for supper in Starbeck!
The Beatles at Harrogate's Royal Hall in 1963 with George Harrison at the microphone taking his turn on lead vocals while Paul McCartney plays bass and Ringo Starr sits on drums behind him. (Picture courtesy of George McCormick)The Beatles at Harrogate's Royal Hall in 1963 with George Harrison at the microphone taking his turn on lead vocals while Paul McCartney plays bass and Ringo Starr sits on drums behind him. (Picture courtesy of George McCormick)
The Beatles at Harrogate's Royal Hall in 1963 with George Harrison at the microphone taking his turn on lead vocals while Paul McCartney plays bass and Ringo Starr sits on drums behind him. (Picture courtesy of George McCormick)

After talking to the Harrogate Advertiser as part of its popular Retro nostalgia series, one of the Harrogate musicians has shed more light on Friday, March 8, 1963 when the Fab Four appeared at Harrogate's Royal Hall.

George McCormick, who played rhythm guitar in Ricky Fenton and the Apaches that memorable night, handed over two unpublished photographs of The Beatles on stage at the Royal Hall.

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He's also been approached by a researcher for inclusion in forthcoming new book Beatlemania - A Year On The Life 1963.

One of the two photos may shed further light on a mystery photograph previously published in the Harrogate Advertiser of local girls chatting to The Beatles in the dressing room of the Harrogate venue courtesy of Bob Mason, lead guitarist in the Apaches.

He said: "If you look closely at the picture, it look like the same girls. It would make sense if the same fans who managed to get to the front also managed to get to meet The Beatles in their dressing room."

George, who was only 19 at the time, had a good chat with The Beatles before they played that Friday night and actually invited them to come to his parents' house in Harrogate for a bit to eat!

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He said: "Our band was in the dressing room with The Beatles before they went on stage chatting about guitars and music. They wer nice guys, very humorous.

"I asked them if they wanted to come to my parents in Starbeck for maybe a buffet and a beer.

"No one said anything. But John, who was like their spokesman then, said to me "we'd love to George but we've got to be down in London to record tomorrow morning and then we've got another gig tomorrow night."

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