The first gift Cynthia received from John was a brown leather coat. He had previously bought a similar black one in Hamburg and wanted Cynthia to have one so they could match (sound familiar? When John started being with Yoko Ono, they would match each other- usually either black or white. He did a similar thing with Pete Shotton when they were children.) They couldn't find black in her size at C&A, so Cynthia settled on brown. They excitedly decided to show it off to Mimi and bought along a cooked chicken from Cooper's next door to go along with their tea. Well... It did not go well as thought. As soon as Cynthia showed off her new coat, Mimi was furious! Why? Good question, only Mimi could really answer that but I have my own theory: Mimi may have been jealous that John treated Cynthia to a very nice gift. This relationship had taken a rather serious turn when John gave Cynthia a gift for no particularly holiday (Christmas, birthday) reason and with the money John started to receive as a performer. I think Mimi thought he would use the money wisely, like opening a bank account and start saving for his future. Or, spoil her rotten. Mimi threw the chicken and called the coat 'gangster moll' (which John and Cynthia found funny). John was embarrassed by Mimi's outburst and quickly took Cynthia out of there. It was the first time Mimi had an outburst in front of non-family.
"That trip to Hamburg was to be the first of many. John came home full of love and bearing a beautiful leather coat for me and a cooked chicken for Mimi - a gift which didn't go down at all well with his aunt who felt that the presents should have been reversed. In an angry exchange she accused me of being a 'gangster's moll'."
Cynthia, 1994
John took Cynthia home by bus and they avoided Mendips for awhile; Cynthia never wore the coat around Mimi (though I wonder how Cynthia hid the coat while living with Mimi?). While in Hamburg in April of 1962, John bought Cynthia leather panties. In the letter John wrote about it, Cynthia misunderstood and thought he meant trousers (pants) but, nope. Leather underwear.
John and Cynthia in the garden of their home, Kenwood, in Spring of 1965. Look closely to see Cynthia's wedding bands, including the "engagement" ring with a ruby stone.
Photographed by Robert Whitaker
In August of 1962, after Cynthia told John she was pregnant and Aunt Mimi hit the roof, an early sign of acceptance came when Mimi gave John the money to buy Cynthia a wedding ring. They went to a jewelry store in Whitechapel near Brian Epstein's NEMS store. Her simple gold wedding ring costed £10. Cynthia hardly wore it as her marriage was kept secret and had to pretend she was single. At some point (before February of 1964), John bought Cynthia two gold rings, one with a small ruby stone, to replace the original wedding ring.
The first gift John gave to Cynthia after they married was a beaten copper coffee table that John bought (for £5) while on tour with The Beatles right after they got married. John made Mrs. Lennon close her eyes and to feel around the mysterious gift. John was so excited on their first purchase married gift. Cynthia? She wasn't crazy about it, but was swept by John's enthusiasm. I don't know what happened to the whereabouts of the table... It could've been (gladly) left behind at Brian Epstein's apartment when moving back to Mimi's, or it came along, maybe to Kenwood? Who knows. Anyway, during that time and until 1966, John would bring home flowers and gifts.
"After lunch, John and I went back to the bed-sit to move my stuff over to Brian's flat. Then while I arranged our home, John dashed off to Mimi's to collect his things and pick up a few bits and pieces we needed. A couple of hours later he staggered back with a present for me. A coffee table with a top of beaten copper. We stood it in pride of place in the centre of out new sitting room."
Cynthia, 1994
The Beatles with a gift from a fan, a panda, in November of 1963
Julian and John in Julian's bedroom with the panda next to John, June of 1967
Photographed by Leslie Bryce
Prior to this, money was tight then. Luckily, Brian owned his apartment and let John and Cynthia lived there rent-free. It wasn't until John got routinely paid that he was able to bring Cynthia and Julian an unlimited amount of gifts from all over the world. Fans were also supplying gifts for Cynthia and mostly Julian. The infamous panda bear that The Beatles received in November of 1963 went to Julian. When John and Cynthia went to Paris for their honeymoon in September of 1963, John spoiled her, buying Cynthia a white beret, a gray coat, a leather skirt, and Chanel No 5. among other things.
Have you done any shopping for Cyn or Julian while you've been in America? (Interview, 1966)
"No, you know, I don't need to do much for Julian, because the kids send me enough to keep him going till he's an old man, which is good. I'll get Cyn something when I think of something. You know there's no point to getting something, just for getting something. We're not really present givers- when I see something she wants I'll get it. I'll get something small, but something good or I won't bother."
During his marriage to Cynthia, John always forgot birthdays... which is interesting because I know for a fact he remembered Yoko's. I'll give John a benefit of doubt as for most of his relationship with Cynthia, he was away a lot and so she couldn't drop hints or remind him. Plus, on her end, Cynthia didn't seem to care he forgot her birthday.
"It wasn't important to me. John was soft, generous, and gave when it was least expected. He was never tight, going right back to college. If he had a cigarette he would always offer you one, and light it."
Cynthia, 1986
While in a taxi driving in London with journalist Michael Braun around December of 1963, John spotted a red night-shirt on window display. John thought £6 was a lot but thought Cynthia would like it. He also bought three jackets and a coat, ending up spending £107. John did a similar thing while out driving with Maureen Cleave around about 1964.
Because The Beatles were pretty much held hostage in the hotel, thanks to crowds of fans, retailers would be brought in to let The Beatles do some shopping. John would buy Cynthia jewelry, perfume, knick knacks, clothes- especially lingerie, which he would call them 'naughty nighties'. They weren't sexy numbers, but the kind you could wear at a gala ball. Cynthia would model them in their bedroom, John would sometimes want to dance, and, well, the bed wouldn't be far away. Harrods would close down to let The Beatles shop for Christmas.
The Piaget bracelet watch John gave to Cynthia in August of 1965
Other stand out gifts included a Cartier gold watch and bracelet, an 18 karat white gold bracelet Piaget watch from Asprey's (on August 9, 1965... more likely an early anniversary present as John would be on tour and Cynthia would be in Libya on their anniversary) and, while on tour in Japan in June of 1966, John bought Cynthia a jade ring that she kept until her death. The jade ring survived through Cynthia's selling possessions in auction phase.
"The jade ring I'm wearing at the moment was bought by John for me. I have certain jewelry that I would like to pass on to Julian, when the time comes."
Cynthia, 1991
"I've kept one thing and that's a jade ring that he brought back from Japan for me."
Cynthia, 2007
May Pang, Julian, and John celebrating Christmas in 1974 at West Palm Beach with John wearing glasses with wipers that Julian gifted him
On Christmas Eve 1964 in their new home, Kenwood, George, Pattie, Ringo, and Maureen came over. Don't ask me where Paul and Jane were, I don't know, maybe Liverpool? They came by loaded with gifts While drinking, talking, and listening to records until midnight when they would go mad to open gifts. Julian got to stay up later than usual, having a blast with littered wrapping papers and new toys. While backstage at The Beatles Christmas Show at Hammersmith Odeon in January of 1965, Cynthia told a journalist on how they spent Christmas in 1964:
"Oh, quietly. At home. It was just a nice family Christmas. [On gifts] Nothing spectacular, more novelty things than anything."
Cynthia, 1965
Similar thing happened during Christmas of 1965. That year, John gave Julian a slide.
"I haven't got a clue what's going to happen in my house this year. All I know is that I'll wake up and it'll be Christmas. The rest of it is up to Cyn. It's a woman's time of year anyway."
John, 1965
"I bought him a slide but he's got it already. He goes up and down on it. But I'm always buying him things anyway. There are a few things stuffed away in the attic which he'll get. But Cyn takes care of it all."
John, 1965
One Christmas, not sure the year, Cynthia found two beautiful wooden carved angels that were four feet, originally owned by a church; she gifted them to George and Paul. For John, she found a clockwork bird in a guided cage. Cynthia sounded it up before passing it to him. As John unwrapped it, he wasn't exactly thrilled with it... Birds were not his favorite pets. Whoops!
After the divorce, obviously John stopped buying Cynthia gifts. But, he didn't stop with Julian. Well... okay, between the years of late 1971 (at least for Christmas as by now John is permanently living in United States) until early 1974, during the time John had no contact with Julian, there was like an automatic situation from John's office (The Beatles company Apple) where they remembered Julian's birthday and Christmas. I don't know what they sent other than a typed up Dad note that Cynthia and Julian knew that John wasn't behind the thought of the gift. It wasn't until in 1974 when John and Julian reconnected that there was more thought to the gift giving. John gave Julian a big brown floppy hat with Dr. Winston O'Boogie embroidered at one point; he also gave Julian an electric Les Paul guitar with mirrors, inscribed 'To Julian, Happy Christmas' in 1974. Over the years until his death, John gave Julian a Sony walkman and a motorcycle, among other things.
There is an issue regarding John's treatments over his two sons on spoiling but I'll get into it in a different post in regards.
"He got me a drum kit when I was five and bought me my first guitar when I was eleven. When I saw him during school breaks we'd sit and jam on rock 'n' roll tunes and play some of his stuff too. I'd love it when we'd sing and play together. I felt real close to him then. If he were still alive, we'd be playing together a lot"
Julian
