Postman, Postman, Don't Be Slow

John and Cynthia on the beach of the Baltic Sea in Hamburg, 1961

Photographed by Astrid Kirchherr

The first ‘tour’ separation of John and Cynthia was when the Silver Beatles went to Scotland for a few weeks. John sent Cynthia a postcard or two. Then, in August of 1960, John, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and newly recruited Pete Best, embarked on a questionable extended residency in Hamburg, Germany.

“It was as if they’d gone off to war.”

Dot Rhone

“The group had started to get its own fans. I knew they had lots of girls hanging around them, but I never worried or got jealous. I seemed so much older than all the girls. I felt very secure. But I was much more worried about Hamburg. That seemed so far away and for such a long time. I knew the Liverpool girls, but I didn't know anything about the situation in Hamburg. Anything could happen to them in Hamburg.”

Cynthia, 1968

John promised Cynthia he would write every day. Sure enough, his letters arrived almost daily.

“Thanks sexiest letters this side of Henry Miller. Forty pages long, some of them. [To Cynthia] You haven't destroyed them, have you?”

John, 1968

“He’d written all the time he was away, of course.”

Cynthia, 1968

John filled the letters with the adventurers the band were having- playing at all hours and needed more songs. He would ask Cynthia for help. She would go to the record store, listening and slowing down the record to write down the lyrics to send to John. A Shot of Rhythm and Blues is one example. He would also write notes of love, how much he missed her, wanted her, and reassuring to be patient for him to come home. John would cover the envelope with more love notes, including SWALK (Sealed With A Loving Kiss) and a note to the Postman, “Postman, Postman, don't be slow, I’m in love with Cyn, so go, man, go!” There were also several lewd sexual references that made Cynthia blush and hide the letters from her mother.

“...the love and warmth of his letters made me feel wonderful and miserable at the same time.”

Cynthia, 1985

Cynthia realized that she and John didn't have any photos of one another. However, she did share a story that John borrowed a camera to take pictures of Cynthia to have with him. Maybe he had pictures of her, but she didn't have any of him? Well, Cynthia dolled herself up and went to the photo booth. John sent back his own strips with Goofy and disgusting faces to make Cynthia laugh. Although he missed Cynthia, the boys were having a time of their lives. George was 17 and lost his virginity while the others pretended to be asleep but cheered after he finished. I will discuss John's affairs in another post. Anyway, they slept behind the theater and shared the bathroom with the customers. One night, Klaus Voormann took his girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr to see the Beatles perform after seeing them on a previous night after they had an argument. Astrid became a fan and, during their break, asked the Beatles for her to take photos of them. Klaus and Astrid were modern beatniks, dressed in leather and velvet in black, very fashionable, and in the art scene. The Beatles were quite impressed and attracted of Astrid. However, she took quite a liking to Stuart and vice versa. Cynthia took notice on how often John wrote about Astrid in his letters. She became quite jealous and expected a break up letter at any time but was relieved when she read about Stuart and Astrid.

“I was very curious about this Astrid. She’d cropped up again and again in John's letters home. Everything was Astrid this and Astrid that. Astrid was taking wonderful photographs of them, Astrid had such good taste- until I’d become quite jealous.”

Cynthia, 1994

“You know what I have written- carved- on a church in Hamburg? John loves Cyn. That was my first going out with her at the time. A church that overlooks just outside the Reeperbahn. But out right in town, and it's got a big green tower that you can walk up in. And we all carved our names on there. You can have a look. There will be John & Cyn, Stu & Astrid, Paul & *what the hell was that girl at that time? I think Stu & Astrid is up there but I know John & Cyn is. We stuck our names up there with whoever we were hanging on then.”

John, 1975

*The girl was Dot Rhone. And unfortunately, I heard the carved names are now long gone.

“I loved his mentality, not because I thought he was a sexy boy. That was reserved by me for Stuart, whom I adored and fancied right from the start. John was pleased for Stuart. Also, John told me he had left his girlfriend at home in Liverpool, so that was that.”

Astrid Kirchherr, 1985

“John and I would go and have a couple of quiet beers, just to sit down and chew the fat. And he’d talk about Cynthia and how much he missed her.”

Pete Best

In late November of 1960, the Beatles wanted to break their contract to play at another club with better pay and living conditions. But it was discovered that George was underaged, so he got deported. Paul and Pete got into trouble by lighting up a condom that ignited a fire in the club with some damage. They were thrown in jail before being deported back to England. John drifted around and eventually returned back to England, arriving late one night. Cynthia came over the following day. He kept a low profile before getting in touch with Paul, George, and Pete. Stuart stayed in Hamburg with Astrid. They regrouped and started to play at the Cavern on a regular basis in between trips to Hamburg, including the Casbah, the Jacaranda, and other clubs near Liverpool.

“Well, it was something that you didn't sort of go to see the first appearance of the Beatles together. We all drifted into it from before. Before the Cavern, they played at the Jacaranda. So we had a sort of build up to the Cavern. It wasn't the first time I’d seen them. I’d seen them in all sorts of situations, ridiculous places. They were trying to earn a crust, earn some money. That was when they were students. And then of course when they started to expand and improve, then watching them in the Cavern was no different for me than seeing them starting out. For other people it was amazing. They were rough. They were rugged. They didn't give a damn about anybody. They just blew away everybody, compared to all the rest of the music that was going on at the time.”

Cynthia

Cynthia and John in Hamburg, April of 1961

Photographed by Astrid Kirchherr

The Beatles managed to get back up to Hamburg to continue their reign. This time around, John wanted Cynthia to come up to visit him during her Easter break from college. Cynthia remained a student while John basically left, abandoning his studies. John was still jealous and possessive of Cynthia. Cynthia and Paul's girlfriend Dot traveled by train after being dropped off by Lillian and Paul's father Jim McCartney, with sandwiches and water. During the ride, they stayed in the train during rest stops because they were afraid to miss the train because of the foreign language. Cynthia and Dot arrived in Hamburg very late at night/early hours of the morning; John and Paul, wired from excitement, alcohol, Preludin pills, and lack of sleep, greeted them at the station. John and Paul took the hungry girls for breakfast before settling in. Dot stayed at a houseboat owned by the Hamburg barmaid who befriended the Beatles while Cynthia stayed with Astrid.

“Our weeks in Hamburg with Stuart and Astrid and the rest of the boys were so special. It was a brilliant, exciting time. Everything seemed to be exciting then.”

Cynthia

“Anyway, we strolled back to the Top Ten Club and as we arrived outside, a little Volkswagen pulled up beside us and a beautiful girl got out. Slim and graceful, she had very short blonde hair, perfect features, and her clothes were sleek and elegant. I studied them discreetly… I was impressed and when Astrid spoke the effect was even more charming. She spoke English with a German accent to which had been added a twang of Liverpool. She was very sweet, she was always laughing and smiling and within minutes I forgot my fleeting jealousy. I liked her.”

Cynthia, 1994

Cynthia was very impressed by Astrid's home, her bedroom especially, with all black furniture and silver walls. In between his playing, John showed Cynthia the sights of Hamburg. On one (or more) occasion, Stuart, Astrid, John, and Cynthia went to the beach.

“It was when Cynthia visited John and I had the idea to take them out to the Baltic Sea for the day. We went in the morning and came back at night because they had to play then. It was just a beautiful day and they enjoyed it very much. That was the first time John and Cynthia had been to the Baltic Sea and they were having a lot of fun playing in the sand and having a swim in the sea and they were just like children enjoying themselves. Stuart and John played in the sand building little castles and things by the sea.”

Astrid Kirchherr

There were times when Astrid, Cynthia, and Dot went out themselves, doing girlie things and going through Astrid's wardrobe. Astrid gave Cynthia a blouse that she would later wear for her wedding to John by the following year. They would doll themselves up to watch their men play. There were a couple of times when John wanted Cynthia to stay with him overnight rather than going back with Astrid, squeezing into John's small bunk bed.

“But there were nights when the two girls trooped upstairs to our dormitory and on these occasions, George and I would be instructed not to claim our bunks until 4:00 in the morning. If the holiday-makers, weary of sightseeing, came into our quarters during the afternoon, George and I would be requested tactfully to look the other way. There was little to occupy Cyn and Dot once they had done the sights and visited the shops in the more respectable area of the city, guided by Astrid who drove them around in her grey VW beetle. In the evening, the girls had a choice of either sitting around in the T Ten and watching us 'making show’ with Tony Sheridan for 7 or 8 hours, or wondering off to the dormitory to escape the ear-splitting noise. When they did choose to take refuge upstairs, John and Paul would drift off during a session to visit them, then rejoin us on stage later.”

Pete Best

“Oh, that was brilliant, but again it was very violent and very dangerous. But then again, I had Astrid Kirchherr as my sort of escort. Astrid and Klaus who they met when they first went to Hamburg and became friends with, who were German and knew the ropes and knew everything. So when I went, I was well-protected. I had no problems. But the performances there were completely different to the performances in England. Obviously it was the Reeperbahn, where it was very rough and rugged… drugs, lots of murders. Sounds good, doesn't it? But they were also protected because they had people who lived around Hamburg. They had to perform every night of the week, 8 hours every night.”

Cynthia

“Right from the start in the Casbah, John was always very jealous whenever Cyn was around. If anyone tried to talk to her while he was playing, Lennon would try to wither them with a laser like glare. Once off stage, they would be abruptly told to fuck off. It was plain that night in the Top Ten that the two girls were now a little scared. At the end of the number, the heavy mob of Lennon and Best hurried down from the dais and sailed in to save them. In his usual blunt manner, John handed out a verbal lashing and for a few moments a nasty scene threatened to develop. 'Why are you butting in?’ one of the Germans asked arrogantly, sparring for trouble, which resulted some pushing and jostling. 'That’s my girlfriend you're messing about with,’ John snarled at him. The situation immediately began to cool and the apologies followed. The Germans explained that they thought the girls were simply British tourists looking for fun; what's more, they went on, they themselves were Beatle fans and would never think of trying to upset us. After the near-miss, the waiters, ever dutiful, made a point of hovering near Cyn and Dot like watchful guard dogs. There was never any more trouble after that one incident.”

Pete Best

“... Cynthia managed to join John during the Beatles’second German jaunt. He later told me that it was on her account that he once very nearly placed his own life in jeopardy. This uncharacteristic display of gallantry occurred in the throes of a Beatles performance at the Top Ten Club, when John spied a formidable looking gentleman in the act of pawing his Cyn. In a flash, heedless of the consequences, John threw down his guitar, leaped from the stage, grabbed a bottle, and cracked it over the skull of Cyn's admirer. To John's astonishment, his rival didn't even flinch but merely stared back, motionless and expressionless with the blood, glass, and booze spilling down his face. This apparition lasted a full minute, but the end of which John felt utterly unnerved, convinced he was looking death right in the eye. Yet when the wounded tough finally spoke, all he said was, 'I’m sorry I was annoying you.’ 'Well then,’ John snarled as menacing as he could under the circumstances, 'don’t do it again!’ Whereupon he stalked back onto the stage, desperately hoping nobody noticed he was shaking as he strapped on his guitar.”

Pete Shotton, 1983

“John took Cynthia with him for part of this second trip over Easter holiday in 1961. He had been bragging so much about it at home that he really had no choice but to take her along. I'm sure that Cynthia would have heard about the girl groupies from the others and from general gossip and excitement that surrounded the group, and that this probably strengthened her determination to be at John's side during the next trip. Tables were turned, however, with a singular incident in Hamburg’s Top Ten Club, when someone in the audience tried to attach himself to Cyn, while she was watching John play. In the middle of a number, John leapt right off the stage to hit the chat-up man who was trying to get close to his girl. He must have been wearing his glasses!”

Julia Baird

That's a good point Julia made… John was literally blind as a bat without his glasses on, how could he see who was making the moves on Cynthia? I can only guess that maybe Paul or George whispered to him or John can make out Cynthia's bright blonde hair and see shadows around his girlfriend or he has a radar sense of a guy interested in his girl.

When Cynthia returned back to Hoylake, her mother had news: Lillian was moving to Canada to act as a nanny for her niece's new baby. The Powell family home was to be rented out, which meant that Cynthia had to move out and fend for herself. She was being trained to be an Art teacher, being an assistant at a school while still attending Liverpool College of Art. Cynthia moved in with Mimi. John returned and they did not dare to be passionate under Mimi's roof. Maybe elsewhere, but definitely not Mendips. Eventually, when John went back to Hamburg, Cynthia found Mimi to be difficult to live with and moved in with her Aunt. It was across town which meant Cynthia had to take more than one bus to her destinations. She looked into the classifieds and found an apartment within her tight budget. It wasn't luxury but it was hers and Cynthia tried to make the best of it. Not surprisingly, John was thrilled. They could be together without pressure or interruptions, despite the No Overnight Guests rule (betcha Cynthia broke that one!) Soon, Cynthia's weird lady next door neighbor mysteriously disappeared, so Cynthia took over her apartment while Dot moved in Cynthia's. Since living with Mimi, Cynthia got a 'vacation’ job at Woolworth's, where John would pop in to say hello when in town.

“I became pregnant before I could finish my teaching. I did teaching for a while. Then I became pregnant and following the Beatles and everything else that happened. But, no, I haven't had a job. The work I had as a student was working in Woolworth's. On the perfume counter. The cosmetics counter. But, that was when I was a student during holidays…”

Cynthia

“I believe we are going to Berlin after Christmas, but don't mention this to Cynthia yet in case John hasn't told her, because in a letter he received today she says she can't wait for Xmas and him.”

Stuart Sutcliffe (in a letter to ex-girlfriend and friend, Susan Williams)

Astrid, Stuart, and Cynthia at the beach of the Baltic Sea, April of 1961

Photographed by John

By late 1961/early 1962, Stuart and Astrid got engaged after he quit the Beatles and enrolled into an art college in Hamburg. Paul and Dot were also engaged- even after a very close call of marriage and baby (more on that in another post). John did suggest getting engaged to Cynthia but nothing came of it. They were happy the way things were.

In April of 1962, Stuart died in the ambulance in route to the hospital in Astrid's arms. Stuart had been suffering headaches in the last couple months. He died of a brain hemorrhage. His body was sent back to Liverpool; Astrid stayed with Cynthia. On the day Stuart died, John, Paul, George, and Pete arrived and were greeted by a grief-stricken Astrid who told them the news. John was devastated.