Volume 1: Meet Aunt Mimi

Mimi and John

As I mentioned a few times in some posts, Mary Elizabeth Stanley Smith deserves her own post. From the moment John was born, Mimi was literally right there. She waited and called for the hospital while her sister Julia was giving birth and once he was born, Mimi ran to the hospital during World War II bombs going down and off. I don't know why Mimi was so fascinated with John? She swore never to have children the day she married George Smith. Mimi was already an Aunt to Stanley (by Mater) and Leila (by Harrie) and she was definitely not a fan of Alfred Lennon. She doesn't seem to be all into children except for John. I honestly don't want to go in depth over on how John wound out living with his Aunt rather than with his mother, it's been examined way too often as well as her strict upbringing of John, and this blog is about John and Cynthia.

Mimi was already semi-aware of Cynthia's existence before she started dating John. During the moment where Cynthia had a crush on John (but wouldn't have admitted it other than curiosity of who is John?) and trying to get his attention, she would send chocolate biscuits and coffee over to him, which he would accept. John then told Mimi a lot- which is a strong clue that John liked Cynthia enough to mention her to his Aunt.

“After a few months, I went up to Mendips and got on fine with Mimi. The only thing that was kept secret from her was that John and I spent some nights together in Stuart Sutcliffe's flat. She must have thought I was a nice young girl. Little did she know.”

Cynthia, 1985

“Interesting lady. She was extremely hard on John. If you think about what happened and what she did- she took him away from his mother and said her sister was not a fit person to bring up her nephew. So cold, she really was a cold woman. She was very striking when she made an effort, when she didn't she was like an old tramp.”

Cynthia, 2005

“Aunt Mimi was not a very easy lady. She came from a family of very tough and strong charactered women. Most of their husbands were very weak and they did as they were told. Mimi was a bit of a harridan. She wasn't a very warm lady and she even admitted, just before she died, that she’d been a very wicked woman. That spoke volumes. She just couldn't show her emotions because she didn't have a great deal of warmth in her.”

Cynthia

Mimi didn't exactly liked Cynthia, she wasn't too crazy about Yoko either but I’ll get more into that in another post... let's put it this way: if Mimi had her way, chances are she would've chosen Cynthia to be with John. Anyway, after John's death in 1980, Mimi was portrayed as a stern yet loving Aunt. She liked that. However, Cynthia knew better as she lived with Mimi not once, but twice, from personal experience. Mimi loved three things: John, money, and cats. She was quite possessive with John for unknown reasons that only Mimi can respond to but definitely because he was special. No one was ever going to be good enough for John- girlfriends, friends, nothing. As John got older, he became interested in both art and music but as we know, music was the choice. We also know that art never left John but it became secondary love. Despite her dismay, Mimi bought John his first guitar, however he wasn't allowed to play in the house- only on the porch. Mimi wasn't too thrilled with John's friends but did admit that Stuart was John's only friend. As mentioned before, Mimi and Cynthia had a like-dislike relationship. She did try to encourage Cynthia about John's living arrangements with Stuart in a messy apartment to move back home but no can do; however, John did visit often to have his laundry done and a proper meal, so Mimi eventually accepted it.

“Cynthia was such a nice girl. When she and John were in art college, she’d come to my house and say, 'Oh, Mimi, what am I going to do about John?’ She’d sit there until he came home. She really pursued him. He’d walk up the road and back until she got tired of waiting and went back home. I think he was afraid of her, actually.”

Mimi Smith, 1971

“One day I came home to find John moping around with a long face- he would have been about 19. 'It’s to do with Cynthia,’ he said at last, 'She's coming round to see you. She's got something to say.’ Then he went up to his room. I knew Cynthia had been keen on John ever since they studied together at college. I knew she was making a play for him, but I didn't know exactly what was going on. When she arrived, I let her in and called upstairs for John. He came down crying his heart out. 'Whatever is the matter, John?’ I asked. Then clinging to me just like he did as a child, he blurted out, 'Cynthia wants us to get married. Please, I don't want to get married.’ I asked Cynthia if it was true and she nodded. Cynthia said she'd called round to ask my permission because John wasn't yet 21. I got John on his own and asked him outright if he loved her; he shook his head saying he wasn't sure. That settled it. I went to Cynthia and looking straight into her eyes, I said I would not give my consent. I said when he was 21 he could do what he likes, but until then I was still responsible for him. Of course, she got him in the end, although she had to wait 3 years.”

Mimi Smith, 1983

Cynthia never said anything about that incident. True or not, I don't know since all three are dead.

As John got more busier with music, he was gaining a fan gathering. Girls started coming around Mimi’s home. Mimi felt that John needed a proper job. She never really saw John play except for one time. Mimi went down to the Cavern; Louise Harrison (George's mother) was there and tried to chit-chat Mimi on how great the Beatles were. But she wasn't impressed. Mimi left not long after arriving.

“I was the last to realize they were doing well. Little girls started to come to the door and ask if John was in. I’d say, 'Why?’ They’d say they just wanted to see John. I couldn't understand it. They were such little girls. I knew his only serious girlfriend had ever been Cyn.”

Mimi Smith, 1968

After her husband George Smith's death when John was about 13, Mimi started taking in lodgers to make some extra money. By 1961, while John was in Hamburg, Cynthia became one of Mimi's lodgers after her mother went to Canada and rented out the family home. Mimi agreed, because if Cynthia was around, then so would John. However, Mimi treated Cynthia like she did with other lodgers Cynthia got a job in Woolworth’s in between her terms at Liverpool College of Art to pay her rent and helped around the house. When John was home, he and Cynthia didn't dare have sex under Mimi's nose (although I bet they did when Mimi stepped out). John went back to Hamburg and Cynthia found Mimi hard to live with, so she gave in her notice to move out and moved in with an Aunt until finding her own apartment. When John returned in between Hamburg trips, he had some money he earned and decided to spend it on his girlfriend. They went out and got a coat inspired by the ones John had seen in Hamburg. They decided to show it off to Mimi and got chicken for their tea. Well… it did not go well; Mimi didn't like John spending his money on his girlfriend. They left- John was furious- he took Cynthia home. He came back and John and Mimi barely spoke. The next morning, it was forgotten.

More about Mimi in Volume 2.