Small Talk

Cynthia and John in Tahiti, May of 1964

On November 8, 1965, The Beatles were in the recording studios to work on George Harrison's song, Think For Yourself. In between takes, and with the tape rolling, Paul McCartney and John started to talk. Not sure what Ringo Starr and George were doing but I'm sure they were quite amused... or in their own little worlds. 

John: "And I stink, too. I'm waiting for someone to say something about it."

Paul (in a funny voice): "It's that deodorant you use... it is."

John: "Cynthia licked it clean before we left."

Paul: "Let me tell you... it's that BO-oderant that you're using."

Later on the the session...

John: "I'm sorry. Sometimes I feel less than useless at these sessions. I really do. Of course, Cynthia understands. I often talk to her about it when we get home. I say, " Sometimes, you know, Cynthia, I just can't get the note.'"

Paul: "Yeah... well..."

John: "She understands a lot of things like that because she went to Bailey for our holidays... you know, 'belly' elich..." 

John and Paul started to laugh. 

While I'm sure most of the discussion was more of a joking matter, I am sure there was truthful information in there as well. Cynthia licked off John's deodorant off before he left? Well... something passionate happened between those two! And, I'm glad John stated he talked to Cynthia about stuff despite outsider biographers like to say that John never utter a word to Cynthia during their marriage. 

 

Tittenhurst Park

Yoko, Julian, and John at Tittenhurst Park in 1970

"When Dad moved to Tittenhurst, it was the first time that he actually called me in quite a long time. It was exciting thing for me to go and see him again after not seeing him for such a while. And at the time, I was living in, I won't say a small house, but it was a completely different situation. It was on a street with lots of houses, lots of friends. And Tittenhurst was this enormous palace-like place with 99 acres, golf cart buggies, a lake, a little island in the middle of the lake. It was like a house of fun. It was a completely different experience. It was wonderful. I loved the place. I recall so many people coming and going, other children too... Dr. Pepper was the drink of the moment, which Dad and I both loved. There was a house lower down on the property that everyone thought was haunted so all the kids there, myself included, always teased each other about going into it. I remember Dad had a Mellotron in the main house, and I'd try to play it on occasion. It was such an inspiring instrument, and to this day, still one of my favorites. I believed it was passed on to Ringo, who in turn gave it to Tim Fields." 

Julian, 1988

After John and Cynthia's divorce, it was pretty clear that neither was going to live at Kenwood. After Cynthia moved out after the divorce became final, John and Yoko moved in until the house was sold. It was obvious John and Yoko needed a home. For months, and getting married in the process, John and Yoko lived like gypsies living in hotels and friends homes. They went house shopping and settled on Tittenhurst Park in Ascot over the Summer of 1969. Cynthia wrote in her second autobiography John that she was familiar with the house- she checked it out around 1967 when The Beatles were thinking of living together like a commune, including buying an island (more about that later). After John and Yoko moved in, he started using his custody privileges on Julian having him on weekends and school breaks as much as possible. Julian had his own room but it was far away from John's bedroom in a big house, he was scared at night. I think Julian was afraid to say anythingbecause visits with his dad were rare and special, I suppose he didn't want to ruin it or something. Cynthia requested through Peter Brown to pass the message but I don't know if the bedroom move was granted as Julian spoke about it in the Imagine book that came out recently and by the blueprint of the house in 1971. I don't know if Yoko's daughter Kyoko had her own room as there was nothing indicated in the same book but by then Yoko was in a bitter custody battle and I don't think Kyoko visited all that much during the making of Imagine album. I'm sure she did, though... Maybe used Julian's room when he wasn't there? Well, anyway, Julian does have fun memories of Tittenhurst Park. 

"There were moments, though, where I felt very lonely there, at night, at bedtime. I recall being in a room halfway down the main staircase, which was on the opposite side to where Dad and Yoko slept. I was always scared to go to bed, because in such a huge house/building, who knew if there were ghosts there or not? There were strange noises floating through the air of that place, all the time. As you can imagine, my thoughts got the better of me, on more than one occasion."

Julian, 1988

"I think the most fun was actually later on in life when I actually got to see him when him and Mum had separated. When he was in Tittenhurst Park. I used to go see him on e just to be an idiot with him. There was 99 acres of fields and a man-made lake. There was boats and kneecap buggies- those things 6 wheels that float and go anywhere. There was a golf cart. There was a studio, there were many rooms to play in. At that time. Actually I recall them - well, I say Yoko - that putting me in a spare bedroom that was so scary, 'cause it was a huge house, and there was a room closer. But for some reason I got this room way down in the dark. I never understood why put me there. That was puzzling."

Julian, 1988 

Julian jumping into the pool at Tittenhurst Park in 1971

"I remember it fondly, because Dad and Yoko would do their own thing and I would sort of run around. I think it was 99 acres, Tittenhurst. I mean, that's an insane amount of land for, you know, a child can get lost in those woods!"

Julian, 2018 

"There are the moments that we, you know, enjoyed each other's company without thinking about it too much. I think if either of us thought about things too much, it was, you know, the anxiety or other elements would come into play. They were heavily into, you know, recording Imagine at that time. That's why I had a lot of time on my own. You know, because as a kid, also, I think, the studio scenario was exciting for a minute, but then, you know, 'You're playing that song how many times?'"

Julian, 2018

"But also I do recall when he was living in Tittenhurst Park. There were good times too, so I can't forget those."

Julian, 2010

Yoko, John, and Julian on the grounds of Tittenhurst Park in 1971

May Pang was John and Yoko's assistant and met Julian during his weekend visits.

"Early on the morning after my arrival, I was in the kitchen again when a group of children suddenly burst through the door. Among them was Julian Lennon, John's son by his first wife, Cynthia. Julian was eight years old and small for his age. He bore an uncanny resemblance to his father and had the same impish, intelligent eyes."

May Pang, from her book Loving John in 1983

The fun ended by August of 1971 when John and Yoko moved to New York City. At first I think they intended to return but then, days turn to weeks that turned to months and then years... ultimately somewhere then did John decided to make New York his home. He didn't bother informing Cynthia his move. Much less Julian. In the summer of 1973, John and Yoko put Tittenhurst Park up for sale; Ringo Starr bought it in September of that year and lived there until the late 1980s/early 1990s.  

"My time there is still vivid..." 

Julian, 1988

"There were a lot of great moments at Tittenhurst that I do fondly remember, you know, giggling and laughing with Dad. And, as they say, shooting the shit. But it was difficult to know, you think, 'OK, well, is this going to stay? Is this what it's going to be, now? Can I count on this? Can I be here next weekend or the weekend after? Is that going to happen?' That was one of the, obviously, the hardest pill to swallow, was the constant change. You know, you thought things were going to settle down, but they just never quite did."

Julian, 2018

Julian, John, and Yoko rowing a boat in the lake on the grounds of Tittenhurst Park in 1971

Coming Home From the Land Down Under

John arriving home in London with The Beatles after their tour wrapped in Australia and New Zealand at Luton Airport on July 2, 1964. Cynthia met John at the airport; John's Aunt Mimi accompanied The Beatles on tour and they met with distant cousins while in New Zealand. 

"I like to keep my work and my private life separate, which is why I keep Cynthia out of the picture. I took her to America, because a trip like that comes once in a lifetime, and she deserved it. I'd dearly have loved to take her to Australia, but the schedule looks too gruelling. My auntie came with us because she's got relatives in New Zealand I have never met."

John, 1964

“It’s good  to see John back, and the others.”

Cynthia, 1964 

Another Girl: Pattie Boyd

Patricia Anne Boyd was born on March 17, 1944 to Colin and Diana Boyd in Somerset, England. Pattie is the oldest of younger brother Colin, Jr. and two sisters, Jenny and Paula. Her father Colin was a RAF pilot during World War II until he was in a plane collision accident in 1942; Colin managed to escape and survive but was badly burned and could no longer pilot. He worked in the war office until relocating to Kenya with his family where Colin worked at a Jockey Club. By 1951, Colin and Diana were divorced and returned to England; both remarried- Colin to Angela Rutter and had two daughters, Clare and Julia; Diana remarried to Bobby Gaymer-Jones and had two sons, Robert and David, before eventually divorcing. Pattie attended boarding school and afterwards, she started as an apprentice as a hairdresser and beautician at Elizabeth Arden in 1962. A client from Cherry Marshall agency of modeling took interest in Pattie and invited her over to become a model. Pattie started dating Eric Swayne, a photographer. 

In March of 1964, Pattie and other models were cast as schoolgirls for the movie A Hard Day's Night starring The Beatles. George Harrison was instantly attracted to Pattie, even wrote 7 kisses under his autograph for her while her sisters received two (Pattie also got Paul and Ringo's autographs; not John as Pattie was afraid of him). George asked her out but Pattie said no, she had a boyfriend. But that same week, Eric and Pattie broke up and she accepted George's second offer for a date. In 1965, Pattie moved in with George when he moved to Surrey and on January 21, 1966, George and Pattie got married. Pattie continued to model although she cut back a bit to settle down with George. In 1967, Pattie got interested in Transcendental Meditation by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and attended lectures; George joined in her interest (while embracing India's culture after visiting the country in 1966) as did Paul, Ringo, Cynthia, John, Maureen, and Jane. In the beginning of 1968, they went to India for a few months to be educated and meditate but by April the music business needed The Beatles' attention and their perspective on the Maharishi changed drastically. George and Pattie's marriage started to crumble as George suffered the stress of the business with The Beatles after the death of their manager Brian Epstein and dived deeper into meditation and infidelity while Pattie was feeling neglected and having trouble getting pregnant. Eric Clapton was expressing his love towards Pattie, who was refusing to leave George for him. In 1974, the marriage was over and Pattie moved out of Friar Park (bought in 1970) to be with Eric; the divorce was final in 1977 and George and Pattie remained friends until his death in 2001. 

Pattie married Eric in 1979. By then, Pattie ended her modeling career and, with Eric, started to drink alcohol heavily. It wasn't long for the marriage to struggle as Eric toured and recorded frequently and had his own infidelity- fathering two illegitimate children while Pattie couldn't conceived and was trying IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). By 1989, the marriage was over. It wasn't long until Pattie met and fell in love with real estate developer Rod Weston. Pattie tried to resurrect her modeling career but not much success, so she founded her short lived modeling agency, Deja Vu, for older models in 1990 and dabbled as a fashion designer (only had one fashion show) but fell in love with photography, becoming a photographer. In 2005, Pattie started exhibiting her photography around the world; in 2007, she released her autobiography. Rod and Pattie broke up for a few years before reuniting. They got married on April 30, 2015 with their dog Freddie. 

Battie the Beautiful Flimsy Butterfly

Pattie, Cynthia, and George in his home in Surrey, Spring of 1965

Photographed by Henry Grossman

Pattie and Cynthia met in March of 1964 while The Beatles were filming A Hard Day's Night. Pattie was in the cast as a schoolgirl; Cynthia occasionally visited the set. By the end of the month, George and Pattie were a couple. The foursome attempted to take their first vacation together in Ireland, but the press was very interested in George's new girlfriend so the vacation was cut short. In May, they tried once again to take a vacation to Tahiti (already posted) with much success to be away from fans and the media scrutiny. During this Tahitian holiday Cynthia and Pattie got to know each other. Pattie and Cynthia shared a tight bond a year later (1965) when they shared the first LSD experience; their dentist invited them and their Beatle companions over for dinner and served after dinner tea, with sugar cubes laced with LSD without their knowledge. It definitely proved to be a tight bond between John and George. In Pattie's autobiography, she wrote that she found it hard to get along with Cynthia as they had little in common. Don't get Pattie (and me) wrong: they did get along very well and I never heard anything ugly between them, no fights, no problems other than how much they didn't have much in common. Which is true, Pattie isn't wrong. Cynthia was almost 5 years older than Pattie. Cynthia had a serious personality while Pattie liked to giggle with her girlfriends. Cynthia was the youngest of her siblings; Pattie was the oldest. Pattie came from a divorced family; Cynthia did not. Pattie had a career; Cynthia did not. It's basically oil and water- impossible to mix together. The only thing Cynthia and Pattie had in common was being in a relationship with a Beatle. Pattie felt Cynthia behaved more like a mother than as a wife to John (yet it's okay for Yoko? John used to call her Mother! Little hypocritical if you ask me). Pattie would occasionally take Cynthia along on shopping trips, but for the most part Pattie would let Cynthia be in her own devices... besides, Cynthia was more closer and relatable with Maureen. Oddly enough, Cynthia and Pattie were closer in age than Cynthia was from Maureen by almost 7 years but I think Maureen had a very similar upbringing as Cynthia and both knew The Beatles as unknowns. 

"Pattie and I got on famously. She was friendly bubbly character, a great girl full of fun and boundless enthusiasm, very childlike but in no way immature. She always reminded me of a very beautiful flimsy butterfly. I envied her, her figure, her dress sense and her confidence. Whenever fashions changed Pattie was in there first with all the right gear, looking beautiful as ever. George, I thought, was a lucky fellow. Pattie handled George very well considering their different backgrounds. George's northern bluntness and lack of tact must have been hard to come to terms with in comparison with the smooth southern sophistication of the escorts she would have previously experienced. I liked Pattie very much and it was lovely to have female company once more."

Cynthia, from her book A Twist of Lennon, 1978

"She was blond, beautiful and a sophisticated Londoner, like Jane Asher. But, like the rest of us Beatles girls, she was friendly, too, and easy to get on with. The two Liverpool girls, Maureen and I, and the two London girls, Jane and Pattie, got on well from the beginning. We were all living through the same thing and it was wonderful to have friends to share it with. From the start, it was obvious that Pattie and George were serious, and we were all pleased for them. The other three Beatles were all in happy relationships and until now George had been on his own.

Pattie and I were becoming close friends. I admired her gorgeous figure and perfect fashion sense, and I think she enjoyed the company of someone who'd been with the Beatles from the beginning and knew the ropes. John and George had an easy, comfortable relationship and they headed for the beach while Pattie and I went shopping."

Cynthia, from her book John, 2005

"I liked Cynthia, but of all the Beatle wives and girlfriends I found her the most difficult to make friends with. She and I came from such different backgrounds; she had no career, she was a young mother, and we had no point of reference apart from our attachment to a Beatle. She wasn't like my friends, who enjoyed a giggle and some fun: she was rather serious, and often, I thought, behaved more like John's mother than his wife. I tended to leave her to her own devices but invited her to join me for shopping. I think she felt a bit out of her depth in the smart, sophisticated circles in which the Beatles were now moving in London. And I don't think it helped that John thought I looked like Bridget Bardot, or that I got on so well with him."

Pattie Boyd, 2007

"Cyn, Maureen, and Pattie developed a mutual closeness and understanding that almost paralleled that of the Beatles themselves. The odd woman out was Paul’s fiancé, Jane Asher, an aristocratic London redhead who seemed to feel that she was cut from somewhat finer cloth than the other Beatle ladies."

Pete Shotton, 1983

"When Cynthia, Maureen, and Pattie got together it was usually in the kitchen, for many cups of tea or coffee if it was middle of the day or several bottles of win if it was the afternoon. There were two main types of topic for discussion among this close-knit clique: family gossip that circulated solely within The Beatles' own tight inner circle and the wider issues that arose from sometimes scandalous rumors that was rife among the group's fans. I saw this group as the glue that helped to hold The Beatles' marriages together at least for the time being. To share happiness and sorrow, success and disappointment, was a good way of patching up the cracks as soon as they appeared. As part of such a warm and secure little group they felt more at ease than if they had been dealing with the traumas and crises of their extraordinary lives on their own. But for the sharing of information on the perks, pitfalls, problems, and sheer insanity of successfully partnering a Beatle, the womanfolk might have teetered on the brink of despair or simply broken free even sooner than they did. It is to their credit that these faithful first partners kept their lives so private over the years. The media would have agreed to almost any conditions to get their individual stories, but I was never allowed to fix any interviews or photo shoots for the women other than at general photo calls for show business functions or exclusive pictures to mark weddings and births."

Tony Barrow, 2005

Pattie and Cynthia

Both Cynthia and Pattie have said that Cynthia felt out of her depth while living in London, perhaps a little envious of Pattie for being a model and being able to socialize with upper class society. However, I do think the closest Cynthia and Pattie were was in 1967 when it seemed they were almost inseparable and it was during the time Maureen was expecting her second child (Jason); While their husbands worked on Sgt. Pepper, Pattie and Cynthia went on a quick weekend getaway to Paris. During the Maharishi period while in India, Pattie and Cynthia were there from the start until the abrupt end- Maureen lasted 10 days because she couldn't stand the insects and Jane wasn't all that interested. By the end of 1968, Pattie and Cynthia had barely any interaction after Cynthia as divorce from John. There were very few encounters (including a housewarming party Cynthia threw with her new husband Roberto Bassanini) until around 1973 when a communication mishap brought them together: their phone lines happened to crossed and Cynthia recognized Pattie's voice... Ah, I remember that... before cell phones. Occasionally while talking to someone on the "landline", I would hear a 3rd party cutting in. It did happened. Anyway, that mishap helped mend their friendship and they got together before Cynthia took Julian to America to reconnect him with John. By that time, Pattie's marriage with George was over and she took on another whirlwind adventure with Eric Clapton until 1989. During her marriage to Eric, Pattie and Cynthia saw each other at a Nordoff-Robbins Musical Therapy Trust charity event in London in June of 1985 after several years of distance. They were also at another charity event in 1988 with Ringo and his wife Barbara Bach. After Pattie divorced Eric, I believe the next public appearance was the London premiere of Backbeat in March of 1994. In November of 2009, Cynthia and Pattie held a joint book event for their autobiographies in Yerevan, Armenia. Their last known public appearance together was in September of 2010 for Julian's first photography exhibition, Timeless, in New York City. Until Cynthia's death in 2015, they kept in touch and saw each other while in their vicinity. Whenever they see each other, it's like no time had passed and I do think there was more public and private gatherings that I either don't know about or it's not coming to me for the moment, however take my word for it. After Cynthia's death, it's obvious that Pattie does miss Cynthia very much and thinks of her fondly and caring. 

“On and off when we’re in the vicinity. It’s so difficult to catch anyone. If I’m here in London, Maureen’s in Los Angeles, and Pattie’s somewhere else. It’s a miracle when we do get together. But when we do, it seems time has stood still.” 

Cynthia, 1991

“We have survived. We have lost so many people along the way.” 

Cynthia, 2009 

John, George, and Pattie in India, 1968

While I'm on the subject of Pattie, I might as well dive in a bit on the relationship between her and John: Overall they liked each other. When Pattie had a recurring eye sty during both vacations to Ireland and Tahiti, John teased her. His nickname for her was 'Battie'. There had been numerous reports that John and Pattie had an affair- I think it sparked from the Magical Mystery Tour dress up party as Pattie was dressed like a belly dancer and John was all over her, dancing. However, Pattie always deny it, even after Cynthia's death, and I do believe her.

"There was a rumor- I don't know where it came from- that John and I had an affair, and I suppose Cynthia may have believed there was something in it. It was completely untrue: we never had an affair. I wouldn't have dreamed of it and neither, I am sure, would John."

Pattie Boyd, 2007

"No way! Cynthia was a very sweet girl. I think when they moved from Liverpool she felt out of her depth. I tried to encourage her to come to London from their home in Surrey but she never really wanted to."

Pattie Boyd, 2018

I'm not too sure when Pattie last saw John; presumably during the time when Pattie began her life with Eric Clapton. When she and Eric got married in March of 1979, they had a wedding celebration in May in England where George, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr got up the stage and jam... it was the first Beatles reunion since the breakup. Unfortunately, John wasn't there. Pattie thought he was stuck in America and couldn't leave the country; for a time, that was true but John did receive his green card in 1976 and was able to leave and return to America whenever he wanted. I suppose Pattie didn't know that... let's say it's not often John and Pattie chatted on the phone. Anyway, when John heard what had happened, he expressed interest of attending if he had known about it. When Pattie later heard that, obviously it was heartbreaking. 

"I did feel remorseful afterwards that I hadn't invited John to our wedding party, but I knew he wouldn't come. He was living in America at the time, and the authorities were threatening not to allow him back in if he left the country."

Pattie Boyd, 2004

"John felt he couldn’t come because he thought if he left America they wouldn’t let him back in, and it was important for him to be in America."

Pattie Boyd, 2018

After an argument with Eric, Pattie went to bed in a separate bedroom. In the early hours of December 9, 1980 after hearing the news, Eric woke Pattie up to inform her the news of John Lennon's death. Pattie went to Apple Corps in Savile Row to mourn.

“I had heard about John’s death from Eric. He and I had been arguing and had spent the night in separate rooms. The next morning – 9 December 1980 – he came to wake me with the news that John had been shot dead in New York. I was appalled. I left Eric in Ewhurst and went to London, to the Beatles’ office, and hung out with everybody there. I had no idea how to get in touch with Yoko, or where she was, but the offices in Savile Row were the heart and soul of what had been the Beatles’ kingdom. That day it was where I wanted to be.” 

Pattie Boyd, 2007

"John was always fun to be around. He had a certain energy and was super talented, quite wonderful." 

Pattie Boyd, 2004

"I was around John Lennon a fair bit, too. He was exciting but could be a bit scary." 

Pattie Boyd, 2018

"The John Lennon I knew was respectful, gentle and kind. He was always gracious to me and I have treasured memories of us all being together during Beatlemania and beyond. Thinking of him today." 

Pattie Boyd, October 9, 2020

“John was great fun, if a little scary because you would never know what he was going to say, but he was fascinating, riveting, clearly the leader. He was very attractive, very sexy, and I loved that he thought that I looked like Brigitte Bardot. He was very cool.” 

Pattie Boyd, 2018

Joint Book Celebrations

With Pauline Sutcliffe

Cynthia and Pattie Boyd attended the opening celebration of the Cafesjian Center of the Arts in Yerevan, Armenia on November 8, 2009 to promote their autobiographies, John (by Cynthia) and Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me (by Pattie).

Sail