BEATLES MAGAZINE: A DEVOTED FAN OWNS LEFTOVER TOAST CRUST OF GEORGE HARRISON

Saturday, 8 March 2025

A DEVOTED FAN OWNS LEFTOVER TOAST CRUST OF GEORGE HARRISON

A devoted fan owns leftover toast crust of George Harrison over 60 years ago.

A man from Tynemouth is now the proud owner of one of the most talked about pieces of Beatles memorabilia. A piece of George Harrison's toast.

The new owner, Joseph O'Donnell, a memorabilia collector from Tynemouth, recently came into possession of the crust, which dates back to 1963. The toast originally belonged to Louise Houghton, who befriended the Harrison family, with George's mum, Louise, referring to her as his "number one fan".

On a visit to the family home in 1963, a 15-year-old Louise pocketed leftover crust on George’s plate. Over the years, Sue would come to possess a range of personal mementos including threads from George’s jeans and fluff from under his bed. These then found their way into meticulously curated scrapbooks.

Now, the new owner of the piece of toast, Joseph, has spoken of his excitement at owning a slice of Beatles' history. He said: "It’s a brilliant story that is both bizarre, historical and a story I’ll continue telling friends, memorabilia collectors and fellow Beatles fans."

Next to the toast is the caption: 'Piece of George’s breakfast. 2-8-63'. On the August 2, 1963, The Beatles returned to Liverpool after a seven week absence to play at the Grafton Rooms. The day after, would be The Beatles' last performance at The Cavern Club.

Thirty years later, Sue’s scrapbook collection, including the piece of toast, was auctioned at Christie’s for £1,300 to help fund her home renovations. The sale sparked global media coverage, with outlets like The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times writing about the memorabilia.

And George Harrison himself could not escape the story of the infamous toast. In a 1992 interview with VOX magazine, Harrison said: "I ate all my toast! I never left any!"

The piece of toast also became a joke between fellow Beatle Paul McCartney and his family. In an interview with German news website Der Spiegel in 1999, McCartney recalled how his family teased him about leaving breakfast unfinished, exaggerating the story of George’s toast. He told Der Spiegel: "I realised that my children had heard about the toast at breakfast. They'd say: 'Dad, you don't have to finish the bread roll,' or 'Do you really want half an egg? Let's clear the table'."

Now, decades later, the piece of toast has cemented its place as a symbol of the whimsical fan devotion that continues to surround The Beatles, according to Joseph. For its new owner, the purchase represents more than just memorabilia; it’s a reminder of the joy and humour that the Fab Four continue to inspire.

While Joseph would not disclose how much he paid for the item, he does have it framed in museum grade, UV protected glass to preserve it for several more decades.

chroniclelive

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