Tuesday 11 February 2014

JULIA BAIRD: AMERICA, AS WITNESSED THROUGH THE PRISM OF BEATLEMANIA... 1964/2014

By Julia Baird

At last, I have found time to get going on my blog. I have acquired a first-time laptop, specifically for this purpose. I thought it would be easy. Not so. I am still learning the tricks of this tapping trade and I mean the back-to- basics! However, there is a streak of light at the end of this long, dark e-tunnel..I have just paid for this internet connection, with a credit card, up in the sky, flying above American clouds and I did it by my own self.  Before I go any further, a propos of nothing and everything, I have to say that I just love this country.
So, vagaries and excuses over..let’s go.  
You may know  of my Beatle brother connection , ( no, it’s not Ringo)  but I have another strong link  with my home city..Liverpool, as  one of the four Directors of The Cavern Club. We crossed the pond to join in the 50  years celebration of The Beatles arriving for the first time in America, on February 7th, 1964 and we are in transit to the second leg of this gig, to Orlando.
New York, New York. I can hear Lisa Minelli, with her astounding rendition of that song. This city is pure energy..you don’t even have to drink it  or eat it…just breathing is enough to get you   high  
We left London in a rage of rain and winds and gloomy skies and arrived in New York to find sharp blue heavens, bright sunshine and ledges of snow, where it had been shovelled to the sidewalks. Wonderful. It was uber cold, but hey, we were prepared for that. We were treated like royalty in Kennedy airport, rushed through a fast-track system and  straight into the main reception area, where our very own Lord Mayor of Liverpool giving a talk. It was mainly a celebration of the inauguration of JFK and that just happened to coincide with the 50 years events throughout the city.. We took over the microphone..by invitation and the event sort of transmuted into a mini- Beatlefest…there was even a Beatle Tribute band playing. What a fab welcome to New York. Thank  you to all involved in the organisation.
I keep losing this page..see…I am getting the lingo..and panicking..either this laptop is overly sensitive or I am too heavy-handed and keep touching the wrong bits….so I am going to try posting this now.  Please bear with me; there are some good stories already to roll with.

1 comment:

  1. Lovely account of your trip, Julia. Looking forward to more!

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