Shrewsbury Beatles Weekend – 20th – 22nd September 2019

Shrewsbury Beatles Weekend 2019
Shrewsbury Beatles Weekend 2019

This coming weekend, join me and many others in Shrewsbury for a fantastic Beatles weekend.

This year Shrewsbury will be celebrating all things Fab Four with Shrewsbury Beatles Weekend 20th to 22nd September.

It’s almost impossible to imagine the modern world without The Beatles. Their impact upon popular culture has been – and continues to be – enormous. Their music and their iconic image are loved by young and old alike. On September 20th, 21st and 22nd there will be a whole range of events in the county town including live music, special guest speakers and Beatles film screenings – once again proving that All You Need Is Love.

What’s more: the entire weekend is in aid of the Mayor of Shrewsbury’s charity 2019-20, the Samaritans of Shrewsbury.

Now on display at Theatre Severn – statues of The Beatles, until 22nd September – Mon-Sat 10am – 7pm and when there is an event taking place at the theatre.

Key Film Screenings

Over the weekend, come and see us:

Looking for Lennon
Looking for Lennon

The Walker Theatre at Theatre Severn
8.00pm Film ‘Looking For Lennon’ (cert 12) 2018, introduced by director Roger Appleton, followed by Q & A. 
Documentary director Roger Appleton presents an honest retrospective on the early life of John Lennon and the tragedies that shaped his personality and later his music. The film includes rare and previously unseen memoirs along with interviews with some of his closest family, friends and associates. The film uncovers the story of John’s time in The Quarrymen with interviews with original members.  Fellow art school students and early friends recall their memories of teenage John as he was discovering music and life. Director Roger Appleton will introduce the film and will participate in a question and answer session with the audience after the screening.
Writer and director Curt Wiser describes the film – “I place ‘Looking for Lennon’ among the ranks of the great music documentaries out there.”

Tickets: £8.
Visit Theatre Severn website or phone 01743 281281

come and meet me for a talk and book signing

David's Social Media
David’s Social Media

The Walker Theatre at Theatre Severn
12.45pm – Meet Beatles author David Bedford from Liverpool in the Theatre foyer. He will be describing his work and signing books. He has collaborated with Beatles biographer Hunter Davies on ‘The Beatles Book’. Find out more about David at http://www.davidabedford.com/

good ol’ freda

I have the pleasure of introducing the following amazing film:

Good Ol' Freda
Good Ol’ Freda

1.30pm Film – ‘Good Ol’ Freda’ (cert PG) 2013
Behind a great band, there was a great woman.
Beatles Fan Club Secretary Freda Kelly told her story for the first time in 50 years in this fun and charming documentary directed by Ryan White. At the start she had no idea how far The Beatles would go but she had faith in them and they had faith in her. For ten years Freda was a witness to the ups and downs of life in the inner circle of the greatest band in history. 
“This story of Freda Kelly’s will be one of the last true stories of The Beatles that you’ll ever really hear.” – Angie McCartney, Paul’s Stepmother
“Pure joy.” – The Hollywood Reporter
Tickets: £8 via Theatre Severn website  or phone 01743 281281

For the full schedule and information, go to the official website

David Bedford

15th July 1958: Julia Lennon is knocked down and killed

John Lennon with his mother, Julia
A young John Lennon with his mother, Julia

Just three days after making their first record at Percy Phillips’ studio in Kensington, Liverpool, tragedy was to strike John Lennon once more.

In the June of 1955, his Uncle George had died suddenly. The 14-year-old John took it badly. However, what did help him was the re-establishing of a relationship with his mother, Julia. She had bought him his first guitar, taught him to play a few songs using banjo chords and even let The Quarrymen rehearse in her house. She encouraged his love of music.

“I Lost her Twice”

On 15th July 1958, he was to lose his mother for the second time; this time it was forever. Having been taken away from his mother at the age of five, he longed for a relationship with her again in his teens. When making “Looking for Lennon”, our documentary feature film, we interviewed and filmed Nigel Walley, John’s childhood friend and eyewitness to Julia’s death.

Julia often used to take the bus to Mendips to see her sister Mimi, and on this occasion, John was in his mother’s house. Nigel called at Mendips just as Julia was coming out of Mendips, and walked to the corner of Vale Road with her. After saying goodnight, Nigel headed down Vale Road to his house, while Julia crossed the road and headed for the bus stop. As she crossed the old tram tracks and stepped onto the road, a car, driven by an off-duty policeman who didn’t have a full driving license, slammed on its brakes, but it was too late: the car hit Julia and sent her flying through the air. Nigel heard the brakes and turned round to see his best friend’s mother in the air and slamming onto the road. He ran over, but he knew she was dead. He can still picture her red hair blowing in the wind.

John opened the door…..

John answered the door of his mother’s house to the police, exactly like it is in the movies he said. He was devastated. The mother he adored was gone, and he spent the rest of his life seeking something for fill the void left by her. He immortalised her in song “Julia”. Some would say he never recovered from her loss.

Instant Karma

The policeman, Eric Clague, eventually left the police force and, in a strange twist of “instant karma”, became a postman, delivering Beatles fan mail to 20, Forthlin Road, the McCartney house.

Looking for Lennon

You can see the footage we shot with Nigel Walley, and the affect it had on him according to those who knew him best, and they didn’t all agree on how it affected John, in Looking for Lennon.

It is available on digital download worldwide on various platforms, on DVD/Blu-Ray in the US and will be sold all round the world. It should be out on DVD/Blu-ray in the UK soon, and is still available to watch on SkyTV.

Find out more here

David Bedford

Home – Liddypool Dave

Liddypool Logo
Liddypool Logo

David Bedford’s fascination for Beatles History is shown in his books “Liddypool” (2009) and “The Fab one hundred and Four: The Evolution of The Beatles” (2013). He has also published his latest book about The Beatles drummers with Garry Popper, “Finding the Fourth Beatle” (2018).

David Bedford, Beatles author and researcher of Beatles history
David Bedford

He collaborated with the Beatles’ only official biographer Hunter Davies on “The Beatles Book” (2016), and is working on a number of new projects.

David began writing for the London Beatles Fan Club, which became the British Beatles Fan Club

NEW BOOKS

New from October 2021 are:

The Beatles Fab Four Cities, co-written with Richard Porter and Susan Ryan, tells the story of the four cities that defined The Beatles career: Liverpool, Hamburg, London and New York. BUY IT HERE

The Beatles Fab Four Cities
The Beatles Fab Four Cities

Bill Zygmant: Where Did You Get That Shirt? is also new out. David has spent the last 3 years working with ’60s photographer Bill Zygmant putting together a book of his photos, which include over 70 of John Lennon and The Beatles. BUY IT HERE

Bill Zygmant: Where Did You Get That Shirt?
Bill Zygmant: Where Did You Get That Shirt?

The Country of Liverpool (2020). David digs into the country music roots of Liverpool and, never told before, the country roots of The Beatles.

The Country of Liverpool
The Country of Liverpool

Beatles History

Liddypool Birthplace of The Beatles by David Bedford
Liddypool by David Bedford

David’s website aims to chart Beatles History through his interviews and research that have contributed to his books. Simply select Beatles History and either look at the main page, or select the appropriate year in Beatles History. This will be added to regularly to build a unique insight into Early Beatles and Quarrymen history.

inspector rocke

Inspector Rocke by David Bedford
Inspector Rocke

In a branch off The Beatles trail, David has published his first crime detective novel, Inspector Rocke, which is set in Liverpool, 1960, and features The Beatles too!

Beatles Detective

The Beatles Detective looking at The Beatles History
The Beatles Detective

Because of his forensic way of analysing Beatles history, in 2019, he launched a new Blog called “The Beatles Detective”, where he examines aspects of Beatles history, and searches for the evidence to solve the mysteries, like The Beatles names, Beatles members and other Beatles history. You can follow that at Thebeatlesdetective.com

He was Associate Producer and Historian on the documentary “Looking for Lennon” (2018), which was nominated for a National Film Award.

David is a Beatles historian, author and researcher, and a guest at Beatles events in the US, UK and Europe. He makes regular appearances on Radio, TV and Beatles Podcasts.

“David is defining and refining Beatles history” – Edd Raineri, Beatledd Fab Four Hour

Beatles Historian and Researcher: Discoveries

As well as many interviews with people connected with The Beatles, David’s original research has uncovered people, stories and events that no other author/historian has discovered:

The only book on The Beatles and Liverpool (Liddypool)

The real meaning behind the Beatles song “Penny Lane(Liddypool)

Discovered Geoff Lee, who suggested to John Lennon that he should start a skiffle group; The Quarry Men (Fab104)

Fab one hundred and Four: The Evolution of The Beatles, Beatles members and Beetles names
The Fab one hundred and Four

Has the only biography and photographs of Beatles drummer Norman Chapman; (Fab104)

The most complete biography of Silver Beatles drummer Tommy Moore; (Finding the Fourth Beatle)

Established that George Harrison joined The Quarrymen in December 1957, not 1958; (Fab104)

Established when the first colour photograph of John, Paul and George was taken; (Fab104)

Discovered who the “man on the flaming pie” was (Fab104)

Drummer Alan Leyland drummed with The Beatles in 1961; (Finding the Fourth Beatle)

That John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best signed a legal partnership agreement in 1961; (Finding the Fourth Beatle)

That Pete Best WAS NOT sacked and what really happened; (Finding the Fourth Beatle)

That The Beatles were not under contract at EMI in June 1962. (Finding the Fourth Beatle)

The between 1956 and 1970, 23 different drummers played with The Beatles at different times. (Finding the Fourth Beatle)

And much, much more, with many interviews being unique to him too.

Purchase David’s books in the Beatles Bookstore

David's Social Media
David’s Social Media

FACEBOOK FEED

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