Saturday 30 May 2015

Congratulations to Winner Paul Smith


Congratulations to BBFC Member Paul Smith for winning our recent competition.

Paul's name was randomly selected from all the correct entries and wins two tickets to see the film Danny Collins at a cinema of his choice. The film was released yesterday in the UK.

Paul correctly identified John's Aunt Mimi as the person John was writing to in the fictitious letter we created for the competition. Well done to Paul and the others who also submitted correct responses.

The letter is included below.

‘All my loving he will give to her’

Dream came true for Beatles Story team member at Macca concert
 
A Beatles Story team member was invited on stage by the one and only Sir Paul McCartney at the Echo Arena last night and was proposed to by her new fiancé in front of thousands.
Diane McEvoy and Fabrice Gueho, who are both huge Beatles fans, were invited on stage by Paul in front of a full house towards the end of the show.
Fabrice held a sign throughout the concert saying ‘all my loving I will give to her if you let me propose on stage tonight!’ and it worked. Paul McCartney asked one of his team to bring them to the side of the stage for the encore and the next minute they were stood with him. 
Both overwhelmed whilst on stage, Fabrice giggled uncontrollably as his girlfriend Diane looked on in sheer amazement.
Once he managed to get the words out and ask for Diane’s hand in marriage, she of course said yes!
Diane McEvoy, 31, from Versailles in France, moved to Liverpool to follow her passion for The Beatles and now has her dream job at the Beatles Story. Her and fiancé, Fabrice are both huge Beatles fans.
 
On the proposal, Diane, who works on admissions at the Beatles Story, said: “I was so overwhelmed when a security guard came over and asked us to follow him to the side of the stage.  I thought I might faint and was just shaking. Myself and Fabrice had always said it would be amazing if we could do something like this and I knew about the sign of course, but we never thought it would work and I had no idea he had the beautiful ring with him.
 
“I was just so happy on both accounts, to be on stage with Paul and to be being proposed to by Fabrice was just amazing. It certainly took a while to register what was happening but I am so grateful to Paul for spotting the sign and inviting us up there. I will never forget the proposal, that’s for sure! Amazing evening and I can’t stop smiling today.”
 
Diane and Fabrice celebrated after the concert at the Cavern Club on Mathew Street.

Tuesday 26 May 2015

World Premiere: The LENNON v McCARTNEY film - June 2

The world premiere of the LENNON v McCARTNEY film is at the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield, Dublin, next Tuesday (June 2nd) at 5.30pm. 
 
Originally a stage play by Stephen Kennedy, LENNON v McCARTNEY has now been made into a short film by Eddie Jackson.  The film stars Rúaidhrí Conroy and Seamus Brennan.  Rúaidhrí was the main star in Six Shooter – a film which was written and directed by Martin McDonagh and won an Oscar.  Rúaidhrí also won the Theatre World Award for the title role in Martin McDonagh's play The Cripple of Inishmaan.  And Seamus Brennan has acted in plays such as Christ Deliver Us at the prestigious Abbey Theatre. 

BRIEF BIO OF STEPHEN KENNEDY
Stephen Kennedy is a writer from Ireland.  His poetry has been published in the Irish Times, The Stinging Fly, Books Ireland, Sunday Tribune, and many other publications – including two recent collections – If Ever You Go: A Map of Dublin in Poetry and Song and New Planet Cabaret.  Stephen has been nominated for the RTE PJ O’Connor Radio Play Awards and shortlisted for the Hennessy XO Literary Awards.  His plays have been performed in Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany and the US – and he is also Director of the Dublin Beatles Festival.

Sunday 24 May 2015

Send us your photos with John on Mathew Street

Did you know that the BBFC has a photo gallery?  It started as part of the MyBBFC Android App we launched last year, but anyone can view it on FLIKR.

Long term fan Andrew recently sent in a photo of himself posing with the John statue in Mathew Street in Liverpool and we realized that most of us have taken that same photo.  We thought it would be fun to collect as many as we can for the gallery.

So if you have posed with a statue of John, please scan the photo and send it to us here.  We'll add it to the gallery and celebrate John!

BBFC Competition - Just 5 Days Left to Enter


It's been awhile since our last competition so when the makers of this wonderful new film featuring John Lennon's music asked if we would like to have free tickets to the film to offer as a prize, we jumped at the chance!

To make it fun, we took our inspiration from the film.  Since the film is about a letter from John Lennon to Danny Collins, we've created a fictitious letter from John that he might have written while out in Almeria Spain filming "How I Won the War" in 1966.

All you have to do, is deduce from the clues in the letter,  to whom the letter was written.  All correct entries will be put in a hat for a drawing and the lucky winner will be randomly selected on May 29th, the date the film Danny Collins is released in the UK.

The Contest Details
  • The Prize: The winner will receive a film poster for Danny Collins signed by Al Pacino
  • The Task: Read the letter in the image at the bottom of this post, and figure out who the letter was written to from the clues in the letter.
  • Who can enter: You must be a current BBFC member with a membership number and membership dues current.
  • How to enter: Send an email to website@britishbeatlesfanclub.co.uk containing:
    • Your name
    • Membership number
    • Email address
    • Mailing address (to send the prize to)
    • Answer to the question "Who was John writing to in the letter?"
    • Be sure to put "Danny Collins Contest" in the subject line

Wednesday 20 May 2015

A Life With the BEATLES at the Fringe Festival



A Life With the BEATLES

Neil Aspinall has been the Beatles’ road manager since the early days in Liverpool.
Staying behind the scenes and away from the limelight, he was part of an incredible story that now is being told by his perspective.

A Life With the Beatles is a theatrical monologue written by Davide Verazzani and staged in Milan, Italy, on October 2013.

Translated by Sabrina Macchi, A Life With the Beatles will be premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2015.

A Life With the Beatles is an amazing Magical Mistery Tour of the Beatles’ history, from Neil Aspinall’s perspective, the only one who was alaways at their side from 1961 to the 1970 break-up, to become later the Apple Corps President. 

A Life With the Beatles wants to recall the Fab Four’s history by this unique perspective.
It isn’t going to be a nostalgic tale, but a celebration of what the Beatles rappresented for that generation and the ones who follow.

A Life With the BEATLES at the Fringe Festival
A brand new monologue at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015
Directed by Andy Corelli Jones
Written by Davide Verazzani
Translated by Sabrina Macchi
Duration: 60’
Price: £ 9,00 adult (£ 7,00 concession)

A Life With the Beatles will be represented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015
August 6th - 30th at 5.15pm at Sweet Venues Apex International Hotel - Grassmarket
Web: www.sweetvenues.com | Facebook: /sweetvenues | Twitter: @SweetVenues


A Life With the BEATLES
DESCRIPTION
A Life With the Beatles is a monologue in which Neil Aspinall, The Beatles' road manager until 1970 and then CEO of Apple Corps until 2007, tells the story of his personal involvement with The Beatles from 1961 until the band’s break up, including key episodes in the history of The Beatles. It focuses on the night of the recording of A Day in the Life, the song that closes their most famous album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The play was written by Italian playwright Davide Verazzani and was translated into English by Sabrina Macchi, a translator based in Edinburgh.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I want to re-create a Beatlemania experience through Davide Verazzani's words and the actor's performance.

A hour in the life of Sgt Pepper and Neil Aspinall involving the audience all the way in a tour of 60s memorabilia, anecdotes  and insight. 

My hope is the audience will emerge at the end of the play energised, perspiring  and heading down to the nearest Fopp store to buy the entire  Beatles record collection!
As if they'd been at the Shea Stadium  themselves in August 1965…

Andy Corelly Jones

CAST
Andy Corelli Jones (DIRECTOR)
Andy is Artistic Director of Siege Perilous and also works as a freelance director. Recent directing credits include The Lower Depths (Hidden Door Fe stival), The Steamie (Brunton Theatre), Blood Brothers (Linlithgow Players), The Moonlit Road & Passing Through (Peapod Productions - Scotland and Italy tour), Still/Signs of Life (CorCor!). Other plays for Siege Perilous include Too Long the Heart, Farmhouse, One Elliot Park, Standing Stanes, Suspicious Minds, Pericles & Measure for Measure. As well as directing A Life With the Beatles at Fringe 2015, Andy will also be directing Nell Gwyn: An Epilogue by Laura Ingram, also at Sweet Venues.


Davide Verazzani (WRITER)
Davide is an Italian author, born in Milan in 1965. Graduated in Economics, his main occupation is consultant and experiential trainer, as a free lance. He studied actor techniques and he plays in a non-professional theatre company. He wrote three long-term movies and two web-series screenplays (including La linea dei topi nominated at the Los Angeles Web Fest and awarded at the Rome Web Awards), and two other theatre plays. The Italian version of A Life With the Beatles was on stage in Milan on October 2013 and it was a hit show with critical success. Davide is a Beatle-maniac from the age of 15.


Sabrina Macchi (TRANSLATOR)
Sabrina is Italian and has been living in the UK for more than 20 years. Currently based in Edinburgh, she teaches Italian as a foreign language and she is a freelance translator (MA in Translation Studies from Bristol University). She has always been passionate about literature and drama: A Life With the Beatles represents her official debut in literary translation and her first role as theatre producer at the Edinburgh Fringe.




CONTACTS
To follow A Life With the Beatles
Web................................................................................................ www.alifewiththebeatles.com
Facebook.................................................................... www.facebook.com/alifewiththebeatles
Twitter............................................................................................................... @ALifeWTBeatles
YouTube............................... www.youtube.com/channel/UCgZ4IMvSyXEzkU29xkMrYKA
Infoline.......................................................................................... info@alifewiththebeatles.com


#alifewiththebeatles


PRESS OFFICE
è A Life With the Beatles Press Office
Sara Sagrati
Tel: +39 339 4222182 | Email: press@alifewiththebeatles.com
è Sweet Venues Press & Marketing Manager
Annie Marrs
Tel: 07912 042630 | Email: annie@sweetvenues.com


CROWDFUNDING
To support A Life With the Beatles
è Indiegogo International Campain
http://igg.me/at/a-life-with-the-beatles

Sunday 17 May 2015

Competition time! - Win tickets (CORRECTION)

Notice - the film company contacted us to say they can't provide the poster as promised so the prize has been changed to two free tickets to see the film.

It's been awhile since our last competition so when the makers of this wonderful new film featuring John Lennon's music asked if we would like to have free tickets to the film to offer as a prize, we jumped at the chance!

To make it fun, we took our inspiration from the film.  Since the film is about a letter from John Lennon to Danny Collins, we've created a fictitious letter from John that he might have written while out in Almeria Spain filming "How I Won the War" in 1966.

All you have to do, is deduce from the clues in the letter,  to whom the letter was written.  All correct entries will be put in a hat for a drawing and the lucky winner will be randomly selected on May 29th, the date the film Danny Collins is released in the UK.

The Contest Details
  • The Prize: The winner will receive a film poster for Danny Collins signed by Al Pacino
  • The Task: Read the letter in the image at the bottom of this post, and figure out who the letter was written to from the clues in the letter.
  • Who can enter: You must be a current BBFC member with a membership number and membership dues current.
  • How to enter: Send an email to website@britishbeatlesfanclub.co.uk containing:
    • Your name
    • Membership number
    • Email address
    • Mailing address (to send the prize to)
    • Answer to the question "Who was John writing to in the letter?"
    • Be sure to put "Danny Collins Contest" in the subject line

Saturday 16 May 2015

Danny Collins - Fab new film out Friday May 29

Watch this space! Tomorrow we launch a competition with a prize supplied by the filmmakers.

Al Pacino stars as Danny Collins in this hilarious new drama. An ageing rock star receives a life-changing letter from John Lennon, which was written 40 years earlier but never delivered. Upon its discovery, he embarks on a heartfelt journey to rediscover his family and himself. Inspired by a true story, Danny Collins also stars Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale and Christopher Plummer.
 
Danny Collins is in cinemas nationwide on Friday May 29. 
 

Saturday 9 May 2015

Beatles Fiction - Summer Reading Ideas

We know there are hundreds of fact based Beatles books out there and many of them are interesting and wonderful to read and learn about the Beatles. We review new releases every quarter in our club magazine.  However, as summer approaches, perhaps you are looking for something entertaining to read that isn't just the story of the Beatles. Perhaps you are looking for something with a plot, some adventure or even a bit of science fiction that includes the Beatles as part of the story.

Well if that interests you, below is a list of books you might want to investigate.  All are available via Amazon.  Some are also in Kindle format if you want to read them in ebook format (handy for lounging on the beach).

She's Leaving Home
by William Shaw

This murder mystery takes place in the Beatles heyday in the neighborhood around Abbey Road.  The Beatles figure predominately in the backdrop of the story through as real life events such as John and Yoko's arrest at the same police station where the detective works. When the murder victim turns out to be an Apple Scruff, the detective finds himself visiting the Beatles Fan Club, George and Patti's house and more trying to identify her and her murderer.  The book is a gritty mystery on its own but I found it even more interesting with the expert weaving of real Beatles events, locals and facts into the plot.

Strawberry Fields For Evan
by Wilson Quick
Even if you are not a science fiction fan, if you're a Beatles fan, you will enjoy this well written story about a drummer from the the current day USA. Through a strange serious of events, Evan finds himself transported suddenly, not just back in the 1960's, but across the pond in Liverpool.  His timing couldn't be better for a drummer when he realizes that he knows the Beatles are about to replace Pete Best.  Could he possibly use this knowledge to get in first and get the job instead of Ringo?


Compline
by Gladys Pagendam
Nan is a grandmother with a mysterious past and a deep connection with George Harrison whose spirit visits her at critical crossroads in her life.  To her daughter and granddaughters she is just Nan and they and as she nears death from an illness, her granddaughters become interested in Nan's early years.  No one could have guessed that in the 1960's she had been a hip Liverpool lass who chose to alter her life by entering a convent to give her life to God. Obviously with granddaughters, she didn't stay in the convent, but what happened and how was George involved? The book tells Nan's story over the years in flashbacks via letters and poems and dreams. 


[Still Just] Four Liverpool Lads
by Michele S. Copp
What if the Beatles had secretly reunited in the 70’s and recorded an album of their best work in complete secrecy, but hid the work away after another break up? And what if you discovered this information 40 years later?
Follow the action and adventure in this fictional account of a group of Beatles fans who stumble upon a clue and set out to find this unreleased music. Their hunt takes them from Scotland to the Isle of Wight and it appears that someone else is determined to get to the music before them.
Beatles fans around the world will enjoy the exploits this group of die-hard fans experience in their efforts to follow clues left by Paul 40 years ago as they set out to prove that this music really existed.



Charmed and Dangerous
by Michele S. Copp

The Mad Day Out Gang from 'Still [Just] 4 Liverpool Lads' is back again and this time they are just off to have some summer fun in Liverpool during Beatle Week. The trip is plagued with a series of mishaps that starts with train delays caused by a jewelry theft in Wales and grows steadily worse. It appears someone is targeting the group and means business. But why, and how can they make it stop before someone gets hurt? Just as in their first outing in London, this group of Beatles fans are quick witted and resourceful and once they figure out why they are being hunted down, they set out to turn the tables and set a trap to snare the bandits and save the day.


Ask Ron & Eddie
by E. Langley De Montfort
This book starts out as a series of letters answered by Ron who responds to letters sent to him from strangers asking questions similar to an agony aunt column.  Ron's replies tend to ramble on beyond the original question and over time reveal his and Eddie's history through stories and reminiscences.

Technically this book isn't about the Beatles but it is interesting and two of the chapters do tell an interesting story about the time these two characters managed to sneak (twice!) onto the roof of Apple offices in Saville Row and into Apple itself during the days that the Beatles were still a band.