It was around 1967 and life was still a strange mix of celebrity friends and church. One typical story of this time stands out in my memory. I was staying for a short while in a house in Kings Road Chelsea belonging to a friend of mine. One day, a South American friend of his, who was a communist and a multi-millionaire, asked me to join him at the Revolution Club off Berkley Square. This was the meeting place of all those in the jet-set. Incidentally, this chap had just ordered a number of cars from the company belonging to the person I was staying with.
When we got to the club, he ordered a bottle of whisky and we sat down to spend a long night, talking and observing all the people around.
Sometime later, a friend of mine called Chris, turned up with Bob Stigwood and a few other people. They all huddled off into a corner and Chris asked us to join them. This we did.
The evening wore on and I sat next to this very well-dressed young man who had a strange accent which I could not place. He seemed to have visited many countries and we talked pleasantly about his every day experiences in these countries – Germany, America and other places. He was very unassuming, friendly and we enjoyed chatting about everything and nothing.
The following morning, I returned to Battersea where I was staying with another friend called Leonard and his family.
When I woke late that morning, his sister-in-law asked me where I had been gallivanting the night before. I very casually mentioned that I had been to the Revolution Club. She said, “have you read the newspapers this morning?” This was unexpected as I was still half asleep. She said, “it was all over the newspapers that the Beatles were at the Revolution Club.”
I was amused and phoned my friend, Chris, to ask if this was true. I jokingly said, “if I had known, I would have asked them for an autograph”.
Chris asked me to repeat myself as he was astonished at my reply. I again repeated what I said.
He laughingly replied over the phone, “Westy you’re incredible! Only you could sit talking to Paul McCartney for three hours without realising who he was”.