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Beatles News Archives

2002 Page 6

Paul turned 60

Paul's honeymoon with new bride Heather Mills became a double celebration when the former Beatles star turned 60 years old on Tuesday.

Now nearing the age he sang about in The Beatles' When I'm 64, he has so far avoided the fate of going bald, wasting away and mending fuses that he predicted in that song.

His birthday was expected to be spent on a tropical island in the Seychelles, where he and his new wife are thought to be honeymooning.

The couple married at an Irish castle the previous week. They have not publicly revealed where they headed after the ceremony at Castle Leslie, but the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation reported that they had arrived in the Indian Ocean nation.

The star has said that despite turning 60, he still sees himself as "just a rock 'n' roller", and that he never thought he would be world famous for 40 years. In an interview with the BBC World Service, he admitted that he sometimes "assumes that retirement is near".

But whenever he thinks about giving up, "I do one gig and I love it", he said.

Sir Paul has been one of the biggest stars in the world since shooting to fame with The Beatles in the 1960s, and has had success with another band, Wings, as well as with solo material. He has kept writing and performing, being nominated for an Oscar for the song he wrote for the film Vanilla Sky in 2002, and has also branched out into art, poetry and classical music.

He wed landmine campaigner and former model Mills, 26 years his junior, after a three-year relationship. The ceremony took place in a small church inside the grounds of Castle Leslie, County Monaghan, Ireland, with 300 family and friends present.

Fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, the band's producer Sir George Martin, model Twiggy and actor Steve Buscemi were among the guests. But there have been rumours that Sir Paul's daughters refused to speak to Heather because their father took off his wedding ring from his first marriage, to Linda, who died in 1998.

Sir Paul's spokesman described the wedding ceremony as "joyful and moving", and the day was rounded off by a spectacular firework display.

The couple were thought to have left the site by helicopter to start their honeymoon. They are reported to be on the tiny island of Cousine, which was the location for the Oliver Reed film Castaway.

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Paul and Heather Head for Mull Lovenest

Paul McCartney and his new bride are to end their honeymoon in the hideaway Scottish love nest that was so special to his first wife Linda.

The news is sure to cause further tensions between Paul and his three children — who have been against his marriage to Heather Mills from day one.

Heather has always refused to visit the Mull of Kintyre fearing it held too many special memories for the former Beatle. But in an astonishing U-turn the former model has now agreed to stay at High Peak Farm when the couple return from their Indian Ocean cruise.

Last night a source close to the farm, near Cambpeltown, Argyll, confirmed the newlyweds are to visit the estate next month. He said: "Paul always comes here this time of year but this time he's bringing Heather. This is a special place for him and we’ve been told to get ready to welcome his new wife.

Paul's kids, and in particular fashion designer Stella, have accused Heather of trying to wipe out all traces of their mother’s memory. They have always believed that the Scottish farm was a special place for their parents and will be furious their dad now plans to take Heather there.

One villager said: "It's not going to be easy for Heather as Linda's stamp is all over the place. She will be walking into a home that is full of treasured memories for Paul and his family."

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Macca's Loveboat

Paul McCartney and his new bride Heather Mills have rented a £120,000-a-week yacht for the second part of their honeymoon. The newlyweds have left the Seychelles and are cruising in the Indian Ocean on the Salperton super ship.

The £16.4 million vessel has five state rooms finished in cherry wood, marble bathrooms, a gym and the latest sports equipment including scuba gear and three sea canoes. Sir Paul is to release footage of the couple's wedding at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan on the end of a DVD of his recent live American shows.

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Macca Blew up my Dead Mum

Paul McCartney’s wedding has caused a rift between the Irish owners of the Castle Leslie estate. A first cousin of castle owner Samantha Leslie claims the McCartney wedding destroyed his farmland and his mother’s grave.

"If not for my surrounding and, this event would not have happened at the castle," said Samantha’s cousin, Tarka King. "I own it. It was upon my ground that helicopters landed and fireworks went off. Where the helicopter set down churned up all the land and the enormous amount of vehicles turned the ground into a quagmire. You see, my mother is buried there," he said. Exactly where the party planners and my cousin arranged to have the site for the pyrotechnic display is, to me, hallowed ground. I’m not looking for money. This is not the source of my grievance. I’m in a foul temper about the mess. This was very upsetting."

Meanwhile, Paul’s wife Heather Mills has persuaded her new husband to take part in a television special for US network ABC. Paul has agreed to do the programme only at the request of Mills.

It has also been revealed that Mills is putting pen to paper on her second autobiography, which will tell the tale of her love with the wrinkly rocker. A spokesperson for the former Beatle was yesterday tight-lipped about the details of the programme.

He said: "I can only tell you that we closed the deal with ABC and we’re really excited."

But it’s not all good news for Mills, as her wedding designers have an axe to grind with the new bride. Caroline Eavis and Annie Brown made Mills’ chantilly lace gown - estimated to be worth €19,000 - at no cost to the wealthy couple and just asked for free publicity.

But after suggestions that Mills designed the dress herself, Caroline said: "Annie was in tears when we received little or no coverage. We spent five months working on a dress that had to be absolutely perfect and now feel left out".

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First Of The True Believers

Quote Paul Charles one line from any Beatles composition and he will not only tell you the title of the song, but when it was recorded, who actually played drums on the track, the name of the album it was on (or not), and the circumstances under which it was composed, by whom, and who else was there at the time. And, of course, the time itself.

So it’s little wonder that his latest book is about the Beatles. Except that it’s not your average book about the Beatles. It’s a novel that involves the Beatles. "I’ve been trying to write a book about the Beatles since I was in my 20s’ the 52 year-old Paul explains, "but I couldn’t really see what new angle I could cover.

There are now over 300 Beatle books in my own collection, so where could I start, and still be even vaguely original?" The answer came after a distinguished showbiz career as a concert and tour promoter, followed by an odd career swerve into the world of crime fiction, where Paul became equally successful and prolific. The only Beatles book that hadn’t been written was a novel, one which identified a fictional, though probable, figure on the edge of the Beatles legend, and followed his life as it continued to revolve around the progress of the Fab Four.

"I had to research every fact, though," Paul is quick to point Out.. "This is a book that die-hard fans will read, so even the bits I thought I did know had to be verified once again. But I think it’s pretty watertight on facts now."

Paul Charles was a speaker at the Morrison Hotel during the recent Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, where he talked not only about his new Beatles novel "First Of The True Believers", but also his five Christy Hennessy crime novels.

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Paul Wed in Private Ceremony

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills were married Tuesday in a remote Irish castle, while fans and journalists thronged the gates for a glimpse of Paul and his bride. The couple was determined to have a private wedding despite the growing crowd outside and the noisy helicopters hovering overhead.

More than 2 hours after the ceremony, as the newlyweds and their guests feasted on Indian food in large tents on the Castle Leslie estate, McCartney's spokesman, Geoff Baker, emerged to reveal some details. The bride, wearing a fitted ecru lace dress she designed herself, carried a bouquet of 11 pink McCartney roses - named for her new husband - and two peonies, Baker said.

"The ceremony was joyful and moving," Baker said. "Heather captured the hearts of the congregation when, overcome by the emotion of the occasion, she briefly faltered and wept tears of joy whilst making her vows."

Mills entered the 17th century church to the strains of "Heather," a song Paul wrote for his recent album. As the beaming pair walked back down the aisle, a wedding march Paul wrote for the 1966 movie "The Family Way" was played on the organ, Baker said. Paul's brother Mike was best man. Among the 300 people in attendance were Paul's children from his first marriage, Stella, Mary and James, and his stepdaughter, Heather. The rest of the guest list was kept pretty well under wraps.

Ringo Starr, was seen being whisked through the gates to attend the ceremony at St. Salvator's chapel within the walls of the well-guarded estate. Baker had confirmed earlier that Beatles producer George Martin and Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour also would be there.

The large crowd outside could only guess when the ceremony — scheduled for 4 p.m. - began. The ringing of church bells more than an hour later indicated that Paul and Heather had indeed tied the knot in the Protestant Church of Ireland service.

Media interest had reached fever pitch as newspapers speculated about every detail, including a guest list that some said included rock veterans Elton John and Eric Clapton. For some of the younger local people waiting outside, the classic rockers were a bit of a mystery.

When a Mercedes limousine with darkened windows moved through the front gate, a policeman turned to three little girls, all under 10, and asked, "Did you see who that was?" He told them it was Starr, but their only reply was "Who's that?" Paul and Heather, had tried to keep the location of their wedding a secret. But when word slipped out, they good-naturedly appeared outside the castle walls on Monday, speaking briefly to the crowd that had gathered but giving few details of the nuptials.

Baker did confirm the menu would be strictly vegetarian. "This is being held by one of the world's most famous vegetarians," he said of Paul. The singer's first wife, Linda, was an animal rights advocate and created a range of vegetarian foods. About 90 relatives and friends of Paul arrived at Belfast International Airport on a chartered flight from Liverpool and were met by a fleet of buses and limousines to carry them to the castle. Musicians Chrissie Hynde and Jools Holland and former model Twiggy arrived later on a chartered flight from London's Heathrow airport. Ringo flew to Belfast on his private jet, airport authorities said.

Cars passing through the gates Tuesday ran a gauntlet of cameramen, and reporters mobbed a group of bewildered caterers. Television news showed aerial footage of a flower-decked yacht moored to a specially built pier beside the estate's lake, from which the newlyweds are expected to watch an extravagant fireworks display. The Daily Mail newspaper reported the couple would spend Tuesday night in the castle's Red Room, said to be haunted by former owner Sir Normal Leslie, who was killed on the battlefields of France in 1914.

Paul and Heather met in 1999 at a charity function where she was raising money to oppose the use of land mines. Heather, a model who lost a leg in motorcycle accident and raises money for children disabled in war, was married briefly in 1989. Paul and his first wife were married for nearly 30 years before she died of breast cancer in 1998. They had three children of their own, and Linda had a daughter from an earlier marriage.

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Ringo's Poem up for Auction

A poem by Beatles drummer Ringo Starr could fetch thousands of pounds at this year's Beatle's Auction.

Though not exactly a poetic masterpiece, Ringo's scribbled words are likely to sell for at least £1,000 when they come up for sale in August.

The framed and authenticated ditty was written by Ringo alongside his name when he signed an autograph between 1962-3.

A spokesman for the Beatles Shop, which organises the Beatles For Sale extravaganza, confirmed the poem is a rare find which will attract plenty of interest.

He said: "The quality of the writing leaves a lot to be desired, but you must remember that he spent a lot of his youth in hospital so he missed out on a lot of formal education."

Ringo, who once came up with the song lyric "You were in a car crash and you lost your hair", is not the only Beatle to have dabbled in poetry.

Lennon's published in a collection of poems called In His Own Write and Macca recently wrote Blackbird Singing.

Ringo's words are unlikely to receive critical acclaim but they will have a large readership among buyers at McCartney's LIPA, where the auction is being held.

He wrote:
"Roses are Red violets are blue
When you go to sleep
You must go a boo boo
Your nose is red
Your cheeks are pink
Now your mummy's calling
Go help her at the sink"

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Paul and Heather greet public

Sir Paul McCartney and his bride-to-be Heather Mills have thanked the public for their good wishes after arriving at the fairytale Irish castle that is to be the venue of their wedding on Tuesday.

The couple drove to the gates of the 17th Century 1,000-acre estate, in the village of Glaslough, in county Monaghan, on Monday afternoon to meet the assembled press and crowd of well-wishers gathered outside.

Sir Paul and his fiancée, who kissed twice for the cameras, said the wedding would be "a family affair" with friends and relatives. He said: "I would just like to thank all the people who have written in to us and people we have met on the streets who have wished us all the best."

After accepting a posy of flowers, Mills said: "Thanks for all your support. We really appreciate it." Sir Paul revealed the reason Monaghan was chosen for the venue was that his mother had been born there.

The couple vowed the weather would not spoil their big day after final preparations were hampered by torrential downpours. Mills also revealed she had made her own wedding dress along with two designers.

The couple have refused to sell their wedding pictures to a glossy magazine, turning down an offer of £1.5m. Instead they will issue one picture which the media will pay for - with the money going to a landmine charity.

"Any occasion like this is for everybody - not just for the person with the largest cheque book," said Sir Paul's spokesman, Geoff Baker. The pair are due to stay at the castle until the ceremony, Mr Baker said - although they will not be spending Monday night together. "That would be bad luck," he said.

The service will be held at St Salvator's Church within the Castle Leslie estate. The couple had kept the wedding date and venue a tight secret, but Sir John Leslie, 84, whose family owns Castle Leslie, had inadvertently dropped hints.

Asked about this, Sir Paul said: "If it had to leak, it leaked the right way." Guards prevented photographers and journalists from getting a glimpse of the preparations.

The date of the wedding party for Sir Paul, 59 and Mills, 34, was made public when invitations were sent out. Mr Baker said 300 people would be entertained in the castle grounds after the service and they would be served a vegetarian dinner.

Sir Paul stressed the day would be for family, saying "there will be about ten people you have heard of". Sir Paul's fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr is to read a poem during the service incorporating the words to the famous Beatles' song All You Need is Love, according to reports.

The family of Sir Paul's first wife Linda have also been invited. Sir Paul's brother Mike will once again act as best man, having performed the same role at his marriage to Linda.

Sir Paul's children, Stella, James, Mary and stepdaughter Heather, were also said to be attending, despite reports of a rift between them and Mills.

Three marquees have been erected close to the castle with a specially-constructed covered walkway leading between them and the chapel. A dance floor has been set up alongside a lake, and a pier has been constructed with a luxury boat moored alongside.

Lilies and roses were among thousands of pounds' worth of flowers to have been delivered and were being kept refrigerated and watered. Lighting effects have been put in trees and floating pontoons lay alongside the banks of the lake, suggesting that fireworks could be launched from the water's surface.

Sir Paul met anti-landmines campaigner Mills three years ago and they became engaged last July.

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