The Day we met The Beatles

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From the moment he saw them on ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ Dick HaIl knew he’d become a Beatles fan. He was besotted with them and knew they were no flash-in-the-pan group. No, they weren’t here today gone tomorrow, they had something different. They had a magic all of their own.

So it wasn’t surprising that Dick, and his wife Maureen should one-day get to meet his heroes. This is their story.

The year was 1966, the month was June, and it was Saturday 25th. The Fab Four were due to perform at the Grugahalle in Essen in Germany. Maureen and I had tickets and so we set out from our home for the long drive from Hildesheim to Essen.

We left home at about 6:00am in our Simca 1000 with a selection of Beatles tapes and a few sandwiches for the journey. It turned out to be a memorable journey and a fantastic day and night.

We arrived in Essen around 2:00pm and made our way to the Grugahalle. At the hall we were met by hordes of Beatle fans; many with tickets and many many more with no tickets at all. Most hoping to get a ticket on the black market, and failing that, perhaps a glimpse of The Beatles as they entered the hall.

There were kids of all ages, ranging from 13 - 50 and even some in their 60s. The Beatles crossed all barriers - age, sex, nationality and language.

I must describe the Grugahalle for you. It is massive in size as Tennis tournaments are held there. If you could imagine Croke Park with a roof on it you would be near to getting the picture. We approached the entrance door and Maureen would not present the tickets until she was 100% positive that the doorman was genuine. But no tickets were handed over, and we were directed into this absolutely enormous hall. Before we went to our seats we were invited to leave our coats in the cloakroom and were given tickets for retention.

We would be seated about 100 - 150 feet from the stage and we would be looking at the stage from an angle. When we looked at the size of the hall and saw where some of the audience would be sitting Maureen said "Aren’t we lucky" and I guess we too.

The hall at first was slow to fill up. We saw one couple who were handcuffed together, and in a seat behind us sat a woman who was over 70 years of age and she looked as young as any of the teenagers in the hall.

Once in the hall we were free to move about and this we did. We went right down to the stage, which was fronted with large metal barriers beyond which were a number of burly security men. I approached the metal barrier and made an attempt to get over it; it was only about 4 feet high. Looking at me was a security man, or should I say a security giant, for he was about 6.4" and about the same in width. He asked "Ausweisse bitte", which is German for ‘Pass Please’. I didn’t have a pass and so I said "No". His voice went up about five decibels and he bellowed "Raus", which is polite for "Go Away", and so I did.

Maureen met me and said "Let’s go back to our seats, we can see them from there". I didn’t want to see them from there, I want to meet them, and I want to touch them, I want to be at the stage. I want.... I want.... I want. Talk about a spoiled brat.

At the sides of the stage were some steps leading down to under the stage. We went down there and up the far side and now re-entered the hall opposite to where we should be sitting. The same barrier was present here and when I approached it, there on the opposite side was a clone of the security guard I had met previously with the exact same command of the German language ‘AUSWEISSE BITTE’ - No - RAUS.

Back we went under the stage; l was cursing like mad. Not only did I have to question the parenthood of the security men - I voiced out loud that I was sure their mothers didn’t know who their fathers were, never mind them themselves knowing.

Maureen was saying "Don’t get upset Dick, come and we’ll go up and sit down and watch the show. The show would consist of support acts including Peter and Gordon (World without love); a German group called the Rattles (a German version of the Monkees) - a bad one I might add.

Also on the bill at Essen that day was Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers (Got to get you into my life), so it would be some time before the Fab Four would grace the stage.

Throughout this time I continued to approach the stage and continued to attempt to get beyond the barrier. A metal Berlin Wall inside a building, and I also continued to learn German - at least I knew AUSWEISSE BITTE and RAUS.

Maureen eventually stopped following me and so as Cliff Bennett finished their act, I was close to the barrier and Maureen was some distance behind me. When Cliff left the stage, the feeling inside the hall began to change. They were the last act, The Beatles had to be next. The expectancy and the electric feeling of what was to come passed between everyone in the audience like a wave of warmth.

It was a feeling that had to be experienced to be appreciated. It touched you and then went on to the next person to you, only to come back to you stronger than before.

After about 15 minutes a German M.C. came on to the stage. I thought "God, surely he’s not going to ask all of us for an AUSWEISSE BITTE". But no he spoke other German. He was trying to calm down the audience. He had about as much chance of calming them down as I had of finding an Ausweisse Bitte.

Even I was screaming and when looked around to where I should have been sitting, the 70-year-old teenager was also screaming. After about 5 minutes the M.C. gave up. In German he said "They’re here now - Here they come John, Paul, Geor……. that’s as far as he got.

The entire audience, me included went staring mad. I am sure the roof went up about 3 feet and came back down again. If you listen to ‘Back in the USSR’, the opening has the sound of a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet landing. Well if you turn your volume up as far as it can go and put your ear against the speaker box, you will hear a sound equal to about one hundredth of what was heard in the Grugahalle that day - Honest.

Behind me pandemonium was breaking out. Some people were fainting; others were rushing forward trying to get over or under the barrier. I was nearly crushed against the barrier myself.

During all this mayhem I tried to keep an eye on the security man nearest to me. He eventually did not see me. Whether he was busy keeping the crowd back I don’t know.

All I remember is, one minute he was watching me and the next he wasn’t, and in that instant I was moved from one side of the barrier to the other. As soon as I realised where I was I turned around and began to help the security men hold back the fans.

I honestly believe I helped save lives that day. Some of the fans rushed straight at the barrier and tried to jump over - no regard for themselves or for the safety of others. Eventually we got them under control and I turned towards the stage. Another security man looked at me and asked a fellow security man about me. This was the one I helped to control the fans and he said ‘Alles in Ordnung’ He is OK, he is all right. I WAS IN.

I walked the six feet to the stage and stood at the edge - my elbows were resting on the stage itself. Two feet from the edge of the stage stood John Lennon himself. I had died, I was in heaven, this is a dream, if it is - please don’t wake me.

I wanted to chew but I knew that if I did I would kill myself because my heart was in my mouth. It was brilliant as The Beatles performed for about an hour and a half, and throughout they changed positions. At times George was next to me, then Paul, but it was mostly John. I was hoping they would move the drum kit, then Ringo could have been within arm length too.

A few times I looked behind to see Maureen. She smiled at me and raised her arms above her head in salute at me getting in there. I thought ‘what am I going to do after the show. I can’t go out there or I’ll never get back in again. I’ll worry about that later’.

I can’t remember all the songs they sang, but I remember ‘Paperback Writer’, ‘She Loves You’ and ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. Too soon they closed and disappeared behind the stage. Again I turned to look for Maureen. She was standing at the barrier trying to speak to one of the security men. I’m sure all she was getting out of him was ‘AUSWEISSE BITTE’. She was pointing to me and he eventually turned around and saw me. He took her arm, walked her over to the barrier and helped her over it to where I was waiting. "WE WERE BOTH IN".

We went down steps that led to the dressing rooms, where we met Peter and Cordon and we had a little chat with them. We asked which room was The Beatles dressing room and they told us. We watched as some people approached the door and were not allowed in.

Peter Asher told us "No one is allowed in to The Beatles dressing room". Even if someone turned up with a telegram from a family member back in England - they would still not get in. This is a rule imposed by The Beatles. No one gets in. "We can’t even get in" said Peter.

This looked like the end of the road for us, the end of the day. As we waited we saw people trying to argue with the doorman outside the dressing room. He was English but he had a German security man with him who spoke German and English. No one got past him.

Maureen was congratulating me on my getting behind the barrier. Look I said lots of blokes wanted to marry you, but I was determined that I was going to marry you - and I did, and I was determined that I was going to get down to the stage and I did that too.

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