http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2074760_beatles_for_sale
By Paul Cassell
July 19, 2010
A unique collection of photos of The Beatles taken by an obsessed
Reading papergirl is set to go under the hammer next month.
Superfan Sue Baker took the snaps during regular weekend visits to
see the Fab Four at their homes in the mid 60s when she was just 15.
The 59-year-old grandmother first became fascinated with John, Paul,
George and Ringo at the start of Beatlemania in 1962 when living in the north.
"It was a new sound. The whole Beatlemania thing was very exciting
and I started collecting their records," she said.
The family moved to Addington Road, East Reading, in 1965, where she
started a paper round and scoured the news for anything about her idols.
Mrs Baker never saw the band perform live but once screamed at them
at Heathrow Airport.
It was in a copy of Beatles Monthly she read a description of Paul
McCartney's house in St John's Wood, London, and headed off with a
friend to find him.
The pair wandered around for two hours before asking a boy in the
street if he knew where Paul lived and offered him half a crown to
take them to the house.
Mrs Baker said: "I remember the house and being blown away, and
cheekily rang the bell. Paul answered and spoke to us. As you can
imagine, I was totally starstruck and made up.
"I can't really remember the conversation but we nervously said
'hello'. We hadn't taken anything to sign and never imagined in our
wildest dreams that he would answer the door."
The friends began going there regularly and later McCartney offered
them the addresses of his bandmates.
"I quickly grabbed an envelope out of my bag and wrote them down,"
said Mrs Baker, who now lives in West Reading with her husband Ken.
"Looking back, I think why would he have done that? It was just a
very different time in those days."
She began visiting the other Beatles over the next two years with
money saved from her paper rounds.
Mrs Baker said: "The main thing I remember was how friendly and
ordinary they were and how much they were interested in us.
"It was just amazing that these superstars, these idols who were at
the top of their fame, were intrigued by our little lives."
Sometimes she would chat with their wives and girlfriends and bring
them chocolates. She would also take her younger brother Phillip who
was about the same age as John's son Julian.
Once, when George was not home, she cheekily posed for a picture on
the bonnet of his psychedelic Mini.
Cameo Fine Art Auctioneers in Midgham has put a £2,000 to £3,000
estimate on her collection, and will also auction other Beatles items
belonging to Mrs Baker on August 3.
Mrs Baker hopes to put the money towards her daughter Sophie's
wedding in December.
Of the memorabilia she added: "I thought now's the time to let it go
and let other people enjoy it and hope they do as much as I have over
the years."
Hendrix art and Doors lyrics go under hammer
A rare painting by rock legend Jimi Hendrix and the lyrics of LA
Woman handwritten by The Doors frontman Jim Morrison will also be
sold at next month's auction.
The iconic pieces of rock history will be among dozens of items of
music memorabilia expected to make thousands of pounds when they go
under the hammer at Cameo Auctioneers in Midgham.
The 13 by 10 inch acrylic painting in 1967 features a snake and three
eyes and was inspired by psychedelic flyers from California as
Hendrix began laying down ideas for his Experience show.
The picture was exhibited as part of the Jimi Hendrix Exhibition at
The Hard Rock Café in New York in the early 1990s and is signed.
It also includes a dedication to bassist Noel Redding on the rear and
has been given an estimate of £3,000 to £5,000.
The yellow sheet of A4 paper with the LA Woman lyrics is a studio
copy used by the singer when recording the 1971 album of the same name.
Cameo has given an estimate of £10,000 to £20,000.
Visit www.cameo-auctioneers.co.uk or call 0118 971 3772 for more information.
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paul.cassell@reading-epost.co.uk
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