Liverpool fan search

Six fans wanted: At St John’s Hall in Tuebrook, Liverpool, 1961

This is being posted on Beatles sites everywhere, but we thought we might as wll post it here, too. The search is on for six early fans of the Beatles captured in a photograph more than 50 years ago.

The six girls were pictured with the fab four at St John’s Hall in Tuebrook, Liverpool in 1961.

The negative of this image was given to Stephen Bailey who has managed The Beatles Shop in Mathew Street for 28 years.

The shop is busy collecting memorabilia for the 23rd Annual Liverpool Beatles Auction which will be held at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in August. The annual event always turns out interesting pieces from the early days in Liverpool and Merseysiders are busy rummaging through their attics in anticipation.

This photo was one such find which was discovered when a man dropped off some negatives to The Beatles Shop in Mathew Street which he said had been taken half a century ago by his father who was a photographer. Stephen got the pictures processed and found they were in perfect condition. One in particular stood out.

Stephen said: “It is a lovely photograph and so evocative of the relationship The Beatles has with their early fans. Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr the following year.”

Stephen now wants to invite the women to be VIP Guests of Honour at this year’s auction which is being held at the Paul McCartney Auditorium at LIPA.

If you are one of the women pictured or you can help identify them please get in touch either at news@liverpool.com or call in to the Beatles Shop on Mathew Street or call Stephen on 0151 236 8066.

Source: Liverpool Echo

Of course, this is also a nice way for Stephen to get some free promotion for the auction, and we benefit from getting one more interesting photo of the boys. George Harrison pulls a face this time, and Pete prefers not holding on to any female fan, as he always stayed away from other girls while he was dating his girlfriend.

The Beatles played at Liverpool’s St John’s Hall on 11 occasions. The dates were 17 February; 10 March; 13, 20 and 27 July; 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 August; and 8 September, all in 1961.

Wrongly captioned by Liverpool Echo as taken after the Beatles came back from playing the Star Club, Hamburg – that venue didn’t open until 1962.

If this was really their first gig after a Hamburg stint, the date would be 13 July 1961, as that was their first gig after returning from their second Hamburg trip, where they played at the Top Ten Club.