It was a cold day in early February 1963, nevertheless I had the hood of my 1938 Rolls Bentley down as I sped northwards to Liverpool, where I was to meet and photograph a group calling themselves The Beatles.
I had no idea who they were or why I had been commissioned to take pictures of them except that everybody seemed to be interested in this new thing called 'pop'.
I met them in a pub - looking as though they were playing truant. We had a drink at the bar and tried to talk about them and their songs. We didn't get very far, particularly because I liked jazz and frankly found their music totally uninteresting. However we got along ok and went outside to wander about Liverpool for the day.
They were as helpful as they could be, but soon got bored, particularly Lennon, and started fooling around, so that posing for pictures was totally unimportant to them.
In the evening I went to the Cavern Club to hear them play and sing. I can't remember a note! I gave the pictures to 'Honey' and then lost the negs!
A year later I was idly watching the news on TV, when suddenly the screen was full of The Beatles returning from their US tour at Heathrow airport. It was quite fantastic and it became obvious that I must find those negs! Eventually I found them in a box somewhere and the cheques are still coming in! Quite extraordinary!
But then it happened again the next year with The Rolling Stones. This time my client, London Records, lost the negs and they have never been found. But with new technology I am able to make a scan from the 35mm contacts and make a decent sized print!!