Walthamstow

The Beatles were still hard at work on October 24, 1964 when they did another two shoes at the Granda cinema in Walthamstow.

There aren't really any photographs that I could locate of the Beatles on this date, but I did find information and stories of fans.   So I am going to post some photos that are believed to have been taken during the 1964 UK tour, but the exact dates are unknown.  

The guys made it to the theater in a van that took service roads to sneak the Beatles into the Granada Cinema.  Once the guys made it inside safely, they ate a meal and got ready for the show.  Meanwhile, the fans began to que up to get inside.



Once the show began, at least one girl tried to rush the stage when the Beatles were performing.   Mostly fans at this venue were into throwing things onto the stage.   The fans made sure to attach tags that said things like "To Ringo with Love" on the gifts they were hurling at high speeds at the Beatles.   Up in the balcony, four or five girls raced to the front railing and for a while there was some fear that they might fall over the railing.    As with many of the other shows during this tour, fans were waving scarves and of course screaming.   24 girls were treated by the St. John's volunteers for hysteria.  


In Creasy's book, Beatlemania, he has documented a great story from this night by one fan named Janice:

My friend, Maggie had lined up all night and one of the first, if not the first in line for tickets. I am not sure if her parents knew where she was that night but Maggie bought a few tickets for us and some friends.  Maggie and I made banners to hang around our necks.  Hers declared her love for Ringo and mine was for Paul.  We each made extremely tall top hats wit pictures of the Beatles to wear.  We also made a banner of sheets that stretched across the front of the seats.  It declared our dedication to and love for the Beatles.  the banner was pulled out of our hands by other crazy girls not long after the show started!  When the Beatles came onstage the theater was alive with screaming which did not die down at all. I was rather annoyed because I could barely hear the Beatles, even in the front row, although I hasten to add I must have been screaming as well!  We stood on our seats and were in awe.  At one point I looked at the girls I was with and there was only Maggie in  the seat next to me.  The others had been carried out  by St. John's Ambulance Brigade people because they had fainted.  Then Maggie threw her cardboard, movable puppet she had made of George onto the stage.  George picked it up and put it on his amplifier and so I turned to Maggie to say something, but she had collapsed in a heap in her chair.  They had to carry her out!  So I was the only one left and I decided I didn't want to miss the show and was there until the end.   When the Beatles finished, Maggie came rushing back down the aisle but the Beadles had gone.  We rushed outside to see if we could watch them leaving, but they were not in sight.  So we tried to storm the backstage, but we were sent back.  We hung around for quite a long time waiting for the departure of the Beatles, but never saw them.  The newspaper the next day stated that they had left the theater over a wall right after the show.

A few other memories:

I was at that concert too. It was October 24 1964, my 12th birthday. I sported a Beatle haircut and jacket - must have looked really silly. I remember too, when the Beatles came on, people pushed the seats into the 'up' position - as in when they were not being used, and stood on them to see. No Health and Safety considerations in those days! Some people threw jelly babies, because one of the Beatles - don't recall which one - had said he liked them. – Peter

“The concert was amazing, although we couldn't hear anything just all of us screaming. We stood on the seats and waved scarves - anything to attract a Beatle's attention."– Lesley