King's Road: a short stroll - May 22, 1968.

The events and chronology pertaining to the beginning of John & Yoko's relationship remain murky, but one thing the tomes seem to agree on is the date of the Two Virgins night at Kenwood: May 19, 1968. Earlier that day, John, still reeling from the previous evening's speed/Mandrax/acid fuelled Messianic meltdown, had convened an emergency meeting at Wigmore Street. The inner circle duly shuffled in, were informed that John was now Jesus...and shuffled out again. Back at Kenwood, John invited Yoko round, and the rest is distorted piano and slowed down bird noises.
Three days later the Beatles hold an afternoon party at Club dell' Aretusa, though only John and George attend. The party is intended to launch the latest Apple retail outlet - Apple Tailoring, a collaboration with 60s fashionisto John Crittle.
The club is situated at 107 King's Road, Chelsea. Here's how it looked then:


It's still a club, though obviously not the same club, and the entrance has been completely redone:


Many photos of this event exist. At one point, John and George were captured deep in conversation, and it's tempting to imagine that John was explaining the new situation vis-a-vis Yoko. Meanwhile, Derek Taylor looks like he is contemplating the best way to deal with the latest shitstorm (something he was going to have to get used to):


Yoko doesn't seem to be present in the photos taken in the club - it's possible she was keeping a low profile, or else came along a bit later. What's sure is that she and John left together, and made the short walk up the King's Road to Apple Tailoring at no. 161, so that John could be pictured outside. The following pic (all these date from either 1970 or 1975) shows the way - past the Chelsea Potter (still there) and the Pant House (sadly, not still there). The site of Apple Tailoring is just outwith the perspective of this pic:


The first picture showing John and Yoko as a bona-fide couple (though few knew it at that point) was captured just past one of the King's Road antique markets. Here's the same spot from across the road a couple of years later:


...and how it looks today:


The Apple Tailoring shop itself, basically a makeover for Crittle's Dandy boutique which had occupied the same site, was in a church building which is still there:


He's not the Messiah - he's a very naughty boy:


A week later sessions for the White Album commenced, and the wheels began to come off.
Many thanks to Julian Carr for finding the old pictures, and taking most of the new ones, and to the City of London, London Metropolitan Archives for permission to use the vintage images of King's Road.