Tantra: not Tantrum.

As the sainted Alan Partridge might have it, "AHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA". No sooner had I "done" the previous post than Plasticine Porter emailed with detailed photos of the up-to-date Mini, one of which immediately leaped (?) to my attention - namely, the piggy (if piggy it be). Said "piggy" features in the aforementioned tome Tantra Art, thus proving that Tantrum Art is nonsense, and that Tantra Art was indeed the one to provide George with inspiraton.
Going back to the old paint job, the "pig" is there too:


So, it's all clear now. Many Thanks to Sam.

Kenwood: autumn, 1967.

Further fannage, outside the front door, circa MMT.
Thanks to Mr L.

Montagu Square: late summer, 1968.

A splendidly candid dead o' night shot of a slightly startled John, on the corner of Montagu Place and Montagu Square, no doubt freshly dropped off by Antony or Shotton post-White Album session. Yoko must be just out of frame behind him.
It's perhaps surprising that more photos of the pair of them outside number 34 haven't surfaced; but possibly no-one really knew they were there pre-bust, and post-bust, they weren't.
Thanks to Eric Nernie.

Kenwood: more sun & bedroom - December, 1968.

Sunroom close-ups from Susan Wood, and more of John's inveterate tea drinking (and "snoutage"):


Plus one that Tammy just posted, taken from Look magazine, showing more bed:


Dribblesome stuff.

Kenwood: aquatism - December, 1968.

More wonderous (caveat caveat) Kenwood pics, from the winter o' '68: John and Yoko out for a stroll by the pond. Where this pond was, exactly, remains unanswered, possibly because the question hasn't been formulated, let alone posed. Yet pond there was, somewhere in the grounds. Cathy Kelleher Sarver captured something vaguely similar a few months earlier:


And another, this time with one of John's Kenwood cats, of whom there were at least 9:


What happened to them? Again, I know not, but it would be "nice" to believe that they were taken to Tittenhurst, and allowed to continue procreating (and pissing) (not to mention shitting) at will. If so, their descendents etc.
Speculation hasn't exactly been rife as to who took these, but the answer is Susan Wood: the above two, and the recent ones below (including the pic of John sleeping).
Fantastic they are, but I can't help wondering what else there is. She seems to have been with Joko for around 3 days (including a couple of overnights at Kenwood), with the specific brief to take as many photos as possible. Given that only around 30-40 have thus far surfaced, how many more is she sitting on (not literally, that would be ridiculous)?
Whatever, these are quite good. (Celtic understatement.)

Kenwood: sunroom, December 1968.

More superlative sunroom shots from December 1968; the back wall and cupboards looking a little threadbare following Cynthia's clearance job. No more Safe As Milk (though shurely Lil and Cyn didn't nab those. Beefheart was, apparently, quite critical of the Beatles' more psychedelic oeuvre, which is a bit rich coming from the man who released Strictly Personal (though the phasing wasn't his fault). Still, whatever point I was trying to make when I began this sentence, some time ago, should be clear). Compare with June '67 - and note the re-upholstery of the couch had begun even then:


Enthralling stuff, yes? Hello? Helloooo? Echoechoechoetc etc etc.
Anyway, tea and salad was the order of this particular day:


Further exposure:

Kenwood: master bedroom, December 1968.

John caught napping in the master bedroom at Kenwood in December, 1968 (and in its own way, a more intimite shot than some other more obvious contendahs).
Compare with the black and white pic previously on here:


Some more similarly first-rate shots have been shoved under my nose this evening, and they'll be on here in good time.
Sir Thom, I thank ye once more...

Kenwood: spring 1968.

Two more from the same encounter that produced this one:


Clearly taken around the Time Of The Two Virgins Evening Time, as it isn't known.
Further evidence that John was indeed accommodating towards Ver Fannage (give or take the odd "Piss Off" or other "incident"), which is a theme around here, and about time too.
More thanks to Mark L.

Kenwood: awning (possibly yawning).

Yawn if ye will, but the above represents the first half (or quarter) decent look at the garage entrance, as was, and that curious (if functional) awning:


Presumably there to provide additional cover for the collection of cars at Kenwood, it was of a fair length, as is clear from the aerial shot:


Here's the same spot now, from Joe Baiardi's most recent video:


As readahs will know, John was responsible for building that whole end of Kenwood, and it's all now gone (everything re-built in the mid-90s). But I wonder who the architect was back then. Presumably the construction was handled by Brickey Builders, though as John seems to have gone ahead without planning permission, no records are in the public domain (as far as I can gather).
At any rate, the "new" pic does exist in much better quality, if in private hands and unlikely to be more widely seen.
This, however, whets the appetite even more for Lizzie Bravo's photos of Kenwood, taken at the time, which apparently cover the exterior from every conceivable angle. She's very kindly offered to scan them for us as soon as her much-anticipated book is published.
Thanks to Mark L and Joe B.

Kenwood: September, 1967.

John's "lucky dips" into the mail bags at Kenwood would occasionally encourage him to actually respond, as in this example, post-stamped "Weybridge 6 Sep. 1967". The recipient got John's address via her employer, apparently, who was the florist contracted by Brian to supply his offices.
Clearly, John was still in full-on evangelical mode re. TM (Pete Shotton recounts an amusing tale in his book related to this).
Something else which may be of interest is a PDF of one of Maharishi's publications from 1967, which John would almost certainly have had a copy of. In the Q & A section, the answer to the question about Mantra is almost exactly the one that John gave to David Frost in 1968, post-India, on a theme of "vibrations".
You can get it HERE.

Kenwood: yet more pool.

More uncropped June 29th 1967 "action", poolside.
Plus a couple of fan photos taken beside the garage, looking down on said "item":

Bangor: yet more Bang.

Further Bangor "items". First, some interesting uncut footage of them leaving Euston can be seen HERE; the film captures the famous moment when Cyn missed the train (in many ways).
The pics above from the Saturday, and below from the Sunday, as George strums his sitar (missus):


Note the presence of Paolo Ammassari of film fame. Of course (and as usual) I'm guessing (and reiterating), but I do think these pics must have been taken in the morning before they received the bad news about Brian:


Compare the general mood with the clearly "very stunned" expressions during the post-news press conference. Incidentally (or not), here are a couple of Mark Lewisohn's "nows", taken at the very spot:


There are tomes that claim, in ludicrous fashion, that the Beatles went out to meet the reporters with smiles on their faces: completely untrue. Look at John and Ringo as the microphone is off them:


Finally a shot which apparently shows John and Cyn leaving to head back to Kenwood. Why has Cyn changed her clothes? I dunno:


Many thanks to Mark for his photos.

Permutit House: HDN bit part.

If you're a regular readah of this dribble, then you will doubtless be able to recite large sections of the script for a Hard Day's Night verbatim. The film, a canny move whether by luck or design, represents the first real point where "serious" critics began to catch on that there was more to all this than just piss-covered seats in provincial auditoria.
Anyway, the bit where they break free of rehearsing and, to be blunt, tit-about in a field to the strains of Can't Buy Me Love, is a zeitgeist defining bit o' celluloid. That being so (and it is), I finally made it down to Hounslow, resolutely non-piss-covered copy of the Beatles' London in hand, to see what remains of one of the principal locations for that sequence: Thornbury Playing Fields.
The answer, at least as far as the HDN locale goes, is not a great deal (predictably). Click on the pic above for a better look: housing now covers the area.
Luckily, the iconic (in this context, and this context only) Permutit House still looms over the location, and thus makes orientation fairly easy. Here's Permutit (as it is apparently called) close up:


The mock heli-pad, upon which they titted, was situated somewhere near the last little bit of remaining green:


Apart from this bit, that is:


Speaking of the "white heat of Beatlemania", anyone with an interest in such things should see the following footage HERE: proto HDN (note the way John snarls at the reporter who isn't listening to his answers) and fantastic performance footage from Cheltenham towards the end of 1963. Fookin' FAB! (And yet another doff o' the cap to the Beatles' London - also fookin' FAB!)

Kenwood: June 29th, 1967.

Both of these have been on here before, but somewhat cropped; here are the full (or at least fuller) versions, with the above providing a thrilling full-colour look at the garage roof, and the below not:

Sibyllas: November 1st, 1967.

The various "swinging" clubs the Beatles frequented are truly fascinating, aren't they? Aren't they? Aren't they? Aren't they? Aren't they? Aren't they?
Well, aren't they? Aren't they? Aren't they? Aren't they?
No, they are not.
Or are they?
No.
But...etc.
Actually, they are. It's perhaps unsurprising that so few photos exist of "Oor Fabs" (as they are generally known on Scottish council estates) in among the pish. But of course, they were unable to attend pubs, for reasons of prodding/dribbling upon Fabs. (We can all sympathise, one deeply feels, with these.)
Anyway, the actual reason so few pics exist, despite the fact they spent more time getting pished in these places than they did adding flange to Ringo's backing "vox" on etc. was as follows: these clubs were not pubs - they were playgrounds for the "cool", and the "cool" doth not take photos of the "cool", for fear of seeming "uncool".
Here's how the entrance looked in '66, and how it looks now:


By far the coolest thing is that the door remains the same, as John Bonham might have etc.
In the first pic, John and George are there to see Family, a band John admired due to the "LOVE"/"HATE" tattoos on Roger Chapman's knuckles.
And Normans rocks. Yes?

Bangor: August 25 - 27, 1967.

44 years ago this weekend, the Beatles plus entourage boarded the "Mystical Special" (actually the rather more prosaic 3.15 Stopping Train to Bangor). Thus, it seemed like a good idea at the time to have a look at some related "shizzle" which has arisen of late.
To begin with probably the most interesting: the above screen-cap from home movie footage of breakfast or lunch on what I think was probably the 27th (ie very shortly before they received the news of Brian's death). If you haven't seen it yet, you'll no doubt wish to do so immediately, and don't let me stop you. It can be seen HERE. (We'll return to this later.)
Now, you'd think it would be possible to impose some order on the many photos taken that weekend, via the medium o' fash... and this is what I've attempted to do (emphasis on attempted). So:
AUGUST 25th:
Having arrived and settled in at Normal College, the Beatles (plus all important entourage) head over to the John Phillips Hall for an introductory Mantra (or something). Jagger is made to sit with the WAGS:


The central pic above is the hall as it looks now. The Beatles took their place on stage beside Maharishi:


Following this, they went for a meal at the Senior Chinese Restaurant in town. (Not sure where that was.)
AUGUST 26th:
The Beatles and the Maharishi were housed in student halls known as Dyfrdwy - two almost identical buildings that faced each other then (and still do now). They are currently part of the Bangor Business Centre, and you can stay there for around 60 pounds a night - something I intend to do before too long, in order to get a more substantial shufti. But I digress.
The all important entourage was lodged in another building called Alun. Interestingly, it's in Alun that Paul took the call about Brian (or so it is said).
On the Saturday, the Beatles walked across to the Maharishi's room, and received a flower each for their trouble:


Inevitably, the press were waiting, and so captured them walking back across to their own rooms:


The same spot now:


AUGUST 27th:
Judging by the clobber, these pics were taken in Maharishi's room on the morning of the 27th:


Once more, they were photographed leaving the Maharishi, and crossing the short space to their own rooms:


It must have been around about then that the alarm was being raised in London re. Brian. Upon receiving the news, Paul seems to have left almost immediately (and the same spot now):


John, George and Ringo stayed on to issue a statement (and probably also to speak more with Maharishi):


Having done this, they returned to Weybridge/Esher. Here, the scene of the press conference these days:


AUGUST 28th:
On the Monday, a photo-call for remaining attendees (including Jagger, still there, and seated to Maharishi's right):


The Lips had been under the cosh from John all weekend (peace and love or no peace and love) for "jumping on the bandwagon" and "only being interested in sex"... which is fairly amusing. But I digress.
Back to the film: I think it's likely to be the 27th based, once again, upon the "gear". For example, compare Cynthia's shirt:


If so, and it's lunch (and not breakfast), the film records some of the final moments of the Beatles as a unified entity. The second John heard about Brian, he thought, famously (and presciently), "We've fuckin' had it".
But here, for another hour or so, they hadn't quite "had it" yet: