Kenwood: the French seamstress.

Not this titting photo again...even I am saying it. Oh yes...this photo is the most familiar remnant of Lennon-era Kenwood; it's been seen a hundred times in a hundred books, and whenever a picture editor needs a photo to illustrate John's "torpor" during the Kenwood years, this is the one they go for. (To be fair, there isn't a lot of choice in the "illustrating John's torpor at Kenwood" department.)
And yet, whatever it is, it's not that. The woman sitting on the left turns out to be...the French seamstress. Ron de Bruijn has spotted that the footwear matches. I thought it might have been Cyn, or Marijke, but it's not - it's our Gallic tailor. And you can see John's black jacket too.
So what is happening here is as follows: John on the couch flicking through International Times, waiting for the tailor, sitting on the chair opposite, to finish his jacket, so he can get on with the photo session. As soon as the jacket was fitted, photos were taken in the entrance hall, and by the swimming pool.


Thus, this pic actually gives the lie to the consensual view that John was just sitting on his arse at Kenwood. (Though I think the songs he wrote are a better, and more obvious, illustration...he may not have been happy, but he was certainly productive.)
It's possible to see something new in a very familiar photo...and there will be more to come regarding this particular pic.

Kenwood: sunroom - June 29, 1967.

June 29, 1967 was a busy day chez Lennon. Not only was he playing host to Simon and Marijke and being fitted with new clothing courtesy of a French seamstress (or rather "een jonge Franse modeontwerpster"), but he also, as any fule noe, had the Beatles Book monthly round to record all this and more, photographically; and praise be to the church of your choice that he did, for otherwise there would be no visual record of Kenwood's interior at that time, give or take the odd fan photo of the sunroom.
So here is another scan from the Dutch magazine PEP, ca 1967; I'd never seen this particular photo before, and it's surprising (and surprisingly good) that "new" shots from this session continue to surface.
While I'm about it, I may as well also include the following - comped, imperfectly, from two images in an attempt to gain a whole wall perspective; which didn't exactly work, but nevertheless...


Huge thanks again to Ron de Bruijn for the first photo.

Kenwood: north-west end - layout, part 2; the Yard.

Particularly back in the day, Kenwood, as has been noted at some length, was an eccentric structure...and no part illustrates that better than the section built beyond the sunroom. The original 1913 plan, as seen above, shows a yard pegged onto the north-west end. I'd assumed that this would have been built over when the place was extended; yet another error, as it turns out.
The aerial shots that have surfaced looked odd to me - that portion appears to be a mess - half finished, with a large hole in the roof:


Yet that hole is there in both the above photos, one of which dates from the '60s, the other from the '90s. Not being insane, I didn't give this much thought before now; it just seemed like one more item for the ever expanding Weird Kenwood list.
I also assumed that the door evident to the left of the sunroom must have led to the kitchen. Wrong again - as can be seen, it actually led to that strange uncovered bit:


What was that (to again use the technical term) "strange uncovered bit"? It turns out to have been, as the '90s plan shows, the very yard evident on the 1913 plan - still there over 80 years later.
It's very odd, however. You would never have been able to tell at ground level, that the highlighted part of the house was exposed to the elements, or that the door there led to a "yard" in the middle of that end.
I have no idea why this was done; maybe the idea was to have a kind of courtyard. Who knows? But there it is...


The '95 renovation, of course, finally put paid to the yard - that section is now part of the much expanded kitchen.

Kenwood: north-west end - layout, part 1.

Many details are still unclear, naturally, but in recent weeks most of the big questions regarding the Lennon-era layout of Kenwood have been answered, thanks to the 1964 Ken Partridge plans, and one or two "new" uncropped photos. The biggest remaining mystery concerns the north-west end of the house, as seen above; it constitutes (or constituted) a fair chunk of real estate, but what exactly did it contain?
The answer might just surprise you. But probably not.
First, let's remind "us-selves" of the changes this section underwent during the '95 renovations. The whole area from the sunroom on was demolished and re-built.
Compare the following:


Notice also the comparative sizes of the old, Tarrant built, and new, '95-era garages above. Next, take a look at this, very familiar, picture:


"So what?" I hear you mutter, "This was taken in the garage, right?"
Well, yes and no. The old garage looks too small to accommodate a Roller and a Mini, and it occurred to me that some other details didn't quite fit, either; eg where is the canopy that can be seen in the John photo? So I had a look again at the colour aerial shot...and sure enough, there is a canopy attached to the north west extension...


The clincher would seem to be this '95 plan (pre-renovation), which does what the Partridge plan doesn't - namely, shows the sunroom (albeit the '95 version) and the north-west extension (ditto), canopy in place, and labelled "GARAGE":


So what might well have lain behind that window overlooking the swimming pool was one or other of John's automobiles. This would make sense, for several reasons; John, at that point, had a weakness for cars - at any one time he owned at least 3, including the Rolls. Cynthia also had at least one. It's possible the big extension housed John's "wheels", and the much smaller old garage was home to Cyn's. It might also explain why this part of the house doesn't show up on the Partridge plans - because, applying Occam's razor, it simply didn't exist at that point. John could have had the extension built precisely because he needed more storage space for his cars, the unenvironmentally sound little moptop that he was. (UPDATE - The account of the June '67 visit to Kenwood in the Beatles Book monthly has this to say at one point: "John led the way to the massive double garage at the right hand side of the house". That has to refer to the north-west extension; the old Tarrant garage is clearly very small.)
It would also explain why the Tarrant garage was demolished and rebuilt in '95 - because what had been the main (extension) garage was being converted to a games room, thus making the construction of a bigger "external" garage necessary.
As to when the original sunroom and extension were constructed, it's hard to say - but presumably during the huge round of renovation that accompanied John's initial purchase of the property; late 1964/early 1965. More on this bit, inevitably, to follow...

7 Leicester Place: Ad Lib (& lift thereof).

7 Leicester Place - the entrance to what was, for a relatively short period in the mid-60s, the Ad Lib club. The doorway didn't really look like that back then - the whole front "porch" section was added in the 1980s.

The club itself was up on the 4th floor, overlooking the adjacent Lisle Street. Though I've yet to track down any photos of the interior, it was, apparently, all panelled wood, low tables, chandeliers; dark, anonymous; musical policy - exclusively soul/blues/r&b. Strictly for the "movers" and the "shakers", the Beatles had their own table, and the Ad Lib was one of the relatively few places that John felt he could go without being unduly bothered.
This is probably why the participants in the Dental Experience (™) came here on that evening in 1965. One of the most told bits of one of the most told anecdotes centers round the lift, of course:
GEORGE: We went up into the nightclub and it felt as though the elevator was on fire and we were going into hell (and it was and we were), but at the same time we were all in hysterics and crazy. Eventually we got out at the Ad Lib, on the top floor, and sat there, probably for hours and hours.
JOHN: We finally got on the lift. We all thought there was a fire on the lift; it was just a little red light - we were all screaming...
RINGO: I was actually there in the club when John and George got there shouting, "The lift's on fire!"


The building (and the 4th floor) are now home to offices; blog reader Eric Nernie had an appointment there a few months back, and took these photos of the very elevator in question. (Apparently, it's the original...though it will, doubtless, have been subject to major renovation/replacement of fixtures and fittings etc in the interim.)


Strangely enough, accounts differ as to why the Ad Lib finally closed in 1966. Some say this was down to the fickle nature of fashion - newer clubs moved into the spotlight, pushing the Ad Lib out of favour. Others claim, however, that the reason it shut was due to...you guessed it - a fire.

*UPDATE*: Julian Carr has just sent me some fascinating information about the club; to wit...there was a fire there, but it happened on November 5, 1964, leading to its temporary closure for repair and renovation due to extensive damage. Now that's interesting, because the date generally ascribed to the Dental Shenanigans(™) is April 8, 1965. The club would not have been long re-opened at that point, and the Beatles would certainly have known about the fire, of course. Hence, coupled with their chemical intake, this was probably the source of red-light related paranoia!
And there's more - the club closed again in January 1966, due to a noise prevention order, before re-opening round the corner in Leicester Square, appended to the 400 Club. The old Ad Lib premises in Leicester Place sparked back into life in November 1970, when the club re-opened there under its old moniker. How long it lasted is unclear, but I believe the 4th floor wasn't converted to an office space before the early 1980s. Anyway, many thanks to Julian for the clarifications and new information.

Kenwood: attic layout, 1965-1968.

We have seen the photo of John with his outsize horn before - but, crucially, not uncropped - and it's the extra portion which, at long last, reveals how the attic was laid out, post-renovation, during the Lennon-era; something which has been a puzzle since the inception of this gibberish.
Pauline Lennon, who lived in this part of the house for at least a couple of months at the end of 1967, recalls staying in a bedroom which opened onto a living room. She also mentions the studio, and the upper attic itself, which was where John's felines were housed.
The shape of the window evident in the new photo means it can only have been taken in the attic, facing north - and the Partridge plan confirms this. John is, therefore, seen here with his back to the attic hall corridor, standing in the room next to the studio:


Thus, the layout of the attic would have been as follows:


One of the unmarked rooms above would have been the living room Pauline referred to - probably the room John is seen standing in. Compare with the 1964, pre-renovation layout:



The wall between the kitchen and bath no. 3 was knocked down to form a larger room, which became John's studio. (Incidentally, I also have a plan from 1995, showing Kenwood immediately before the huge round of renovation that occurred at that time, and the attic was still laid out as seen here - with the exception of a small W.C. and wardrobe against the south-east wall of what had been the studio. It's possible that this was part of the Lennon attic, too.)
As chance, a fine thing, would have it, Joe Baiardi's video captures the very spot where this photo was taken. Note that the attic was, of course, gutted at this point; the red lines indicate the position of the wall as seen in the photo of John:


Finally, the window as it looked from the outside in 2008. Notice there are two windows, which were bisected, internally, by a wall during the Lennon-era (and beyond, judging by the '95 plan):


So, there we have it; the layout of the attic, a mystery no more. Many thanks once again to Ron de Bruijn, and, as ever, to Joe Baiardi.

Kenwood: Ken Partridge plans, 1964 - part 3.

The attic area - ca. October 1964; marked on the plan "Left As Existing". This, of course, was where John, Cynthia and Julian lived for 9 months whilst the rest of the house was being renovated (and, in the case of the sunroom and possibly the whole north-west extension, constructed). (Cynthia remembers a friend coming to stay with them during this time, and her being highly amused that they were living in such a huge house - but only occupying a tiny part of it.) The kitchen and bath no. 3 areas were, ultimately, the site of John's studio.
In any case, for those that are interested in this type of thing, the plan is a fascinating document, though it doesn't solve the great mystery of how the attic looked by 1967. According to every account of the matter, as soon as the rest of the house was complete John then ordered a thorough makeover of the attic suite too; how that was is anybody's guess...or so I thought.
But then, Ron de Bruijn sent me a photo that suddenly made the layout clear. The following post will witter on about that.

Kenwood: dressing area.

Cynthia, in her most recent autobiography, specifically remembers the "his and hers" basins in their bedroom suite - and sure enough, there they are on the '64 plan. Richard Hall, in his account of meeting John at Kenwood, recalled seeing John shaving through an upstairs window - so that must have been one of these:


In 2006, this part of the house was being used as a study:


It's also worth recalling that Joe Baiardi's video shows the dressing area, completely gutted, as it looked during renovation at the end of last year (around 07.27).

Kenwood: en-suite bathroom.

Moving on to the bathroom, the Partridge plan identifies the corresponding window, to the south of the house:


I think this also confirms that the December '68 shot of John and Yoko reclining in a bathtub was taken in this room.


Notice how the wall to the left of the tub, as we look at it, is angled - exactly as the plan predicts.


So, it's all, finally, beginning to fall into place. More on this to follow.

Kenwood: master bedroom.

The master bedroom during John's time at Kenwood was really a suite of three - the bedroom itself, a dressing room and a bathroom. Interesting as it is to see the layout, the thing I noticed immediately was the words "sliding doors". This could well (with the usual caveats re. conjecture) finally allow us to nail the position of the famous shot of John plus panda.
I've mentioned in the past that I felt the distinctive panelled "wall" behind John was probably a set of sliding doors - you can see handles, and in other photos taken in the same location, the doors appear to be open, revealing another room behind.


The panda photo must have been taken beside a corner, near a large window - due to the reflection of wall, curtain and window in the panels. (In fact, you can see a reflection from a second window beyond the larger first one too.)
This all fits...


I'd say, therefore, that's it's very likely that this photo was actually taken in the master bedroom, with John's back against the sliding doors detailed on the Partridge plan.

Kenwood: Ken Partridge plans, 1964 - part 2.

Much of what this blog concerns itself with is conjecture, guesswork and, frankly, jibber-jabber; I've been very wrong indeed at least as much as I've been right. So it is pleasing to find a piece of evidence which, for once, answers more questions than it raises. This is a definitive look at the layout of the first floor during the Lennon-era. It confirms the position of the master bedroom, dressing room and en-suite bathroom, and, I'd guess (I never learn) pins down the position of a couple of photos. (I'll get on to this in the following posts.)
Naturally it doesn't answer every question. Which of the other bedrooms was Julian's? Which one was the Blue Room (designated for Pete Shotton's exclusive use)? And which was the one Marijke referred to as being full of John's school mementos? Dunno.
But this is more than enough to be going on with. To wit...

Kenwood: the Den - part 2.

Another fantastic "new" shot of the piano being decorated by Simon & Marijke, courtesy of Ron de Bruijn. This is the best view so far of that corner of the den, and reveals another odd Kenwood accoutrement - the triangular object to the right, which resembles a psychedelic dart board. (And any ideas what Velvet Picturesque refers to?)
More (and more revealing) Ron material to come...so, thanks once again to him.

Kenwood: the Den.

Blog reader Ron de Bruijn has very kindly sent me some scans of Dutch periodical PEP 41, dated October 14, 1967, which has a fascinating two page spread featuring some very rare June '67 Bryce variations. (I'll be posting the highlights in due course.) So, first up we have a new variant on the piano painting session. Have a look at the wider perspective evident above: what this does, in one fell swoop, is confirm where several photos were actually taken. Focus your brain, if ye will, on the Ken Partridge plan from the other day - specifically the den area. The circled portion corresponds to the area seen in the photos of the piano being painted - and also the photo from 1965 showing Julian playing that self-same keyboard.


The clue is the radiator, which is on the wall at right angles to the piano; both walls can now be seen thanks to the new piano pic, thus confirming that these photos were taken by the entrance to the den.


It's now also clear that the following two photos were taken in this room too, at the same time as the above, on the opposite side. Note the small seat to the right of the armchair below. In the first pic, John is in the armchair, in the second he has moved on to that very seat. A sheet covers the furniture and floor because...the piano is being painted. Of course.


And the January '68 family get together was, as we've seen in posts passim, taken against the southern window wall. So, to sum up...


Well, I call it fun, anyway. The other portions of the Partridge plan have more secrets to reveal too, as do Ron de Bruijn's wonderous scans, and it's all on the way.
Many thanks to Ron for his generosity in sharing this stuff.

Kenwood: more autographs - 22nd April, 1968.

Presumably secured at Kenwood, the date on these is interesting - 22nd April, 1968: ie a week after John and Cynthia's return from India, and just under a month before the Two Virgins night. Also unusual in that they feature, apparently, a pawprint from Bernard the dog (good grief), who was a late addition to the menagerie at Kenwood. Named in ironic tribute to Dot Jarlett's husband, the poor beast succumbed to something or other after little more than a year - just long enough for him to put in one further "public" appearance, sitting on John's lap at Apple as part of the promo films produced ca. spring 1968...

Kenwood: more pool, June 1967.

The uncropped version of this pic, which I hadn't seen before, provides a good view of the original pool area. This was moved, of course, during the mid-90s renovation which saw the whole north-west portion of Kenwood demolished and rebuilt. I believe that it is about to be on its travels once more, being relocated to a covered structure right at the bottom of the garden. The current pool area is set to become an ornamental pond.

Kenwood: Monterey bumper sticker - part etc.

We have seen both of these many times before...and yet...I've comped the two widest perspective shots to give the "best" view thus far, and this is also a better quality scan of the Monterey bumper sticker, and so worthy of another post. Or not. I still reckon Derek Taylor was the source of this and the Safe As Milk sticker. It's possible John never actually heard the Beefheart rekkid in question - which he would have liked, I also reckon. (That's enough rekkenin' for one evenen'.)

Regent's Park Outer Circle, London: 13 April, 1967 & 2009 - part 2.

I've already explained why this is one of my favourite photos, and so I couldn't resist going into it a little more (and possibly a little too) deeply when I found myself in the vicinity of Regent's Park the other day. The location is virtually unchanged since 1967 (give or take a sheepdog/highly psychedelicised songwriter/Aston Martin or two), as can be seen above, and via the Beatle-eye view below...


Assuming they weren't visiting someone, John and Paul would have been taking Martha for a stroll in the park, going in and out via this entrance. Or exit...




... and a tug o' the forelock to the Beatles' London guidebook for originally tracking this location down.