Saturday, June 1, 1963
Tooting
Concert • By The Beatles • Part of the Roy Orbison / The Beatles Tour
Last updated on July 19, 2025
Saturday, June 1, 1963
Concert • By The Beatles • Part of the Roy Orbison / The Beatles Tour
Last updated on July 19, 2025
Location: Granada Cinema • Tooting • UK
Concert May 30, 1963 • UK • Manchester
Concert May 31, 1963 • UK • Southend-on-Sea
Concert Jun 01, 1963 • UK • Tooting
Concert Jun 02, 1963 • UK • Brighton
Radio show Jun 03, 1963 • Steppin' Out
I met Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and George Harrison. And I could see John Lennon on the first floor through the window. I should add that I lived at 91 Trevelyan Rd at the time and I was just nine years old, and attended Sellincourt School, which is just around the corner. A rumour circulated that a pop group were at the house, and I went there with a few friends and there were about four girls in front of us. Paul McCartney came down with his bass guitar and played for about five minutes, as did George Harrison. I then met Ringo Star in the newsagent which was across the road.
Why were they there, in that particular house?
No idea, I guess the band management were looking for a short one day stay as they were touring and that property was available. The house was dived in two, downstairs entrance faced the street and the side entrance opened up and the band stayed on the first floor. When I walked away from the house I saw John Lennon and a blond lady (Cynthia?) in the front room.
Have they slept there?
It was not a B&B as far as I can remember. They would have played at the Granada and probably stayed over; I don’t think they would have travelled to Brighton the same night after the show.
Any sign of Roy Orbison, Gerry or the other people on the bill? (they tended to travel together on this tour)
I did not see any other performing artists.
The Beatle house is still there and largely unchanged – same as Sellincourt School that continues to thrive… No91 is a little further down from Albert Hill (No94 blue plaque ) on the other side of the road. Might you recall Geoff Foreman at No88 who also remembers meeting The Beatles and still lives in the same house?
Yes, I remember Geoff Foreman, we played football and cricket in the street together with other boys that were local. The roads were not car congested In those days.
Raymond Rowles – From a direct exchange following the comment he left on this page, with some help from Lynda Cazeaux for the questions.
This was the 1st and only concert played at Granada Cinema.
Written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Richard Barrett
Written by Phil Medley, Bert Russell
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Raymond Rowles • Aug 14, 2024 • 1 year ago
I met the Beatles at number 22 Trevelyan Road in 1963.
The PaulMcCartney Project • Aug 16, 2024 • 1 year ago
A great encouter, thanks for sharing, Raymond!
Lynda Cazeaux • Dec 20, 2024 • 11 months ago
Raymond, what an intriguing encounter in Trevelyan Road. Could you please share more information about this?
I am working with local Tooting historian Geoff who runs a community history project in south west London, trying to interest as many people as he can in all aspects of local history through guided walks, talks, working with schools and putting up plaques.
We’ve identified a story about a house where The Beatles supposedly stayed on the Roy Orbison Tour on 1st June 1963. That evening they played two shows at the nearby Tooting Granada. Still a much-loved location at the heart of Tooting, though a bingo hall for the last thirty years. The following day the tour moved to Brighton. According to Martin Creasy’s 2010 book ‘Beatlemania! The Beatles UK Tours 1963-65’ the band spent the early part of that day recording ‘Pop Go The Beatles’ at the BBC studios in central London but nowhere can we find any written account of them staying at what would appear to be a residential address at 22 Trevelyan Road. Electoral rolls indicate the house may have been between owners at the time which may fit but apart from a few comments online the only thing we have to go on is the memory of a few elderly local people who have have very vivid memories of ‘Ringo sitting on an upstairs window ledge’ and George talking to passers by.
If we can get a bit more proof we would like very much to mark the location with a plaque. It is literally ‘one day in pop history’ but a very significant time. Gerry and The Pacemakers and The Beatles were between them at the top of the charts for 14 consecutive weeks and ‘From Me To You ‘ The Beatles first No1. We are very keen to try and identify some record of the band staying at the house and establish that it’s not some kind of local myth.
Any further information very welcome indeed.
