★ : John Lennon During The Filming Of "A Hard Day's Night" | 12 March 1964

★ : Cynthia photographed by Paul McCartney

from "1964: eyes of the storm" exhibition

★ : John Lennon backstage during The Beatles Christmas Show | 30 december 1963

John Lennon | 1965

: ★ Cynthia and John Lennon at the Foylee's literary luncheon celebrating johns book "In his own write" in 1964

“Unfortunately John and I had no idea how big an event a Foyle’s literary luncheon was. We thought it would be just a nice meal, a bit of chat and a few compliments about the book. We weren’t in the least worried about it, so on the night before we went out to dinner with friends and ended up in one of our favourite nightclubs.The next morning, after only a couple of hours’ sleep, we woke with appalling hangovers and realized the chauffeur would soon be arriving to take us to the luncheon. We did our best to make ourselves look presentable, but the bloodshot eyes and shaky hands were a bit of a giveaway. We told ourselves that the event would soon be over and we could go home to collapse. What neither of us had realised was that the media would be there in force and that John was expected to make a speech. Doyens of the literary establishment rubbed shoulders with up market Lennon fans and everyone was waiting with bated breath to hear the words of the ‘intelligent’ Beatle.As we were ushered through the lobby of the Dorchester, hordes of press and TV crewsfollowing us, I knew John wanted to turn and run, but we had to keep smiling. We couldn’teven see what was going on properly because neither of us was wearing our glasses. When we walked into the enormous dining room hundreds of people stood up and applauded. We fumbled our way to our places and found we were at opposite ends of the top table, denied even the reassurance of squeezing hands. I was sitting between the Earl of Arran and pop singer Marty Wilde, who was almost as nervous as I was I was terrified, until the earl put me at ease with a string of witty stories and friendly chat. I even began to enjoy myself. Until we reached the last course and dozens of TV and press cameras were pointed in our direction. ‘What’s going on? I whispered to the earl. "I believe your husband is about to give a speech," he whispered back, and politely averted his eyes from the horror written on my face. I looked at John and my heart went out to him. He was ashen and totally unprepared. Never lost for words in private, a public speech was beyond him, let alone to a crowd of literary topdogs, with a hangover. As John was introduced silence fell. The weight of expectation was enormous. John, more terrified than I’d ever seen him, got to his feet. He managed eight words, ‘Thank you very much, it’s been a pleasure’, then promptly sat down again. There was a stunned silence, followed by a few muted boos and a spatter of applause. The audience was disappointed, annoyed and indignant. Both John and I wished we were on another planet. John tried tomake up for it by signing endless copies of the book afterwards. John’s Foyle’s ‘speech’ went down in history as a typical Lennon gesture, a snub to the establishment from a pop star rebel, when it was anything but. He had panicked.

-Cynthia Lennon from her book "John"

★ Cynthia Lennon & Maureen Starkey in Hanover Grand, London celebrating The grapefruit's new single "Dear Delilah" in January 1968

★ John in 1965

★ : Cynthia photographed by Ringo Starr in 1964

The Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England | 27 January 1963 © Mike McCartney

★ John Lennon in 1961