McCartney Times

David Parkes, of Ingol, (far left) with The Beatles at Morecambe Floral Hall in 1963. Also pictured is DJ Dusty Miller (with glasses)

Preston dad Naaman Member had been living in his house for almost 30 years, unaware that one night in 1963 The Beatles played in his front room.For years, the tale about how the Fab Four stopped off at a property in Skeffington Road had circulated, but the exact location had remained a mystery – until now.

Following new information from Preston roadie David Parkes, the Post was able to track down the current owner to deliver the news. Shocked 50-year-old delivery driver Naaman, who lives at the terraced house with wife Salma and three children, couldn’t believe his ears. “This is the first I have heard of it,” he said. “We moved here in the 1990s. We were not aware of anything like that happening here. “I am not sure if the man who had the house before us knew either as he never said anything. “We are all a bit surprised. “It is amazing that something like that had happened here. The Beatles were so big. “I used to watch The Beatles cartoon and I sang along to the songs.” The revelation came to light after roadie David Parkes contacted the Post about his experiences on the road. The 74-year-old worked for Preston Entertainers and Groups (PEG), which provided support acts for bands, including The Beatles.

It is believed that one night in January 1963 due to a vehicle breakdown on the way back from their gig at Morecambe Floral Hall, two members of The Beatles ended up stopping off at the house in Skeffington Road before jamming in the front room. David, of Ingol, said: “I can’t remember which van broke down. I think it was The Beatles’s van. It had stopped somewhere in Preston and one of the lads we were with – David John ‘Miffy’ Smith lived with his grandma nearby in Skeffington Road. “I can’t remember why Miffy was there but he was well in with John Lennon. He was in a band – David John and The Mood. “I remember sitting on the floor with Ringo who was banging rhythms on the arm chair and Paul McCartney was playing the piano. “We were drinking cups of cocoa.”

Whilst there McCartney played a number of rock ’n roll songs, including I Saw Her Standing There, which was a new song he has been working on. Another account of the night, provided by a 14-year-old Pete Morris who met the band backstage and travelled back with the roadies, said it was PEG’s support act Thunderbeats’s van which broke down. He said the lights were not working, so McCartney suggested they follow the vehicle. David added: “Sadly Miffy died in March 2013, aged 66, so he is no longer here to tell the tale.”

Read more at: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/the-day-the-beatles-played-in-a-living-room-in-preston-1-8698531

Source: The day The Beatles played in a living room in Preston – Lancashire Evening Post