This story was just so good, that I had to pass it on: a piece of McCartney magic. Peter Hicks sent me this fascinating article written a while back by Angela Leighton Jones on behalf of Peter Hodgson about the Feb 4, 1954 issue of Country Life magazine which featured a picture of the Sussex Paul McCartney home long before he purchased it.
The story was captivating to me. The tale revolves around Peter Hodgson’s search for the magazine in question shown below and who sold him the copy that he was looking for.
I would like to thank Peter Hicks for bringing this magazine to my attention as I was also able to find a copy of the issue thanks to him. Found the magazine on the great book search service of Abe Books. Also a debt of gratitude owed to Peter Hodgson for his delightful story of this unique magazine cover and the obscure Lennon connection to the wonderful McCartney story.
This is Peter Hodgson’s story around a quest to find an original copy of a magazine that he saw on the fridge in the kitchen of Paul McCartney’s Hog Hill Recording Studios. It appears as sent to me by Peter Hicks:
“Monday the 27th of March 1995 Peter Hodgson stood in the kitchen of Hog Hill while Paul McCartney was making him a cup of tea. Amidst the excitement of playing musical instruments with one of his heroes Paul McCartney, he noticed, stuck to the fridge with a magnet a copy of the front page of an old Country Life magazine that featured the actual Windmill and house.
“Peter was intrigued but didn’t think to take a closer look to see the date of the magazine, although it was a really old edition.
“However, since that date twenty-eight years ago, all Peter had managed to find was a bad-quality scanned copy of the front cover of the said magazine which he retrieved about four years ago.
“That was until last week when he found on eBay his very own original copy of that edition of Country Life magazine edition, February 4th, 1954.
“Peter was keen to hear if the seller – a Mr. William Benzie – knew the significance of the front cover of the magazine and the fact the windmill now belonged to Paul McCartney.
“Peter was surprised when Mr. Benzie said he was unaware. Peter then handed Mr. Benzie the money for the old magazine and was really pleased with himself. Then just as Pete thought the day couldn’t get any better, Mr Benzie disclosed the fact that it was his father who had taught John Winston Lennon Geography at Quarry Bank School. His father was Gordon Jeavons Benzie a Geography teacher at Quarry Bank School.
I guess you couldn’t write it!“
WASN’T THAT AN AMAZING STORY BY MR. PETER HODGSON?? And a thank you again to Angela Leighton Jones for putting the article together.
A PHOTO OF THE MAGAZINE IN QUESTION:
A magazine from 1954 belonging to one of John Lennon’s teachers in the 1950s featuring a picture of Hog Hill Mill which thirty years later would become the recording studio for John’s bandmate Paul. Johns’ teacher Gordon Benzie would have acquired the magazine sixty-nine years ago not knowing that he too would play a small part in the journey.
The magazine is now on display at the Liverpool Beatles Museum in Mathew Street, Liverpool.
Buzz
Paul McCartney
Books about Paul McCartney
The old Country Life Magazine now sits on display in Roag and Pete Best’s Beatles Museum on Mathew Street in Liverpool.
Angela Leighton Jones wrote the story on my behalf.
Cheers.
Peter Hodgson
Liverpool
Peter:
David Bedford has updated the post to properly acknowledge Angela Leighton Jones in the piece! Once again, we thank you for bringing this to our attention!
What an amazing story— and series of coincidences—at one time I had a home in on Adelaide Crescent in Brighton literally steps from another Brighton and Hove home that Paul had bought opposite the Atlantic Ocean—and one that Ex wife Heather Mills got in her divorce. No. Not the house on the cover of the magazine you showed. And just down the road Brian Epstein would visit his lawyer friend in the same neighborhood. Life is so full of odd coincidences! Ivor davis
So glad you enjoyed that, Ivor! Peter’s story helped reveal both the subtle and the not-so subtle coincidences that we can all encounter in life!