When The Beatles came to Nelson

Tim was on duty that evening at Nelson’s Imperial Ballroom to take a series of superb pictures of the now legendary Beatles. Here as the packed ballroom crowd rushes towards the stage, Paul McCartney (then just 20) can be seen in the famous velvet collared and cuffed Beatle suit with his Cuban heeled boots as he sings out their number one chart-topper “From Me To You” on that humid May night over half a century ago. The Beatles would return to the Imp in July, 1963, on another magical night to remember.

1963 and ’64 saw the halcyon years down the Imp. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bill Haley and his Comets, the Hollies, the Kinks, Little Richard, the Animals, Del Shannon, Dusty Springfield, Manfred Mann, Cilla Black, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Adam Faith, Lulu, P.J. Proby, the Searchers, Gene Vincent, Marty Wilde, Johnny Burnett and not forgetting my favourites Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, just 20 renowned groups and performers who came to visit in ‘63 and ‘64 our very own ballroom of the stars.