Times they are a changing.

Suddenly, the atmosphere altered, a stranger arrived and none of us could relate, Yoko was a total enigma.   Obviously we were all very sad, Cyn was such a genuinely lovely lady and no one wanted her to be hurt.

Neil was going out with a beautiful girl called Suzy, she was the daughter of Bud Ornstein. Chief executive of United artists.   It never mattered if we didn’t get invited to all the parties because Suzy would remember every detail, including what people wore.   Neil married Suzy and the boys put on a surprise lunch at the Aretusa restaurant on the Kings Road, Paul arrived late, so excited as I had a spare seat next to me, I never did see the photos.  Years later Suzy and I were sitting at the bar at Ringo and Barbara’s wedding reception thoroughly enjoying a good gossip; suddenly she looked round to discover the video cameraman was right behind us with the sound turned on.   It took me 16 hours to view the whole wedding to ensure we had not been recorded.

John and Yoko asked me if I would buy gifts ever week for the two children, Julian and Kyoko.    Both children lived with John and Yoko’s respective spouses, but I often took Kyoko along with me.   She was a dear little soul, very entertaining and good company.   One of our trips to Hamleys started with me saying before we went to buy the toys we had to stop off and get a gift for Peter Brown’s Mother’s Birthday, Kyoko’s retort was “Barbara, Peter is treating us like slaves!!!!!!”   I did have one little bust up, she had been particularly naughty one day and I actually slapped her arm, never be allowed today.   As she ran down the stairs to John and Yoko’s office she threatened to tell them what I did so I ran down behind her to explain only to be told by the two don’t worry, she can be a little bugger.   What a relief, probably today I would have gone to jail.

John and Yoko had started the macrobiotic diet, John used to pop into my office to see if there was anything left from the executive lunch, which always ended up with me, obviously sworn to secrecy.   However we had a real emergency, Yoko was pregnant and was rushed to hospital with a miscarriage losing blood.   John phoned to say she needed a blood transfusion but would only accept macrobiotic blood.   I vividly remember thinking, would you care.   However, I did manage to find that both John Peel and Kenny Everett could help. They certainly made me think, John admitted that they would sit in the car on the way in to work and say what can we get Barbara to do today which I have to say I loved the challenge.