Another apology for a long post, but want to share my story from August 28, 1965, when the Beatles came to San Diego and played at Balboa Stadium. I was 13 years old. My best friend, Marsha, and I baked a white sheet cake the night before the concert and wrote “WELCOME BEATLES” on it. I spent the night at Marsha’s house, and we climbed out her bedroom window at 5:00 a.m. and started to walk to the stadium, wanting to be the first there. I carried the cake. About an hour into our walk, a police car pulled alongside us and asked where we were going. When we explained, we were given a lift the rest of the way to the stadium. We were the first there, spreading out a blanket in front of the gate. Several hours later, other girls began to arrive and joined us. I got the attention of a security guard and asked how I could get our cake to the Beatles. He sent out some guy in a suit, who was setting up the press conference for later, and he took our cake. The anticipation before the concert was intense; it crackled in the air, and by the time the gates opened, my heart was pounding wildly. When the Beatles ran onto the field and up onto the stage, the screaming was so loud, it hurt my ears. Marsha was a screamer, yelling “George!” while I was a crier, moaning “Paul…” with tears coursing down my face. The concert was fabulous! Marvelous! Breath-snatching! I went through a box of Kleenex. When it was over, Marsha and I ran down onto the field. I tore up grass and part of the “BEATLE” sign that was fastened to the field. (I still have them in a scrapbook.) We met a British reporter on the field who interviewed us and who said he had been at the press conference. He said he carried a cake into the press conference, and I about swooned. They got our cake! I got into big trouble for climbing out the window and was on restriction for a week. …But, I didn’t care…I had my memories of the concert to keep me company along with dreams of Paul eating a piece of my cake…
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 12:27:26 +0000