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34 MONTAGU SQUARE TIMELINE

After the Abbey Road studios and the Apple headquarters in Savile Row no other building holds as much importance to The Beatles’ story as does 34 Montagu Square...



1810 Montagu Square was built between 1810 and 1815 and named after Elizabeth Montagu, a 17th century social reformer and patron of the arts.



1965 Ringo Starr takes out a lease on the flat early shortly before his Feb 11th marriage to Maureen Cox.

July Ringo Starr moves to Sunny Heights in Weybridge but retains the lease on the property and future residents include the Dutch design collective The Fool and Beatles’ associates Alastair Taylor, Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans.

October 26 Paul and Ringo are pictured outside the flat waiting for their transport (John Lennon’s Rolls Royce) to pick up their MBEs from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.



1966 March Paul McCartney moves into the flat and sets up a small demo studio in the basement assisted by the boyfriend of William Burroughs, Ian Somerville an electronics technician and computer programmer. Paul began work on Eleanor Rigby at the flat during this time and also experimented with tape loops to create new avant-garde sounds. Spoken word recordings of poets were also made there including William Burroughs.

December Jimi Hendrix, Kathy Etchingham (his girlfriend), Chas Chandler (his manager) and Lottie Lexon (Chas’s girlfriend) move into the flat. Jimi and Kathy take up residence downstairs with Chas and Lottie on the ground floor. During this time Jimi writes The Wind Cries Mary after an argument about his cooking skills with Kathy. The four move out of the flat a few months later after complaints about the noise.



1968 After the breakdown of their marriage, Cynthia Lennon, her son Julian and mother Lillian Powell leave the family home, Kenwood to John and Yoko and move into the flat. In the summer they switch and John and Yoko take up residence at the height of the recordings for The White Album.

August The famous ‘Two Virgins’ self-portrait is shot in the ground floor bedroom. After Ringo decides to quit the Beatles he visits John at the flat to give him the news.

October 13 At 11:30AM the flat is raided by Scotland Yard’s drug squad and John and Yoko are both arrested for possession of hashish.

October 19 They are both charged in court with possession and bailed.

November 28 John takes sole responsibility at the court hearing and is fined £150 plus 20 guineas costs. The couple leave the flat and return to Kenwood.
THEN & NOW
Ground floor bedroom

The location for the Two Virgins cover shoot, John & Yoko’s bedroom at the rear of the flat, safely away from any fans.

No need for David Bailey or Terence Donovan to attend. John simply set the timer on his Nikon and fired away for a variety of poses.
Ground floor bedroom 2

Detail from Richard Hamilton’s collage that was included in The Beatles’ White Album.

In John’s time at the flat he spent most of it recording this album at Abbey Road.
Ground floor living room - Ringo

The stately life of a pop star in 1965.

Ringo and new wife Maureen in their elegant living room designed by Ken Partridge, Brian Epstein’s personal interior designer.
Ground floor living room - Jimi

Jimi Hendrix pictured soon after his arrival from the US in 1966 poses at the famous fireplace.
Basement kitchen

Jimi gets ready to do some washing up in the self-contained ‘flat-let’ below stairs.
Basement living room - Ringo

More 1965 high life for Ringo and Maureen in the stylish downstairs living room.
Basement living room - John

The downstairs living room, which by 1968 John had turned into an overcrowded and messy recording studio.
Basement living room - John

John gives an interview to Rolling Stone, September 18th, 1968
Basement living room - John

More from the same interview.
Inner door

A newspaper allegedly placed by a press photographer outside the flat’s inner door.
LATEST NEWS

Virgin Red Room interview The Chevin at Montagu Square

Find out more here > Or watch the full performance of ‘Blue Eyes’ at the flat here >...
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The Chevin perform at “The Ultimate Rock Pad”

Yorkshire band, The Chevin were at 34 Montagu Square on Thursday 19th April to perform an intimate acoustic set. Then nearly 2 months later they returned for a series of interviews and a further performance on Thursday 12th July, once again filling t...
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KISS spend the day at 34 Montagu Square

KISS did a full day of press interviews at “The Ultimate Rock Pad” 34 Montagu Square yesterday! Promoting the release of their new single “Hell Or Hallelujah” from the forthcoming album “Monster”. Click here to lea...
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Joshua Radin performs intimate set for lucky fans

American recording artist, Joshua Radin performed at close quarters in the exclusive London West End residence of 34 Montagu Square, on Thursday 28th June for a handful of lucky UK fans. Joshua’s songs have featured in close to 100 TV shows tha...
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Zeus graces the hallowed grounds of 34 Montagu Sq

The legend of 34 Montagu Square was forged with the presence of the many musical ‘gods’ that came and went through it’s front door, and now the King of Gods himself, Zeus, has journeyed  down from Mount Olympus to survey the Ultima...
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From Kenwood To Montagu

The flat has recently been visited by leading Beatle authority Sean Jackson for a feature on his website www.Kenwoodlennon.blogspot.com. For all things fab four then and now Sean is the man to consult and the results of his fascinating investigation ...
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LOCATION

34 Montagu Square, London W1

CONTACT

For more information about 34 Montagu Square please contact:

PETER COMPTON
3 PROWSE PLACE
LONDON
NW1 9PH

Email: pete@silvascreen.co.uk
Tel: 0207 428 5500