In Conversation – Waterstones Liverpool Welcomes Stuart Maconie who discusses With A Little Help From Their Friends with Frank Cottrell Boyce Oh Me Oh My Liverpool

Stuart Maconie will be familiar to many people as a multi-talented broadcaster, author, journalist, and cultural critic. Tonight, he was here to talk about his new book ‘With a Little Help from Their Friends’, which tells the stories of one hundred people who played a part in the Beatles story — from well-known figures like their manager Brian Epstein to Miami police sergeant Buddy Dresner, who looked after the group on their first visit to Florida.

Maconie was joined by his friend, the celebrated screenwriter, novelist, and occasional actor Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who asked the questions. 

The setup was a simple one: Cottrell-Boyce sat in an armchair while Maconie had a sofa — because, he said, he had a tendency to stretch out. In front of them was a small table with two glasses and a jug of water. The audience, mostly in their fifties or older, sat on individual chairs arranged theatre-style.

Cottrell-Boyce asked Maconie what inspired him to write the book, given that there are already many Beatles books available. Maconie explained that it was Peter Jackson’s ‘Get Back’ film that made him fall in love with the Beatles all over again and inspired him to write about them. He realised that no one had written a book about the lesser-known people in the Beatles story, so he began his research there, eventually narrowing it down to one hundred.

Maconie’s enthusiasm for the subject was evident, as he needed little encouragement from Cottrell-Boyce to share anecdotes from the book. The audience learned about Freda Kelly, the Liverpool teenager who started working as the Beatles fan club secretary in 1962 at the invitation of Brian Epstein; Royston Ellis, who showed the Beatles how to get high from a Vicks vaporiser; and Imelda Marcos, who had the band removed from the Philippines.

Cottrell-Boyce contributed the idea that John Lennon was inspired by Richmal Crompton’s Just William books, and suggested that the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was actually about a village fête. Maconie warmed to both ideas and said he might include Crompton in the paperback edition of his book. 

After forty-five entertaining minutes, Maconie took questions from the audience for another quarter of an hour before wrapping up. He was happy to sign copies of the book — which were on sale at the event — and pose for photographs.

Maconie’s next event is at Waterstones Altrincham.

Reviewer – Adrian Cork

On – 11.06.2025