Mersey Beat - Neil Aspinall

Neil Aspinall

 

Neil was born on the 13th of October 1942 in Prestatyn, North Wales. as the family had been evacuated from Liverpool because of  WW2, and following their return, when he was twelve years old, Neil Aspinall gained a place at the Liverpool Institute on Mount Street, and was in the same class as Paul McCartney for English and Art lessons. It was here that he also met up with George Harrison who wanted a smoke of his woodbine. The Liverpool College of Art where John Lennon was studying overlooked the Liverpool Institute playground and eventually they all got together quite often in the students' coffee bar at lunchtime. Neil took nine GCEs at the Institute, passing eight of them and left school in July 1959, to study accountancy working for a Liverpool company for two years as a trainee accountant. Living nearby in West Derby, Neil later rented a room in Mona Best's house and became very good friends with her son, then 'Beatle' Pete Best.' As 'The Beatles' became more popular, performing two or three concerts per night at different locations they needed someone permanent to drive them around. Pete Best asked Neil to be the part-time road manager for the band, and so Neil drove an "old, grey and maroon second-hand Ford Commer van" bought by Mona Best for £80, charging them five shillings each ( 25p ) per concert.

When 'The Beatles' returned from their second trip to Hamburg in July 1961, Neil decided to leave his job to become their permanent road manager, as he was earning more money driving them around than he was as an accountant. He was now also helping Mona Best run the Casbah Club and had formed a relationship with her by then which resulted in a son, Roag. This was kept quiet at the time as she was estranged with her husband but she still put her husband's name on Roag's Birth certificate.

Brian Eptein, Neil and John

Neil and Pete Best had now become the closest of friends and when Brian Epstein called Pete in for the meeting where he informed him that he had been sacked, Neil was waiting for him downstairs in the NEMS shop. Neil was furious when he heard of Pete's dismissal and Epstein assumed that he would also be leaving them. Neil phoned Mona to tell her what had happened, and then joined Pete for a few beers at the Grapes pub. Disgusted with the situation, Neil told Pete he'd also quit but Pete told him he must stay, that 'The Beatles' were going places.
When Neil turned up at the group's next gig, a surprised Epstein asked him why Pete hadn't turned up as per his request. "Well, what did you expect?" Neil told him. When Neil asked Paul and John what had happened he was told, "It’s got nothing to do with you. You’re only the driver."
However, wherever the Beatles went, Neil continued to be with them. Mal Evans was brought in to help out as Assistant Road Manager and Neil became much more of a Personal Assistant to the group. Paul McCartney dubbed him 'Nell', and so 'The Beatles' always called him Nell rather than Neil. He was to play tambura on the 'Within You Without You' track and harmonica on 'Being for The Benefit of Mr Kite.'

Although it has been reported that Pete's sacking was the end of Neil and Mona's relationship that wasn't true as he still used Mona's house to store the group's equipment and even when Neil went to London, his relationship with Mona continued and there are several stories about Mona coming and visiting Neil at his flat in 1963. But the relationship between them was over for good once Neil met Suzy in 1964.
When the Beatles launched their Apple Corps company, they appointed Neil as Managing Director.

On the 30th of August 1968 Neil married 24 year old Susan Ornstein at the Chelsea Register Office in London's famous King's Road. Best Man was Alexis Mardas, Paul, Ringo and Maureen attended and the bride was given away by Peter Brown (an Apple executive, director of NEMS and formerly personal assistant to the late Brian Epstein). The simple wedding was quickly arranged, just as Alexis Mardas’ wedding had been a few weeks earlier. Neil and Suzy had been steadily dating for just over a year after they'd met at a party in circa 1964-65 when Suzy's father, Bud Ornstein was over-seeing the productions of the Beatles' films. 'A Hard Days Night and Help!

Neil Aspinall was the Beatles 'silent' friend and confidant who kept his unequalled knowledge of the 'Fab Four' with him to his grave. Neil died of lung cancer in New York City in 2008.

 

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2017/04/mersey-beat-mona-best.html