Encounters

Brenda's is not a story of a 'close encounter' with the Beatles. Not only did she not get anywhere near them, she's lucky she saw anything of them at all, and maybe even lucky to be alive to tell the tale.

My cousin and I were living in Calgary, Alberta at the time we bought tickets for the Beatles concert coming up in the Empire Stadium, Vancouver on 22 August 1964. We couldn't sit together, but we relayed these happenings later, back at home. I was stuck with my parents, but cousin Wendy was racing around after the Beatles most of that day, or trying to of course. They were never where everyone thought they would be at any given time. She did manage to be at the airport when they finally landed and although thoroughly trampled, still managed to snag a Popsicle stick Paul had chucked away and a cigarette butt of John's. At the time, these were treasures to be slept with and dreamed over, even if she almost died getting them!

In the meantime, our plans were that I would attend the concert on my own, and meet my family after the show at a particular street crossing. I had my new camera, my aunt's new binoculars, my purse, and was reasonably well dressed. The stadium was over maxed out. The crowd was wild to begin with, and when the lights dimmed, and the Beatles came out ... well, it kind of went like this … I was in a row off to the left side of the field, not too far up in the stands, when this sea of people started swarming down the stairs, so I figured I better as well. I can't really say how many metal barriers they had put up - at least a dozen, maybe more, and as the crowd surged forward, me with it, the barriers started going down, one at a time, as if in slow motion. I can't even remember what they were singing, or how long they were even out there. All I know is before the last barrier went, they went too! Gone!

My purse - gone; my aunt's binoculars - gone. My camera? Couldn't remember when I saw it last. My clothes were in ruins. I was dirty, and didn't even know it at that time, but it was the start of my claustrophobia. I sat there stunned till the crowds dispersed, and by the time I found my parents, I jumped into the back seat of our car - me in tears, and my dad turned around and slapped me across the face, stunning me more so. It was the first and only time he had even done anything remotely near to that, but they had been driving around and around and around this huge stadium looking for me, and they thought I had been lost forever.

That was the best concert I had ever attended. Hardly heard a note, hardly saw the band, but it was an experience I'll never, ever forget, not even after 38 years later. John and the Beatles? It will never happen again, but what a ride they gave us!!!

Brenda Wendling
Saskatoon, Sk. Canada

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