Over the gate...

Designed in 1913 by Victorian/Edwardian/other architect Theophilus A Allen; John Lennon's house between 1964 and 1968; sunroom, attic and prisco stripe hibernice; Mellotron and caravan; Babidji and Mimi; mortar and pestle; Wubbleyoo Dubbleyoo; curios and curiosity; remnants and residue; testimonials and traces; (Cavendish Avenue, Sunny Heights and Kinfauns); Montagu Square; mock Tudor: Brown House: *KENWOOD*.

(Also available as a blog.)

Legal Blah: This blog is for historical research only, and is strictly non-commercial. All visual and audio material remains the property of the respective copyright owner, and no implication of ownership by me is intended or should be inferred. Any copyright owner who wants something removed should contact me and I will do so immediately. Alternatively, I would be delighted to provide a credit. The writing is by me, such as it is, unless otherwise stated, and this is the only Beatles related blog I am responsible for.

Comments Blah: Comments are moderated. Any genuine comments are welcome. Due to idiotic spamming, you'll have to press the "Follow" button on the right under "Kenwoodites..." in order to leave a comment. Offensive comments/advertising/trolling/other moronicisms are not welcome, and will be rejected.
Comments are the responsibility of the individual commenter, and commenters' opinions do not necessarily reflect my own. (NB: This blog revels in flagrant trivia. If that's not yer "thing", this won't be yer "thang".)

Correspond via: kenwoodlennon@googlemail.com

Monday 26 September 2011

Tantra: not Tantrum.


As the sainted Alan Partridge might have it, "AHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA". No sooner had I "done" the previous post than Plasticine Porter emailed with detailed photos of the up-to-date Mini, one of which immediately leaped (?) to my attention - namely, the piggy (if piggy it be). Said "piggy" features in the aforementioned tome Tantra Art, thus proving that Tantrum Art is nonsense, and that Tantra Art was indeed the one to provide George with inspiraton.
Going back to the old paint job, the "pig" is there too:


So, it's all clear now. Many Thanks to Sam.

Sunday 18 September 2011

Kenwood: autumn, 1967.


Further fannage, outside the front door, circa MMT.
Thanks to Mr L.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Montagu Square: late summer, 1968.


A splendidly candid dead o' night shot of a slightly startled John, on the corner of Montagu Place and Montagu Square, no doubt freshly dropped off by Antony or Shotton post-White Album session. Yoko must be just out of frame behind him.
It's perhaps surprising that more photos of the pair of them outside number 34 haven't surfaced; but possibly no-one really knew they were there pre-bust, and post-bust, they weren't.
Thanks to Eric Nernie.

Saturday 10 September 2011

Kenwood: more sun & bedroom - December, 1968.


Sunroom close-ups from Susan Wood, and more of John's inveterate tea drinking (and "snoutage"):


Plus one that Tammy just posted, taken from Look magazine, showing more bed:


Dribblesome stuff.

Friday 9 September 2011

Kenwood: aquatism - December, 1968.


More wonderous (caveat caveat) Kenwood pics, from the winter o' '68: John and Yoko out for a stroll by the pond. Where this pond was, exactly, remains unanswered, possibly because the question hasn't been formulated, let alone posed. Yet pond there was, somewhere in the grounds. Cathy Kelleher Sarver captured something vaguely similar a few months earlier:


And another, this time with one of John's Kenwood cats, of whom there were at least 9:


What happened to them? Again, I know not, but it would be "nice" to believe that they were taken to Tittenhurst, and allowed to continue procreating (and pissing) (not to mention shitting) at will. If so, their descendents etc.
Speculation hasn't exactly been rife as to who took these, but the answer is Susan Wood: the above two, and the recent ones below (including the pic of John sleeping).
Fantastic they are, but I can't help wondering what else there is. She seems to have been with Joko for around 3 days (including a couple of overnights at Kenwood), with the specific brief to take as many photos as possible. Given that only around 30-40 have thus far surfaced, how many more is she sitting on (not literally, that would be ridiculous)?
Whatever, these are quite good. (Celtic understatement.)

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Kenwood: sunroom, December 1968.


More superlative sunroom shots from December 1968; the back wall and cupboards looking a little threadbare following Cynthia's clearance job. No more Safe As Milk (though shurely Lil and Cyn didn't nab those. Beefheart was, apparently, quite critical of the Beatles' more psychedelic oeuvre, which is a bit rich coming from the man who released Strictly Personal (though the phasing wasn't his fault). Still, whatever point I was trying to make when I began this sentence, some time ago, should be clear). Compare with June '67 - and note the re-upholstery of the couch had begun even then:


Enthralling stuff, yes? Hello? Helloooo? Echoechoechoetc etc etc.
Anyway, tea and salad was the order of this particular day:


Further exposure:

Monday 5 September 2011

Kenwood: master bedroom, December 1968.


John caught napping in the master bedroom at Kenwood in December, 1968 (and in its own way, a more intimite shot than some other more obvious contendahs).
Compare with the black and white pic previously on here:


Some more similarly first-rate shots have been shoved under my nose this evening, and they'll be on here in good time.
Sir Thom, I thank ye once more...

Friday 2 September 2011

Kenwood: spring 1968.


Two more from the same encounter that produced this one:


Clearly taken around the Time Of The Two Virgins Evening Time, as it isn't known.
Further evidence that John was indeed accommodating towards Ver Fannage (give or take the odd "Piss Off" or other "incident"), which is a theme around here, and about time too.
More thanks to Mark L.