The Beatles? What’s that all about I hear you cry. Well, let me explain.
I’m sure that this week, the week including the 25th June, is important for a variety of reasons. I’m saying it’s important for a very specific reason and that involves the Hull General Cemetery and the first world wide satellite transmission of a song. I hope I’ve got you hooked by now.
I’m pretty sure that everyone knows about the six degrees of separation thingy. As Wikipedia succinctly puts it, ‘it is the idea that all people on average are six, or fewer, social connections away from each other.’ An intriguing thought. And slightly worrying too if you bother to think about it. Was I really only six degrees away from Margaret Thatcher? Forgive my shudder.
On a similar theme, as we also know, all of us have Genghis Khan as an ancestor. Yes, so when you lose your temper and kick the door at least be consoled by the fact that you are following your hereditary instincts. And of course you’ve restrained yourself. After all your ancestor’s grandson Hulagi, when he was aroused, sacked Baghdad in 1258. And then built a pyramid of 80,000 skulls after the massacre. Now, that makes you feel a bit better when the dog takes one look at your face and scurries out of the way. No one can accuse you of going over the top!.
We also all have at least 2% of Neanderthal in our DNA. All of us have breathed in some molecules of air that Julius Caesar breathed along with atoms of his funeral pyre. And, forgive me for this, we have all drunk water that was originally someone else’s urine. Yes, I feel your pain. Maybe you should have a drink of water? On second thoughts, maybe not.
Craig Brown
Anyway, all of these things are interesting, to a greater or lesser degree depending upon your interests. I hope this little nugget I’m about to share with you will interest you too. So back to the six levels of separation.
I’m indebted to Craig Brown’s recent book, One, Two, Three, Four on the Beatles here. Of course Craig wasn’t trying to connect Hull General Cemetery with the Fab Four. But I don’t hold that against him.
We know that William Clowes, the joint founder of Primitive Methodism, is buried in Hull General Cemetery. We also know that William was a distant cousin of Charles Darwin. Yes, that one. They were both descended from Gilbert Wedgewood (1588-1678) who was himself the great, great grandfather of Josiah Wedgewood of pottery fame.
Far out, man
But here’s where these connections get a bit more psychedelic.
On the 25th of June, 1967 the Beatles appeared in front of a world-wide audience on the first live satellite transmission. Their job? To record ‘All You Need Is Love’. In the studio they were joined by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Marianne Faithful and Graham Nash from the Hollies and later Crosby, Stills and Nash fame. The Small Faces and Eric Clapton were also supposed to be in that heady mix of audience and performers. And, of course, a host of ‘beautiful people’ festooned with flowers surrounded them.
More importantly, at least for our little journey, another person was also there. A man called David Mason. No, not Dave Mason from Traffic. David Mason was a professor at the Royal College of Music. According to Craig Brown, Mr Mason had played the flugelhorn,
‘At the premiere of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Ninth Symphony, conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent in the presence of the composer’
way back in 1958. Williams was 85 at the time of that performance, and he died shortly after this event. Incidentally Mr Mason also played the flugelhorn on Penny Lane but that’s just icing on the cake.
The missing link
Vaughan Williams’ great-uncle was Charles Darwin. And so we come to a most intriguing connection. William Clowes to Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin to Vaughan Williams. Vaughan Williams to David Mason. David Mason to the Beatles. Now maybe you can see why I used the Beatles as a title.
And, from the Beatles we can connect with so many other famous people. Cassius Clay to Charles Manson. The Maharishi to Bob Dylan. Elvis Presley to Yoko Ono. All of these people can be connected to Hull General Cemetery.
Yes, I admit the connection is a trifle loose. But, hey, give us a break here. Here’s what John Lennon thought of this idea.
No, I don’t foresee the FOHGC seeking a hand out from Yoko (net worth $700 million) on the basis of this connection. However, if you’re reading this Yoko, a small plaque might be nice. Just saying.
It’s fun to dream though isn’t it? As John Lennon said, ‘The Walrus was Bill’. Or something like that. You’ll have to excuse me. The walls are breathing and the kettle just asked me for a dance.
All together now, ‘It’s easy. All you need is love’. Dab Ba Dab Ba Da and so on.
Pete Lowden is a member of the Friends of Hull General Cemetery committee which is committed to reclaiming the cemetery and returning it back to a community resource.