George Harrison
For Savoia,
If you are collecting details of Beatle rotary flights ... in 1981/82 I think (will give a date from log book if wanted) ... I flew dear Barry Sheene on a Sunday from Silverstone, where he'd been racing a DAF truck, to his home at Charlwood Manor by Gatwick's 08 threshold. On route, we landed at George Harrison's mansion at Friary park, Henley. Barry persuaded George to try a flight with me in the Enstrom 280C Shark. G-BGMX for the reggie buffs.
I gave Mr Harrison the full sales demonstration, but on landing when Barry said to George ... "You should buy one of those - they're only fifty grand," the reply came back ... "what would I do with it!"
George Harrison's son Dhani was there as a three-year old scooting about the gravel drive on a kid's motor bike. Much later, I met the six-foot Dhani around 2006 ish when I gave a display at Goodwood House for Barry Sheen's commemorative dinner. His wife Stefanie also came over from Oz.
One associated oddity. GH took me up to his £3million recording studio in his mansion where the walls were awash with the group's 'gold' records. George actually played a sample of one track from his latest planned release. The album was entitled ... 'Somewhere in England' but I never saw that LP actually appear. George was so concerned to find a place on the cover pic, where the bar code would go. I suggested he put it on the drum.
I do recall one track had a Beatle version of an old tune he'd picked up from somewhere ... "Here's the story of a very unfortunate coloured man, who got arrested down in old Hong Kong. He got plenty of (something) taken away from him, when he kicked or kissed (not sure) poor Judy's throng. Or similar. I think Hoagy Carmichael sang the original piece.
Also GH's kitchen walls had the signature of just about every pop star, celebrity, sportsman etc you've ever heard of. He told us ... "We can never re-decorate!" George was indeed a lovely man and was Barry of course.
Dennis K.