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   CLUB SANDWICH 81

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Club Sandwich 81

release this afternoon. Yes, I know I'd better bloody hurry. What? No, they're away. Really. What? No, I don't know where. What? Yes, yes, of course, as soon as I've written it. Yes, I promise, just let me get off the phone and write it!
            The average-to-good touch-typist can write at 60-100 words per minute. Being a two-fingered typist I usually hit in at around 40 words. On this day I was pushing 90.
            Paul McCartney has been knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in the New Year's Honours Li...

            RING. Hello?
            "Mr Baker? This is The Associated Press..."
            Good. What's your fax ... st. In accepting the knighthood, Paul, ... number? Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yes. Yes, it is brilliant news ... who is on holiday abroad, paid tribute to ... what's that tapping noise? That's me typing the press release as we speak ... the Beatles and the people of... Yes of course I'll fax it, as soon as I've finished it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, of course he's chuffed ... his home town of Liverpool. He said "It's a fantastic honour and ... No, he's away. Yes, I'll fax it in a minute. No, he really is away ... "/ am very gratefully receiving it on" ... sorry, I've got to go because I'm getting another call. I'll call you back. Club Sandwich 81
            RING. "Hi, this is Reuters News Agency."
            Yes, great news isn't it. I'm thrilled. Of course he is too ... "behalf of all the people of Liverpool and the other Beatles, without whom" ... No, I'm still writing it. Yeah. Yep. What? Fifty-four ... "it wouldn't have been" ... What? In June. No, the 18th ... "possible" ... No, no, he doesn't look it. Yeah, it must be being veggie ... "So I hope" ... Being veggie, vegetarian. Never mind. It's in the press release. I'll phone you back. ... "I can be worthy of it. I would also" ...
            ring. "Hello, this is BBC Radio 1."
            Hello ... "like to thank my wife and kids" ... What? No, he can't do a phone-in. He's not here. No, I don't know where he is - hang on a minute, I've got another call. Hello?
            "This is ITN. Can we film a quick piece with Sir Paul?"
            ... "and wish everyone a happy new year" ... No, sorry, he's away. Hang on, I've got another call. Wait there. Hello?
            "This is BBC Radio 5 Live." Oh, can you wait a moment please? Hello, ITN? Look, he's already made a speech on video tape. I've got it. Yes, I am bringing it to London, just as soon as I'm off the phone. Hang on, I've got another call. Hello?
            "It's Radio 1 still. Can we perhaps phone wherever he is?"
            Hang on. Hello?
            "This is the Daily Mail newsdesk."
            Hang on. Hello?
            "Geoff, it's the Westwood One Radio Network calling from America."
            Hang on. Hello?
            "Hello, this is Fuji TV calling from Tokyo." .
            Hang on. Hello?
            "Hello. It's CBS Radio News."
            You get the idea. For the next 20 minutes the calls came from Good Morning America, Independent Radio News, The Times, The Sun, The Mirror, BBC-TV, GMTV, BBC Radios 2, 4 and 5 Live (again), CNN, ABC, NBC, FOX, Le Figaro, MJI Broadcasting of New York. You name them, they phoned.
            I ran out the door, driving at absurd speeds to London with video copies of the acceptance speech that, cannily, Sir Paul had taped before he left England and which the world and its production assistant needed now. Now. Now. Now. (Even more cannily, Paul had not specifically revealed in his speech exactly which honour he was receiving, so that those in on the tape's making and duplication could not be privy to the secret.)
            The next morning went like this: "It's 5am, Greenwich Mean Time.
            This is the BBC World Service and here is the main news. Paul McCartney has been knighted in the New Year's Hono..."
            "It's six o'clock and here is the news. Paul McCartney has been knigh..."
            "Good morning. The time is half past six and you're listening to the Today show on BBC Radio 4. The news headlines: Paul McCartney has been..."
            "It's 6.30 and you're watching GMTV. Former Beatle Paul McCartney..."
            "Welcome to BBC Breakfast News. The Beatle Paul McCartney has been knighted in..."
            "Here's the news on the hour on GWR. It's 'arise Sir Paul McCartney'..."
            Meanwhile, in America, Tom Brokaw was breaking the news on NBC in one of the 236 TV bulletins that carried the story that day.
            Back home, the morning's newspapers arrived with a hefty thud on the doormat.
            "MCCARTNEY IS KNIGHTED" thundered The Times, "sir macca!" shouted the Daily Mail. "DUB ME do" echoed The Mirror, "yeah, YEAH, YEAH, Fab for Paul as Queen makes him Mac the Knight" headlined the Liverpool Echo, "a HARD day's knight" yelled the Liverpool Post and a good two dozen other papers. [And you thought the punny headlines in Club Sandwich were bad - ed.]
            "YESIRDAY.
Four-page Tribute To Sir Macca Inside," roared The Sun across its front page, its special section including tributes from Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Noel Gallagher, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel and a host of other names, plus this Leader comment "What a showstopper of a New Year's Honours List. It reads like the cast of a TV spectacular. And no one deserves to be top of the bill more than Sir Paul McCartney."
            "No one deserves it more." Those were the words I heard over and over and over again from the press, TV and radio that New Year's Monday and Tuesday. My bank manager phoned and told me the same. (Truly.) So did my Mum. My kid's teacher said it. The bloke down the village shop said it.
            I overheard the guard on my train saying it. A taxi driver told me the same. Fans all around the world woke up on New Year's Eve saying it. The huge media coverage said it. And, when Paul told me the news on the phone, I think those were the only congratulations I'd said too.
            And I can't find five other words to say it better.

            Copies of photographs in this feature are available direct from PA News. See Club Offers sheet for details.