Mr. Bonzai - John Lennons Tooth: How I Met the Beatles, Thanks to Dorothy

John Lennon's Tooth

How I Met the Beatles, Thanks to Dorothy

2012 by David Patrick Goggin

includes text, photos and graphics.

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No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for inclusions of brief quotations and graphics in a review.

ISBN:

eISBN: 9781624883538

In October of 2011, an auction house in London listed John Lennons decayed tooth as going up for auction by Lennons former housekeeper. It was sold to a Canadian doctor for $31,200 in November of 2011.

Prior to the sale, I contacted the auction house and asked that my email be forwarded to the family, explaining that Dorothy, Johns former housekeeper, greeted me at his Kenwood estate in September of 1967 and sequestered me in his garage while John was sleeping. He came out, I introduced myself and he invited me in. We chatted for a while about meditation, brainwaves, motion pictures, and then John asked if I would like a lift into London. The ride was in his brightly painted Rolls-Royce.

Bernard and Dorothy - Bern and Dot

John named his dog after Bern and called Dorothy Auntie Dot.

(August, 1964, Dorothy, age 43, is interviewed for the job of housekeeper by Cynthia Lennon and her mother at the newly acquired Kenwood estate while John is on the Beatles 1964 tour in the U.S.)

They sent a car for me and I went up for an interview. Julian, just over a year old, was pottering around and a few days later they agreed to employ me. The previous owner of the mansion, an American lady with six children, recommended me for the job of housekeeper. When I got home I told my son, Barry, that I had an interview for a job with the new owners of Kenwood, a musician and his wife. He asked who it was, and I told him it was John and Cynthia Lennon. He said, Gor! Mum, Hes one of the Beatles!

Picture this: a 20-year old college student from California stands outside the massive motorized gates of Kenwood, John Lennons estate in Weybridge, way south of London. Thats me, and I am on my way to study at the University of Edinburgh for my Junior Year Abroad. I applied for the program because I wanted to meet John, and the scholarships provided the funding.

The day before, I had taken the train to Weybridge and asked a young fellow if he knew where John Lennon lived. He replied yes, and took me down a quiet road to those gates. But dont go inside. The gates will be closed and you will be arrested. Happens all the time.

This is my passport photo for my first trip abroad, aboard the S.S. Aurelia, a student ship embarking from New York City and debarking at Southampton, England. Sailing time: nine days.

Over the years, long after the break up of John and Cynthias marriage, and his death, there have been many articles in newspapers and books written, and not all of these stories are true. Things have been written without the consideration of the persons that have been mentioned. I have read many stories containing information that was exaggerated and totally different from the actual truth and happenings. I had a very private relationship with John and his family and I decided to keep my memories private.

Before they bought Kenwood, I was working for an American family there, helping with their children. Mrs. Lennon wanted somebody to take care of Julian and I was recommended as being good with children and the housekeeping. Kenwood was having a lot of work done to it, and there were a lot of workmen about. Julian was toddling around in what they used to call Poddy Pants (nappies), not really dressed. After the interview, within 2 or 3 days, I received a card to say I had got the job.

On my first morning I started at 9 AM and drove up there to Kenwood. At the time, the Lennons were living in the staff rooms, formerly the servants quarters, and it was like a small apartment flat. My first morning when I got there, Mrs. Powell, Cynthias mother, Cynthia and her brother Charles were well-dressed and prepared to go out in a chauffeur-driven car. I was surprised that they would leave me, a stranger, to take care of Julian and the house, but I guess the American lady must have given me a good report that I was good with children. And so I had Julian for the rest of the day.

Julians little sleeping cot was damp and there were no bed sheets, just woolen hand-knitted squares sewn together. I thought maybe it was a blanket the fans had sent them. Julian was still running around with a baby bottle. I found him some clothes, gave him a bath in the sink and then dressed him. He was a very good little boy and accepted me quickly. Mrs. Lennon, her mother, and her brother did not arrive back that first day until about 5:30pm.

The first time I met John was after his return from America. I was told that he didnt like people hanging around, and I would have to cope with him, but I found no problem with him being around the house. When I got to work at Kenwood, he was on the settee, looking very tired. He introduced himself to me, and I found him very nice. I always got along very well with John. He liked me looking after Julian, and I used to take his son down to my house to play with my daughter Anne and sometimes little Julian would spend the night with our family. John also visited our home and was always very considerate to me and my family.

As the days went on, I found I was having other things to do besides looking after Julian, but he was almost always with me. I got to taking him out in my car for shopping, and took him home to my house to visit with my family. I had a folding pram which I took around with me and everything seemed to work out very nicely, but it seemed at times to be a very long day. I was left to cope with just about everything at Kenwood. After the renovations and changes, the family moved out of the upstairs flat and occupied the rest of the house.

I rather liked Beatles music. John used to get up early in the morning and play music on the piano downstairs if he had a song in mind, and just plink around on the keys. It was like a family atmosphere. I would sometimes listen while I was working and one time he asked, Did you like that one, Dot? He was always very nice to me.

When Julian started school I used to get up to Kenwood in time to get him up and ready for school and then take him down to Portmore Park. I was always aware that reporters might be around, but it was only once that we were approached by London reporters.

Later on, John asked my husband to paint the upstairs flat and that became his music room and studio. He wanted it painted all in red, even the toilet seat. John bought a Scalectrix racing car set that he got from a man in Weybridge and he had it up in the top flat. He had problems getting it all sorted out so he called for my husband Bernard to help him set it up with the racing tracks. They used to go up there and race the cars. John was a lot of fun, you know?