Tuesday 18 June 1968 | Apple Corps, 95 Wigmore Street, London, England
Paul McCartney spent his 26th birthday without the other Beatles. George Harrison and Ringo Starr were flying back from America. John Lennon was preparing for the West End première of the stage adaptation of his book In His Own Write. McCartney, alone among the four, was at the Apple offices at 95 Wigmore Street in London.
He marked the occasion in characteristic fashion: he invited several fans — the Apple Scruffs, the devoted group of followers who kept a near-permanent vigil outside Beatles locations across London — inside the building to join him for lunch.
Apple at Wigmore Street
In June 1968, Apple Corps was still in its early months. The company had been incorporated in January 1968 as the umbrella organisation for The Beatles' business interests — a record label, a film division, an electronics venture, a publishing arm, and a retail boutique. The famous Apple headquarters at 3 Savile Row — where the rooftop concert would take place in January 1969 — had not yet been acquired. In the summer of 1968, Apple was operating from 95 Wigmore Street, a short walk from Oxford Street in the West End.
It was a period of intense activity and considerable chaos. The Apple Boutique on Baker Street was still open (it would close in late July 1968, its stock given away to the public). The White Album was being recorded at Abbey Road. And the four Beatles were, increasingly, operating on separate schedules — as McCartney's solitary birthday lunch at Wigmore Street illustrates.
The Apple Scruffs
The Apple Scruffs were a group of dedicated fans — predominantly young women — who stationed themselves outside Beatles locations: Abbey Road Studios, the Apple offices, and the homes of the individual Beatles. They were a fixture of the group's later years, present through the recording of the White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be.
The Scruffs were not simply passive admirers. They were resourceful, organised, and deeply knowledgeable about The Beatles' movements and schedules. Several of them kept diaries that have since become valuable primary sources for Beatles historians. George Harrison, who had a particular affection for them, later wrote and recorded Apple Scruffs — a gentle, affectionate tribute — for his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass.
McCartney's decision to invite them in for his birthday lunch was entirely in keeping with the relationship The Beatles maintained with this particular group of fans — a relationship that was warmer and more personal than the standard distance between pop stars and their audience.
In His Own Write at the Old Vic
While McCartney lunched with the Scruffs, the evening belonged to John Lennon. The stage adaptation of In His Own Write — Lennon's first book, published in 1964 — was premièring at the Old Vic on the South Bank. The play had been adapted by Adrienne Kennedy and Victor Spinetti, who also directed. Lennon attended the première with Yoko Ono, in one of their first major public appearances together — a significant moment, given that Lennon was still married to Cynthia at the time.
Harrison and Starr, having flown back from America, also attended the Old Vic that evening. McCartney did not — he was at the opening of a play starring his fiancée Jane Asher.
Jane Asher
Jane Asher was one of Britain's most prominent young actresses in the late 1960s, with a stage and screen career that ran alongside her relationship with McCartney. The couple had been together since 1963 and were engaged. Their relationship would end the following month — in July 1968, Asher announced on television that the engagement was over. McCartney's attendance at her play on his birthday, while the other Beatles were at the Old Vic, is one of the last documented occasions of the couple appearing to function as a normal engaged pair.
Key Facts: 18 June 1968
| Date | Tuesday 18 June 1968 |
| McCartney's location (daytime) | Apple Corps, 95 Wigmore Street, London |
| Birthday lunch guests | Apple Scruffs fans |
| McCartney's location (evening) | Play starring Jane Asher |
| Harrison and Starr | Flying back from America; attended Old Vic in the evening |
| Lennon (evening) | Old Vic — prémière of In His Own Write stage adaptation, with Yoko Ono |
| Apple address at the time | 95 Wigmore Street (later moved to 3 Savile Row) |
95 Wigmore Street, London — the Apple Corps offices in the summer of 1968, before the company moved to its famous address at 3 Savile Row. Paul McCartney spent his 26th birthday here on 18 June 1968, lunching with Apple Scruffs fans.
The Beatles: 1968
The year of the White Album and Apple Corps. Officially licensed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Paul McCartney spend his 26th birthday?
Paul McCartney spent his 26th birthday on 18 June 1968 at the Apple Corps offices at 95 Wigmore Street in London. He invited Apple Scruffs fans inside for lunch. In the evening he attended the opening of a play starring his fiancée Jane Asher, while the other Beatles attended the Old Vic prémière of the In His Own Write stage adaptation.
Who were the Apple Scruffs?
The Apple Scruffs were a group of devoted fans who kept a near-permanent vigil outside Beatles locations in London — Abbey Road Studios, the Apple offices, and the homes of the individual Beatles. George Harrison later wrote the song Apple Scruffs as a tribute to them, released on All Things Must Pass (1970).
Where was Apple Corps in 1968?
In the summer of 1968, Apple Corps was based at 95 Wigmore Street in London. The company later moved to its famous address at 3 Savile Row, where the rooftop concert took place in January 1969.
What was In His Own Write at the Old Vic?
In His Own Write was a stage adaptation of John Lennon's 1964 book, adapted by Adrienne Kennedy and Victor Spinetti. It prémièred at the Old Vic on 18 June 1968. Lennon attended with Yoko Ono, in one of their first major public appearances together.
When did Paul McCartney and Jane Asher break up?
Paul McCartney and Jane Asher's engagement ended in July 1968 — just weeks after McCartney attended her play on his 26th birthday. Asher announced the end of the relationship on television.
→ 18 June in Beatles History
→ June in Beatles History
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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