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July 2003 to September 2003
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July 2003
Paul and Heather were sighted (July 31) in Mid-town Manhattan cruising in a brown British (steering wheel on right) Rolls Royce. Paul was on the passenger side and had on a blue shirt with rolled up sleeves and Heather wore sunglasses and a black sleeveless top.
Rock legend Sir Paul McCartney has given his seal of approval to a Doncaster hotel - for the second time.For a signed copy of the star's latest album has been snapped up by the Regent Hotel to add to its huge collection of Beatles memorabilia. And the former Beatle's autograph will now take pride of place alongside a signature he put in the hotel's guest book more than 40 years ago.
Hotel owner Mike Longworth successfully bid for a signed copy of Macca's "Back In The World" live tour album at a charity auction organized by BBC Radio Sheffield in aid of the Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice Appeal.
Now the CD, which was snapped up for an undisclosed sum, will go into the hotel's Abbey Road restaurant and bar - named in honor of the Fab Four who stopped at the Regent during a Beatles UK tour in 1963.
Longworth said, "It is amazing to see the two signatures side by side - one from the beginning of his career and this one 40 years on. He is still at the top of the tree and the songs on the CD have stood the test of time." (Doncaster Today)
LOVE ME DOUGH
A Beatles demo disc signed by Paul McCartney became the world's most valuable single yesterday. The 1962 copy of "Love Me Do" fetched £13,515 ($21,895) at auction in London. (Daily Record)
McCartney, Ringo: Can't They Work It Out?Ringo Starr brought his lumbering All-Starr Band to Radio City Music Hall last night (July 29). But Paul McCartney, his only remaining colleague from the Beatles, was nowhere to be found.
This was awkward since earlier in the day, McCartney and his pregnant wife, Heather Mills, were spotted by singer John Waite ("Missing You"), a member of Starr's band, walking on West 54th Street near Rockefeller Center. This makes sense since the office of McCartney's brother-in-law and attorney, John Eastman, is in the famous Rockefeller apartments.
It's unlikely that McCartney was unaware of Ringo's presence in New York yesterday. The sylph-like drummer has been doing a lot of publicity to promote the concert tour and his latest album.
At a press conference in the late afternoon at Radio City, Starr told a group of journalists that he invites McCartney every year to join him with the All-Starr Band. "He's just too busy," Ringo said, rather sadly.
This was the 8th year.
(Radio City, by the way, had better get its act together. The place seems very disorganized and not particularly user friendly!)
Last November I reported that Ringo and Paul were barely on speaking terms at the Concert for George, a memorial to their buddy George Harrison at Royal Albert Hall. The pair timed their appearances at the afterparty so they wouldn't have to be photographed together.
Of course McCartney isn't making many friends within his own family either lately. I am told by insiders that the rift between the ex-Beatle and his children has only widened since his marriage to Mills and the impending birth of their baby.
Stella McCartney, Paul's designing daughter, hasn't done anything to squelch rumors of her distaste for Mills. But I am also told that Paul has angered Stella by not giving her access to many of the possessions of her late mother, Linda. Stella has also expressed an interest in helping market Linda's line of frozen vegetarian dishes which was sold to Heinz in 2001. But so far Paul has apparently blocked her participation, much to Stella's chagrin.
The Linda McCartney line, by the way, can be found in health food stores.
As for Mills, she really missed her favorite singer last night at Ringo's show. As she told me a couple of years ago, Heather is a huge fan of Men at Work singer Colin Hay. Well, dear Heather, he performed three of his hits last night and one song only real fanatics would know.
I am sure you would have been swaying to the music. Too bad, a missed chance! (Fox News)
Paul McCartney chatted with staff while enjoying a solo drink at the Monkey Bar in the Elysee Hotel (New York City) on Sunday, July 27. "He talked about his recent visit to Russia and how it was a thrill because the Beatles were banned from performing there in the 1960s," says a spy. (New York Daily News)
The Rolling Stones concert, originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m., now kicks off at noon Wednesday, July 30 to accommodate the 15 performers in the all-day lineup at Downsview Park. (more info on concert)
Promoters also addressed rumors that Christina Aguilera -- performing in Toronto the night before with Timberlake -- and Paul McCartney will make surprise appearances on stage. "We're hearing the same rumors. I have no idea," O'Connor said, who denied he was playing coy. "I've done a lot of concerts in the last 30 years. I've had special guests drop in, just show up on the night of the show while the band's on stage. We've got so much stuff there we can handle anything," he said.
Tickets -- nearly 405,000 have been bought so far -- will not be sold after 6 p.m. on the day of the concert. More than $400,000 has been raised to date for hospitality and health-care workers hard-hit by SARS.Construction at Downsview Park is on schedule and performers are slated to hit the stage Tuesday for sound checks. (Jam)
Sir Paul McCartney, founder of Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, returned to Liverpool on July 25 to hand out the degrees at the Philharmonic Hall.
Paul said, "I love this day, it's a very special day in my year for many reasons. I know some of the students personally from working with them."Hundreds of LIPA students gathered with their families and friends to get their degree certificate and the famous LIPA badge.
Mark Featherstone-Witty, chief executive of the institute, said, "It is wonderful to see so many graduates here today with their families and friends."Hayley Doyle, aged 22, from Litherland, graduating with an acting degree said, "I'm really proud to be graduating from LIPA - and getting a degree handed to me by Paul McCartney."
Music graduate Ranjit Burman, 34, from Bootle, said LIPA was great for the city. He added, "Paul McCartney is the reason why I went into music. LIPA is setting a precedent, putting out real quality talent into the world."
Paul said, "From those early days, when I was about 11 and this whole speech day process, I can't believe what's happened to me in my life. I feel like I was originally just trying to get out of doing a job, but it turns into something else, something you love, a passion or phenomenon when you meet mates like I met in the Beatles." (Liverpool Echo)
Paul McCartney's daughter is rumored to have ditched plans to marry on the Mull of Kintyre. Rumors are circulating that designer Stella will wed on the Isle of Bute instead. Mount Stewart house - a Victorian mansion on the east of the island - is being touted as the venue for the star- studded bash.Stella, 31, had been expected to marry ex- advertising executive Alasdhair Willis on the coastline immortalized in the ex-Beatle's huge hit. Her late mum Linda called it her favorite place on Earth. Stella grew up there.
But Bute Marketing Group chairman Charles Soane said, "There's a great deal of secrecy here on the island at the moment. All the main hotels have been block booked by Mount Stuart for the end of August. Recently some upmarket people from down south visited us and took photos of the hotel rooms. We have not been told what the bookings are for yet. But if a big celebrity wedding like this came to Bute, it would be absolutely brilliant and boost the island's appeal."
Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and partner Chris Martin, of Coldplay, are among the expected guests. Other big names tipped to attend are models Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss and Lord Of The Rings beauty Liv Tyler. Groom Alasdhair, 31, met Stella at a fashion party in June 2001. (Daily Record UK)
Journalist-hating fashion designer Stella McCartney will be fuming now that the press have details of her upcoming wedding plans to fiance Alasdhair Wills. The three-day wedding extravaganza will take place in the last week in August in the rather less than glamorous Mull Of Kintyre location. The Mull, as if you could forget, was made famous by her dad's epic bagpipe-ridden anthem.The guest list will be an impressive array of Stella's friends (i.e. designer clients) and include Madonna (whose own, secret wedding outfit Stella was responsible for), Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss.
Heather Mills' name has not been mentioned on the guest list so far, but Sir Paul has helped out with the arrangements including a completely vegetarian wedding feast which insiders say her mum, Linda, would have wholeheartedly approved of. (People News)
Shoppers in a busy Lake District tourist town were in a spin when they spotted former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney in their midst.
Sir Paul and his wife Heather Mills drew up in their E-type Jaguar outside the Royal Hotel in Bowness-on-Windermere and asked general manager Maria Walker if they could park outside. A stunned Maria told them, "Please leave it there as long as you like." Sir Paul later returned to his car and Maria had her photograph taken with him as a souvenir of his surprise visit.
It is not the first time he has visited the Lake District. Sir Paul actually proposed to his wife during a romantic break during which he visited the Keswick and Ullswater area. And back in 1969, at the height of The Beatles' fame, John Lennon, his Japanese wife Yoko Ono and their children astonished staff and guests at the Waterhead Hotel in Ambleside when they paid an impromptu visit for lunch. They posed for photos and Lennon thrilled hotel workers and guests by staying around to sign dozens of autographs before leaving.
Sir Paul is the latest in a string of celebrities who have chosen the Lake District for holidays and filming engagements. Pop singer Sting bought a house near Grasmere and American movie star Jennifer Love Hewitt stayed in Keswick last year while shooting scenes for a film in Borrowdale. Tom Cruise and ex-wife Nicole Kidman were also once rumored to be looking to buy a house in South Lakes after being spotted in Cockermouth.
The county has become a popular venue for film makers ever since it was popularized by controversial director Ken Russell who once had a home near Keswick and made several films in and around the town and the Borrrowdale valley. (News&Star UK)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals enlisted the help of Paul McCartney in its campaign against Kentucky Fried Chicken.An open letter from McCartney to David Novak, chairman and chief executive officer of KFC's Louisville-based parent company, Yum! Brands Inc., will appear in a full-page advertisement in Thursday's edition of The Courier-Journal.
McCartney, who is a vegetarian for ethical reasons, insists in the ad that Novak should improve the treatment of 750 million chickens raised annually in "factory farms'' and killed in "frightening ways'' for KFC restaurants, according to PETA.
Jonathan Blum, senior vice president for public affairs for Yum! Brands, said in response, "Paul McCartney is a music legend and he's entitled to his opinion, but we think he's misinformed. KFC is committed to the well-being and humane treatment of chickens. While PETA would prefer a world of vegetarians, most people disagree, so we think PETA should follow one of Sir Paul's songs and just 'Let it Be.'''
The ad is the latest action in a string of efforts by PETA to force KFC to implement new standards for the treatment of its chickens. PETA filed a lawsuit July 7 against KFC Corp. in Los Angeles County Superior Court for misleading the public by denying it mistreats chickens headed for its restaurants. (AP)
AN OPEN LETTER FROM SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY TO KFC CEO DAVID NOVAJuly 24, 2003
Dear Mr. Novak:
I am writing on behalf of my friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), as well as compassionate consumers across the globe, to urge KFC to implement PETA's list of eight simple things that need to be done to reduce cruelty to chickens raised and killed for your carry-outs.
For example, I would like to see KFC stop allowing chickens to be bred and drugged so that they become so heavy that they cripple under their own weight, end the starvation of birds who are constantly hungry because they are bred to grow too quickly, stop burning the beaks of parent birds, and make sure slaughter methods do not permit animals to be scalded to death in feather-removal tanks. As you know, full details of PETA's recommendations are available on KFCCruelty.com. They are based on the scientific work of KFC's own animal-welfare advisors and would eliminate only the most horrible abuses of these animals.
If KFC suppliers treated dogs or cats the way they treat chickens, they could be charged with the crime of cruelty to animals. I am a vegetarian because I realize that even little chickens suffer pain and fear, experience a range of feelings and emotions, and are as intelligent as mammals, including dogs, cats, and even some primates. These remarkable animals are deserving of at least a little kindness.Please let PETA know that you will end the most egregious forms of abuse endured by chickens raised and killed for KFC.
Sincerely,
Sir Paul McCartney
Check out Paul's PETA Enchilada recipe:Sir Paul McCartney's "Ob-La-Di" Enchiladas
For the Sauce:
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. waterFor the Filling:
1 lb. firm tofu, drained and mashed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/3 cups picante sauce
3 cups steamed spinach12 tortillas
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Place all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch, in a small pot and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook until the sauce thickens.
In the meantime, prepare the filling: Mix the tofu, onion, chili powder, cumin, garlic, pepper, and picante sauce. Put some of the spinach in the middle of each tortilla, then add 3 to 4 heaping teaspoonfuls of the tofu mixture, and roll up the tortillas. Top with vegan sour cream, such as non-dairy Tofutti Sour Supreme, or make your own with the recipe below. Lay the enchiladas in a baking dish, cover with sauce, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 12 enchiladas
Tofu Sour Cream1/2 lb. tofu, patted dry
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. maple syrup
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt, or to tasteMix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Makes 1 cup
St. Basil's Cathedral, Russia's most recognizable landmark with its swirling, multicolored onion domes, is on shaky ground.Over the years, the rumble of tanks during Soviet-era military parades, the construction of underground infrastructure and the excess decibels of outdoor rock concerts have taken their toll on the cathedral's foundations. Now, with scaffolding set to come off next month after a three-year restoration of the aboveground part of the cathedral, experts say intensive work to strengthen the foundation may be necessary to keep the building standing.
If nothing is done, "the church will gradually fall into ruin,'' said Natalia Almazova, whose company, Kreal, conducted a comprehensive engineering study of St. Basil's for the government. "It won't fall down tomorrow, but if we don't take these measures, in 100 years we could lose it.''
Nevertheless, Almazova - who calls herself "a doctor who treats buildings'' - was optimistic. "It's deformed, but it has adapted to this deformation.''
Igor Mitichkin, deputy director of the State Historical Museum, of which St. Basil's is a part, said he did not believe the construction work would affect the cathedral.What he is upset about is the recent practice of holding concerts on Vasilyevsky Spusk, the cobblestone slope in back of St. Basil's, and, in some cases, on Red Square itself. Mitichkin says he is certain the vibrations are damaging all the historic buildings on the square, adjacent to the Kremlin.
Adding insult to injury, in his view, organizers of Paul McCartney's May concert on Red Square demanded the scaffolding around St. Basil's come down so that the ex-Beatle could have the famed cathedral as a backdrop. The process of dismantling and rebuilding the scaffolding took two weeks, Mitichkin said. (AP)
HEATHER MILLS CAMPAIGNS FOR ANIMALSHeather Mills has a new cause. Paul McCartney's wife is joining her hubby's crusade for animals' rights. The former lingerie model will put on plastic shoes to be the new poster girl for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' "Have a look that kills without killing" campaign.
"It's all about looking fabulous without being cruel," says PETA's Dan Mathews.
Mills, who is pregnant, will be on the cover of PETA's consumer catalog and will also promote "cruelty-free" baby products. Could this be an attempt by Mills to ingratiate herself with her fabulously wealthy animal-loving spouse? Says Mathews, "Their activism is a big bond in their marriage and Paul is as lovestruck as ever." (MSNBC)
A long list of top celebrities from the music and fashion worlds will join forces at a concert in aid of The Prince Of Wales' charity. The fashion/concert at the Royal Albert Hall will feature Robbie Williams, Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) and Sir Elton John, among others. Liz Hurley will host the event, called "Fashion Rocks," on October 15 when 18 of the world's leading fashion houses will work with leading celebrities.
The idea is to fuse catwalk and concert and Williams will be strutting his stuff for the designers as well as performing. Also taking part is Bryan Ferry - and David Bowie will be beamed into the show by satellite.Top designers taking part include Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Julien Macdonald, Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney and Versace. They will showcase catwalk collections accompanied by live music from a star performer.
Sir Tom Shebbeare, chief executive of The Prince's Trust, said, "'Fashion Rocks' is a hugely exciting fundraising event for The Prince's Trust. Music and fashion is a powerful combination and the fantastic support we have received from long-standing Trust supporters like Nicholas Coleridge, managing director of Conde Nast, and icons from the world of showbusiness will help us to give even more young people a second chance in life."
The charity has helped 450,000 young people since it was established in 1976. Tickets for the show are now on sale. (Sky News)
Students from LIPA - Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts - have created an entirely new area due to open to the public at The Beatles Story on Saturday 26 July. "The Solo Years - Paul McCartney," has been designed by Morgan Large, a graduation student, with lighting by Richard Reardon and Sarah Kamender - both on the Theatre and Performance Technology course - and a video by Elisabeth Nord (ex LIPA student).In response to the demand from the fans, The Beatles Story is to extend the period covered by the exhibition from purely The Beatles as a group to include their individual careers after the break-up - hence The Solo Years.
For more info on this exhibit check out Jean Catharell's Beatlescene page.
DEFINING MOMENTS:
A BBC series is asking influential figures around the world about the defining moments in their life. Paul McCartney discusses the influence of Nelson Mandela. McCartney saw Mandela's election triumph in person.
"Nelson Mandela being elected in South Africa. That was something we never thought would happen and it was so great to see it happen. It was such a shot in the arm for civil rights - something we had always been fighting for. It was just so right - it had to happen. But to actually be there when it happened was very joyful and very much a defining moment in my life. "
"Defining Moments" will run until 23 July on BBC World Service's World Today program.
Fashion designer Stella McCartney has saved multi-millionaire dad Sir Paul a few quid - by offering to pay for her own wedding. Instead of the ex-Beatle coughing up for the ceremony as father of the bride, Stella wants fork out for her big day on the Mull of Kintyre later this month.
Other locations have been looked at but Stella still favors Scotland despite her plans being revealed. Her decision over paying for the day, has fueled speculation of a growing rift between Stella and her dad's pregnant wife, Heather. She has also told her dad that most of his friends will not be invited because she wants a private affair on the beach that was her mother Linda's favorite place. But her plans could be upset after a decision by fishermen in Carradale not to ferry guests to Sadell beach on Kintyre for the wedding.
Stella and husband-to-be Alasdair Willis want to use a luxury yacht for guests before the beach ceremony. They need smaller vessels to ferry guests to the beach where Stella's mum Linda used to ride horses. But six fishing boat crews have already said no to the request, saying they can make more money fishing out of Carradale than they would in a single day ferrying guests to the remote beach, where the video for her dad's hit "Mull of Kintyre" was filmed.
One said, "Nothing has been agreed officially. The fishing boats are out and about for days at a time and to break off from that to provide the transport for one day would be daft. If she wants to have a romantic beach wedding she will have to find another way of getting people to the beach from the yacht, because it isn't worth it for fishermen here to offer their services." (Mail on Sunday)
NUPTIALS SNUB FOR SIR PAULThe daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has told him she does not want his money or help in organizing her marriage to magazine publisher Alasdhair Willis.
Clothes designer Stella McCartney, 31, has also told her father's closest friends that they will not be invited to the nuptials. Stella, one of three children from Paul's marriage to Linda, who died in 1998, is said to disapprove of her father's second wife, Heather.
McCartney, 61, told a friend this week, "Traditionally, the bride's parents organize the wedding, but Stella is a grown-up with her taste."
A friend said McCartney was hurt by Stella's unwillingness to involve him in her big day. (Herald Sun)
Jane Asher paid a visit to Whipps Cross (UK) this week to open a new hospital garden in memory of a family friend. The flame-haired actress once engaged to Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and also known for her cake-making empire has been a long-time supporter of Arthritis Care and was happy to accept the hospital's invitation to open the Douglas Woolf Garden. The late Dr. Woolf OBE was a consultant rheumatologist who died over three years ago. He was awarded the OBE for services to Arthritis Care, which represents sufferers.Asher said, "This is such a lovely way to remember Douglas and all he did for those with arthritis. As he was a great friend and colleague of my late father, Dr. Richard Asher, I feel especially touched and proud to be able to open the garden in his memory. It's entirely appropriate that people with arthritis will continue to benefit from his life-long work devoted to helping those with this disease." (The Guardian)
Expectant Heather Mills chats away on her mobile - without so much as a pregnant pause.
Heather, 35 - wife of 61-year-old Sir Paul McCartney - made the call while on a lunch trip to a West London restaurant. She is due to give birth in November and proudly showed off her growing bump under a tight vest. Passers-by wondered who she was talking to. But mum's the word. (Sun)
Paul McCartney received an Emmy nomination in the category of "Multicamera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special."
The Nominees: "75th Annual Academy Awards," (ABC); "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories," (CBS); "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band," (CBS); "The 25th Annual Kennedy Center Honors," (CBS); "Paul McCartney Back in the U.S.," (ABC).
The 55th Annual Emmy Awards will be aired on September 21 at the Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles) and will be telecast on Fox (8-11pm ET) Tickets are available. Click here for info.
HEATHER FELT MY STUMP & TOLD ME: YOU'RE RECOVERING SO WELLLaura Range had an emotional meeting with her hero Heather Mills and said, "It's the best moment of my life."
And Heather had moving words of support for the 13- year-old who lost her left leg in a horror accident. She gently touched her wound and said, "The surgeons have done a great job. You're recovering really well."
Laura fought back tears as she replied, "Thank you."
The youngster, whose leg was amputated after she fell under a train six weeks ago, met Heather for the first time after striking up a special friendship - revealed exclusively by The People last week. Sir Paul McCartney's wife - who lost her own left leg in a road accident 10 years ago - invited the teenager to her London home.
Laura, who is still determined to become a dancer, said, "When I first set eyes on her I couldn't believe how beautiful she was - she's gorgeous. She told me all about how she lost her leg and then gave me advice on how to stay healthy and to keep my leg strong. Then we talked about my passion - dancing. Heather suddenly got up and did a little twirl followed by some dance moves. I was amazed. You couldn't tell she had a false leg at all -- she was so elegant and graceful."
Heather, 35, who is expecting a baby in October, then confided in Laura, "I love dancing - I'm always the last one off the dance floor. You and I are very similar."
But the closest moment came when Heather offered to show Laura her own stump by taking off her astonishingly-realistic artificial limb. Then she asked to see Laura's leg. Laura, from Bootle on Merseyside, said, "I was a bit nervous. I don't like looking at it because I think it's ugly but Heather had shown me hers so I didn't feel so bad about showing her mine."
Heather gently ran her fingers over it and said, "That's beautiful." At that point, tears stung Laura's eyes. "I'll never forget now that my leg is beautiful," she said. "I won't be embarrassed or ashamed about it because Heather has made me feel confident. And just because I am different from other people it doesn't mean I am not as capable or beautiful as them. Heather also told me she wants to see me dance one day. Now I'm more determined than ever."
After the hour-long meeting Laura, her mum Karen, 47, and her brothers Lee, 20, and David, 25, enjoyed a fantastic day out in London courtesy of The People. We put the family up in a top hotel, showed them the sights, then took them to the West End musical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
Afterwards Laura said, "I've never seen a musical before so that was a brilliant experience. I wanted to be up there dancing on stage and one day I know that I will."
Heather told the People, "Laura is very courageous. I've promised that when I go up to Liverpool we'll go swimming together. I know that she will go on to inspire many other amputees, especially young girls."
The People has launched an appeal to help buy Laura artificial limbs throughout her life. Please send checks, made out to The Laura Range Appeal, to Laura's Appeal, The People, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AP. (People UK)
Tony Bennett played the Royal Albert Hall on July 4 and met with Paul and Heather backstage before and after the concert. When Bennett sang "Let the Good Times Roll" with BB. King, Paul and actor Kevin Spacey led the crowd in cheering Bennett. Paul also talked to pianist/arranger/producer, John Oddo (worked with Sting, Billy Joel, Rosemary Clooney, Nelson Riddle, Linda Ronstat, Woody Herman) for close to 50 minutes backstage.
Shock-Father of rock Alice Cooper was elected Liverpool's new leader. Cooper entertained (July 6) with a set of classic hits that had fans voting for more. The noisy crowd of headbangers, a mixture of young and old, lapped up a succession of hits from Alice's 70s golden era - and they all stood the test of time.
The nephew of Sir Paul McCartney got the crowd in the mood before Cooper's appearance. Josh McCartney, son of Sir Paul's brother Mike, is the drummer with the support group Liverpool band Trilby. (Liverpool Echo)
Over a cappuccino, Stella McCartney and some of her closest friends are discussing a pressing project. The subject is not her next fashion collection, however, but the arrangements for one of the most important days of her life.
Sitting outside The Store organic restaurant, near her £2.5 million ($4 million) Notting Hill home, McCartney and friends are studying the seating plan for her forthcoming wedding. The fashion designer is due to marry boyfriend Alasdhair Willis on Kintyre - the Scottish peninsula made famous by her father's 1977 chart-topper Mull Of Kintyre. The couple are expected to exchange vows on Saddell Beach - one of Stella's late mother Linda's favorite spots.Like any bride-to-be, she is discovering what a minefield wedding planning can be. Whether her stepmother Heather Mills McCartney - with whom she is said to have a tense relationship - will be on the guest list is still unclear.
Sir Paul McCartney, 60, married 35-year-old Heather last summer and they are expecting their first child this year. (Evening Standard)
The July 15 issue of the Globe features Paul and Heather on page 36 with a photo of Heather in her graduation gown picking up her honorary degree at Open Universary last month and a mention of Paul's surprise birthday party. They are also mentioned in Ivana Trump's "Advice" column.
Pregnant Heather Mills was in full bloom as she hit the shops in London, Tuesday, July 8. The 35-year-old wife of ex-Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney, 61, proudly showed off her bump in a flowery sun dress.
The couple are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child in October. It is hoped the new arrival - who, if a boy, is expected to be called Joe after Paul's favorite uncle - will heal the rumored rift between Heather and Paul's four grown- up children.
The former model certainly looked lost in thought as she took a cab to Soho and browsed shops for nursery items yesterday. The pregnancy is a dream come true for Heather, who has a false leg after a road accident. She said she feared she would never have a baby following two ectopic pregnancies and treatment for cancer. The baby is believed to have been conceived while the couple were in Mexico. (Daily Record)
SOON I'LL HAVE A NEW LEG LIKE HEATHER MILLS... AND I KNOW I'LL DANCE AGAIN
Brave Laura Range shuffles on to the carpet with her trouser leg flapping behind her and smiles, "You wait, one day I'll have a leg just like Heather Mills."
And that's not all. The determined 13-year-old - who lost her limb in a train accident - vows she will still be a dancer. She says, "Just because I have one leg doesn't mean I can't dance. If Heather can do it then so can I."
Laura has been inspired by Sir Paul McCartney's wife - who lost a leg 10 years ago - and the pair have formed an amazing bond. Heather, 35, said last night, "Laura is a very positive girl and I'm sure that with the right encouragement she will achieve her ambition to be a dancer."
Laura gave her heart-warming interview to "The People" just six weeks after her left leg was amputated below the knee when she fell into the path of a train. Showing incredible courage, she says, "I know that I could be dead right now so I don't feel sorry for myself."
Next week the teenager has her first measurement for a prosthetic limb. "I can't wait," she says excitedly. "As soon as I've got my leg I'm going back to dance classes. Nothing will keep me away."
After hearing of the accident, pregnant Heather, 34, sent Laura a personally-inscribed copy of her auto-biography "A Single Step." She wrote, "Stay strong and brave and most of all remember all will be well. With determination you will achieve all your dreams and more."
Laura - who keeps by her bed a favorite picture of Heather rollerblading - plans to meet her idol soon. She was still in intensive care when Heather visited her family shortly after the tragedy. The youngster says, "I've got so many questions for Heather. I think we're similar because we both lost our left legs, which were even amputated at the same point. I just want to say thank you because her words are with me all the time. I want to be like her, an inspiration to others."
Laura recalls the night when she fell into the path of a train. She was waiting on Sandhills station to catch a train for the six-minute journey to Bootle, Liverpool, when a girlfriend got into a scuffle with a boy. Laura tried to intervene but she fell on to the track as the train pulled in. She was dragged 30 yards before the engine stopped and doctors were forced to amputate the leg at the scene while Laura was conscious. She says, "I was in shock and screaming. I remember somersaulting on to the tracks, hitting my head and seeing the train coming towards me. The next thing I knew I was lying in the sidings and looked down to see my leg split in two."
Engineers lifted the front carriage of the train to free Laura while doctors spent two and a half hours amputating the leg. Mum Karen, 47, had to wait nearby away from the scene and then followed the ambulance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool. Karen, who praised her daughter's courage, says, "I felt so helpless. I was right there but they wouldn't let me see her. When I got to the hospital a paramedic told me about the amputation. I was devastated. It was the worst day of my life and I just sobbed and sobbed. But then he told me it was a miracle Laura was alive at all and I realized how lucky she'd been."
For the next five days, her three elder brothers joined Karen and dad Keith, 46, in a bedside vigil as Laura battled to survive. She says she only realized the horror of what had happened after waking - drowsy from pain-killing morphine. Laura, whose cousin is Sugababe Heidi Range, says, "When I looked down and saw that half my leg wasn't there, I thought it had gone through the bed and got stuck. Finally, I managed to lift up the top of the bed clothes and when I saw nothing was at the bottom I started screaming. The nurses calmed me down and told me what had happened. I was so sad. I thought I'd be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life and that I'd never dance again."
Laura's high fitness levels from regular jazz dance classes meant she made a quick recovery. She was home within two weeks and learning to use her crutches. But like any adult would, let alone a 13 year old, Laura admits she has her dark moments. She says,"I'm more scared now than I was. I get scared in cars and I don't like the dark. I try to block the accident out of my mind by drawing or listening to music but sometimes I have nightmares. I don't like looking at the stump - I think it looks horrible but I hope that gets better as it heals. Also, looking at it makes me feel angry and frustrated. I try not to let it get me down. People give me half-smiles of sympathy but I don't want that. I don't want pity. I'm going to prove to everyone that I can do all the things other people can do."
Heather is certain she will. She added, "I hope in a very short time to see her dance." (Sunday People)
Fashion designer Stella McCartney has received an honorary degree from Dundee University for her "innovative and inspirational work".
She was handed the Doctor of Laws (LLD) on Tuesday during a ceremony at Sadler's Wells in Islington, north London. The 31-year-old said, "I am very very proud. I wouldn't have thought it. It's the sort of thing you don't imagine when you are a kid in college."
The acclaimed designer chose to wear a tailored black trouser suit and white shirt, with her hair swept back, to collect the doctorate from the University Chancellor Sir James Black. She also met students from the university's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and previewed some of their work.
A university spokeswoman said she had been given the honorary degree "for her services to design and to honor her innovative design" and called her "an inspiration to students."Miss McCartney said, "It's a massive honor to be an inspiration to anyone. It was wonderful looking at their work. I am looking forward to seeing more."
The daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney worked with Christian Lacroix on his first couture collection at the age of 15. She later studied fashion design at London's St Martin's College of Art and Design. But it was her graduation show that included supermodel friends Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss on the catwalk, and her proud parents watching from the front row, that made the front pages of the national press.
She was appointed chief designer at French couture house Chloe in 1997 but left in 2001 to join the Gucci Group where she developed her own label under her name. Miss McCartney, who is due to marry former magazine publisher Alasdhair Willis in the Argyllshire peninsula, Scotland, this month, recently opened her first stores in New York and London and launched her own perfume. (BBC News)
Heather Mills-McCartney was the keynote speaker on July 5 at the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) 13th Annual Educational Conference and Exposition at the Boston Westin Copley Place hotel.
Paul was not with her, he was at the Yankee/Red Sox baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Heather signed autographs and for one couple who produced Paul's Isle Of Man (order here) postage stamps ( Adopt-A-Minefield benefits from stamp sales), Heather kissed Paul's photo on the cover before she signed and said, "I'm sorry I HAVE to kiss this!"
DID McCARTNEY'S "YESTERDAY" GET A NUDGE FROM NAT?Music experts say Sir Paul McCartney subconsciously borrowed the melody of his classic ballad "Yesterday" from a Nat King Cole record.
The origins of "Yesterday," which has been recorded by more than 2,000 artists and played on the radio more than six million times, has always been a mystery -- not least to McCartney himself.
He woke up in his flat in London in May 1965 with the song in his head. He realized that he might have borrowed the arrangement from another song and asked friends if they could suggest any similar tunes. They convinced him it was his and that it had come to him in a dream.
Now musicologists have identified echoes of "Answer Me," the 1953 U.K. hit for both Frankie Laine and David Whitfield, which was later covered by Cole. They say the melodies, the rhythmic phrasing, the musical cadences and even the words strongly resemble each other. The experts believe that McCartney, aged 11, heard Cole's version and retained it in his subconscious until he came to write the music for Yesterday 11 years later.
The lyrics were written later on a drive from Lisbon to the Algarve with his then girlfriend, Jane Asher, the actress. They include: "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as though they're here to stay." "Answer Me" has the lines: "Yesterday I believed that love was here to stay, won't you tell me where I've gone astray."
The similarity was spotted by Spencer Leigh, a pop historian who has interviewed McCartney on a program that he hosts on Radio Merseyside. Leigh explored the links between the songs for a book about the Beatles called "The Walrus was Ringo." He said, "McCartney was working with this melody in his head which he realized was a cracking tune. He was playing it to people saying, 'Don't you recognize this?' "I wonder what might have happened if somebody had said, 'Isn't it like Answer Me?' He might have forgotten "Yesterday" and we would have lost one of the world's great songs."
Leigh's co-author, Alan Clayson, who has written separate biographies of the Beatles, said, "It is not plagiarism. He was worried that he had subconsciously lifted it."
Dominic Pedler, who deconstructs songs to show how musicians came to write them, supports the "Answer Me" theory in his forthcoming book, "The Songwriting Secrets" of the Beatles. "There are some uncanny similarities: the overlap of lyrics, the multiple rhyming emphasis on words ending with 'ay,' the similar scan of the songs," he said. "McCartney didn't hijack the song, but he must have been inspired by it."
None of the other Beatles played during the song and would leave McCartney to perform it alone on stage. Released as a single in the United States it immediately went to number one.
Hunter Davies, the Beatles' official biographer, said, "Paul will remember "Answer Me." It was a popular ballad before rock 'n' roll came along. I have never thought it was similar to "Yesterday," but I can vaguely see it now."
However, Geoff Baker, McCartney's spokesman, said, "To me the two songs are about as similar as 'Get Back' and 'God Save the Queen.'" (Sunday Times) (hear a comparison of both songs on the NPR site)
Here's what the 'subscribers only' cover of the July 7th Forbes magazine looks like. Two covers were made. The one that is on newsstands is of Jennifer Anistan who ranked number 1 in their "Top 100 Celebrity List."
Paul McCartney places 6th in Forbes "Top 100 Celebrity List." The list takes into consideration earnings, press clippings, radio, TV coverage and web hits. Paul placed behind: 1.) Jennifer Aniston 2.) Eminem and Dr. Dre 3.) Tiger Woods 4.) Steven Spielberg 5.) Jennifer Lopez (Yahoo News)
Stella McCartney grew up thinking that everybody she met hated her, because of her famous father. The 31-year-old designer, who is shortly expected to marry her publisher boyfriend, Alasdhair Willis, admitted on a BBC 1 documentary that fame made her paranoid as a child. "You think everybody hates you," she said.
Now well known in her own right, Stella does not consider herself in any way worthy of the "mega superstar" fame that her father, Paul, has enjoyed for so many years. In fact, it was his level of fame that made her angry in the past, as she was constantly bothered by strangers asking, "how's your dad?" "People don't generally go up to people and go 'Hi, how's your dad?'" she said. "And that can get quite irritating after a while. So you're like, 'Yeah, he's fine - how's your dad?' You can get quite aggressive. I'm not as bad now because hopefully people judge me on what I do for a living."
Featuring affectionate input from Gucci creative director Tom Ford, Anna Wintour, editor of US Vogue, (who credited Stella with being the first designer to "put girls on the runway in sexy blouses and tight pants"), and Gwyneth Paltrow, plus a seriously sexy flash of Stella dancing around her sitting room with Liv Tyler and Kate Moss, "Imagine - Stella's Story" failed to touch on either of the controversial relationships in her life - with Phoebe Philo or her stepmother Heather Mills.
Documenting her impressive rise through the international fashion ranks, it was in part a tribute to her mother Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998, and whom Stella credits as being the biggest influence on her life. "Everybody always says that about their mums," she said. "Except my mum was just the best, that's all. It wasn't only her clothes and style, but it was her personality, which was natural and real."(For an in-depth article on Stella click here)
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt are the world's most attractive celebrity couple, according to a poll. The pair got nearly twice as many votes as their nearest rivals, David and Victoria Beckham. Hollywood's golden couple came out on top in the survey commissioned by Sky One.
But when it came to voting for the world's most romantic couple, Posh and Becks won hands down. Aniston and Pitt came second, followed by wife Neil and Christine Hamilton. Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, who are expecting their first baby, also scored highly in the romance stakes, as did Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas. The survey was commissioned to coincide with Sky One's new series, "When Celebrities Attract" which is on tomorrow in the UK at 9pm GMT. (Ananova)
Paul and Heather were spotted Friday, July 4 watching Andy Roddick of the U.S., play against Switzerland's Roger Federer, during the Men's Singles tennis semifinal match at Wimbledon.
Paul McCartney has agreed to play the Glastonbury Festival next June.
There being a mere year left to arrange the next weekend, organizer Michael Eavis has already been working on the line-up for Glasto 2004."I've got three headliners for next year," said Eavis. The main acts are to be the two giants responsible for making doves cry and frogs chorus: Prince and Paul McCartney, with either Oasis or Coldplay. (Pop Bites)
August 2003
August 31, 2003 -- AP
Celebrities including Madonna, Chrissie Hynde and Sharleen Spiteri remained tightlipped about the apparent wedding of designer Stella McCartney and publisher Alasdhair Willis as they left this remote Scottish island Sunday.
Pretenders singer Hynde would only say that the 31-year-old daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney looked "beautiful'' when asked about the ceremony.
"It was good. It has been a lovely week,'' said Spiteri of the rock band Texas, as she boarded a coach to leave the island.
Hordes of reporters, who have spent days trying to glean information about the closely guarded wedding, were left disappointed when both singers declined to comment on McCartney's dress.Madonna remained in a Range Rover with blacked out windows during the ferry crossing back to the mainland, while her husband Guy Ritchie strolled around on deck.
Gavin Nielson, 18, said the celebrity couple said nothing about the wedding when he was briefly introduced to them by his father, who is the local harbor master. "They looked a bit tired. Madonna was wearing a knitted jumper and a black beret tilted to one side, and she smiled at me,'' he said. "She didn't say anything about the wedding. I suppose I was a little bit star-struck.''
August 31, 2003 -- Sunday Mirror
She's one of Europe's most in-demand fashion designers and her clothes are the definition of expensive cool. So what did veggie Stella McCartney serve up for her wedding feast yesterday but that 70s favorite...the mushroom vol-au-vent.OK, so her celebrity caterers described them as "organic puff pastry filled with wild mushrooms" but there was no getting away from the truth. And so it was that the showbiz circus rolled on to Scotland's sleepy Isle of Bute yesterday for the wedding of Stella and magazine magnate Alasdhair Willis.
But behind the happy families act, there were fears that the vol-au-vents could start flying if Stella, 31, and her new stepmum Heather Mills crossed each other. It's said Stella doesn't see eye-to-eye with pregnant Heather, the young second wife of her Beatles legend father Sir Paul.
An American guest said of the relationship between her and pregnant Heather: "I am told it's gotten worse recently. All eyes will be on her and Heather hoping that the pair get on. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a tense occasion."
Meanwhile ex-SAS security guards lurked in the undergrowth surrounding Mount Stuart House, where the Stella tied the knot with groom Alasdhair Willis yesterday at 4pm. Cheers were heard from inside the house shortly before 5pm, suggesting they had finally been pronounced man and wife.
Nothing was left to chance at the immaculate stately home owned by Jonny Dumfries, the Marquis of Bute and a close family friend of the McCartneys. Trip wires were placed in the undergrowth, roadblocks were set up and 100 security guards roamed the area. Locals whose homes are on the Mount Stuart estate were given special ID tags - without which they couldn't pass through. Workers involved in the bash - from cleaners to waitresses to bar staff - were ordered to sign confidentiality agreements and employees at hotels block-booked by the wedding party were also required to sign pledges not to speak about their guests.
Celebrities such as Madonna and film director husband Guy Ritchie arrived at the house shielded from view in a fleet of Range Rovers with blacked-out windows. But mystified tourists and locals were last night asking whether the £100,000 ($158,000)security operation was really necessary.
American tourist Sheila Smith, 61, from North Carolina, said she was disappointed the big names didn't show their faces. She said, "It's a shame that they've been so secretive about it all. Everyone knows they are here and we are all really keen to see them."
The final straw for many came on Friday night when locals in Kingarth were turned away from the village pub to make way for Stella's hen-night. Yesterday morning a dozen horses arrived in to ferry the bridal party by cart through the 300-acre estate, which boasts a racing track, beach and private moorings.
Sir Paul, who footed the bill for the extravaganza, arrived on Friday with Heather. They flew from London to Glasgow Prestwick by private jet before continuing to Bute by helicopter.
Other guests including supermodel Moss flew to Glasgow International and took the ferry from Wemyss Bay.
Stella and Alasdhair married in Mount Stuart Chapel - decked out in carrerra marble which turns blood red when sunlight hits the walls. After the ceremony the guests poured into the Grand Hall where they were met by the pipe band.
Stella had commissioned designers to transform the marble hall with exotic lime incense candles and heather thistle table decorations - her late mother Linda's favorite scent and flowers.
But celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, wasn't impressed with the food provided by London firm Rhubarb. He said, "I would never have cooked this menu, but she was probably trying to keep all her friends on strict diets happy." He said the mushroom vol-au-vents needed "some meat or fish" to liven them up. "Prawns or seabass would have been good."
THE GUESTS
FAMILY: Paul McCartney and his wife Heather, sisters Mary and Heather and brother James, uncle Mike McGear and his wife Rowena, Alasdhair's parents Robert and Olwyn.
FRIENDS: Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie with daughter Lourdes and son Rocco, Kate Moss and boyfriend Jefferson Hack, Liv Tyler and her husband Royston Langdon, Gwyneth Paltrow and boyfriend Chris Martin, George Martin and wife Judy, Gucci boss Tom Ford with his partner Richard Buckley, Hugh Grant, Chrissie Hynde, Sharleen Spiteri, Ringo Starr's daughter Lee Starkey and Pierce Brosnan.
THE WEDDING MENU
Dozens of chefs from top London based catering firm Rhubarb were drafted in to provide the food for Stella's wedding.
The wedding reception dinner was a strictly vegetarian affair in accordance with Stella's beliefs.
Starter
Artichoke souffle with artichoke puree with bay leaves and truffle buerre blanc.
Main
Organic puff pastry filled with wild mushrooms and truffle cream with beans and parmesan mash
Dessert
Wild strawberries and berries with cream
August 31, 2003 -- Sunday Times
Sir Paul McCartney paid £2 million ($3.1 million) to keep the marriage yesterday of his fashion designer daughter Stella a closely guarded affair.Celebrity magazines such as Hello! and OK! were given short shrift as the McCartneys threw the biggest showbiz wedding party since Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones married in New York nearly three years ago.
Mindful of the spat and courtroom battle that followed that ceremony, the family would have nothing to do with bids of up to £1million($1.5 million) to help stage the wedding.
A friend of McCartney said, "Paul is paying for it. We wouldn't do anything with the celebrity magazines. That would be Stella's shout but she wouldn't do that in a month of Sundays."
Stella, 31, married the publisher Alasdhair Willis, also 31, on a Scottish estate. Sir Paul, 61, who was accompanied by his pregnant wife Heather, 35, gave his daughter away in a private chapel.
A star-studded reception was then held at the adjoining Mount Stuart house on the Isle of Bute, ancestral home of the seventh Marquis of Bute Johnny Dumfries, the former Formula One driver who is a close family friend.
Among those waiting to congratulate the couple in the Great Hall were Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie; Gywneth Paltrow, the star of Shakespeare in Love, and her boyfriend Chris Martin, lead singer with Coldplay; Liv Tyler, the Lord of the Rings actress; and the 007 star Pierce Brosnan.
Those from the world of music included Chrissie Hynde, vocalist with the Pretenders, and Sharleen Spiteri, singer with Texas. From fashion came the supermodel Kate Moss and Stella's boss at Gucci, Tom Ford, who helped her design her wedding dress.
The flowers alone, flown in specially like most of the guests cost an estimated £100,000 ($158,000). A 50-strong army of security guards cost another £100,000.
The groom had spent the wedding eve sailing around Bute in the £6m ($9.5 million) yacht Drum. The boat was previously owned by Simon Le Bon, the Duran Duran singer who nearly drowned after it overturned in storms off Cornwall in 1985.
When it set sail again at lunchtime yesterday observers believed it was carrying the bride and groom to a beach ceremony on the Mull of Kintyre, a favorite spot of Stella's mother, Linda McCartney, who died of breast cancer five years ago. The location also provided the inspiration for McCartney's 1977 number one hit of the same name.
Instead Clydesdale horses were hitched to rustic open-top carriages to carry the bridal party to the gothic-style house where the couple were married in a marble-walled chapel. Later a pipe band played as they mixed with guests on the lawns outside before eating a vegetarian meal.
Visit Scotland took advantage of the nuptials to drum up more wedding business, pointing out that 30% of the 30,000 marriages that take place there each year are between couples who live outside Scotland. The trend was started by Madonna and Ritchie at their wedding at Skibo Castle in 2000.
August 31, 2003 -- Sky NewsStella McCartney has married fiance Alasdhair Willis in a dress similar to that which her mother wore when she wed Beatle Sir Paul.
Tight security surrounded the lavish reception on the Scottish island of Bute, attended by showbiz celebrities such as Madonna and Coldplay's Chris Martin.
The bride's outfit was said to be like the fawn dress and yellow coat worn by her late mother, Linda, when she married Sir Paul at a London registry office in 1969.
Fashion queen Stella was said to have paid an emotional tribute to her mother, who died of cancer five years ago. Sir Paul was said to have entertained guests with a five-minute set dedicated to the happy couple, both aged 31.
Locals were said to have been bemused by the influx of stars. Kate Moss was said to have been spotted downing gin and tonics at a local watering hole while eating crisps.
Sir Paul was said to have cheekily nicked a chip from a 12-year-old girl's plate at a pub while having a quick pint with Chris Martin.
August 30, 2003 -- News of the WorldMushroom pie, veggie sausages and cheesy mash were the centerpiece of the meat-free feast following Stella's McCartney's wedding to publisher Alasdhair Willis.
Stella's dad Sir Paul McCartney, who stumped up £2million ($3.1 million) for the three-day event surrounding the wedding, and his wife Heather Mills were among 150 guests watching the couple tie the knot on Scotland's Isle Of Bute.
Guests were taken to and from the estate's historic chapel by horse and carriage and were handed a glass of mead wine as they arrived for the 3pm ceremony.
Macca is thought to have entertained guests with a five-minute musical set dedicated to his daughter and the groom, who are both 31.
Stella and Heather, who can't stand each other, kept the peace for the day although the designer paid an emotional tribute to her beloved mum Linda, who died of cancer five years ago.
After the ceremony, guests drank champagne on the lawn before dinner in the Great Hall. It was decorated with simple white flowers which were later used to form the initials S and A outside the chapel entrance. A lone piper played on the roof of the entrance as guests filed out.
August 30, 2003 -- The ScotsmanThe Isle of Bute had not witnessed an invasion like it since the Viking hordes pillaged Rothesay in the 15th century.
A constellation of stars from the worlds of fashion, music and drama descended on the small island in the Firth of Clyde for the wedding of Stella McCartney - daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul - and her 31-year-old fiance, Alasdhair Willis.
But while the Norse invaders were intent on grabbing as much booty as possible, it was hardly a concern for the super-rich glitterati, whose number included Madonna and the supermodel Kate Moss. The endless procession of catering trucks thundering up and down the island suggested that the celebrity visitors would want for nothing and be lavishly wined and dined.
More than 100 guests were bussed into historic Mount Stuart House, owned by the Marquess of Bute. The wedding was held in the Gothic chapel which is attached to the elegant stately home, set in 300 acres of land.
Hollywood actress Liv Tyler was on board one of the coaches and smiled for photographers who had been waiting since early morning. Three coaches arrived and four blacked-out Range Rovers drove into Mount Stuart shortly after 3pm as helicopters hovered in the cloudy skies above.
The Marquess - who is better known as the former Formula One racing driver Johnny Dumfries - and his wife Serena are close personal friends of the McCartneys.
For more than a month, employees at the stately home had denied all knowledge of an impending wedding, rubbishing local rumours that the island would host the occasion.
A farcical game of cat and mouse continued right up until Friday, with the swarthy, gum-chewing security guards manning Mount Stuart's perimeter insisting that a "gas conference" was the only event booked for the weekend.
The Marquess was under strict instructions from the McCartneys to divert media attention from the event, but the small island community of about 6,000 inhabitants were not fooled. Hotels were block-booked weeks in advance, and Rothesay's pipe band were asked to play at the wedding reception. Alas, one of the band members bragged publicly about the impending celebrity engagement, and a furious Marquess cancelled the gig. Instead, the Campbeltown Pipe Band were asked to provide the entertainment, Sir Paul having famously used the band 25 years ago on 'Mull of Kintyre'.
By the middle of last week, it was clear that something out of the ordinary was afoot, but Mount Stuart's press office continued to insist that they were merely gearing up for a gas conference. A heightened police presence in Rothesay's town centre and increased activity around the island's small airport - basically a runway and shed - suggested that something rather more opulent was about to take place.
Dag Crawford, owner of the Port Royal Hotel, said: "My place was suddenly full of people scribbling into notepads and ordering large vodkas well into the night. It could only mean one thing... the press were in town."
Locals flocked to the Calmac Ferry terminal on Friday and yesterday as some of the entertainment world's most illustrious names arrived in town. Pop chanteuse and actress Madonna - who also famously married in Scotland - was spotted in her jeep disembarking from the 7pm sailing from Wemyss Bay, closely followed by a procession of luvvies that included Pierce Brosnan, Liv Tyler and Gwyneth Paltrow.
"I couldn't believe it, Rod Stewart got out of a silver Jag and hid himself in the boot (trunk) of the car to avoid the crowds," said one celebrity spotter.
Meanwhile, regulars at Wemyss Bay's Station Bar - an earthy, drinking man's shop - spluttered into pints of heavy as supermodel Kate Moss swanned up to the counter and ordered a drink. There was another surreal spectacle in Rothesay on Friday night when opera doyen Luciano Pavarotti allegedly ordered a fish supper from Zavaroni's seafront cafe.
Zavaroni's, owned by relatives of the late singer and child star Lena, is just one of the many places on the island associated with the entertainment business. Lord (Richard) Attenborough owns a house and a large acreage of land at Rhubodach, and veteran Scottish comedian Johnny Beattie moved there from the mainland a few years ago. Rather less impressively, the brother of one of the Krankies runs a sub post office in Ardbeg.
But not everyone was happy with the intrusion. A young couple, the Perrys, married on the island on Friday and held their reception at St Blane's Hotel in picturesque Kilchattan Bay.
Unaware of the more famous betrothal due to take place a mile or two up the road, they had chosen the location for its tranquility and serene surroundings. Alas, a posse of reporters doorstepped St Blane's Hotel with an armoury of cameras, tape recorders and notepads.
The poor couple were pestered with requests for interviews on their big day, and seemed rather put out by the evolving media scrum.
Half a mile up the road in Kingarth, staff at the local hotel poo-pooed all knowledge of the McCartney wedding. The Marquess had booked guests into hotels all over the island, but owners had been warned not to divulge names of their guests to the public or press.
In the Kingarth Hotel's public bar on Friday afternoon, and in an amazing coincidence, visitors heard one of Sir Paul's ditties from the 1970s - 'Maybe I'm Amazed' - blaring out of the CD player. Alas, staff denied that any celebrity guests were lodging at the hotel, and promptly shut up shop at 6pm.
Security around Mount Stuart yesterday was tightened after rumours began spreading that a television cameraman and several paparazzi had breached the grounds to get closer to the action. Guards camped out all night at every entrance to the estate to send off would-be gatecrashers.
"It would be easier getting into Fort Knox," said one exasperated journalist. Another lamented the lack of information about the wedding being relayed by Mount Stuart employees, "It's like trying to get blood out of a stone."
Indeed, the occasion was cloaked in such secrecy that rumours abounded to the effect that the couple had actually tied the knot in Mull of Kintyre earlier in the day, before helicoptering over to Bute for the post-marital shindig.
In the end, it didn't really matter, because islanders had already enjoyed their brief and unlikely moment in the headlines. And it didn't rain, either.
August 30, 2003 -- Sunday MailScotland's most famous horses were the star guests at the A-list wedding of fashion designer Stella McCartney. The daughter of Sir Paul chose four giant Clydesdales to carry her and groom Alasdhair Willis to the altar. The pair married inside a chapel in the stunning Mount Stuart stately home on the Isle of Bute yesterday afternoon.
Scores of friends and relatives joined the happy couple to celebrate their big day - including some of the world's best-known names and her dad's favourite pipe band. Guests included Stella's best pal Kate Moss, Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie, Gwyneth Paltrow and her lover Coldplay pop star Chris Martin, actress Liv Tyler, Sting and rock singer Chrissie Hynde.
Stella, 31, wed former magazine publisher Alasdhair, also 31, in a romantic ceremony at the home of former racing driver Johnny Dumfries, the Marquis of Bute.
Before arriving for the ceremony, the bride and groom toured the Mount Stuart estate in individual carriages drawn by Clydesdales.
Wearing an antique lace gown, designed by herself and her Gucci boss Tom Ford, Stella made her way down the aisle on the arm of her dad, Sir Paul. Groom Alasdhair was in full Highland dress. After a 20-minute service, the couple exchanged vows that they had written themselves. Guests were then transported by horse-drawn carts to a reception marquee on Mount Stuart's lawn. The four traditional carts, each pulled by two Clydesdale horses, were loaned to the couple by farmer John McMillan, who also acted as the newlywed's coachman.
Last night, John's wife, Catherine said, "Up until the last minute we didn't know if Mount Stuart management wanted the horses for the wedding. They were still telling us this weekend they were hosting a gas conference."
Around 40 of Stella's closest friends and family stayed at Mount Stuart the night before but two coaches full of guests, who had stayed in hotels in nearby Rothesay, swept through the gates around 3.30pm. Guests sat down to a three-course meal prepared by top London caterers. It consisted of asparagus tips followed by vegetarian bangers 'n' mash and a chocolate souffle.
The Sunday Mail first revealed Stella's plans to wed in Scotland in tribute to her late mother Linda, who loved the family's farm on the Mull of Kintyre. Stella was expected to get a helicopter to her mum's beloved Saddell Beach for a brief private visit during her stay in Scotland. It was where her dad filmed the famous video for his hit song Mull of Kintyre.
The Campbeltown Pipe Band, who played on the famous 1977 chart-topping single, also entertained the happy couple yesterday. They were rushed to Mount Stuart after appearing at the Cowal Games in Dunoon.
James Bond star Pierce Brosnan and Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri were earlier spotted having a coffee at St Blane's Hotel in the small village of Kilchattan Bay. And Stella's stepmum Heather Mills-McCartney strolled around the seaside shops. The seven-months-pregnant ex-model, accompanied by her sister-in-law, Rowena (Mike McCartney's wife), stepped out of a blacked-out Range Rover and nipped into a local chemist (drug store).
Heather, who is said not to get on with her new stepdaughter, told the Sunday Mail that she was looking forward to the wedding. She said, "Don't ask me any details. I'm not going to be the one who gets into trouble for telling you anything. But you can say I love being back in Scotland. I come here often, because I'm half Scottish. I'm really looking forward to this." Heather said she and Paul were looking forward to the birth of their first baby, adding, "Everything is fine. I'm feeling great."
Security was tight at Mount Stuart, with guards and local police drafted in. A police source said, "We weren't told about this until late last week. Now we've all been called off leave and every officer in the island is here. Mount Stuart is making sure security is extra tight."
Local woman Bridget Crowhurste met Sir Paul McCartney as he, Chris Martin and 20 other wedding guests enjoyed a drink before the ceremony at the Kingarth Hotel.
Bridget said, "He said hello to everyone. We talked to him for a couple of minutes. He was exceptionally polite and looked very relaxed and happy."
Stella had enjoyed a hen party in the same hotel - under tight security. One local said, "The road was closed to let all the girls in. I heard they had a great time."
August 30, 2003 -- Irish Examiner
Two hours before his daughter was due to get married, Paul McCartney and Coldplay's Chris Martin were in a pub in Kingarth with a group of other men.
Bridget Crowhurst, a classroom assistant, went into the pub along with her 10-year-old daughter Lauren and a number of other schoolgirls who had been on a riding lesson. She said, "I said to Sir Paul that I believed his daughter had been out riding yesterday. Sir Paul said to me 'Yes, she had a long ride thank you very much.' I said to him that I hoped he had a nice day and he thanked me once again."
Crowhurst, who lives on the island, said the former Beatle was chatting to Martin. She said, "He looked very happy and well. He seemed very relaxed and in fact he looked a lot younger than I thought he would. He was very pleasant and very polite."
After finishing his meal McCartney and Martin left the pub but the ex-Beatle pinched a chip from the plate of another of the schoolgirls, 12-year-old Jennifer Dougal. She said, "There were some chips in some tinfoil on the table and he nicked one of them and as he was leaving he said, 'See you later, gang'."
Meanwhile, outside the main entrance to Mount Stuart two locals later claimed that they had breached the tight security and had wandered around only 100 yards from the house. Stuart Reynolds, a 35-year-old electrician from Rothesay, said he and his friend Robert Charker, 28, had not been challenged as they strolled through sculpted gardens next to the house. They claimed they took pictures of wedding guests and that they saw a number of people drinking champagne on the lawn.
Reynolds said, "We had heard that there was all this tight security and I suppose we just dared ourselves to go in. We could see a marquee (tent) and men dressed in kilts and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. We also heard what sounded like a pipe band playing in the background." He said that he was not sure if he saw the bride or the groom but that he had seen a woman dressed in cream with lots of people surrounding her. He claimed that they left after taking the photographs.
August 30, 2003 -- Daily Record UK
Stella McCartney flew into Scotland yesterday (Friday August 29) for the society wedding of the year - with her proud dad at her side. There was no expense spared on security and dad Sir Paul chartered a private jet to take him, his daughter and his pregnant wife Heather to Prestwick Airport.
Paul was first to emerge from the jet and braved the sudden downpour at Prestwick Airport. He stood on the tarmac waiting for designer Stella and Heather. Any signs of a reported rift between Stella and her stepmother were absent as the two came off the aircraft and handed their luggage to ground staff. Within five minutes, they were whisked by choppers to the Isle of Bute where Stella will marry sweetheart Alasdhair Willis today.
And Rothesay became Scotland's very own Cannes as a galaxy of stars followed in their wake. Among them was pop queen Madonna, who travelled by ferry, but did not emerge from her car, which had tinted windows, for the short trip.
The McCartneys went to extra- ordinary lengths to hide from the eyes of the world as they prepared for the wedding. Their helicopter arrived on Bute within 20 minutes, landing at a tiny airfield minutes from the location of the wedding. A Jeep carrying two of Rock Steady security's biggest bodyguards, and a top of the range LandRover with blacked out windows, sped down the quiet country road towards the airfield as the helicopter landed.
Within a few minutes, Stella, Paul and Heather disappeared into the 300- acre grounds of Mount Stuart Estate, where they will hold the reception tonight. Shortly after they arrived, a galaxy of stars including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, singer Chrissie Hynde and supermodel Kate Moss all arrived at Glasgow Airport from London. They were whisked off from the airport by coach and driven to Weymss Bay for the short ferry trip to the island. Hollywood babe Liv Tyler, who has modelled Stella's creations, arrived by chauffeur-driven Jaguar and was keen to take the sea air on the ferry.
Stella's close working companion, Gucci designer Tom Ford, had his own private jet and looked relaxed as he arrived at Prestwick.
Stella, 31, deliberately chose Mount Stuart Estate for its seclusion. Her family are close friends of estate owner the Marquis of Bute, the former racing driver, Johnny Dumfries. Insiders say he has gone out of his way to help Stella and has promised nothing will spoil her big day.
Over the past few months the McCartneys have gone to amazing lengths to keep Stella's wedding under wraps but now the well- kept secret is finally out. The couple are expected to say their marriage vows on a secluded beach around lunchtime, as their guests share the special moment from the beautiful shore and from luxury yachts which will be around the bay.
August 30, 2003 -- BBC News
Celebrities have been flocking to a Scottish island which is expected to host designer Stella McCartney's wedding celebration. The daughter of the former Beatle, Sir Paul, is widely predicted to be marrying publisher Alasdhair Willis on Bute.
More than 100 guests were bussed into a stately home amid tight security on the island on Saturday afternoon. Actress Liv Tyler was seen smiling for photographers on board one of three coaches which arrived at Mount Stuart shortly after 1500 BST (10am ET). It will be Scotland's biggest celebrity wedding since the marriage of Madonna and Guy Ritchie in the Highlands in 2000.On that occasion McCartney was the designer of the pop star's wedding dress. She has remained tight-lipped about when and where she will marry Willis. However, on Friday a stream of celebrities made the journey to the west coast island on the ferry from Wemyss Bay. They included Madonna and her film director husband.
Kate Moss, former Pretenders star Chrissie Hynde and Coldplay's Chris Martin were also aboard the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to Rothsay. Some of the stars joined locals for a drink in the Station Bar at Wemyss Bay before making the journey.
Guy Ritchie and son Rocco Guy Ritchie arrived with his son Rocco. Those seen on Rothesay on Saturday included James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri and Heather Mills-McCartney, who arrived at Prestwick Airport on Friday with her husband, Sir Paul.
Mount Stuart is a Victorian Gothic stately home set amid 300 acres of landscaped gardens. It is owned by former Formula 1 racing driver Johnny Dumfries, the seventh Marquis of Bute. There have been reports that the couple, both aged 31, were to be married in a Gothic chapel attached to the home. Officials had said that the house was hosting nothing more than a conference this weekend. However, there are security guards at every entrance and cars with blacked out windows have been seen coming in and out.
The chief executive of the area's tourist board, James Fraser, said the wedding would generate a huge amount of interest. "We are thrilled Stella McCartney and Alasdhair Willis have decided to get married in the area," he said. "The McCartney family has strong links with the region and have spent a great deal of time in Kintyre over the years. There is no doubt that Paul McCartney helped put the area on the international tourist map and we are sure this wedding will also boost visitor numbers - and even encourage more people to get hitched here." (Photos)
August 30, 2003 -- Sun Herald (Australia)Stella McCartney, fashion designer and daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, is to marry Alasdhair Willis in a star-studded ceremony at one of Scotland's grandest stately homes on the small Isle of Bute.
The main venue for the wedding is Mount Stuart House, the Victorian Gothic family home of the seventh Marquess of Bute, former racing driver Johnny Dumfries. The house, set in 120 lush hectares overlooking the Firth of Clyde, near the Mull of Kintyre, has a large private chapel, the first heated indoor swimming pool built in Britain and a dining room hung with paintings by Reynolds and Gainsborough. A large marquee was erected on the lawn for the wedding.
Throughout Friday, a fleet of Range Rovers with blacked-out windows made trips to and from the harbor to collect guests. Sir Paul, 61, and his wife, Heather Mills-McCartney, 34, flew in by helicopter on Thursday.
Miss McCartney, 31, was said to be having a hen party on the island on Friday night, while her husband-to-be, also 31, was seen joining friends for a picnic lunch on a private cruise around the island.
August 30, 2003 -- The Scotsman
Stella McCartney has won a special dispensation from the Registrar General for Scotland to marry in a secret beach ceremony on or near her family's beloved Scottish estate.The rare permit has allowed McCartney, the daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, to avoid publishing details of her nuptials at a Register Office.
But if the fashion designer hoped to keep the world guessing about her marriage to Alasdhair Willis, the game appeared to be up yesterday, as the rich and famous descended on Bute.
It is expected that Ms McCartney, 31, will marry today in a ceremony, possibly on Saddell beach, at her father's estate on the Mull of Kintyre. The wedding party is then expected to travel to the Mount Stuart stately home, where staff are preparing a reception for 200. It is believed Ms. McCartney will be given away by her father.
August 29, 2003 -- The Sun
Stella McCartney has stunned her super-rich wedding guests - by asking them to fork out on gifts from a list of trees. Stella and groom Alasdhair Willis - who marry on Saturday (August 30) on Scotland's Isle of Bute - want to build their own forest.
Around 200 guests including Madonna, Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and ex-Beatle dad Sir Paul McCartney chose from 324 trees made up of 75 varieties. The saplings will cost from £40 ($63) to £300 ($475) each and the whole bill will hit £60,000 ($94,800).
The newlyweds, both 31, will put each of the bizarre presents in the grounds of their £1.3 million ($2.1 million) Worcestershire country home with a plaque bearing the name of the guest who gave it to them.
And on Friday night The Sun gave the happy couple the wedding gift of their dreams - a pine tree. The £49 ($75) Pinus Nigra sapling even came with its own Sun label - to remind them of our gift.
Meanwhile, guests including Sir Paul, 61, and his wife Heather, 35, were gearing up for the star-studded wedding on Friday as they landed on the island. Famously camera-shy Stella has splashed out more than £100,000 ($158,000) on security to ensure the day remains strictly private. Locals in the tiny fishing community have been given special passes to stop strangers from entering the estate where the reception is expected to be held. And teams of ex-SAS soldiers are guarding check points to stop tourists getting near the 300-acre shore-side grounds of Mount Stuart House.
The guests will be able to see their trees when the couple unveil the forest - which they will call Wedding Wood - to friends and family in the autumn. We have printed a the list of exotic trees the guests are choosing from. The couple even paid tribute to Stella's famous dad by requesting two Scarlet Paul trees. They also wanted 60 Horse Chesnut trees at £175 ($277) each - to line their avenue.LIST OF TREES:
£40 ($63) Himalayan birch, Cedar of Lebanon, Giant Dogwood, Turkish Hazel, Paul's Scarlet Hawthorn, Rosea Flore Pleno Thorn, Handkerchief, Maidenhair, Black Walnut, Sweet Gum, Tulip, Star Magnolia, Crab Apple, Antarctic Beech, Tupelo, Lime, Maple, Hornbeam, Ash, Japanese Apricot, Deodar Evergreen, Grand Fir, Atlantic Cedar, Japonica.
PLUS 8 varieties of Oak: Turkey, Scarlet, Hungarian, Holm, Pin, Red, Turner's, and Pendunculate.
PLUS 6 varieties of Cherry: Sargents, Black, Wild, Tibetan, Winter, and Pink.
£200 ($316) Beech, Honey Locust, Charles Raffill, Bull Bay, Leonard Messel, London Plane, Apple, Weeping Willow, Lilac, Forest Pansy, Acacia, Birch.
£300 ($475) Chestnut, Elder, Ash, Redwood, Golden Meta, Monkey Puzzle, Poplar, Fig, Wych Elm, Birch.
August 29, 2003 -- ITV
The arrival of Madonna on the Scottish island of Bute has pretty much confirmed that the wedding of designer Stella McCartney is taking place this weekend. The superstar singer was one of host of celebrities ferried onto the island for what is thought to be one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the year.
Madonna, husband Guy Ritchie and both of their children, as well as model Kate Moss, Chrissie Hynde, and Coldplay's Chris Martin arrived aboard a ferry at Rothesay harbor. The stars were then driven in two blacked-out Range Rovers to nearby Mount Stuart where it is understood Miss McCartney will celebrate her wedding.
However, it is still unclear where the wedding service itself will be held or whether Miss McCartney, 31, is on the island. It is thought she may be married to husband-to-be Alasdhair Willis on the Mull of Kintyre, a favorite haunt of her father Sir Paul and her mother the late Linda McCartney, then flown on to Mount Stuart for the reception.
Earlier, Hollywood actress Liv Tyler arrived in a chauffeur-driven Jaguar. Before boarding the ferry, Kate Moss, Chrissie Hynde and Chris Martin were reported to have joined locals for a drink in the Station Bar at Wemyss Bay on the mainland.
Willis, also 31, was spotted on Thursday on board the yacht Drum at Rothesay Pier on Bute. Former Formula 1 racing driver Johnny Dumfries, the seventh Marquis of Bute and owner of Mount Stuart was at the quayside when the stars arrived. It is thought that he offered Mount Stuart to Miss McCartney, a close friend of his wife, as it was only a short helicopter flight from the Mull of Kintyre.
Mount Stuart, a Victorian Gothic stately home and popular tourist attraction, has closed one month early. Security guards have been posted at every entrance and residents who live on the land owned by the Marquis were issued with a pass to allow them into their homes.
A fleet of blacked-out Range Rovers have been traveling to the mainland to pick up guests. It is also thought that Gucci boss Tom Ford, as well as Paul McCartney's brother Mike arrived in another of the Range Rovers.
Miss McCartney joined Gucci as a designer after leaving fashion house Chloe however no one from the company was available for comment.
August 29, 2003 -- The Sun
These were the amazingly tender scenes yesterday (August 28) as Sir Paul McCartney and wife Heather walked home after a hospital check-up on their unborn baby.
The couple, both in jeans, strolled affectionately arm-in-arm along the road back to their home in North London.
Then 61-year-old Macca lovingly put his ear to his wife's tum to try to hear the tot inside. Oblivious to passers-by, he spent several seconds listening intently with his arm around Heather's waist.
An eyewitness said, "It was an incredibly tender scene.
"They were in the middle of a public street and neither seemed to have a care in the world because they both looked so happy. Paul seemed intent on trying to sense if the baby was moving around and kicking.
He is obviously delighted at becoming a dad again.
"Even though Heather was wearing a baggy top the bulge was very apparent. It was wonderful to see one of the most famous men in the world acting like an ordinary, excited dad-to-be."
The baby, which is due in November, will be 35-year-old Heather's first. The check-up was routine.
Paul, who married the former model in June last year at a castle in Ireland, has three children by his first wife Linda, who died in 1998.
August 29, 2003 -- This is London STELLA'S WEDDING DAYAlasdhair Willis cruises around the west coast of Scotland on the eve of his wedding to Stella McCartney ... and is probably hoping the £6 million yacht will bring him better fortune than it did to a previous owner, Simon Le Bon.
Le Bon nearly drowned on The Drum in 1985 when it overturned in storms off Cornwall during the Fastnet race. He and five others were trapped below deck in a pocket of air before being dramatically rescued.
The seas were a lot calmer for Willis as he cruised in the yacht, now owned by Scottish car dealer Arnold Clark, around the Isle of Bute and berthed at Mount Stuart House where the couple's three-day wedding reception is set to take place this weekend.
Preparations have been under way for weeks. Miss McCartney's father Sir Paul and his wife Heather, Madonna, Guy Ritchie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Kate Moss and Sadie Frost are on the guest list.
The pair will marry on Saddell Beach on Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland and then they and 200 guests will sail to Bute.
Islanders reported today that the event had already hit a setback as a fire broke out at Mount Stuart House. Details remain sketchy, though it is thought it might have been started off as wedding food was prepared.
Families who live in cottages on the grounds of the 300-acre estate are said to have been told by management not to leave their houses during the weekend and some have even been asked to vacate their homes to make room for the wedding entourage.
One said, "We're very put out. I'm sure Stella is a lovely girl, but she can't come up here with her showbiz friends and turf us out of our houses. The least you'd expect is an invite."
Security for the wedding was stepped up last night, with forty security men working in shifts.
To evade the growing numbers of waiting press, the convoys landing on the island today are taking the backroads to the estate.
MORE -- The SunStella McCartney will pay tribute to her late mother Linda by copying her wedding dress when she marries tomorrow (August 30). The fashion designer daughter of Sir Paul McCartney has studied black and white photos of her parents' big day and come up with a new version of her mum's outfit.
Linda, who died of breast cancer five years ago (April 1998), wore a stylish fawn dress and bright yellow coat when she married Paul at Marylebone Register office in London on March 12, 1969. Paul was in a black suit with a bright yellow tie and flowery shirt. The couple posed on the steps after the ceremony and were mobbed by crying Beatles' fans devastated that Paul was no longer a bachelor.
A friend of Stella told me, "A few months ago Stella was at Kate Moss's house showing her photos of her mum and dad's wedding day. She had drawn her own sketches of various ideas she had for updating the look of Linda's outfit because she reckons her mother was a style icon. Stella has never come to terms with her mother's death and she is distraught at the thought that Linda won't be there to see her marry. That's why she wants to pay this tribute to her."
Stella will marry former advertising executive Alasdhair Willis on the remote Isle of Bute, off Scotland's West Coast. The pair have chosen Mount Stuart House for the lavish reception where guests will include Kate, Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her boyfriend, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Sadie Frost. Sir Paul, who is giving his daughter away, jetted to London from a holiday in New York with wife Heather on Wednesday. They are planning to fly to Glasgow today then on to Bute to help prepare for the big day. Stella is already on the island. The rest of her family, including sisters, Heather and Mary and brother James, are following today.
