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We have the story of how Andy and Iain's life-long obsession with Amelia Earhart began...

 

...and a few other 'Amelia' items aswell

Andy writes....

Way back in the late 1960s, I was introduced by Adrian (Henri) to his friend Bernard Stone, who had a bookshop in Kensington Church Walk, called Turret Books. Bernard published lavish limited editions of poetry, art and music. All on hand-made paper and signed by the writers, etc. He also sold books, mainly second-hand, and put on readings in the shop as well. I played there with Adrian several times. The shop ran like a club! You walked in (and this went for anyone!), and within 5 minutes you had a glass of wine (which became several within half an hour) and Bernard was enthusing madly about someone or something he wanted to put on the map. He was brilliant!!

Regular liggers in the shop were Reginald Bosanquet (ITN newscaster), Ralph Steadman (illustrator), Frank Dickens (cartoonist - Bristow, etc), Adrian when he was in London, actually loads of the great and good in literature. I loved it.

One day, browsing the shelves, I found a row of books on aviation. The Search For Amelia Earhart by Frederick Goerner was on that shelf. I browsed it and bought it for next to nothing, maybe 2 shillings (2/-). Once I read it, I became obsessed with the story it contained, passed it on to Iain who devoured it, then to David and Bobby. We started telling the outline story to the audiences at our early gigs, then Ian wrote his True Story and we were away. When we made the first album we all instinctively knew that Amelia's story, and particularly the Fred Goerner theory, was the identity that would work for us. You have to admit it was a good one - people remember it. Seabrook Graves Aslitt did that wonderful sleeve design, and something timeless was born.

I remember that when we launched the record Bernard Stone got us a box of the books for the press. He must have found about 20 copies for us! I gave mine away endlessly, got it back, gave it away again.

Then in 1995 when I was doing Mad Love for Disney, I found 2 copies in a bookshop in Burbank. Hardbacks, one signed by Fred Goerner ($30) and one not ($6). I bought the cheap one! The hardback has more pictures than the paperback. I will never give it away again.

In time Turret Books moved to Covent Garden, then the Grays Inn Road. I last saw Bernard at the Chelsea Arts Club, about 7 years ago. Business was never easy for him, and I think eventually the shop folded, but he was responsible for a great thing in my life, the whole Amelia Earhart passion that has never left us, and I honour him for it.