Nick Drake

In summer 1971 I was only 22 years old when I stayed in London for three weeks. So I had plenty of time to visit even some uncommon sights. I was a big fan of The Beatles in those days (hadn't yet heard of Nick!). In a biography I had read, that John - though being a big star - sometimes was very human & normal. The book described that he had once let some students into his house who came to gather some money for charity or something, so they were no usual fans. I can't remember how I came to that bold idea, but I always had wished to meet or talk to John in those days. Nowadays as we all know about the tragic assassination of John my whole story may sound so incredible. But in those days nobody ever would have dreamed of such a horrible crime to kill John, a man of peace! I had vaguely heard from someone - another fan or a newspaper/magazine article? - that John & Yoko were living in Ascot. I decided to find out where the Lennons' house was. So I took a green bus for a trip to Ascot, hoping to find out something about John, or even meet him! When I had arrived there I asked different people if they knew where the Lennons dwell. Some of them didn't know the answer (or wouldn't tell?) but finally I found someone who described me the way. As I said, I was only 22 years old & so naive. I was convinced if I could find John & talk to him, he surely would give me an autograph or even an interview. Without too many difficulties I could find the estate called "Tittenhurst Park". The ground was a huge area with a large entrance gate with the name on it. I walked a bit along the fence & saw large signs saying something like "Don't Enter!" or "Private Property". I clearly remember the added sentence: "GUARD DOGS PATROLLING!" which made me feel too anxious to walk in at the main gate as I'm very afraid of BIG unknown dogs! A bit further along the fence was another entrance for delivery, I suppose. I don't know where I took the courage from, I walked along the way leading to some buildings. Unfortunately after so many years I forgot the details, I guess there were some garages with a smaller house - not a villa - in front of them. I was lucky enough not to encounter with these dogs but I found a man whom I could talk to. I excused myself for intruding & asked if it were possible to see Mr. Lennon. He told me that John & Yoko had moved & gone to New York for good. I didn't know that then & thought he wanted to get rid of me as an unwelcome foreign visitor but it was the truth as I later realized. Only in summer 2006 - exactly 35 years after my visit to Ascot - I read in Patrick Humphries' biography that Nick had lived at Tittenhurst Park in the same year! That came to me as a big surprise & my jaw nearly dropped to the floor! I'm not sure about the exact time when Nick was living there as Humphries doesn't mention it. He only writes that Paul & Diane Wheeler were in residence and that Brian Wells came as a visitor. My story has no real point though. Or does it have one? Who was that man whom I talked to? So many years later I can't remember his age or appearance. Was he a caretaker or was he Paul Wheeler or Brian Wells? Or was he even ... NICK??? — No, this can't be true, it would kill me! Meanwhile I sometimes think: What would have happened if I had met Nick then? Would I have talked to him, perhaps about music? But that is not very likely as at that time I had never heard of him ..
A Nick Drake Fan