OBSESSIVE behaviour by music fans is nothing new.
But you’d forgive one Beatles aficionado if he were feeling the strain … after collecting more than 400 photographs of the Fab Four drinking cups of tea.
Over the years, Huw Spink, 40, sifted through thousands of images of the Sixties icons to compile his collection.
The superfan librarian admitted: “A little warning – if you start looking for a cup of tea in Beatles pictures, it’s hard to stop.”
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Spink said it all started when a friend asked for help to find a picture of George Harrison drinking tea.
He said: “After searching for a long time there he was, holding his cuppa looking so proud.
“I started looking for more pictures and four years on, I still am. There are hundreds of them.”
Huw is such a big fan he moved from his hometown of Aberystwyth, Mid Wales, 18 years ago to the band’s birthplace of Liverpool.
Huw has collected pictures from the internet and videos and is sent photos by fellow fans.
He produces a fanzine called The Teatles to share the images – and come together with other music lovers.
Huw said: “They don’t just talk about the Beatles. Most articles are about fans of The Beatles.
“I think every fan has a story worth sharing, and that’s what I’m trying to do – breaking down the difference between writers and readers.”
The fanzine is sent all over the world – including as far as Delhi. Now they know a thing or two about tea in India.
Huw added: “The response has been nice, friendly and supportive. I hope the people feel a sense of ownership. That’s the idea.
“There’s always something to discover. For example there’s a version of Lucy In The Sky where you could hear John taking a sip of his tea before starting to sing.
“I’m also proud to know I have a little in common with John Lennon – we both take our tea with milk and two sugars.”
All this char chat is making me a little thirsty, so I take a leaf out of The Beatles’ book. It’s 8.45am as I write and I now have the kettle on for my third mug of tea.
To say that over lockdown I developed a bit of a tea habit is something of an understatement.
This hit home when I returned to the office to work. I got more than a little jumpy when I realised four flights of stairs separated my desk from the kitchen.
Obviously, when remote working, the kitchen is just too handy for the home office.
I resorted to packing a one litre stainless steel flask of tea to keep my addiction at bay over the course of the day.
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But that, along with my laptop, A4 notebook, diary and packed lunch, made my rucksack feel like a bag of bricks.
So rather than the pack horse approach, I’ve opted for the mountain goat method.
Improving my aerobic fitness while feeding my habit has got to be a win-win.
As The Beatles nearly sang: “Oh I believe in yes to tea.”
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