Neil Aspinall

I was very sorry to read about the passing of Neil Aspinall, the unassuming and fiercely dedicated former head of Apple, whose tireless work for the Beatles new no bounds - in both good and not so good times. If you are searching for an example of loyal friend, you need look no further than this gentleman. He was only 66.

As a Beatles fan, you will know exactly to whom I am referring. Everyone knows "Nell" his Beatles' nom de plume . He was there with the boys from the start, carrying their gear and baggage and I suppose, you could say that he's now back two of them (as well as with Brian, Mal and Derek) once again.

If you enjoyed The Beatles Anthology, thank Neil. If you loved the Beatles "1" album, give a nod to him because he was the prime mover behind these two wonderful projects.

It is also very sad to note that yet one more person involved in the magic that was the Beatles has passed away at a criminally young age. With Brian dying at 32, John at 40, Mal at 41 and George at 58, one wonders what these poor people did, to be repaid with spending such a terribly brief period amongst us, the living.

It is a sad day indeed.

There are too many goodbye's and too few hello's.