How Shrewsbury Rolling Stones fever landed fan in hospital
Carried away with the excitement of the occasion, teenage Shropshire girl Paulette Callcott and her mates rushed to the stage to get close to her Rolling Stone idols – only for the 15-year-old to end up in hospital for a week.
A photograph we used the other day in Pictures From The Past showed the Rolling Stones just before they went on stage in a 'Group Scene '64' concert at the Granada in Shrewsbury on
January 22, 1964, as part of a star-studded bill which included The Ronettes and The Swinging Blue Jeans.
A review of the gig told how during the Stones' performance 'two over-enthusiastic fans ran on stage to kiss them.'
And now Paulette has come forward to admit that she was one of those excited girls.
"A few of us went rushing down to the stage just to go and join them, the sort of thing you do when you're daft and only 15," said Paulette, who is now Mrs Paulette Winter and lives in Wem.
"It's a silly thing to do I know and, when we got there, I got pushed back by one of the bouncers.
"I can still see his face now. He was only doing his job.
"I hit my head on a radiator and that was it. I woke up in hospital and I was in there for either six or 10 days – I can't remember which.
"I was in love with the Rolling Stones at the time and was with my sister Margaret and two friends, Mariane Higgins and Kath Newman.
"We were all from Market Drayton and got there by bus.
"The concert was packed and I think we were sitting somewhere in the middle.
"We all just screamed and shouted a bit," she continued.
"All of us went running down to the stage. We never got to them or touched them. I remember being pushed, and that was the last I remember. I think I got trampled on.
"I had one heck of a telling off from my dad.
"He was cross for a long time, more with worry. I got a bang on the head and, to be honest, I lost my sight for a couple of days because of the pressure but have been fine ever since.
"It was myself, my sister and Kath who got on the stage, but Mariane didn't."
Like many fans Paulette and her sister had posters of their heroes on their bedroom walls and had their records – she still has.
"And I've some of the Beatles' as well. I wouldn't want to part with them"
Indeed, Paulette says she is still a Stones fan today.
"They're playing somewhere. I've heard it's getting on for £800 to £1,000 a ticket, and I can't afford that."
Sadly, and perhaps a bit surprisingly, there was, so far as she is aware, no contact or get well message from the Stones while she recovered at the Royal Salop Infirmary.
And was her escapade worth it?
"It certainly was."
