‘When I told the caretaker of the house the Stones were a bit wild, he asked if there would be any naked ladies – because they charged £10 extra for that’
The funny thing is that I’d had a virtual punch-up with the Rolling Stones just a few weeks before I did this photoshoot for their Beggars Banquet album in 1968. The Milk Marketing Board had sent me up to Newcastle for a campaign, and the Stones happened to be staying at the same hotel. We’d just been to their concert, and were having a late dinner. They were sitting next to us. Various women were coming up to Mick Jagger and asking for his autograph. So my girlfriend, Julie – who became my wife of 55 years – went over, but she didn’t even get a chance to ask, because Mick just waved her away saying: “No, love, you’re too young.” I had my camera ready, but unfortunately I didn’t take a picture. That would have been fantastic, Mick waving his arms around.
The next morning, the band were lounging around in the hotel foyer. To their evident annoyance I got my camera out and was about to snap them, but then their car arrived and they left before they had a chance to say to me: “Who do you think you are?” When I got chosen to do their album cover I was dreading the thought that Mick was going to recognise me, so I had my hair cut much shorter and changed my clothing.