A unique piece of musical history bought for £100,000 by a Wigan man "a few bottles of wine in" has been valued at over £1m.
Businessman Alan Murphy, who made millions running Skelmersdale's AM Paper toilet roll factory, bought a notebook containing Paul McCartney's handwritten lyrics to one of The Beatles most popular songs, Hey Jude, in 1998 after the item was auctioned off by Sotheby's in London.
The book was a 21st birthday present for his daughter Davinia Taylor, who was playing party girl Jude Cunningham in Hollyoaks at the time, and set him back around £100,000.
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Today, the notebook has been insured for more than £1m.
As his daughter worked on a nightshoot for the popular soap, Alan says he got comfortable in an armchair in his Wigan home, and after "a few bottles of wine", started bidding on the item via telephone, entering a fierce battle with a collector in America.
The notebook, owned by tour manager and general bodyguard Mal Evans, was stored in a safe for several years, before Davinia decided to contact The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool and arrange for the incredible piece of history to be put on display.
Speaking at the museum this morning, February 22, as the display was launched, she said: "I was on a night shoot, I think it was about a week before my 21st birthday, and I got a phone call from my dad who was a couple of bottles of wine in.
"He said: 'I've just been on the phone to Sotherby's and guess what? I've bought you the Hey Jude lyrics.'
"A few years later I understood the gravitas of it and that it's a unique piece of rock and roll history.
"It was 30 years that this museum's been open and it seemed like the perfect fit that it should be on display.
"This is a glimpse to what really happened and how the greatest band in the world evolved."
The one-of-a-kind item, which includes partial lyrics to Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, George Harrisons's recording notes for All You Need is Love, and doodles and poetry from the entire band, shows a snapshot into the mind of the group.
Covered in brightly coloured "scribbles" from John Lennon, McCartney, Ringo Starr, Harrison, and Evans, the pages are a treasure trove of information about the band's relationships with each other, showing just how close the Fab Four were to their tour manager.
Liverpool-born Evans was a telecoms engineer and part-time bouncer before taking on a role with the band, after The Beatles grew so popular they needed a bodyguard.
Alongside Neil Aspinall, he was one of the group's inner circle, and stuck with the band throughout their career.
When Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary showed just how close he was to the band, people became more interested in his story, and a biography about him is due to be released next year.
After Evans was killed by Los Angeles police for brandishing an air rifle in 1976, the book remained with his family for several years before his widow Lily put it up for auction.
Mary Chadwick, manager of The Beatles Story museum, said: “The notebook is an extremely exciting addition to our attraction, and we are delighted to showcase this valuable piece of history at The Beatles Story.
"The story of Mal’s relationship with the band after the recent ‘Get Back’ documentary has sparked a keen interest from fans, and each page tells a story.
"Along with Paul’s handwritten ‘Hey Jude’ lyrics, the notebook offers visitors a unique glimpse into their lives at the time.”
