BEETLE HABITS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30479, 29 June 1964, Page 2

BEETLE HABITS

“Beatlemania”, like the ’flu, ean strike any age, swiftly and without warning. A middle-ageing couple,' who had settled down to a hum-drum evening of reading and half-listening to the radio on Friday, caught it and screamed (in the isolation of a quiet suburban flat) like any of the thousands of city teenagers. “There's something coming on the radio about the Beatles —their life and habits— ll want to hear that,” she said. “No!” he commanded in the parade-ground voice of an army sergeant-major. “Yes!” she screeched. “I’ll leave the room,” he warned.

“Do that Then’s a heater in the kitchen,” she flared in righteous indignation. He slammed out Aglow with triumph, she i turned up the volume con- , troL aware that the raucous \ kitchen transistor was crackling through the wait The radio feature began, jwith the gentle voice of a naturalist having its say. In a rage of frustration she switched it off. Back he came, the brute, swinging the noisy transistor by its strap, humming what sounded like a flat version of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” “Funny little things, those dung beetles,” he remarked | sweetly. “We used to see them in Egypt Like a cup of ;tea, dear?”