An event which some say marked the beginning of the end for the group. Article first published by BBC.com
It was 25 August 1967 and The Beatles, along with Cynthia Lennon, Pattie Harrison, her sister Jenny, Alexis Mardas, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, travelled to Bangor, north Wales, to embark upon a 10-day conference on Transcendental Meditation.
They were at a high point in their careers - and decided to visit Bangor.
But The Beatles were not going to play a concert.
Prof Chris Collins, head of music at Bangor University, said the band's visit to north Wales was unusual from the start.
George Harrison, the Beatles guitarist, had met Maharishi Yogi, a guru in Transcendental Meditation - a form of silent meditation - who had invited them to his conference in the Gwynedd city.
"George Harrison had become very interested in what the Maharishi was teaching and he'd taken John and Paul to a session in London, which was immediately followed by the retreat here in Bangor at what was the Normal College, now part of Bangor University," Prof Collins said.
"They simply jumped on a train and were here within hours of deciding to do that.
Cynthia Lennon recalls: "It was a bright, sunny morning when we set off. I was ready early, but Pattie, George, and Ringo were coming in our car, and were late.
By the time Anthony drew up at the station entrance we were cutting it fine and had five minutes to catch the train. John leapt out of the car with the others and ran for the platform – leaving me to follow with our bags.
It was the result of years in which he’d taken it for granted that others would see to all the details. I followed him as fast as I could. The station was mayhem, with fans, reporters, police and passengers all milling around.
I struggled to push my way through, but when I got to the platform my way was barred by a huge policeman who, unaware that I was with the Beatles party, said, ‘Sorry, love, too late, the train’s going,’ and pushed me aside.
I shouted for someone to help. John poked his head out of the train window, saw what was happening and yelled, ‘Tell him you’re with us! Tell him to let you on.’
It was too late. The train was already pulling away from the platform and I was left standing with our bags, tears pouring down my cheeks. It was horribly embarrassing. Reporters were crowding around me, flashbulbs were popping and I felt a complete fool."
The Beatles stayed in the Normal College, now the university's Management Centre.
Len Jones was one of the gardeners there at the time and said they caused quite a stir.
"I came here at eight o'clock in the morning to start work and there were hundreds of people here. They were singing and they were meditating," he had said previously .
But The Beatles would not be in Bangor for long. They arrived on Friday - and on Sunday, the payphone rang in the corridor of the university halls where they were staying.
Eventually, someone answered the phone and Paul McCartney received the news that their manager Brian Epstein had been found dead. Epstein's death in 1967 marked the beginning of the group's dissolution and had a profound effect on each Beatle. In 1997, Paul McCartney said, "If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian."
At the time The Beatles were in Bangor, north Wales, for a meeting with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. They did not attend the funeral, in order to not attract the media and fans, but were present at a memorial service at the New London Synagogue. Epstein is buried at the Kirkdale Jewish Cemetery in Liverpool.
