THE BEATLES ARRIVING, AND CROWDS OF SCREAMING TEENAGERS (SOF).




Initials DE/V/JH/BB


EDITORS: NATURAL SOUND THROUGHOUT

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE BEATLES -- BRITAIN'S TOP "POP" SINGING GROUP -- RETURNED TO ENGLAND TODAY (THURSDAY) AFTER A RECORD-BREAKING TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES.AND AT LONDON AIRPORT, THOUSANDS OF SCREAMING TEENAGERS MADE SURE IT WAS A RECORD-BREAKING WELCOME HOME TOO.

MANY OF THE TEENAGERS -- PREDOMINANTLY GIRLS -- HAD WAITED AT THE AIRPORT FOR MORE THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.THE BEATLES HAD BEEN ON A MILLION-DOLLAR 16-CONCERT TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES.

AS THE FOUR, JOHN LENNON, RINGO STARR, PAUL McCARTNEY, AND GEORGE HARRISON, CROSSED THE TARMAC, SHOWERS OF CONFETTI FLOATED DOWN FROM THE PUBLIC GALLERIES AROUND THE TOP OF THE TERMINAL BUILDINGS.

SPEAKING AT THE AIRPORT, PAUL McCARTNEY ADMITTED THAT THE TOUR "WAS PRETTY ROUGH".BUT THERE WERE JUST SMILES FROM THE GROUP WHEN NEWSMEN ASKED THEM ABOUT THEIR EARNINGS.

THE FANS WENT WILD AS THE FOUR CLIMBED INTO THEIR CAR.ONE TEENAGED AIRPORT WAITRESS -- WHO MANAGED TO GET A SLIGHTLY BETTER VANTAGE POINT THAN MOST OF THE FANS -- WAS LED AWAY BY A FRIEND SOBBING: "I HAVE SEEN THEM...I HAVE SEEN THEM....