It was arguably the most famous fashion shop of its kind during the height of Swinging Sixties – and run by the most famous pop band in the world.
The Apple Boutique at 94 Baker Street in London served as a short-lived business venture by The Beatles’ fledgling company, the Apple Corps, in 1967.
Amid near-riot scenes, the retail outlet closed in July 1968 as hundreds of shoppers clamored to grab free goods in the mayhem of a shambolic closing down sale.
The six-storey Georgian building in Marylebone, which dates back to 1795 and is a mix of retail and offices, also incurred the wrath of the local authority when a giant psychedelic mural was painted across the façade with the anti-establishment approval of The Beatles.
Now a new verse has been added to the history of the 779.4 sq m (8,390 sq ft) landmark building, which is adorned with a blue plaque in memory of music and song writer John Lennon, The Beatles’ legend who was assassinated by a gunman on December 8, 1980.
In a 48-hour deal, Hampshire commercial law firm Graeme Quar & Co has acquired the vacant freehold from a pension fund on behalf of property development company The Malins Group, based in Weybridge, Surrey, for just over £6m.
Michael Dalton is a senior commercial property and business solicitor with Graeme Quar & Co, which has offices in Fareham and Petersfield in Hampshire, who represented The Malins.
He said: “We have a warm and long-standing business relationship with the purchaser, who instructed us to acquire this iconic Beatles building for £6,000,000.
“The exchange of contracts date was just 48 hours from instruction as both parties were keen to move quickly – everyone acted to the letter.
‘It’s not often you get to work on the transaction of a London building so tied up with the best-selling band in history and Beatlemania.
“Our client is considering converting part of 94 Baker Street into apartments, subject to all the necessary planning consents, and any new name may well be in honour of its most illustrious occupants.”
The deal rounds off a record-breaking year for Graeme Quar & Co, with turnover up by more than a third, and the recent hiring of Michael and legal executive Lorna Palmer, an expert in the pharmaceutical sector.
Graeme Quar, managing director, said: “The acquisition is music to our client’s ears and is the latest instruction for us in a record year.
“We act for a number for entrepreneurs in a wide range of commercial property transactions, from acquisitions and disposals to lease work.”
Apple Boutique’s launch party on December 5, 1967, was the talk of the town, attended by Lennon and fellow band member George Harrison, along with their wives and pop greats such as Eric Clapton, Cilla Black and Jack Bruce.
They soberly sipped on apple juice to mark the occasion as the shop, then owned by the Portman Estate, was not licensed for alcohol.
Constant thieving by customers sounded the death-knell for the Apple Boutique, bringing to an end what fellow Beatles member Paul McCartney had described as “a beautiful place where beautiful people can buy beautiful things”.
