New John Lennon ‘Bed-in for Peace’ pics surface

LONDON - New pictures of John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, clicked during their famous Bed-in for Peace in Montreal in 1969, have surfaced.

The pictures, snapped by Life photographer Gerry Deiter, are being showcased in an exhibition in Coventry Cathedral, West Mids.

Deiter was the only photojournalist who was permitted to capture the couple for the full eight days of bed-in at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel.

The pictures show the couple writing and recording their song ‘Give Peace a Chance’.

“Gerry Deiter was the only photojournalist there the entire eight days, with complete access,” the Telegraph quoted Nick Chevasse, the Cathedral’s tourist director, as saying.

He said: “He was on assignment for Life magazine, but his story was bumped in favour for one about Vietnam.

“The photos were never published, they never ran, so Deiter hid them away.

“This is why many of the images are not familiar, even to Lennon fans - they have never been seen before by anybody.

“He captured the celebrity visitors, the action and intimate, behind the scenes moments between John and Yoko.”

In one photograph, John strums his guitar, while Ono chats to 16-year-old Gail Reynard, who had scaled the hotel’s fire escape and pleaded with the couple to let her stay.

Gail was given the original handwritten lyrics for Lennon’s peace song, as she was present at the spot throughout the eight days.

She said: “When I first saw the images from the exhibition, I was carried straight back to that amazing time.

“They started to unlock details that I thought I had forgotten.” (ANI)