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McCartney Daughter Gives Intimate Tour of Abbey Road

Mary McCartney directs the new documentary, 'If These Walls Could Sing'. ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Mary McCartney directs the new documentary, 'If These Walls Could Sing'. ANGELA WEISS / AFP
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McCartney Daughter Gives Intimate Tour of Abbey Road

Mary McCartney directs the new documentary, 'If These Walls Could Sing'. ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Mary McCartney directs the new documentary, 'If These Walls Could Sing'. ANGELA WEISS / AFP

The daughter of pop megastar Paul McCartney has given an intimate peek into the hallowed halls of Abbey Road, the studio where he -- and many other music stars -- recorded masterpieces.

Mary McCartney directed the new documentary, "If These Walls Could Sing", which gets a worldwide release on Disney+ on January 6 after premiering in North America in December.

The London studio gave its name to arguably The Beatles' most beloved record, 1969's "Abbey Road", and it was on the nearby zebra crossing that the Fab Four shot their legendary cover photo.

"I have a personal connection with the studio," Mary McCartney told AFP.

"I grew up coming here, we lived nearby. I have a very funny picture that I love -- my mum (Linda McCartney) leading a pony across the zebra crossing."

Inevitably, The Beatles occupy a major part of the 90-minute documentary, since they recorded no less than 190 of their 210 songs there.

But Abbey Road has a long history, established in 1931 by record company EMI.

Initially dedicated to classical music, it had cutting edge technology for the time, and was used by composer and conductor Edward Elgar shortly before his death in 1934.

"So many people come to Abbey Road to the zebra crossing but don't come inside because it's a busy working studio, so I wanted to bring the viewer inside," said McCartney.

The studio became "the bunker" for The Beatles after the hysteria surrounding the group led them to quit touring in 1966, recalls Giles Martin, son of their producer George Martin, in the film.

Many stars have since sought to tap into the magic of the place, from Elton John and Pink Floyd to Led Zeppelin and Oasis -- all of whom feature in the new film.

"Each person tells a different story, different aspects of what makes Abbey Road a whole," said Mary McCartney.

Beatles fans have been spoiled recently, with the new documentary coming little over a year after "Get Back" in which director Peter Jackson painstakingly reworked footage of the band writing and rehearsing the album "Let it Be", including their famous performance on the roof of Abbey Road.

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Naomi Campbell Barred from Being Charity Trustee in England and Wales

British model Naomi Campbell cries after being awarded the 'Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres' (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) title at the French Ministry for Culture in Paris on September 26, 2024. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
British model Naomi Campbell cries after being awarded the 'Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres' (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) title at the French Ministry for Culture in Paris on September 26, 2024. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
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Naomi Campbell Barred from Being Charity Trustee in England and Wales

British model Naomi Campbell cries after being awarded the 'Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres' (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) title at the French Ministry for Culture in Paris on September 26, 2024. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
British model Naomi Campbell cries after being awarded the 'Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres' (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) title at the French Ministry for Culture in Paris on September 26, 2024. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been barred from being a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years after the poverty charity she founded nearly two decades ago was deemed Thursday to have been “poorly governed” with “inadequate financial management.”
Following a three-year investigation into the financial activities of “Fashion for Relief,” the Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, said it had found “multiple instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement,” and that only 8.5% of the charity’s overall expenditure went on charitable grants in a six-year period from 2016.
For example, it said that thousands of pounds worth of charity funds were used to pay for a luxury hotel stay in Cannes, France, for Campbell as well as spa treatments, room service and even cigarettes. The regulator sought explanations from the trustees but said no evidence was provided to back up their explanation that hotel costs were typically covered by a donor to the charity, therefore not costing the charity, said The Associated Press.
Campbell, 54, said she was “extremely concerned” by the findings of the regulator and that an investigation on her part was underway.
“I was not in control of my charity, I put the control in the hands of a legal employer,” she said in response to a question from the AP after being named a knight in France’s Order of Arts and Letters at the country's culture ministry for her contribution to French culture. "We are investigating to find out what and how, and everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity.”
The commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, also found that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received around 290,000 pounds ($385,000) of unauthorized funds for consultancy services, which was in breach of the charity's constitution. She has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years. The other trustee, Veronica Chou, was barred for four years.
“Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests and to comply with their legal duties and responsibilities,” said Tim Hopkins, deputy director for specialist investigations and standards. “Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, which has resulted in our action to disqualify them.”
The charity, which was founded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, was dissolved and removed from the register of charities earlier this year. On its website, which is still active, the charity said that it presented fashion initiatives and projects in New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai and Dar es Salaam, raising more than $15 million for good causes around the world.
The charity had been set up with the aim of uniting the fashion industry to relieve poverty and advance health and education, by making grants to other organizations and giving resources towards global disasters.
The commission said that around 344,000 pounds ($460,000) has been recovered and that a further 98,000 pounds of charitable funds have been protected. These funds were used to make donations to two other charities and settle outstanding liabilities.  
“I am pleased that the inquiry has seen donations made to other charities which this charity has previously supported,” said the regulator's Hopkins.