Sorry for the delay.
I've scanned the picture and I think I've attached it properly.
I can't work out who the couple are on the right.

The male voice at the end of "Thoughts on a Grey Day" is in a local accent, Hampshire or thereabouts. That accent is much rarer these days but in the early 70s it would have been pretty common among older folk. It's definitely not Mick, who has a straight English accent. I'm pretty sure it was Mick's idea to put TOAGD on the album.

The photo: Mick's dog (forget the name), Jenny Fleetwood, John McVie, Judy Wong, Mick, Jeremy, Fiona Spencer, Christine... not sure, possibly a roadie (not Peter Green). Not sure on the other girl or the child. Likely to be late 1970.

Sounds just right for Harry Scarrott then, as he was born in Portsmouth in 1882 and lived in Laurel Cottage, Headley from at least 1932 when his daughter from his first marriage was married.

Thanks for taking a look.
In retrospect I've been thinking that maybe this is a very misleading picture of Danny.
It looks like somebody with bushy dark hair, beard and sideburns but that might just be an illusion created by the brim of the womans hat and lots of shadow.
This person has Danny's awkward stance and he was often pictured with his hands on his hips/in his pockets. I wonder if he was ever pictured wearing a red hat?

Really nice thread, just been reading the older posts. I used to work down around this area but sadly wasn't aware back then of the musical heritage. I'd like to make a trip back down there at some point.

Might be worth me posting this pic, I assume taken outside the front gate of Benifold back in '71.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps8557fcb1.jpg

That's an interesting observation - how old would Danny's son have been at the time?

I'm guessing the little boy in the picture would be too old to be Danny's son. He looks about 2 years old and this is late 1970. Danny wasnt even married until 1971 (I appreciate that doesnt necessarily mean anything).
But my word, that kid really does have Danny's hair though.

If the little boy is any of the band members' children it would most likely be Jeremy's eldest...Jez?

Went and found the Kiln House the other day. Although the road is private to vehicles, it's on a public footpath.

It really is an idyllic place with birds whistling and the stream flowing by as in the drawing - the peace is only shattered by the A31 running adjacent.

I saw a family going out and walking away so I took some crafty snaps, being careful not to get too close.

Now I've been to see both Benifold and Kiln House I can happily provide directions to both but probably shouldn't do anything too specific on here as it's publicly viewable.

I recently wondered how similar it would look to the cover art and found a couple of images of it on-line.
It really does look very pretty. I wonder whether the occupents have a monthly Kiln House listening session?

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3466825

Neb your discovery of Mrs S's first name has been mentioned in Uncut Magazine's Fleetwood Mac special edition! As the starter of this thread and the one who provided the information respectively, you and I can take a certain amount of pride in having made a bit of Mac lore public knowledge.

Our fandom is paying off! :)

Whack-o!

Is there any chance someone could post a copy of just that section that mentions this?

Thanks

Saw a couple of pictures when I was randomly looking. Its interesting to see Benifolds now and then. It's looking slightly different;

http://www.johnowensmith.co.uk/hppp/...pinehrst-B.jpg

http://www.johnowensmith.co.uk/hppp/...pinehrst-A.jpg



clearly this image was shot at one of the top floor windows;

http://www.bobweston.com/images/pola2.jpg

I'm certainly not a believer in ghosts but I bet it would have been a creepy house to live in nevertheless!

Danielle on her blog has a high quality version of the bottom photo (albeit in black and white):

http://68.media.tumblr.com/fb6e61ef8...o8ko1_1280.png

. . . not exactly the very same shot - the papers on the floor are missing!

Oh true, and Mick's eyes are slightly on the left. I guess you'll have to settle for a picture without papers (Which now that I take a better look probably are music scores).

Is this some sort of photoshopped filter of the original photograph (or even a very high quality sketch)? I notice there's a line on the wall behind the band that's missing from the b&w. Also, Chris' left arm is in a different position on each pose.

I think the line is just a "stain" of the colored picture.

Hmmm, you might be right but I'm not 100% convinced. Curious that the line stops exactly at the roof line at the top and Johns back at the bottom.
The window in particular looks like a drawing or painting to me.

I see the effect you're talking about, but I think it's just "grain" on the photo. It was probably taken with high ASA film (the equivalent of today's ISO), which would have made the photo more grainy, and also enabled the photographer to shoot in lower light. They probably had film of around 1600 ASA available at that time. Who was the photographer?

The Official Bob Weston website;

'This shot will be of interest to those familiar with the inside cover of "Mystery To Me". This was photographer Clive Arrowsmith's proof just prior to taking the final shots on a large-format camera. It shows that the session was staged in a loft room at Benifolds; the "Mystery To Me" cover print is very closely cropped and provides no such contextual clues'

it's definitely 2 different shots as the position of christine's head proves (check the window). chris' hair on her forehead shows changes, too. and - as already mentioned - mick's eyes are looking in slightly different directions.

agreed - no stain! and the window is real - check the crosses' shadows depicted by the sunlight.

But why removing the line and not the flaking areas on the walls? It doesn't make sense.

. . . hmmm . . . i zoomed the colour shot quite a bit - and, well, yes, it may be some sort of "stain" yet. :sorry:
but apart from that i'll stick to everything else i said on this matter.