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McCartney puts small ads for his book in local news
SIR Paul McCartney is behind a mysterious set of classified adverts that have left readers baffled. The Beatles legend took out the ads – about Grandude searching for Nandude – over the past week.
They are characters in his new kids’ book Grandude’s Green Submarine.
Sir Paul picked the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and Scotland’s Daily Record for his listings. Sources say he chose them as the areas they cover all hold personal memories for him.
Liverpool-born Macca, 79, always enjoyed performing in his hometown as well as in Manchester with the Beatles, Wings and as a solo artist.
The grandfather-of-eight has also had High Park Farm in Kintyre, Scotland, since 1966.
In 1977, the musician used the pseudonym Percy “Thrills” Thrillington for his album of the same name and took out similarly cryptic adverts.
His new release, out this week, is the second of his Hey Grandude! picture books.
The first was published in 2019, topping the UK and US children’s book charts, and was translated into 33 languages.
In his new escapades, Paul’s Grandude character goes on another magical mystery tour with his grandchildren as they search for Nandude.
The ads read: “Grandude and his four chillers are looking for adventure-loving Nandude.
“Nandude has traversed the thickest jungles and sailed the deepest oceans, always to return with stories to tell.
“But she’s been gone far longer than we expected!”
Sir Paul previously told how the book, of which the title is a nod to the Beatles’ Hey Jude, came from a family nickname.
He revealed: “One of my grandkids just happened to say ‘Grandude’ and it stuck.”
McCartney then made up stories about the character, an ex-hippie having adventures with his grandchildren.
He said: “He’s got a grey beard, a little bit of a ponytail, so he’s a little bit groovy.
“And he has this magic compass so when he rubs that you can go anywhere.”
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morning, nervously looking at the fuel dial.
“We can’t be waiting two or three hours in a queue for fuel when we have patients to see.”
The GMB union said private hire taxi drivers were “on their knees” and called for them to be classed as an essential service.
It wasn’t until Monday – four days after panic buying began – that ministers said up to 150 military tanker drivers would be put on standby. Another 150 soldiers will assist them. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said ordering troops to prepare was the 18th separate measure taken by the Government to alleviate pressure. Ministers are aiming to issue 5,000 three-month visas to foreign lorry drivers to make up for the shortage of truckers but there are calls for them to last for six months. Labour leader
Keir Starmer accused the Government of reducing the country to “chaos”.
He said the haulage industry was “beyond frustrated” at the lack of a clear plan by ministers to alleviate the problems.
Mr Starmer called on Mr Johnson to give key workers priority access to fuel supplies to ensure they could still get to work as filling stations ran dry.
“The Government has reduced the country to chaos as we track from crisis to crisis and the Government is not gripping this,” he said.
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth demanded his oppos i t e number Sajid Javid ensure carers get priority for petrol. He told the Mirror: “He’s got to grip this and show some leadership.” Trade body the Petrol Retailers Association said pressure on filling stations was easing. Chairman Brian Madderson said: “We are hopeful that we are seeing the first signs of a move towards equilibrium later in the week.”