Paul McCartney replies to women's message to The Beatles 50 years on

Two women from Essex have received a reply from Sir Paul McCartney, half a century after trying to contact him. Barbara Bezant and Lyn Phillips recorded a message to The Beatles in 1963 and sent a tape to a London theater where the band was playing. Decades later it turned up at a car boot sale and last week the women were reunited with the recording by BBC TV program The One Show.

At the time of the recording, Barbara Bezant and Lyn Phillips were 17 and 19 respectively and both lived in Eltham, south London. They saw The Beatles at the Lewisham Odeon in December 1963 and recorded their message on a reel-to-reel tape recorder before posting it to the Finsbury Park Astoria, where the band were due to play.

The tape was bought at a car boot sale in Great Yarmouth by local historian David McDermott who listened to it. He said: "It was like sitting in a bubble and being there when these two girls were making this tape. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and it made me wonder if these two were still with us."

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Sir Paul wrote to Barbara and Lyn saying: "Hi Linda and Barbara, thanks very much for you lovely tape. It finally got through, better late than never. Keep enjoying the music, love Paul." The women had not seen each other for 40 years, although both were living in Essex - Barbara in Dovercourt and Lyn in Leigh on Sea. They said they were "amazed" to be reunited and to finally get a reply from a Beatle.