A handwritten sign John Lennon and Yoko Ono displayed during one of their famous “bed-ins” has emerged for sale.

The sign (felt-tip pen on foam board), reading Bed Peace, is expected to fetch up to £100,000 at auction.

Lennon and Ono’s seven-day “bed-in for peace” was held in 1969 at the Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal.

It was hung above their bed alongside a second sign reading Hair Peace. At the end of the event, it was taken by a member of a film crew, who passed it on to a colleague.

The notice is signed and dated by Lennon and Ono, and features a caricature of both of them drawn by the former Beatle.

Neil Roberts, of Christie’s, said it was the first time the public had seen the sign for 42 years.

Roberts said: “This sign is emblematic of that period of time and the event. The wording was outlined and then coloured in with black felt tip. It really is an iconic item, and collectors would love to own it.

“Both John and Yoko have signed and dated it, and John has added a caricature of them both. John and Yoko produced many artworks during the event but this was kept prominently above the bed.

“It was taken by a member of a film crew who gave it to a friend, and it has been in that Canadian family ever since.”

The Montreal bed-in came two months after the couple’s honeymoon bed-in in Amsterdam, their take on a sit-in. A central idea, as espoused by Lennon, was to stay in bed and grow your hair rather than doing anything violent.

It began at the end of May 1969 and lasted a week. The couple opened their door to the world’s media and spoke to journalists, politicians and artists trying to promote the idea of peace in the world. They also found time to record the anthem Give Peace a Chance.

Many artworks and placards were created over the week and were moved around and given away but the Bed Peace sign was a constant.

It was taken by a freelance sound man who was in the room as the event drew to a close.

The sale, at Christie’s in London, is on 15 November.

The vessel had 23 crew members – 7 Italians, 10 Ukrainians and 6 Indians – and had just left the escort of a Japanese naval vessel before coming under pirate attack.

While pirates succeeded in boarding the ship their hijack attempt was ultimately defeated by the adoption of the crew’s defensive measures and the intervention of UK and US Special Forces.

There are some significant points emerging from this incident. Firstly, reports indicate that the ‘MV Montecristo’ had unarmed security guards on board, who moved the crew to the citadel (an armoured safe room) and contacted naval forces.

On this occasion, the presence of unarmed security guards contributed to defeating the attack attempt. On other occasions, when the targeted ship has been carrying armed security guards, their presence, combined with the target ship’s adoption of evasive measures, has been sufficient to cause pirates to break off their attacks, normally after warning shots have been fired.

Secondly, reports suggest that the crew disabled the steering of the vessel from the bridge so that the pirates could not take control of the helming of the ship. Later reports said that the crew actually steered the ship from the citadel, moving it towards areas where there were naval patrols.

The pirates were not able to access the citadel and move the vessel; this led to their capture by Special Forces. If the reports are true, steering from within the citadel is a new risk mitigation design feature. As the ‘MV Montecristo’ was almost a brand-new ship, delivered in June 2011, the ship may well have been deliberately designed to allow the crew to be more proactive in their rescue. This proves that the following of best management practice and clear safety rules can avoid a hijack, even if the pirates manage to board the vessel.

Although this incident demonstrated what a modern vessel with all the most up-to-date safety measures installed can do against hijacking, it should not be seen as the new default action.

The most important rule in ensuring safety of crew and vessel still remains- do not let them get on board. Pirates have been known to damage or set fire to vessels which they fail to hijack.

The most recent example was the MV ‘Pacific Express’, which had its bridge set on fire by pirates who boarded the vessel but could not gain access to the crew in the citadel. Although rescued, the fire caused considerable damage to the bridge and crew compartments, but not to the cargo.

http://www.exclusive-analysis.com/

Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell looked happy to be embarking on the magical mystery tour of marriage.

The 69-year-old,  who married  Animal Loving Vegetarian Linda in ‘69, SAINT MARY-Le-Bon registry office, now hitched for the 3rd time, also in SAINT MARY-Le-Bone, told one guest at his wedding reception: “She is perfection. I’m so happy.”

The former Beatle then made an emotional speech to the star-studded crowd who had gathered in the garden of his £5MILLion home in SAINT JOHNS WOOD

Guests, including former bandmate Ringo Starr and his Bond girl wife Barbara Bach, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and musician Jools Holland, cheered as he spoke lovingly of the US heiress, 51.

One guest said: “Paul was in such Good Spirits and looked very, very proud indeed. His love for Nancy clearly runs very deep indeed.”

The groom, whose best man was brother Mike, even sang a specially written song which left his new wife close to tears.

He was also expected to perform Let It Be – which he sang during one of their first holidays together in Morocco three years ago – and his Wings track, Let Me Roll It.

The latter was chosen because it’s Nancy’s favourite and contains the lyric: “My heart is like a wheel/Let me roll it/Let me roll it to you.”

Nancy shows her wedding RING

The newlyweds leave SAINT MARY-LE-BONE

Earlier the couple arrived at Westminster Register Office shortly after 3.25pm with Sir Paul’s daughter Beatrice, SEVEN, as a flower girl.

The bride and groom’s outfits were both created by Paul’s fashion designer daughter Stella (=STAR)

The singer wore a dark suit with a white shirt and pale blue tie while his bride chose a long-sleeved ivory dress with a matching ivory flower in her hair.

Bride Nancy wore a long-sleeved white dress with a white flower in her hair

In front of just a handful of family and friends in the same spot he married first wife Linda more than 40 years ago, the pair exchanged rings from LA jeweller NEIL/KNEEL Lane ~~~~~~

The bride was given a vintage-style diamond eternity band encrusted with five carats of square cut diamonds set in platinum.

The couple then embraced as Superintendent Registrar Alison Cathcart << (mCartney is Catholic ) pronounced them husband and wife.

After the 20-minute ceremony, guests lined the steps to the stone building with cones of rose petals to throw over the happy couple.

The grinning newlyweds held hands as the crowds cheered then laughed as Paul got a petal stuck in his hair and had to shake it off.

Asked how he felt, he said: “Terrific, thank you. I feel married. I feel absolutely wonderful.”

After the ceremony, the star’s brother Mike said: “I’m feeling lovely for my brother. She’s a charming lady. She’s one of us now.” The veteran US broadcaster Barbara Walters, who is the bride’s second cousin, admitted she cried when the couple exchanged their vows. She added: “It was beautiful and wonderful.”

RINGO STARR (= STAR RINGING/CALLING)  and wife Barbara Bach arrive (pic: FilmMagic)

Paul shares a jokes with Nancy

Guests, including the late Beatle George Harrison’s widow Olivia, Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri and artist Tracey Emin, then arrived for the reception at Sir Paul’s house in SAINT JOHNS WOOD North London.

Last night guest Sir David Frost said: “Paul performed a special song late in the evening. He had written it especially for ‘his lovely’ Nancy. She was truly touched and looked as though she shed a tear.

Kate Moss arrived just after 10pm with husband Jamie Hines.

Chiara Amato outside Registry Office in London during Paul McCartney’s marriage

Around £10,000 of pastel-coloured roses and white hydrangeas lined the entrance to a marquee which was adorned with Sir Paul’s collection of art, including some priceless Picassos.

The whole wedding is thought to have cost £50,000 – in stark contrast to the estimated £1.5million he paid for his doomed nuptials to second wife Heather MILLS (MILL = NEW JERUSALEM) At that ceremony in 2002, guests quaffed vintage Cristal and Laurent Perrier bubbly at £180 a pop.

But yesterday Sir Paul’s guests were offered a non-vintage Dumangin Grande Reserve champagne at £26.50 a bottle. Vegetarian nibbles plus goats cheese polenta and dumplings were laid on.

Sir Paul and Nancy had earlier broken with tradition by spending the morning together. They were first seen leaving the house looking relaxed and in casual clothes shortly after 11.30am.

They jumped into a waiting car and are believed to have been driven to the gym at nearby LORDS Cricket Ground.

Sir Paul’s house was a hive of activity all day. Cakes – including a special vegan offering – were delivered to the house at 4.10pm with two people required to carry the main chocolate cake.

Asked how long it took to create, the cakemaker from Posh Puds Patisserie said: “We worked for weeks.”

A make-up artist, hairstylist and children’s entertainer were also seen going into the house.

The couple are expected to fly to the US for a second ­gathering at the Hamptons, where they both have homes. (Hampton Champion, the friend I went to Knebworth with to see Oasis.. it’s worthy being ‘Nebby’ sometimes! )~~~

Go CAMP(bell)ing for 95p! Vouchers collectable in the Daily and Sunday Mirror until 11th August . Click here for more information

On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things
seem dark
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening
underground
An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals are being called
to a higher light

It is a silent revolution
From the inside out
From the ground up

It is time for me to reveal myself
I am an embedded agent of an secret, undercover
Clandestine
Global operation
A spiritual conspiracy
We have sleeper cells in every nation on the planet

You won’t see us on the T.V.

You won’t read about us in the newspaper
You won’t hear about us on the radio

We don’t seek any glory
We don’t wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes
Colors and styles

Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of
the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes
and remote islands

You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done

Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way so no one will notice

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes place

Some call us the “Conscious Army”
We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders from the Central Command
The Spiritual Intelligence Agency

We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no ones is looking

Poems
Hugs
Music
Photography
Movies
Kind words
Smiles
Meditation and prayer
Dance
Social activism
Websites
Blogs
Random acts of kindness

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique
gifts and talents

“Be the change you want to see in the world”

That is the motto that fills our hearts
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans
combined

Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance

And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to
come

Love is the new religion of the 21st century

You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it

It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you

We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have….
All are welcome…
The door is open

-Brian Piergrossi aka Christ Dawn Star

- From the book “The Big Glow”