Thread by @thetimes

"Mary came at exactly the right time. She changed my perspective to a degree where I could look at what was happening with the Beatles and think, 'Does it really matter?'"

thetimes.co.uk/article/paul-a…

Paul: "A lot of musical acquaintances warned me that being a dad would change my professional life.

For the first Wings tour in 1972 we simply packed a load of nappies and toys and took the kids with us"

“When they were older we took a tutor with us, which the kids hated. They saw it as a six-week holiday”

"My first solo album came out in 1970 and I decided to use one of Linda’s photos of me and Mary on the cover.

These days you wouldn’t do it because it feels dangerous to put pictures of your kids out there, but back then we weren’t bothered"

“Like all parents, we were dreading the rebellious teens, but the most rebellion we had was having to listen to Wham! all day long. Looking back, I guess that wasn’t too bad”

“In 1998 Mary and the kids lost their mum and I lost… Linda. I knew it was my job to be ‘strong Dad who keeps it together’, but you can’t do that the whole time unless you completely hide your feelings”

“Eventually my emotions started leaking out. That’s when the roles were reversed and the kids rallied round me. We got through it, but we all struggled because she was the glue that held everything together”

Mary: “It makes me laugh now, but there were some afternoons when we’d be watching cartoons and Dad would wander over with his guitar.

He’d sit down and start playing this beautiful music. We’d all give him an evil stare. 'Dad, we’re watching telly’”

thetimes.co.uk/article/paul-a…

“One time he said: ‘Do you know how many people would love to be sitting here now, listening to me play guitar?’ I just shrugged. ‘But we can’t hear The Wombles.’”

“Being a vegetarian family in the late 1970s marked you out as different. Of course people made fun of Mum and Dad for being veggie.

They made fun of Mum for a lot of things. The real problem was that she didn’t fit the mould of the woman they wanted Paul McCartney to marry”

“Mum and Dad insisted we went to the local comprehensive school, which made me feel a bit awkward at the time. I’d be in school for a term, then off on tour.

Now, when I look back, I realise what a smart move it was. It kept us grounded”

“I look at Dad and think, after all he’s been through, how has he managed to stay in one piece? He has found a way of keeping a level head, no matter what else is happening in his life”

“My own personal theory is that he needs normality because that’s what inspires him. Real life and real people. That’s where all the music comes from”

“My husband and I have this game where we try to get through a day without coming across a reference to Dad or the Beatles.

What usually happens is that I get to around nine o’clock, then something comes on the radio or I see an ad for the new Beatles documentary”

“I do listen to the Beatles at home, but it’s the Wings stuff I play the most. Mum’s not around any more, but when she’s doing her backing vocals I can still hear her and Dad together”

“There’s a song called I Am Your Singer — that always gets me. ‘When day is done, harmonies will linger on’”

Read more: thetimes.co.uk/article/paul-a…