But four young men from Liverpool braved the elements to keep a date at the Two Red Shoes Ballroom in Elgin, and now that historic gig has been commemorated with a simple silver plaque.

The sign has been erected on the exterior wall of the former dance hall to mark the performance of The Beatles, shortly before they were propelled into international stardom.

They performed their hit single 'Love Me Do' for the first time in Scotland and, just weeks after the concert, they found themselves sitting at the top of the hit parade.

The Two Red Shoes managed to attract dozens of big name acts in its heyday, but the storm that night meant that only a few dozen people saw The Beatles in action.

"The connection to Scotland was quite an important one, because they got to number one just a few weeks after their tour here. We felt it was a shame it wasn't commemorated anywhere," said Henri Edwards, who runs what is now the Red Shoes Theatre.

"They were actually supposed to go to the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen and to Keith, but they were stuck in Elgin because of the blizzard so that was the only date they played.

"The venue is full of history, and we hope that this recognition of The Beatles' performance will encourage more people to come and visit us now.

"We actually had a visit fairly recently from a couple from Germany. They were on holiday in the area and heard about The Beatles connection, and put us on their list of places they wanted to visit.

"The Two Red Shoes is an important part of Moray's history. We've lost count of the amount of people telling us about the acts they saw here, or to tell us it's where their parents met."

Stan Williams, a former school friend of John Lennon, unveils the plaque commemorating The Beatles' performance at The Two Red Shoes in 1963. NS

The honour of unveiling the plaque fell to Stan Williams, a former modern studies teacher at Elgin Academy. The Liverpudlian attended the same school as John Lennon, and the pair moved in the same circle of friends.

He has just released a book about his childhood growing up in Liverpool and his memories of The Beatles, and the plaque unveiling was timed to coincide with the launch of the biography, 'Penny Lane is in my Ears and in my Mind.'

Mr Williams has spoken to some of the people who were at the Two Red Shoes about their memories, including the late band leader Alex Sutherland.

He said: "Alex remembered Paul McCartney playing so well and singing 'Till There Was You'. At the interval, they were taken down into the cafe for something to eat.

"Albert Bonici, the owner, had a complaint from one of the diners that the noise coming from The Two Red Shoes was too loud. He tried to speak to them, but when he asked Lennon if he could have a quick word, Lennon said, 'velocity'."

l.carter@northern-scot.co.uk

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