In June 1966, at the peak of Beatlemania, a 12 year old schoolgirl from Sunderland in northeast England hatched one of the most bizarre plans ever attempted by a fan of the Fab Four. Carol Dryden had fallen completely under the spell of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Their records topped the charts, their faces filled magazines, and their concerts sparked scenes of mass hysteria with screaming crowds and fainting teenagers. Carol wanted more than distant screams or brief glimpses from afar. She decided the best way to meet her heroes was to deliver herself straight to them by mail.

Over several weeks she saved every penny of her pocket money. When she had enough cash, roughly the equivalent of eight dollars and forty seven cents for freight charges, she recruited her best friend to help. The pair chose a sturdy wooden tea chest and lined it with blankets for comfort. They even tucked in a thermos flask filled with a drink. Carol climbed inside, her friend nailed the lid shut, and they addressed the crate simply to the Beatles care of their fan club in London. The plan called for the package to travel 280 miles by train from Sunderland.

Everything started smoothly. Her friend paid the fee and left the box at the local railway station for shipment. Soon, however, trouble set in. Carol had overlooked a vital detail. She forgot to punch any air holes in the crate. As the box waited on the platform the air inside quickly turned stale and hot. Carol began to panic and struggle for breath. She tried to pull off her sweater to cool down. Her frantic movements caused the heavy tea chest to rock and wobble across the platform in a most unnatural way.

A sharp eyed railway clerk spotted the hopping crate and grew suspicious. He called for help and pried open the lid. Inside rescuers found the young Beatles fan gasping and overheated but otherwise unharmed. They pulled her out just in time before she could faint from lack of oxygen. News of the daring stunt spread rapidly through local papers and then around the world. Carol later explained her motivation with simple honesty. She said she would have fainted anyway from the sheer thrill of finally meeting the group.

Her mother spoke to reporters and recalled how Carol had grown frustrated after a previous concert. Police had kept fans back and prevented her from getting an autograph. That disappointment apparently inspired the mailing scheme. The railway company refunded the shipping fee as a gesture of goodwill. The Beatles fan club responded with kindness too by sending Carol an autographed photograph.