PERSONAL PLANS: "I've just returned from Switzerland, where I looked at several houses. You see, I'm buying a home for me mum, dad and two little sisters, Suzanne and Louise. Our new home will be either in Geneva or Zurich, and once the family has settled there I will spend all my holidays and my time off there with them. When I was seven or eight, I used to holiday in Switzerland. I love skiing and I plan to take it up again. There's only one thing wrong. Once I get started, I don't know how to stop. Help!"

BABIES: "How could Peter Noone possibly blow his mind without talking about babies? I already have those two above-mentioned sisters and me mum Joan tells me there's another little toddler on the way. She's promised me a baby brother, and if she keeps that promise I'm going to name him Blair. Meanwhile, Suzanne thinks that Louise is 'her baby.' So 'Sooty' looks after her marvelously well. Louise looks a lot like Suzanne, and that means I think they're both rather stunning."

PHONEY STORIES: "You all know there are a lot of magazines that print untrue and ridiculous stories about me and the Hermits (not to mention other stars as well). There's not much we can do to stop these phoney articles from being written, but we do have 16 to rely on and to get the truth through to you. Just to set the record straight, here are a few facts. I don't go steady with anybody. I'm not a snob and I'm sorry if I've ever given that impression. None of the Hermits go steady. We're all very good friends and there's no jealousy among us. I do not plan to quit the group, although there is a possibility I may do some outside acting roles on my own. We are not having a feud with the Stones or any other group. Hope that takes care of all the current rumors. Okay?
    "Speaking of acting, I hope you saw the small role I played in Canterville Ghost on ABC-TV early in November. It was really fun doing it. The show itself was filmed in a real castle in Maidstone at Kent - which is owned by Carmelite monks. It's huge, musty and rambling - just great for exploring. I found hidden rooms and tunnels all over the place! I also met and worked with two great actors - Douglas Fairbanks and Sir Michael Redgrave."

FANS: "When they throw things, it really frightens me. I don't want to get my eyes damaged. I know you don't throw things intending to hurt me or any of the boys, but sometimes you're 'bad shots,' and the objects you throw hit us in places that hurt. The worse thing you can throw is a lipstick tube or those cube flash bulb holders. One hit me in the face in Milwaukee on our last tour, and I bled like one of those gangsters getting gunned down on the Late Late Show. I kept on singing while blood ran down my face and all over my shirt. It didn't

hurt, but it sure scared me. Once something hit me in the eye - and that really did hurt. For a little while, I thought I was going to lose my eyesight. Also, remember that if Barry, Keith, Lek, Karl and I didn't have to keep ducking up on the stage, we would give a better performance. I mean, you work better when you're all happy and not afraid.
    "But please don't misunderstand me. I think fans are very, very nice people. They're much nicer than grown-ups think they are. Sure, they scream and they bowl you over in a crowd, but on the whole they treat you much nicer than anyone else does. A fan wouldn't walk over in the middle of a meal and stop you when you're eating and demand your autograph - like some so-called grown-ups have done to us! If fans are treated right, and with respect, they're always polite and they are very beautiful people. In Atlanta this past summer - after we finished two shows in a row - we went to a nearby steak house to eat. It happened to be near our hotel, where thousands of kids had gathered. Two of them saw us and screamed, and that brought the rest. They filed inside and soon the whole restaurant was bursting with excited youngsters. The restaurant owner had a loudspeaker, and he announced to the kids that if they would line up and wait for us to finish our dinner, they would all get to meet us. Well, that's what they did - and they were really super. When we got through, we met every single kid there and they either got an autograph, a napkin (or some souvenir) or got a picture of themselves taken with us.
    "I understand fans because I used to be one. I was just like them. I remember once in England I stood in the rain at a stage door for an hour waiting for a star whom I worshipped. When he finally came out, I asked for his autograph and he walked right past me and never spoke. I felt terrible. I would never do a thing like that to a fan."

DATES: "When I go off on a date, I like to be alone with a girl. I mean, I don't like to double-date or go to parties. I like to be in a place where my date and I can really talk to each other and get a chance to know each other. Someone wrote once that I only like blondes, and that's not true. I never said that. I really don't care what color a girl's hair is. I notice the girl herself first - not her looks - but a certain something about her. In America, you call it personality. I found out that some of the nicest girls are the plain ones. Often they seem to have more interest in you, more to talk about, and a better sense of humor.
    "Well, ta for now - see you when I return to New York City about December 21st. On the 24th, Barry, Lek, Karl, Keith and meself begin a ten-day tour of one-night stands all over the States."