Paul McCartney at Del's in Tucumcari on Thursday.

Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell are seen entering Del's Restaurant on Route 66.

Beatlemania hit Tucumcari Thursday.

Paul McCartney and his new girlfriend were seen visiting an antique shop and a getting a take-out order from Del’s Restaurant.
“He looks pretty good,” said Shirley Hancock, a hostess at Del’s.

Yvonne Braziel and Yvette Peacock, the sisters who own Del’s  echoed those sentiments.

“You can see he has really soft skin,” said Yvonne Braziel.

There have been McCartney sightings and news reports this week along the Mother Road as McCartney and girlfriend Nancy Shevell started traveling Route 66.

Observers said he’s driving a green Ford Bronco, a low-key kind of car that doesn’t seem deserving of a British knight.

Before  he arrived at Del’s, he and Shevell spent about an hour at Things, a Route 66 shop chock full of antiques and collectibles.
“They said they had never seen a store like this,” said Ruth Daniel, store owner.

McCartney purchased two 50-cent Duckboys postcards, saying, “I know just who to send these to,” Daniel said.

Shevell also purchased some costume jewelry, Daniel said.

“They were very nice,” Daniel said.

Although he wouldn’t allow her to take picutres,   McCartney did take one of Daniel and Shevell together, and one of Shevell together with a old store mannequin who is nicknamed Cheryl, Daniel said.

McCartney probably gets top celebrity as far as guests go at Del’s. They  have  served Brenda Lee, and Morgan Freeman has been in the restaurant three times, Yvonne Braziel said.

Freeman, an  Oscar winning actor, who is a pilot, has also been known to refuel at the Tucumcari airport

Freeman is recovering from injuries he received last weekend in a car crash in Mississippi.

While McCartney was there, “We were really busy in every room. I bet a lot of people didn’t even know that he was there,” Hancock said.
“You never know who’s going to come through this little town,” Hancock said.