The Beatles crosswalk in Abbey Road.
I grew up listening to oldies and rock music of the 60s and 70s. My dad used to play The Beatles albums and other rock bands ever since i was born. To this day, whenever I listen to this music, it travels me back to my childhood. I know most of the songs by heart and rock was always my kind of music. I still remember the album covers at my home. When i became a teenager, I was searching for the albums or specific songs I wanted to listen. Then I would take the record, blow the dust particles, placing it on the turntable, and gently positioning the needle of the chosen song. One of my favourite covers (and albums) was “Abbey Road”. I was especially in love with “Here comes the sun”.
Abbey Road album was a big commercial success reaching number 1 in UK and US hits. It is one of the greatest albums of all time. Songs such as “Come Together”, “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun” belong in this album.
Abbey Road Cover (The Beatles crosswalk)
I am sure you all know the famous cover of The Beatles walking across a zebra crossing on Abbey Road, just outside the legendary Abbey Road studios in London. This picture was taken exactly 50 years ago, on 8 August 1969.
This image of the album cover is one of the most imitating images in the world, and this zebra crossing is famous among BeatleManiacs and not only. Every day is crowded with fans, trying to replicate the image of the famous album cover by walking across the zebra crossing. It is said that more than 100,000 people per year replicate The Beatles crosswalk (as it is also known).
Some fun facts about the image:
- Photographer Iain Macmillan had only ten minutes in his disposal to take this famous picture of The Beatles. Paul McCartney had sketched his idea before the shooting.
- There was also a hoax rumour linked with this picture. It was called “Paul is dead” rumour. According to this, Paul died after he crashed his Aston Martin 3 years before, in 1966 and since then, there is an impostor in his place. Based on the same hoax theory, the picture was associated with a funeral procession. John Lennon wears a white suit, while Ringo Starr wears a black one. Both colours symbolise the sorrow of someone’s death. If you take a good look, you can see that Paul is barefoot which is also another hint since in some cultures, dead are buried without their shoes. Another hint is the licence plate of the Volkswagen Beetle that you can see in the background of the picture. It Is “LMW 28IF”. The theory claimed that If Paul was alive he would be 28. Of-course none of these was true.
- The Volkswagen Beetle that you see on the picture belonged to one of the neighbours and it wasn’t deliberately there. Later on, it was sold at an auction for $23,000 according to Wikipedia.
- By the time Abbey Road album was released, John Lennon had left the group and Paul McCartney quit a year later.
Abbey Road today
When I arrived they were people, taking pictures, imitating the image of the album cover whenever the traffic light showed green for the pedestrians.
You wouldn’t even notice that something is going on there if there weren’t so many people around the zebra crossing taking pictures. Abbey Road is a public road in use, so traffic laws must be respected just like anywhere else.
It wasn’t easy to take a perfect picture with so many people around and the traffic. What I can assure you we all shared, was excitement just by being there! I could easily imagine John, Paul, Ringo and George crossing the road and the picture was very vivid to everyone’s mind.
Abbey Road Studios are located just there but unfortunately are not open to the public. So we just visited the memorabilia store just next to it.
Saint John’s Wood area
Abbey Road is located in St John’s Wood area, a wealthy district north-west of London, very close to the city centre. Apart from Abbey Road which is a major tourist attraction, the rest of the area is not. So if you want to take a coffee and enjoy your time among locals, in a very beautiful neighbourhood, then I recommend it!
After Abbey Road, we went for a coffee to The Good Life Eatery, a cute superfood cafe on the High street. (1 St. John’s Wood High STreet London NW8 7NG)
How to get to the The Beatles crosswalk in Abbey Road:
2 Abbey Rd, St John’s Wood, London NW8 0AH
Tube station: St John’s Wood (Abbey Road is just 5 minutes’ walk from there)
When you exit the tube station (there is only one exit) head straight on Grove End Road. After about 300 meters turn right towards Abbey Road. The zebra crossing is right there.
Until next time ♥
