For many the so-called Swinging 60s were the most exciting period of 20th century Britain. Everything was suddenly Technicolor after years of drab austerity and yet an everyday black and white object like a zebra crossing still became host to one of the most celebrated images of the decade.
This is of course due to the fact that the four people walking across it happened to be The Beatles, and the photograph went on to adorn their album Abbey Road. Situated within the tree-lined affluence of St John’s Wood, Abbey Road was the site of the world’s first purpose-built recording studio, opened by EMI in 1931.
Since Elgar recorded Land of Hope and Glory there, many well-known records have been made there, from classical to movie scores. Stars including Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Queen and Adele have used the studio.
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Abbey Road was released in 1969, and was the last Beatles LP to be recorded. Let it Be was released a year later to coincide with the film, but had actually been recorded earlier. So it was a landmark album and over time Iain Macmillan’s cover photo of the Beatles walking over the zebra crossing directly outside the studio has become as well known as any of their songs. The zebra crossing is now so synonymous with The Beatles that in 2010 it was granted Grade 2 listed status by English Heritage.
It is unsurprisingly the only pedestrian crossing to hold such an honour, and as a site of historic national importance is a popular destination for visitors to the capital. Not all are impressed opining that “it really is just a zebra crossing” and “the traffic ruined it”.
The downside to its popularity however is masses of predominantly Japanese tourists causing never-ending chaos at the crossing, strolling across, imitating the lengthy strides of their heroes, then pausing for photos while traffic builds around them.
No sooner does one foursome leave the crossing than another steps on, not in the slightest concerned at the frustration they’re causing, presumably under the misapprehension that the gestures delivered by snarling van drivers are just chirpy Cockney banter. They generally wave cheerily back, which further aggravates the situation. It’s well worth visiting Abbey Road to just to witness this, although there is a 24-hour webcam available online (www.abbeyroad.com/crossing) if you’d rather watch from home.
The photo on the album has also led to two great conspiracy theories. First there was much debate about the significance of the band’s attire, particularly Paul McCartney’s lack of footwear, to which, somehow, the only plausible explanation could be that he had been killed in a car crash in 1966. This was apparently confirmed by John wearing white (a priest), Ringo in black (a mourner) and George in denim (the gravedigger), along with many other vague clues and tenuous references in songs and photos. This belief still remains widespread among conspiracy theorists who choose to ignore Macca appearing at every charity gig and national celebration ever since.
Then there is the re-location of the crossing. Some 25 years ago, a sadly missed friend of mine, John Coughlan, resident in nearby Swiss Cottage, told me the zebra crossing had been moved by several yards, so that all these unfortunate tourists were not in fact walking in the footsteps of their idols. We both agreed that this would have appealed greatly to John Lennon’s wry sense of humour.
For years I believed this story, but I’ve recently discovered that the rumour may have been started by local residents to dissuade people from visiting the crossing. Many people have compared the original Iain Macmillan shot with the current scene, using marks on the pavement and fire hydrant covers, but they are still none the wiser. This is not helped by Westminster City Council remaining tight-lipped.
Abbey Road station on the Docklands Light Railway is miles away from the recording studio, but frequently receives visits from bewildered tourists searching for anything that looks remotely like a zebra crossing .
