Here’s one coronavirus-related story that isn’t entirely doom and gloom: the iconic Abbey Road crossing made famous by the Beatles’ 1969 album cover has received a much-needed fresh coat of paint, with crews taking advantage of London’s empty streets during the lockdown to spruce up the street.
Because the crossing receives so much foot traffic on a daily basis from fans looking to recreate the Fab Four’s album cover with their own photo op, it’s difficult for maintenance crews to find a time to work on it. But on March 24, one day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Britain to go on lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, they did just that.
“This is a very busy zebra crossing and we repainted the line markings to ensure visibility and increased safety for drivers and pedestrians,” the Westminster City Council said in a statement. “Our contractors follow government advice on limiting the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing and hand washing.”
That odd fluke when you turn up to photograph an empty #abbeyroad and stumble across a team refreshing the iconic zebra crossing. @thebeatles @GettyImagesNews pic.twitter.com/RiW0NfJBeE
— Leon Neal (@tabascokid) March 24, 2020
The site was declared a national landmark in 2010, meaning it can be altered only with the approval of local authorities. If you want to see the new paint job in action (in other words, if you want to gaze at an empty street on lockdown), you can tune in to the Abbey Road webcam.
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