If there ever was an iconic album cover of an even more iconic album it is the one on The Beatles’ Abbey Road album. That same zebra crossing turned into one of the bigger tourist attractions in London with tourists flocking to the location practically every day.
The crowds were particularly high last year as the album had its 50th Anniversary, with practically everybody who could get there taking a photo of themselves crossing that same ‘zebra’. That included Paul McCartney himself, who posted a brief video of the event on his Instagram profile.
But now, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and practically no tourism, or even movement across the streets of London, that famous zebra crossing stood as if abandoned.
John Penrose, Minister for Tourism and Heritage said in a statement at the time: “This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral but, thanks to The Beatles and a 10-minute photo shoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage.”
So as a number of outlets reported, deserted streets of London gave a highways maintenance team a chance to re-paint the iconic crossing. This pedestrian crossing was actually designated a site of national importance by the British government in 2010. “This means it can only be altered with the approval of the local authorities which would make a decision based on the site’s historic significance, function, and condition.”
