Abbey Road, London England

Night had descended on London. Molly & I were making our way back from a pub walking tour of Hampstead in the far north of London. We'd just toured one of the great Victorian villages on the planet and had a few pints in some of it's finer establishments. Instead of taking the Tube back to central London we grabbed a cab so we could watch London pass us by like a movie through the windows.

Our gregarious cabbie hears us speaking and asks us with his Irish brogue where we're from. We have a great conversation about America, Boston and the Irish. After a while he says "I've got som-ting you'll love. You want to see it? Free of charge. I just know you're gonna luv it." A brief kidnapping scenario goes through my head but I say OK given we've been having a great conversation already.

A few lefts and rights later pull up to Abbey Road. Yes that Abby Road. There in front of us is that world famous cross walk where the barefoot Paul and his three cohorts were caught mid-stride for the Abbey Road album cover.


























He pulls in through the wrought iron gates. "Can you do that I ask? Won't the guards come out"? "Not if we keep moving" he says. They don't want to upset anyone too quickly. They dunno who's in this cab. Could be John or Sir Paul ya know".





















No-one appears in the one lit window as we slowly roll though the front drive & car park peering at the legendary recording studio. I was thrilled. This was hallowed ground tred on by perhaps the greatest music masters of the 20th Century. I've looked at that Abbey Road album cover for all my life and to actually be in that scene felt like we'd stepped though the looking glass into a fantasy. There are legendary locations all over London. You can't hardly believe you're immersed in a landscape you've read about since childhood but this surprise was a great moment and a nice gift from our Irish cabbie.

True to his word he did not charge us for the detour....but I tipped him BIG.

















London's Black Cab drivers are all eager tour guides, ready and willing to talk and proffer the history of their famed city. I've had guys take me on little tours all over London just by starting to ask questions. If you find yourself in London. Do it.

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