New Abbey Road photo?
A photo which looks like it’s from Paul and Linda’s arrival for the photo session.
Seen here is a photo which looks like it’s taken the day of the Abbey Road photo shoot, looking at the clothes Paul and Linda are wearing. Kevin Harrington, who was a stand-in in the preliminary photo taken the day before, is with them.
In the foreground is a uniformed chap, and it looks like a police uniform. Could this be what is described in some accounts of the photo shoot, the policeman who was there to hold up the traffic? Or perhaps it’s the E.M.I. studios doorman. It could even be that the doorman was holding up the traffic, and some may have thought he was a policeman. This theory is supported by the fact that the police van was a latecomer to the photo session and only appeared in the final two photos of the six attempts photographer Iain Macmillan did for the front cover of the album.
Paul and Linda arrives at the E.M.I. studios in Abbey Road
Check out our full story of the Abbey Road photo shoot here.
So, who called the Bobby…oh yeah who’s the only one couldn’t stop traffic, even when he took off his hobnailed boots with and without holier stocking’s? 🤣🎞🎥📽🎬 🐛 🪲 🐞 🐛 🎸 🥁
Judging by the age of the guy and the absence of a helmet, I’m more inclined to think studio security man.
I was inclined to agree with you, but having checked photos of the Met uniform of the 60s and 70s, I think he is a police constable.
Retirement used to be 55 or after 30 years service (ie under 55), so he looks pretty old to say the least. And the absence of a helmet is very unusual, even on hot days.
Speaking as an ex-bobby myself.
Likely a Commissionaire employed by EMI as doorman/security. Often ex police or ex military:
https://www.corpssecurity.co.uk/security-services/event-security-crowd-safety-management-corporate-hospitality/security-commissionaires/
A great find, cheers Roger. The gentleman is almost certainly a police officer. Although blurred, those things on his shoulders will almost certainly be his epaulette numbers.
I would concur, he’s wearing a policeman’s tunic with epaulette numbers. He’s not a security guard.
But Paul has shoes on his feet? No sandals?
Paul with shoes on? Certain Youtubers will have a field day about that. No doubt they’ll say it was Billy Campbell on his holidays. Ha Ha.
You see shoes, I see sandals.
Thanks for the preliminary photo, which I had never seen before. Apparently the infamous VW Beetle was already in that same spot on that day.
Yes, the owner had gone on a holiday, so the beetle was there for a week or so.
Paul is wearing a t-shirt (pale pink) under his jacket in this one. Also he’s wearing shoes.
On the actual Abbey Road photo session he is wearing a pale blue shirt and sandals.
So…, no. It’s not from that day.
Maybe the day before or after.
I don’t think it’s possible to see if he is wearing shoes or sandals. Also, there is decidedly colour difference between the two photos of the Macs arriving, so you may be seeing pink and another photo may show another hue.
Maybe it was a Sgt. Wells who, according to David Wells book “Abbey Road NW8” (p.87), was the security guard at the studio. As for the uniform it is likely that of the “Commisionaires” who were often former military or police (hence his age) . They still exist in UK (below link) and here in Canada also.
https://www.corpssecurity.co.uk/security-services/event-security-crowd-safety-management-corporate-hospitality/security-commissionaires/