Abbey Road open to public

The world-famous Abbey Road recording studios are throwing their doors open to the public for the first time.

The London studios, immortalised by the Beatles, will be transformed into a temporary cinema for a two-week season of films scored there over the years.

It opens with Steven Spielberg's Raiders Of The Lost Ark, which in 1981 became the first movie to be scored at Abbey Road.

The season will include The Talented Mr Ripley, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and Gangs Of New York. It will end with screenings of the Beatles' films A Hard Day's Night and Yellow Submarine.

"In these unique surroundings, the season will give a glimpse of the role that Abbey Road plays in maintaining London's pre-eminence as the world's greatest centre for film scoring," a spokesman said.

Sir Edward Elgar conducted the London Symphony Orchestra for the historic recording of Land of Hope and Glory at the opening of Studio 1, at what is now Abbey Road, in 1931.

Since then the studios in St John's Wood, northwest London, have played host to hundreds of best-selling artists.

The Abbey Road Film Festival runs from March 19 to April 3.