Statue of Eleanor Rigby, Liverpool

The Statue of Eleanor Rigby stands on Stanley Street, which is just a couple of blocks from the famous Cavern Club on Mathew Street. It shows a middle-aged woman sitting alone on a bench, wearing a headscarf and holding a handbag. There's an empty space beside her, so visitors can sit down and have their photograph taken with one of Liverpool's most recognizable Beatles landmarks.

The statue is dedicated to "all the lonely people" of Liverpool and was created by English entertainer Tommy Steele, who was also a talented sculptor. London-based himself, Steele donated the sculpture to Liverpool because of his fondness for the city, where he had often performed. He also claimed to have hidden several objects inside it, including a four-leaf clover, a football sock, and a page from the Bible.

Of course, the statue is a tribute to The Beatles' song "Eleanor Rigby," released in 1966, which reached number one in the UK charts. The song tells the story of a lonely woman, and Steele captures that sense of isolation in his sculpture. Notice her slightly hunched posture and downcast expression, which give her a rather sad, thoughtful appearance.

Interestingly, although Eleanor Rigby is generally considered a fictional character, the name does appear on a gravestone in the churchyard of Saint Peter's Church in Woolton, a suburb of Liverpool. The woman buried there died in 1939, and her grave has since become another popular stop for Beatles fans. Whether the name on the gravestone actually influenced Paul McCartney remains a matter of debate, but it adds an interesting connection between the song and the city where The Beatles began their story.