They say that if you stay long enough at Piccadilly Circus you will eventually bump into everyone you know! This short statement describes the popularity and volume of tourists that pass through this famous road junction which no doubt most of us have seen somewhere or other in the past.
Piccadilly Circus is somewhat of a meeting point for locals and tourists alike. It was the perfect place to begin discovering Central London so off I was to see the SANYO and TDK neon bright lights bulging brightly into the London sky. I was a tourist after all, so what does a tourist do? Well he/she partakes in being a tourist of course. There are few tourists in the world, so it was my duty to help boost the numbers.
The famous neon lights of Piccadilly Circus
Easily enough the best tube station to get to this attraction is ‘Piccadilly Circus’. Doesn’t get any easier than that now does it?? Two Underground lines service this station; the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines. Just look for the blue and brown lines on the London Underground map.
The station was chaotic, wind was crashing against my face caused by the trains flying through the tunnels, people’s voices were resonating off the walls and then there was the countless slamming of the barriers after each passing commuter entered/exited, all playing their part in the busy atmosphere. This atmosphere is something you quickly get used to as most stations are similar in ambience. I proceeded through the barriers adding to the ambience then found my way to one of the exits and up the stairs I walked.
As I came to the top of the stairs I finally saw daylight and was now facing a building. In less time than it takes to down a shot of tequila and before processing what the actual building presented, I turned 190 degrees to see where the masses were going; right there in front of me beamed the bright neon lights from the corner building on the northern side with the Piccadilly Circus memorial fountain standing in between. People were sitting on the steps of the memorial, cameras flashing almost every second capturing the many poses including the backdrop that was on view.
Piccadilly Circus traffic junction brings together five streets; Regent Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, the Haymarket, Coventry Street and Glasshouse Street. There are several major tourist attractions; the Shaftesbury Memorial (aka Piccadilly Circus memorial fountain), Criterion Theatre, London Pavilion, the unnamed site which carries the neon signs of Piccadilly Circus and numerous major retail stores.
The Shaftesbury Memorial was moved after World War II from its original position in the centre of the junction and is now situated at the south western side of the Circus. It was erected in 1892-1893 to commemorate the philanthropic works of Lord Shaftesbury. The monument is topped by Alfred Gilbert’s winged nude statue of an archer sometimes referred to as The Angel of Christian Charity and popularly known as Eros after the mythical Greek God of Love.
Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain
To be truthful, there’s not too much more to see other than the neon lights and the memorial fountain. You can quickly lose your hype when seeing the depressed faces of the locals pacing to and from their daily responsibilities. Thankfully, there is always a street busker at hand to provide relief in the form of their melodies.
Take the time out to visit this junction or if you have enough time up your sleeves, why not sit on the memorial fountain steps long enough to see if you can bump into everyone you know!
