Piccadilly Circus is a central
London plaza at the intersection of
Regent Street,
Piccadilly,
Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street. The area used to be surrounded by advertising hoardings on buildings, but only one building now carries them. At the south western side of the Circus, moved from its original position in the centre, stands the Shaftesbury memorial fountain, erected in
1893 to commemorate the philanthropic works of
Lord Shaftesbury. It is topped by
Alfred Gilbert[?]'s winged nude statue, popularly known as
Eros, although its official name is
The Angel of Christian Charity. During the Second World War the statue was removed for safe keeping, when it was returned its bow was fixed pointing in the wrong direction.
Piccadilly Circus tube station is located directly beneath the intersection.
Piccadilly Cirus is also the name of
Pernilla Wahlgren's hit song from
1985.
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