Talk:Piccadilly Circus

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	This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on July 9, 2005.
Article milestones Date Process Result February 26, 2005 Peer review Reviewed March 10, 2005 Featured article candidate Promoted September 9, 2006 Featured article review Demoted Current Status: Former featured article

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Contents 1 older entries 2 Picture arrangement 3 Lillywhites 4 Typo 5 Band 6 Regent Circus 7 Movement of the fountain 8 Plaza 9 Split into seperate articles. 10 New Image Problem

[edit] older entries

I am desperate to find out why Piccadilly was named Piccadilly Circus. What is the origin or meaning why the word "Circus was" added that it was named Piccadilly Circus? Was there perhaps, and excuse me if I might sound stupid, a long time ago when the name originated because there was a real circus there? I doudbt it as I cannot find any evidence of such on the internet. Can anyone please help...

IIRC a Circus (as in Picc. Circus, Holborn Circus or Oxford Circus) was a sort of road junction where the builidings are curved back from the street to make more space. Miss Pippa 18:29, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)

More or less - IIRC, Circus is derived from Latin for circle and in particular a circular or oval arena for chariot racing (think Ben Hur (film)). In town planning a circus is a circular junction at the meeting of several artial roads. In other words its a roundabout which has a similar layout to the Roman circus, although it is also often surrounded by buildings which echo the ring of the junction. In the UK the architype is John Wood's Circus in the centre of Bath (the layout can be seen more cleanly in plan view).

So the circus of Piccadilly Circus is the roundabout which has the statue of Eros at the centre. However, now that one side has been pedestrianised, it is arguably no longer a circus. The same applies to the other circus locations mentioned, although several of them have since been modified so the roundabout isn't clear.

The other use of the word 'circus', in relation to acrobats and clowns, derives from the same Latin source, but concentrates on the entertainment aspect of a Roman circus. Even so, the traditional Big Top circus is still based on entertainment which takes place in a central ring.

"Piccadilly" takes it name from a 17th century frilly collar called a picadil. A dressmaker grew rich making them and built a house in the vicinity.

This is all summarised on the disambig page for Circus. -- Solipsist

[edit] Picture arrangement

I prefer arranging pictures closely with the text. JuntungWu 18:20, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)

There is a problem with there being too many pictures. I recently took another from above that could be added but there isnt much space. I think it gives a better perception of the space than some of the ground level ones.

.

[edit] Lillywhites

Surely this was never Sogo? Wasnt the Japanese store next door. Lillywhites is *very* old.Justinc 13:38, 25 Mar 2005 (UTC)

• Possibly. Can anyone verify? --JuntungWu 08:21, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC)
• Lillywhites was founded in 1865. Havent yet been able to positively verify that that is the original building, but I am sure it is (right sort of date) and there was definitely a Japanese store next to it where the small Virgin is now (if they havent closed it since taking over the Megastore), with the sculpture of the horses on the corner. The sushi bar was round the corner. Justinc 15:10, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC)
• Sogo closed quite recently and I was pretty sure Lillywhites had been there for a while. The following quote from this page confirms it:

'... in 1863 ... Lillywhites opened in Haymarket. In order to keep up with growth, the shop moved to Piccadilly Circus in 1925 where it still stands today.'

I will change: '. It replaces a store previously operated by Japanese retailer Sogo.'

to: ', which was established in 1863.'

-- Wgsimon 03:54, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Lillywhites has been where it is now for many years; SOGO closed only 5 or 6 years ago, and was replaced by the Virgin records store - which has itself just closed. jamesgibbon 6 July 2005 15:45 (UTC)

[edit] Typo

This sentence is missing a verb: After the war, the entire fountain from the centre of the junction at the beginning of Shaftesbury Avenue to the southwestern corner. Was it supposed to read "was moved"? Seems most likelyJustinc 15:30, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC)

• Changed. --JuntungWu 04:25, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Band

The info about the band is an exact suplication of their main entry, and I dont think they are important. Can we reduce it to a one liner linking to the other article? Justinc 15:30, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Regent Circus

According to Isaac Asimov's Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan, Piccadilly Circus was known as "Regent Circus" in the late 19th century. (See Thespis, line "And he sells pipe-lights in the Regent Circus", from Thes.' "I once knew a chap who discharged a function". wikisource:Thespis) This sounds plausible to me, and ought to be added to the article somewhere (e.g., History), but I'm not going to add it. Could someone please confirm the name and add it? --Quuxplusone 16:07, 15 May 2005 (UTC)

Some websites say that the current site of Regent Circus is Oxford Circus, some say Piccadilly Circus. This one says it's both, which would account for the ambiguity. If this is the case I guess this fact should be included too. Maybe it warrants it's own article. -- Wgsimon 20:50, 15 May 2005 (UTC)

This wesite has Regent Circus at both ends of Regent Street. Wgsimon 21:14, 15 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Movement of the fountain

The article refers to the fountain being moved to the SW corner "after the war". In fact while that's technically true, I believe it was moved sometime in the '80s - definitely after 1970, anyway; I have a photo taken in 1970 which shows it at its previous position. I'll find out when, and amend the article. jamesgibbon 6 July 2005 15:47 (UTC)

• • found out when .. actually in the late '80s, sometime after 1986. Also, when the fountain was moved, the space between it and Lilywhites and adjoining buildings was pedestrianised. jamesgibbon 00:10, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Plaza

This is a great article to see on the main page, but is plaza really the correct word for describing an area of a British city? Giano | talk 9 July 2005 09:45 (UTC)

I winced when saw the word plaza applied to Picadilly circus. Not sure what to describe it as but thats not it. Pedestrianised area sounds the right sort of English phrase. 81.133.143.209 9 July 2005 13:20 (UTC)

I agree. Its not exactly wrong, and plaza could easily be used to describe say Paternoster Square, but it doesn't have the right ring to it for Piccadilly Circus. The best alternative I can think of, is the rather clumsy, 'Piccadilly Circus is a partially pedestrianised traffic intersection'. -- Solipsist 9 July 2005 15:27 (UTC)

• I think in Britain the term is a "square", even when when its not square, many London Squares are in fact oblong, perhaps even "circus" is the correct term, Bath has a circus, the only thing I know for sure is that "Plaza" sounds very wrong. Giano | talk 9 July 2005 15:33 (UTC)

There isn't a convenient English term, but "landmark" would do well on this occasion. Mark O'Sullivan (an Englishman)

How about: 'Piccadilly Circus is a traffic intersection and public space in the West End in the City of Westminster in London, near Soho and Theatreland.' ? - Wgsimon 00:28, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

I like that wording. -- Solipsist 01:03, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

Sounds OK to me Giano | talk 06:27, 12 July 2005 (UTC) (not an Englishman)

[edit] Split into seperate articles.

The split into seperate articles (eg Illuminated advertisements of Piccadilly Circus is starting to lead to inconsistencies, as they basically have duplicated text. The parts in the main article need to be cut right down to stubs or the drift will get worse. Justinc 10:03, 18 August 2005 (UTC)

The split and the category Piccadilly Circus is totally redundant. Should be merged in to one article and the category deleted. MRSC 10:26, 18 August 2005 (UTC)

I have resynced the illuminated signs article and the main text. It seems to have been done because there are too many pictures. Will link to Commons where they should be, maybe we can delete the articles. Justinc 23:38, 18 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] New Image Problem

Thanks for putting up the new image, but the red triangular area is not Piccadilly Circus. The correct location is the open area to the West of the triangle. -- Wgsimon 17:25, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

The correct location can be seen here. The dark round area in the northwest part of the block below the triangle is the circus itself.

That's the statue of Eros and it's steps. Piccadilly Circus is the the whole area. -- Wgsimon 19:22, 28 October 2005 (UTC)