Piccadilly Circus is the Times Square of the UK; everywhere you look there are video screens, people, and advertising. Colour runs rampant and the theme for today was the Matrix.
The Matrix has not yet opened in England and the promotional push is quite possibly one of the most aggressive I have ever seen. It seems like every bus that goes by it has Neo, Trinity, Morpheus or Agent Smith pasted on the side. The cast of the movie are in London for the premiere and everyone is talking more about gossip then the movie. Today’s rag sheets ran a story of cast fights, money demands, and preferential treatment. There’s nothing like a good coffee and gossip sheet to get the day off to a good start.
In the Piccadilly and Leicester (pronounced Lester) area you find the Statue of Eros, a gift to the Earl of Shaftsbury, a well known philanthropist. I am not really sure why this tiny little statue is so famous and why so many people want to have their picture taken in front of it, but it is considered one of the most recognizable landmarks in London. It may be because the statue on top is made from aluminum, a rare metal for the 1890s. This also means it is constantly being repaired because drunks like to climb up to it and inevitably bend the wings of the cherub.
On the corner of Piccadilly and Hay market you have the Horses of Helios. These are some very impressive horses coming out of the side of a building.
