One of the more splendid walks you can take in London is a stroll down Piccadilly. This oddly named road runs west from Piccadilly Circus, with its statue of Eros, to the western end of Green Park, where it leads to Hyde Park at Hyde Park Corner.
To travel along Piccadilly is to travel through the very heart of up market London. The word "Piccadilly" derives from the 17th Century stiff collars, called "picadils", made hereabouts by a tailor called Robert Baker. He built a rather ostentatious house, which wags nicknamed "Piccadilly Hall".
At the eastern end Piccadilly, is Piccadilly Circus, where the southern end of Regent Street, the western end of Shaftesbury Avenue and the northern end of Haymarket converge. Originally, Piccadilly Circus was to be called Regent Circus, after the newly built Regent Street that curves away to the north. However, in the end, the merits of the older thoroughfare won through over the younger upstart.
The sight of Piccadilly Circus at night, with the neon advertisements blazing on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue, is a London icon. The reason the lights are limited to this particular spot is because the properties on the southern side of the circus are part of the Crown Estate, which would not permit such frippery!
Piccadilly Circus has now become a traditional meeting place for lovers by virtue of the statue of "Eros", the winged archer of love, of Greek mythology, who pierces the hearts of lovers. The statue used to be located in the centre of the circus, with the traffic circulating around it. Nowadays, it is to the side and thus more accessible to pedestrians.
The official name of the Eros statue is the Shaftesbury Memorial, created to commemorate the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury (1801 – 1885). Made in 1893, it was the very first statue to be cast in the – then- new material of aluminium.
Travelling along Piccadilly in a westerly direction, you will come to the brick built church of St James, set back from the road slightly on the south side. This was built in 1684 by Sir Christopher Wren, architect of the famous St Paul's Cathedral.
Of all the churches Wren built in London, St James is the only one in the west of the city – the others lie predominantly to the east of St Paul's, mainly replacing earlier churches destroyed in The Great Fire of London.
Continuing down Piccadilly you will come to the first of two world famous food establishments in Piccadilly: and Fortnum and Mason.
Fortnums, as they are known, is a luxury grocery store, where you can buy anything from foie gras to chilli relish in the ground floor Food Hall, where you will be served by tail coated assistants.
Fortnums also sell a range of excellent teas, which you can sample, along with other delicious food in the restaurants and no society event would be complete without a Fortnum and Mason wicker hamper, packed with mouth watering goodies.
Fortnum and Mason was established in 1707. Previously, William Fortnum was a footman working at nearby St James's Palace – at that time the residence of Queen Anne.
At the time, candles were the main source of light- even in the palace - and, as a perk of the job, Fortnum was allowed to have the stubs of burnt down candles.
He took these along to Hugh Mason, at the time owner of a hardware store in St James's Market. He made new candles for sale by melting down the stubs and they split the profits.
When Fortnum retired from royal service, they decided to go into partnership selling high quality groceries to the aristocrats and gentry, who were gravitating to the area of St James's to be close to the Queen's residence.
They imported exotic spices tea and other foodstuffs via the East India Company and supplied officers in both the Peninsular War and the Crimea War.
Fortnums supplied the royal household of Queen Victoria with groceries and, on her behalf, sent supplies of beef tea to Florence Nightingale, who was nursing the wounded in the Crimea.
In 1886, a certain Mr Heinz called on them and persuaded them to stock his 57 varieties of canned food.
In more recent times, British wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was a great devotee of Fortnum's Dundee Cake, which he always expected to eat for his afternoon tea. Dundee Cake is a rich, dark fruit cake with plenty of dried fruit and topped with almonds.
In 1964, an articulated clock was set over the main Piccadilly entrance. It features the figures of Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason, in eighteenth century dress, who turn and bow to each other, every hour.
Almost opposite Fortnum and Mason, on the north side of Piccadilly, is Burlington House, now home to The Royal Academy. In the quadrangle of Burlington House stands a fine statute of Sir Joshua Reynolds. He was the first President of the Royal Academy. The top storey was remodelled between 1872 and 1874 and now incorporates statues of artists, such as Michelangelo, Titian, Leonardo, Reynolds and others.
Burlington House was originally the home of Lord George Cavendish and was then surrounded by extensive grounds. Lord Cavendish objected to the "litter louts" who threw their oyster shells and other rubbish over his wall, so he hit upon the idea of building a shopping arcade or mall on that part of his estate.
It was a bold plan with a double advantage: at a stroke it would solve his litter problem and also " . . .give employment to industrious females".
Burlington Arcade, as it is known, lies alongside the western side of the Royal Academy and is not only the oldest, but also the longest enclosed shopping promenade in the world, running from Piccadilly right up to Burlington Gardens, some 260 yards (295 metres) away.
The fictitious James Bond, bought his cigarettes from a shop in Burlington Arcade.
Another famous building of note in Piccadilly, is the Hatchards shop, now occupied by Waterstones bookshop. This five storey 1930s building is very inviting, with ample sofas and armchairs, where you can review the books on offer. Having thus worked up an appetite you can take a light lunch in their restaurant.
But the other emporium of real epicurean delight in Piccadilly is the Ritz Hotel. This is about half way along Piccadilly, on the south side, next to Green Park. This has the distinction of being the first steel framed building in London. This technique was developed in New York as a way of building the familiar "skyscrapers" of that city.
Afternoon "Tea at The Ritz" is an occasion not to be missed, when visiting London. The service is immaculate, the atmosphere impeccable and the food delicious.
To the north of Piccadilly lies one of the most prestigious areas of London: Mayfair.
The southern side of Piccadilly, is split between Green Park on the western half and the area known as St James at the eastern end.
St James takes its name from the presence of St James's Palace, which lies at the south west corner of this area. This royal palace was built by King Henry VIII in 1530 and the area north and east of the palace, which forms St James, was laid out in the 1670s.
St James is a fascinating area and noted for its fine shops and many gentleman's private clubs, so much so, it has acquired the nickname "club land".
Travel further west along Piccadilly and half way along the expanse of Green Park, you will come to Half Moon Street, on the northern (Mayfair) side of the road. It is here P.G. Wodehouse set the fictional abode of Bertie Wooster, where he was so expertly administered by his impeccable valet, Jeeves.
A perfect location, bearing in mind the proximity of the "clubland" of St James, where, no doubt Mr Wooster would find it no too taxing to – in his own words – "ankle round" to the equally fictitious "Drones Club".
© copyright 2006 Jon Michael and London Vacation Secrets