the old expression all roads lead to Rome may be true but in London may also lead to Piccadilly Circus or so it seems Piccadilly Circus is in the city's West End about a third of the mile northwest of Trafalgar Square it's one of the world's most famous intersections it's where Regent Street Shaftesbury Avenue Haymarket and Coventry and Glass House streets converge the word circus is derived from the Latin word for circle once there was a large traffic roundabout here the area became known as Piccadilly in the mid 1700s the name came from an article of clothing a tailor named Robert Baker became famous and wealthy for his Piccadilly that fancied laced like collars that were once the height of fashion his home was called Piccadilly House locals started calling the area Piccadilly and it stuck Charles Dickens said it was the nearest thing to a Parisian Boulevard in London Piccadilly is filled with famous buildings like the criterion theatre the London pavilion lily-white sporting goods store and the Trocadero there's also the iconic illuminated signs the first was installed in 1910 the real centerpiece though is the Shaftesbury memorial fountain near the tube station on the southeastern side of the circle it was built in 1893 it's been moved several times to accommodate Road changes but it's always been a popular meeting place for Londoners and tourists the memorial honors a remarkable man Anthony Ashley Cooper the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury the Earl was born in 1801 and was first elected to Parliament in 1826 he quickly became a leader in the social reform movement he first championed bills to protect the mentally ill he also took up the cause of child labour including a law that eventually led to the using children as chimney sweeps we often romanticize chimney sweeps today but in the past it was a dirty dangerous and sometimes deadly occupation the boys had an appallingly high rate of testicular cancer or chaps Barry also worked for improvements in Factory and mine safety the 10-hour workday and public education the fountain is topped by a statue of the winged Greek god and Teri's it's official title is the angel of Christian charity and Terris is often mistaken for his brother eros the God of carnal love and taro says the god of selfless love which is more in keeping with the character of Lord Shaftesbury Piccadilly Circus is a great place to visit when you're walking around Soho and the theater district it proves once again the Travel is one of the few things we can buy that can actually make us richer [Music]