I recently watched the movie Paddington and, immediately, Paddington 2. I couldn't believe I hand't seen such a well made movie. They came out a while ago so a lot has changed in London since then. Already, the "London" depicted there was from the 1960's, before the LCD screens, so things really did look quite different. The West End, especially the Piccadilly Circus bit, has probably changed the most.
Anyhow, I hadn't been to Piccadilly Circus in nearly two years at the time of taking these photos, so even in that short time I could see all the changes. There were brand new buildings that have been put up in just as little time. There were classic little shops that no longer exist, replaced by bizarre out-of-place "American sweet shops". I saw something in the news recently about those shops not all being above board. They are bright and colourful and add a lot of light to the place but, maybe it's just me, but London's kind of meant to be dull. lol. That's the general vibe of the city.
One constant over the decades is the Eros statue. That has got to be one of the most popular meeting points in the world. "Meet me at the Eros statue". I don't know how many hundreds of times I've said that phrase. Other popular meeting places in London that could almost rival this one include Trafalgar Square (under Nelson's Column and The Serpentine at Hyde Park. I'm sure these are all hot spots on those dating apps.
The times are changing and so is London. As time progresses, things will get progressively modern here. It's not the same umbrella and bowler hat charm of the past, but it's charming in a new sort of way that is a mix of the past and present, with a glimpse of what's to come.
Peace & Love,
Adé