Covent Garden is the heart and soul of London. With everything on offer, it is a must on the to-do list of any tourist, and the city dwellers never tire of its charm and individuality. When you visit this bustling, beating heart of the W postcodes, take the time to study some of the beautiful statues, art and hidden streets in the area. Some have tantalising stories behind them, and these are three of the ones we find particularly interesting and attractive…
A Conversation With Oscar Wilde, Adelaide Street, is a stunning bronze art installment fitted in 1998. It is also designed to make a rather comfortable seat, in what is one of the busiest parts of London. Of course, it is dedicated to one of the world’s most famous and loved literary figures – and a beautiful quote of his is carved in unmissable quirky writing at your feet: ‘We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars’.
The Young Dancer, Broad Street – opposite the Royal Opera House, which of course is home to the Royal Ballet. This really is a gorgeous and expensive, yet understated statue that is full of movement. Enzo Plazzotta, the sculpture, moved to London from Italy after the second world war, and immediately fell in love with the British interpretation and style of ballet. This bronze statue is a poignant reminder of post war England, and the importance of the arts bringing people closer together in a grim and challenging time.
If you’d like to see what Georgian London was like, but would rather miss out on the fog and the smells, then take a stroll around Goodwin’s Court. Just off St Martin’s Street, this extraordinary little place houses building surviving from the late 1600s. Still lit by gaslights and with polished doorknobs and ancient wooden carvings, it’s no surprise that this was the backdrop for scenes in the Harry Potter films – Goodwin’s Court was, of course, Diagon Alley. It truly is like stepping back in time as you get further and further down the lanes, with even the businesses seeming to reflect a lost age.
