Leicester Square

Empire, Leicester Square.

Leicester Square has been a busy hub for tourists and those visiting the area to watch films and shows for many years. The square is used for exhibitions and events throughout the year and is always bustling with a palpable energy.

William Shakespeare fountain.

With the Empire Leicester Square and the Odeon Leicester Square, on two sides which are used for film premieres, and more restaurants than you can count and pubs on the other, it is a magnet for anyone heading to the West End. 

Lumiere Festival, 2016.

To the north is Chinatown, the east Covent Garden, south lies Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus is to the west, making Leicester Square a true hub in the West End.

Enough said.

It is possibly because of how busy the area gets that I prefer walking around other areas of London.

m&m's World.

However, every once in a while, I do head here, especially if there is something worth seeing.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Over the years I have seen many changes to the square and its surroundings. Statues have come and gone. Fountains and water features have been rebuilt and installed. Paving and seating has been improved. Theatres, cinemas, shops and restaurants have come and gone, too.

Celebrity handprints, 2010.

But the atmosphere has always remained.

Prince Charles Cinema

The canopy is not just for the advertising of films.

The Prince Charles Cinema is one of my favourite cinemas to visit. They show a minimum of ten films, per week, which mostly consist of cult, arthouse or independent movies, with the occasional new movie thrown in.

It shows sing-a-long and quotable versions of some films, like The Sound of Music and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. They also show movie marathons, like The Arnie All Nighter, where six Arnold Schwarzenegger movies were shown back-to-back. That was a particularly long night. 

They also do things like 'Beer & Pizza' nights, where a slice of pizza and a beer are included in the ticket price.