Famously part of the green set in Monopoly, along with Oxford Street and Bond Street, Regent Street is a Mecca for shoppers. Home of Hamley’s, which once held the title of largest toy-shop in the world, the street curves majestically away from Piccadilly Circus joining to Oxford Circus, playing host to D H Evans and Liberty among others.
The street was originally created as part of John Nash’s town plan in 1811, and was named after the then- Prince Regent.
Regent Street can be a draw for the crowds for a variety of reasons, from the switching-on of the Christmas lights by the big-name celebrity of the time to the annual Regent Street Festival.
Last year, five hundred thousand people are thought to have turned out to see a selection of Formula 1 cars drive the length of Regent Street, an event which has ignited interest in the idea of a London Grand Prix.
