Fantastic green puzzle in Trafalgar Square

September 5, 2010 by Tony in Places

People visiting London’s Trafalgar Square in the first week of August were being urged to get lost in a temporary maze. Parts of the maze were named after areas of the West End and as the visitors try to find their way around they can learn about those places. In the centre of the maze there was a different piece of entertainment, from around the West End, every day for the five days the maze was open.

London can sometimes seem like a giant maze even to those who have been born and bred in the capital. Measuring 18m by 25m, the maze at Trafalgar Square aimed to help you discover the overlooked gems and hidden histories to be found in the West End of the city, regardless of whether you were a long term resident or a new visitor

The labyrinth, organised by the West End Partnership, ran until 6 August. The free maze was a mixture of laurel and thuja, was 7.9ft (2.4m) tall and measured approximately 98ft (30m) by 66ft (20m). Recreating some of London’s most famous streets, lanes and squares, the maze at Trafalgar Square gave people the chance to learn some fascinating facts about the cultural history of some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. As well as key facts on the likes of Leicester Square, the Covent Garden Piazza, Saville Row, Oxford Street and Seven Dials, the maze also celebrated some of the West End’s hidden gems.

The different events at the heart of the maze included a showcase from some of the cast of the West End show Priscilla Queen of the Desert, a giant paper dragon show from Chinatown and a Carnaby Street-inspired 60s party. Jace Tyrrell, from the West End Partnership, said: “By creating the maze and filling it with some of the best examples of what the West End has to offer, we’re hoping to encourage visitors to go beyond their usual path and enjoy getting a little lost.”

Trafalgar Square’s temporary maze covered an area of about 540 square yards, and though the notice at the entrance invited you to “get lost in the West End”, it took only a couple of minutes to find your way past the three or four dead ends. That did not stop the visitors pouring in, and over the course of the week it opened for, thousands passed through it.

Whilst weaving backwards and forwards throughout the maze at Trafalgar Square, people could come face to face with an array of fascinating facts about the West End, from the story that Carnaby Street apparently inspired Ray Davies to write The Kinks hit Dedicated Follower of Fashion, to the rumour that Trafalgar Square is home to the world’s smallest police station. You could also find out where to find the only street in the UK where cars are driven on the right hand side, and which Tube station stairway is allegedly haunted by the ghost of actor William Terris.

Its special feature was that each section had a street sign bearing the name of a famous street in the West End, and a blue plaque outlining the history of the street. You could find out, for instance, where and why Maurice Micklewhite changed his name to Michael Caine, or on which street The Beatles gave their last live performance, even down to the name of the first English trader to sell grapefruit.

It is wonderful to see that Trafalgar Square, once famous only for thousands of pidgeons, has been transformed into a vibrant open space at the heart of the great metropolis of London. Good also, that the message of concern for the environment is getting through much more strongly now, this glorious green maze an excellent example of environmental installation. Let’s hope we see much more like it.