• At Argyll Street, turn right and walk up towards Oxford Street...

 

As you turn look across the road to see the famous London department store Liberty, famed for its appearance and style. Worth a quick visit!   ///update.rots.tested

 

Argyll Street dates from circa 1735/36 and is named after John Campbell 2nd Duke of Argyll. The building on the corner has an interesting black marble façade and Ancient Egyptian-style decorations around the windows, doorways and balustrade. 

 

Look out for a plaque recording the stay, in a house on this street, of Germaine Necker, commonly known as Madame de Staël.   ///unwanted.races.crest

 

There is also a plaque nearby to the memory of Brian Epstein who managed the Beatles.  ///green.living.baked

 

The 2,286-seater London Palladium has a distinctly Ancient Greek look.  Designed by architect Frank Matcham, this Grade II listed building opened in 1910 behind the facade of Argyll House, the home of the Duke of Argyll in the early 1700s.  ///sides.pints.eagle

 

The site had previously been called the Corinthian Bazaar and Exhibition Rooms (the name was taken from the Corinthian columns forming part of the classical front to Argyll Street) which featured an aviary. It then became the National Skating Palace with an indoor rink before finally becoming a variety theatre. When it opened, it had its own telephone system allowing the occupants of the boxes to call one another. It also featured a revolving stage that enabled lavish shows to be produced. 

 

Entertainers from around the world aspired to appear at Britain’s most famous theatre and in the 50’s and 60’s high profile stars such as Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. all headlined.

 

Inside the main foyer of the Palladium there are two blue plaques. The first remembers Lew Grade, a Ukrainian-born British media proprietor and impresario. The second commemorates Frankie Vaughan, one of Britain’s favourite singers who performed here many times. (These plaques can only be viewed with permission).

 

The Palladium presented many Royal Variety Performances  and in 1963 John Lennon caused a stir with his legendary words “For our last number I’d like to ask for your help. Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewellery”. The theatre now stages box office hit musicals, concerts and the BAFTA Awards.

 

Two more plaques can be found on this part of the walk. The first is dedicated to Washington Irving, an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.    ///visa.dangerously.tribal

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The second plaque is dedicated to Maj. General William Roy, the founder of the Ordnance Survey, who lived here.

///cowboy.soft.pocket

 

• At Oxford Street, turn left and walk towards one of the Oxford Circus Station entrances, where this walk finishes.   ///jump.honest.influencing