Soho Square in London has been a public square since the mid-1950s but was owned by the Portland family until 1966. It used to be called King Square due to the statue of King Charles II in the square (pictured below). However, it has been known as Soho Square for many years and is a quiet area to sit and avoid crowds from the bustling Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street and Soho. The timber-framed building in the square was built in 1926 as a mock "market cross", but it actually hides an electric substation.
The square was built in the mid-1600s and was fashionable at that time, and it has been altered since then.
One less-known fact is that an air raid shelter was built under the square during World War II. Another fact is that one of the benches in the square was bought by fans of singer Kirsty McCall, who wrote a song about the square. The lyrics are inscribed on the bench: "One day I'll be waiting there / no empty bench in Soho Square".
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