giant circle | >Re-PHOTO

Bubbles, Hula Hoops, Hugs & Venus: The 8th Reclaim Love Valentine Party on Saturday 12th February 2011 was a little different from usual, but like the others called for universal love and peace and opposed the incredible commercialisation of St Valentines Day.

This year 2026, there are plans for another Reclaim Love:-
“You are invited to join us on Saturday February 14th (St. V. Day!) at 2:30pm for a 3:33pm LOVE CIRCLE by Eros in London’s Piccadilly Circus.
YES! It’s back! RECLAIM LOVE!…”

I hope it goes well – and hope to be there.

Before the 2011 party I had photographed a celebration of the success of the Egyptian Revolution in removing President Mubarek. Unfortunately things have not gone well for Egypt in the years since that euphoric moment.

Reclaim Love Pavement Party

Piccadilly Circus & Green Park

Bubbles, Hula Hoops, Hugs & Venus - 2011 — *Reclaim love presents an alternative to the commercial messages about Valentines day on the hoardings in Piccadilly Circus, watched by Eros and a helicopter far above.*

This was the 8th Annual Reclaim Love Pavement Party, organised by Venus “to celebrate the Greatest thing on Earth and the Greatest thing we have inside…Yes, Love!!!” It almost didn’t happen, but Irish poet and love activist Venus CuMara had been persuaded by many who had come to previous events to arrange another despite feeling she needed to rest. But her incredible energy and spirit shows in the many pictures I made of her at the event.

But Piccadilly Circus where the event was normally held was being reorganised and although the persuasive charms of Venus managed to get the workmen to tidy up the area to make it possible to meet there, holding the great circle which is the climax of the event was impossible.

Instead Venus led the group to a circle of 13 tall plane trees in Green Park for the event, where carefully avoiding the daffodils in the grass the circle was formed.

*Venus says it’s time to go to a very special place*

As well as this giant circle in London there were others forming to chant the same mantra “May All The Beings In All The Worlds Be Happy And At Peace” for around five minutes at the same time, 3.30pm UTC.

In 2010 there had been 7 circles in Ireland, 6 others in England, in Scotland, Wales, Pakistan, 2 in India, 4 in Spain, 2 in Italy, 3 in Germany, Austria, Iceland, France, Brazil, Argentina, 2 in New Zealand, 5 in the USA, Canada and Australia. And in 2011 for the first time there was to be one in Egypt.

After this as people began to party and dance in the centre of the tree circle – carefully avoiding the growing daffodils – two vans full of police drove up. Venus rushed to talk to them and explain what was happening and was told the the event was contravening a number of the bylaws of the Royal Parks, and it did not have the permissions needed.

Eventually Venus managed to convince the police the event was harmless and promised we would all leave the park by 4pm, and the police went away. I heard the officer who had been talking with Venus say to his colleagues: “I really thought I was in a parallel universe there” and indeed he had been.

And we did all leave, returning to continue to party around ‘Eros’ (Yes pedants, I know!). I was sorry to leave after after around half an hour, but the party apparently went on until late.

You can read a much fuller account of the event I wrote in 2011 on My London Diary, where of course there are many more pictures.

Reclaim Love Pavement Party

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St Valentine’s Day – Reclaim Love: St Valentine was a Roman Christian, possibly a bishop, who was known for his ministry to Christians who were under persecution by the Roman Empire and was martyred and buried near Rome possibly on February 14th 269 AD. Wikipedia has a lengthy entry which goes into the various other St Valentines and the legends associated with him.

The 14th February was established as the Feast of St Valentine of Rome by the then Pope in AD 496 and much later the celebration was also taken up by both Lutheran and Anglican churches. The day was dropped from the official Roman Catholic list in 1969.

The legends which associate St Valentine with romantic love came much later, probably beginning in the age of Chaucer in the late 14th century and invented by him and others around him. With many variations he was said to have fallen in love with the blind daughter of his jailer and shortly before he was executed to have cured her blindness and to have sent her a note. Like in the later traditions of Valentines cards this one was signed simply: “from your Valentine.”

St Valentine as well as being associated with lovers is also the patron saint of epileptics and beekeepers and those suffering mental illnesses and doubtless there are or were legends associated with these too. Parts allegedly of him are kept as relics in churches in Rome, Madrid, Dublin and around a dozen other places around Europe, including in the Gorbals in Glasgow and Birmingham Oratory.

The Reclaim Love Valentine street parties around the statue we wrongly call Eros at Piccadilly Circus were started by the remarkable Irish poet and activist Venus CuMara. They took place on the Saturday closest to the 14th and in 2009 it was actually on the 14th. In this post are a few of the pictures I took on 14th Feb 2009 at the party, and the text I wrote about the event.

This was the sixth annual Valentine Party at Piccadilly Circus, around the statue of Eros, organised by Venus to celebrate “to celebrate the Greatest thing on Earth and the Greatest thing we have inside…Yes, Love!!!” and it was the largest yet, filling the area around with people.

As well as the party at Picadilly Circus, at least 15 similar events were taking place around the world, in Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Iceland, Finland, Italy, Spain, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand …

The climax to the event was when all of those present formed a giant circle linking hands in the “Historic Annual Earth Healing Circle.” But for several hours we all enjoyed ourselves, dancing to the samba rhythms of resistance and other music, and enjoying the company of other people and remembering what is really important, not just on Valentine’s day but the whole of the year.

Eros may be dominated by those huge neon advertising hoardings the other 354 days of the year, but for one day at least it was surrounded by people dedicated to showing that the best things in life really are free

There are many more pictures on My London Diary at Reclaim Love 6

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Tag: giant circle

Bubbles, Hula Hoops, Hugs & Venus – 2011

Reclaim Love Pavement Party

St Valentine’s Day – Reclaim Love 6, 2009