Speakers Corner Hyde park

In a corner of Hyde park, Tens of thousands of people visit Speaker's Corner once or twice a year, thousands more who come 5-10 times a year, and hundreds who come virtually through hell or high water. When you consider that there is nothing to buy here, there is no music, just human interaction without the mediation of machines and without any protection from the weather you begin to get a small glimpse of the significance of this place.

Speaker's Corner may be seen as a dynamic refection of mass psychology in that you have here people from every walk of life, every class, and almost every country. Speaker's Corner is perhaps the most dynamic mirror of human consciousness in the world.

There is of course a widespread belief that Speaker's Corner is some kind of "nuthouse", where "cranks" and tourists go. Lenin once related the story of a man who was wildly shaking, seated, his arms were swinging around, the observer thought it was a madman, but upon closer inspection he discovered it was a man sharpening a knife.