Hand & Racquet, London

Closed in 2008 followed by numerous planning applications to demolish, finally granted and demolition carried out.

Built on the site of Charles II’s tennis court, the pub was the Hand & Tennis until at least 1730. Rebuilt in 1865, it was a small, welcoming corner pub that seemed a million miles from the bustle of Leicester Square. The upstairs room doubled as a restaurant, pool room and, latterly, as a comedy venue. It was a mecca for comedy artists such as Tony Hancock (whose "Half Hour" local was often similarly named), Sid James and Tommy Cooper.

In 2014, permission was granted for the demolition of the pub and neighbouring buildings and the construction of a ten-storey building with five basement levels to provide a large hotel, including three ground floor restaurants and bars, and a two screen cinema over a site bounded by Leicester Square, Panton Street, Whitcomb Street, Orange Street and St Martin's Street.