Google Street View keeps Woolworths open

Ever since Google announced its Street View service in 25 UK cities this morning, we've been scouring the (virtual) UK streets to find the best landmarks and oddities.

Got any other strange things you've spotted? Add them to the comments below or drop us an email.

1. Woolies still exists

Top of our list is Woolworths, which still has stores across the land. Check out this one in Marylebone, London. If only they all still looked like this, instead of miserable empty shells.

2. What's that outside Edinburgh Castle?
Why, it's only a Google Street View car! Yep, they really do drive round in cars and take all these photos you know. Here seen driving along Johnston Terrace. Still can't quite believe it's road legal.

3. The Hacienda
Just round the corner from Manchester's G-Mex (now dullardly called Manchester Central), is this block of moden flats. But this piece of land is legendary, forever associated with the Manchester music scene of the 1980s and financed by Factory Records, New Order's label. Its story was told in 24-Hour Party People.

4. London Eye
Well, we had to put some of the more awesome landmarks in here. Top of the list is the London Eye, which looks spectacular. It's why Street View is superb - avoiding the tourists.

5. A Banksy
This artwork by Banksy appeared a year ago, proclaiming 'One nation under CCTV.' The Daily Mail was (probably) outraged at the stunt: "The secretive graffiti artist managed to erect three storeys of scaffolding behind a security fence despite being watched by a CCTV camera."

6. Govan Town Hall
This Victorian Glasgow municipal building now awaits new life, with its peeling paint and faded glamour. Franz Ferdinand used it to record their latest album, swinging microphones from the ceiling in the concert hall and generally making a lot of noise.

7. Clifton Suspension Bridge
Straddling the Avon Gorge, this 150-year old structure looks spectacular on Street View. One of the most famous projects overseen by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, he was just 24 when he won the competition to design the bridge.

8. Cardiff Millennium Stadium
Opposite the most minging car park in the world ever, is the Millennium Stadium, opened in 1999 on the site of the former Cardiff Arms Park. Not sure this is its best side, but there.

9. MI6/SIS Building
On the south bank of the Thames near Vauxhall is the HQ of our most secretive organisations (until somebody writes a book about their time there). Nice free ad for aircon-hire.co.uk, too, Google.

10. Shankhill Road, Belfast
Famous for its murals, you'll have seen the Shankill Road many, many times on TV. Now you can explore the 1.5 mile-long street using Street View.

11. Shambles, York
Some buildings on this ancient street date back to the fourteenth century. The name derived from the anglo-saxon for the shelves butchers used to display meat. Apparently there were as many as 25 butchers shops at one point, too.

12. Angel of the North
Ever-impressive is the £1 million Angel of the North, overlooking the A1. It's only 20 metres tall apparently.

13. Penny Lane
If you've ever been on the tour of Liverpool, you'll have stopped here. The bottom end of Penny Lane, L18. Paul McCartney used to meet John Lennon at the end of Penny Lane to get a bus into town you know... Oh, and while we're at it, here's Abbey Road.

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Now read Google claims Street View privacy is adequate

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Dan (Twitter, Google+) is TechRadar's Former Deputy Editor and is now in charge at our sister site T3.com. Covering all things computing, internet and mobile he's a seasoned regular at major tech shows such as CES, IFA and Mobile World Congress. Dan has also been a tech expert for many outlets including BBC Radio 4, 5Live and the World Service, The Sun and ITV News.