Take a Two Minute Trip to the Arctic

Who knew freezing your butt off could be so much fun?

When I heard that National Geographic had opened a store on London’s Regent Street, I thought:

It will be worthy

It will be well done

But exciting retail?

I doubt it.

Well, I was wrong.

Yesterday, on the way to look at kitchen counters at John Lewis (speaking of worthy but boring retail) I stumbled into the Nat Geo emporium and had a blast – literally.

Of all the things to do and see in this huge, glossy, dare I say it, sexy store, it’s hard to beat taking a spin in the testing chamber where you can try out your expedition gear in simulated extreme weather conditions while a thermo camera takes a pictures of your body’s temperatures. Even though I was in street clothes, the friendly member of staff was happy to let me have a go. Oh yes, it was super windy and cold but where else in London can you take a two minute trip to the Arctic?

In addition to the testing chamber, the store is filled with nifty products that would be great to have whether you are venturing down the block or around the globe. I found the shoes, boots, bags and backpacks particularly seductive. As you would expect from Nat Geo, there are inspiring pictures everywhere, a gallery, a space for presentations, a section for children, and a groovy looking café (the only busy place in the store) with world food and music.

It’s hard to imagine that this enormous store filled with relatively esoteric stuff will make lots of money but as an exciting retail destination and as an expression of the brand, it is a runaway success. In the guest book for the store’s current special exhibition on Finland, a young visitor, who obviously had a great time on his visit, put it this way: “I LOVE National Geographic” and that about sums it up.

The National Geographic store can be found at 83 – 87 Regent Street. There is another store in Singapore.

The photo of the testing chamber taken by Philip Meech & Tim Kavanagh is from the store’s website.

Hats Off to the V&A

I nearly got fired for a love of hats.

It all started with Lilly Dache, a French-born American-based milliner who dressed the great and the good in post war America. Lilly Dache designed hats for Audrey Hepburn, Carole Lombard and my grandmother. I know this because I inherited some of those Dache hats. I’ve hauled those hats all over the world. I love them.

But back to almost getting fired. It was in the days when I was selling computers door-to-door. As usual, I was behind quota. It was the end of the month and I was desperately scrounging around for someone to buy my stuff.

And then, I walked by this divine little hat shop. Oh my God, just look at those hats, so special. So fabulous. I looked up. The name on the store front was ‘Suzanne Dache’. Could she possibly be related to THE Lilly Dache? I’m now hyperventilating. OK, I have to go in and ask. She was and I spent the rest of the afternoon on a critical day at the end of the month trying on hats.

If you feel this way about hats, run, fly, drive – do whatever it takes to get to the hat exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum in London. Curated by Stephen Jones, who has designed hats for everyone from Princess Diana to Beyonce, this show has more than 300 amazing hats including the hats from the film “My Fair Lady”, hats made by Balenciaga, hats made for Queen Victoria and Boy George and of course, hats made by the late, great Lilly Dache.

If you love hats, you really have to see this show. Even the little hats you can buy and make yourself in the gift shop are awesome. I’ll be going back again and again.

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones will be at the V&A until May 31, 2009

Photo Credit: Conde Nast

London's North End Road Market

The first time I saw North End Road market, I didn’t get it. It didn’t look like much. Lots of ragtag stalls selling very ripe fruit and veg, batteries, fish, candy and suitcases, that kind of thing. But now, I head for North End almost every day and for me, it’s a quintessential London experience – vibrant, incredibly cheap, rough around the edges and lots of fun. It’s the only place where I am still regularly called young lady, or darling, or ‘luv’. Open six days a week, but best on Fridays and Saturdays, the market runs between Lillie and Walham Grove roads on London’s North End Road in Fulham.

One of the reasons I love North End Road market is its local history. Since 1887, residents of Fulham and passers by alike have come to the market in search of a bargain. Many stalls have been run by the same families for generations. The clamour of traders calling out their products and prices, the polyglot of languages and the rush of traffic make North End a bustling, multi-cultural place where ethnic foods sits next to English cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli to satisfy an increasingly diverse group of shoppers. Preserved lemons from Egypt, Camembert cheese from France, milk fish from the Philippines and plantains from the Caribbean are all part of the North End offering.

As well as the diversity of products, people come to North End from across London for the amazing prices. A dozen lemons or a bowl of avocados for a pound is common. Sometimes, whole boxes of tomatoes or oranges are sold for that price. The market provides a real benefit to anyone trying to stretch a budget or follow their doctor’s advice to eat more fruit and veg. Avid cooks and foodies go for the fresh and exotic ingredients, restaurants go for a quick resupply and children head there for the discounted sweets while their mothers search for inexpensive shoes. In effect, North End becomes a community meeting point for Fulham's old and young, well off and the struggling, long times resident and the recently arrived.

For visitors to London, North End is an “off the beaten track” opportunity to see an authentic London market without tourists. It is not very big and definitely not picturesque like Portobello or upmarket like Borough but its where ‘real’ Londoners, in anoraks, burkhas, track suits and school uniforms all come to argue, joke, discuss the state of the world and bag some of the best food bargains in town.


Photo credit: Christopher Bruce for All Saints Church Fulham on Flickr

Harrods - A Timeless Tourist Trap

I’ve said it before, I don’t like Harrods anymore. I don’t like the current owner who displays a Madame Tussaud waxwork of himself in the Man’s Shop. I don’t like his creepy security guards who enforce the store’s dress code and tell you how to carry your handbag. I don’t like the tasteless Diana and Dodi Memorial on the lower ground floor. With that said, I was in the neighbourhood yesterday and thought it would be fun to drop in on Harrod’s exhibition “Timeless Luxury”, a celebration of the backstories of the world’s most iconic brands. How, for example, officers in World War I would commission Aquascutum, the inventor of the waterproof wool coat, to make coats with deep pockets for ammunition, ergo the name “trench coat” or how Louis Vuitton got his start packing trunks for Napoleon. Well, that sounded interesting.

When I arrived, I was directed to the Harrods Story Exhibition where I learned some amazingly cools things, like the fact that the store embalmed Sigmund Freud, delivered a baby elephant to Ronald Reagan and once employed Dave Prowse, the original Darth Vader, as a fitness instructor. There was an enthusiastic archivist on hand to answer questions. So far, so good, but I felt so sad to have missed the Harrods they were talking about, the eccentric, interesting and admirable Harrods that delivered a crocodile to Noel Coward, and daily fresh herring to Alfred Hitchcock in Hollywood, that would hire you an ambulance complete with a trained nurse or teach etiquette to debutantes. I kept asking myself how the Harrods of yesteryear, the one with class and esprit could have ended up as such a soulless temple of ueber-consumption, more Las Vegas than London.

But what about the brands? To tell you the truth, I only made it through part of the Baccarat Exhibition (very nice) when I started to get what I would describe as a Harrods' headache – too many people, silly prices and sillier rules. Here are some of the things that I missed:

The Ferragamo Exhibition - shoes worn by movie stars and royalty since the 1920s – (Sounded good, shoes are always interesting)

Valentino Exhibition – the vintage Valentino gown that was the inspiration for Julia Roberts Oscar dress (who cares?)

Turnbull & Asser Exhibition – Pieces worn by Rupert Evans and Mick Fleetwood (who?) and patterns of Winston Churchill, Laurence Olivier, Charlie Chaplin and Sean Connery (had potential)

The Little Black Dress Exhibition – featuring Versace’s safety pin show stopper made famous by Liz Hurley (haven’t these people seen Breakfast at Tiffanys? Now that was a ‘little black dress’!)

I’m really not sorry to have missed these exhibits, or Aerin Lauder’s Fragrance debut or the launch of Van Cleff & Arpels children’s collection (I could give up right here and become a Bolshevik) but what I am sorry to have missed is the Harrods that was more interested in pleasing the Royal Family than Kylie Minogue. Almost every visitor to London makes a pilgrimage to Harrods and to be fair, the food halls are fun to wander through, there are lots of nice overpriced places to eat and the toy department is far better than Hamleys. But if you are looking for that great old store – reader, it is gone. What’s left, as they say in the Michelin Guides, is not worth the detour.

Shopping for Children's Clothes in London

Years ago, my husband visited a Gap store in Washington, D.C. while in the US on a business trip with an arm long shopping list. He proceeded to buy dozens of pairs of pants and t-shirts in different little boy sizes. The sales girl had seen it all before. “So, you must be from Europe. You’re the fourth guy in here today buying like that. Hey, don’t they have kids’ clothes in Europe?”

Well of course they did, but at the time, European children’s clothes cost at least twice what was on offer at Gap, were not as durable and could not match the peerless informality which became Gap’s trademark.

But the tables have turned and now I am often asked by both continental and American friends visiting London where to go for low cost, high fashion children’s clothes. It’s not that London is an inexpensive town, perish the thought, but it has become a great place to pick up some cutting edge children’s fashion at bargain basement prices as well the more expensive English classics.

Top Ten Stores for Childrens’ Clothes in London

H&M

Fast-forward fashion at rock bottom prices. Everything from ski wear to party dresses and accessories. Don’t expect great quality but children tend to grow out of their clothes before they wear out anyway. My nine year old daughter found most of her favourite things here this autumn. We bought bags and bags of stuff for £50. With outlets throughout London, the nicest children’s branch is at High Street Kensington. Alas, it is always crowded.

Zara

Similar to H&M but with better made and nicer things at slightly higher prices. Zara is famous for getting copies of high fashion designs from the runway to the shops at lightening speed. If you want the latest trends for very competitive prices, Zara is hard to beat. Nicest children’s branch just opened off the King’s Road at the Duke of York Square and was completely empty when I was there last week.

Marks & Spencer

Always good for staples such as jumpers (sweaters), underwear and socks and well worth checking out because occasionally M&S has something that is so good you can’t believe it. For example, Eloise and I recently found a £34 faux sheepskin fur coat that is so glamorous, the lady at the till (cash register), told Eloise she would look just like a movie star, and typical of M&S, its machine washable as well. Best children’s branch is either at the main Oxford Street store or High Street Kensington.


Gap

Similar inventory as in the US and the look does get tiring but if the sales are on, and to compete with the likes of H&M and Zara they often are, 50% to 70% discounts are common and it is hard to argue with the quality.

Next

Trendy to the point of tacky, but when they get it right, the clothes can deliver good value.


Trotters

Well made, good looking classic clothes for the aspiring middle classes at prices that are high enough to be reassuring. No bargains here but nice stuff if you need it. More selection in smaller sizes. A good shoe department where we were able to buy a perfect pair of trainers (sneakers) that no one else had in stock. They also have a children’s hair salon. Stores can be found on the King’s Road and Kensington High Street

Monsoon

For pint sized bohemians. Lots of sequins, silks, fancy knits and bright colours. Good party dresses at reasonable, but certainly not cheap, High Street prices.

Jigsaw

Similar to Monsoon but a bit more conservative. Best children’s branch is on the Fulham Road near the Brompton Cross and Bibendum.

Rachel Riley

If price is no object, but romance is, then this is my favourite children’s shop in London. Sadly, Eloise won’t touch the stuff. Too tasteful. Beautiful smocked dresses and pinafores, round collared shirts, Fair Isle sweaters and smart night clothes. Stores in Knightsbridge and Marylebone.


Boden

And finally, this is the catalogue retailer who has become a one-stop shop for the British middle classes. The clothes are well made, fun, smart and sensibly priced. What they are not is trendy, cutting edge or complicated. Perfect for holidays in Cornwall or Martha’s Vineyard. If you, like me, hate to shop from catalogues, then you can visit their only shop (in London) which is on Hanger Lane and next door to the Park Royal tube stop on the Piccadilly Line.

Marks & Spencer

When your husband tells you to go out and buy a new bathing suit, you can be quite sure that the acquisition is long overdue. With this imperative in mind, I decided to it was time to return to that “mother of all British institutions” – Marks and Spencer.

I hadn’t been in a store for ages. Neither had the British public were one to believe the headlines. “Is M&S in Terminal Decline?” has been asked so many times that one didn’t even want to be seen going into the morgue of mass marketing. It was embarrassing to be seen there. The stores looked lousy. The merchandise was boring beyond belief. Even the iconic underwear ( and by association the swimwear) was judged “not worth buying any more”.

But along came an ad campaign with a very beautiful middle-aged Twiggy to change all that. How did a model famous in the 1960s get customers back into Marks and Spencer? It’s a weird dynamic but a powerful one. Twiggy looks so great in the kind of clothes that most middle-aged women need to wear, that you are seduced into getting back into the store and having a look. I needed a swimsuit, I was past the bikinis on offer at Topshop and Zara and anyway, I wanted to look like Twiggy, heroine of my youth.

I chose to visit the M&S on Kensington High Street and not the main store on Oxford Street. First, I hate Oxford Street. It is the kind of street that makes you want to quit consumption all together. It is just too big, too crowded, too voracious and too crude for an enjoyable shopping experience. The same can be said for the Oxford Street Marks & Spencer. The M&S on Ken High Street has just enough stuff to keep me happy but not so much stuff that I am turned off.

The store in Kensington has been spruced up and looks better. Improved lighting insures that the merchandise looks more appealing. I’m still confused about where to find stuff but less so and the ladies underwear, I am happy to report, is back in fine form.

I found my ideal swimsuit quickly. Instead of setting me back £100 which is what an equivalent product would have cost me at Harrods, my lovely white one piece was a reasonable £35. It was made in Portugal from a sturdy fabric that should hold everything in the right place. I loved it and was in the mood to shell out for some beach accessories as well. But alas, the accessories were created with an over tanned Ivana Trump in mind and I gave them a pass. The fact that I tried on my new fab suit in a disorganised dressing room and had to wait a long time to pay for it, demonstrated that some things at Marks haven’t changed.

So would I recommend a return visit to this icon of British retailing. Yes, I certainly would for underwear (including socks and tights), jumpers/sweaters and food. In the underwear department, you can buy anything from good quality inexpensive utilitarian to great looking sexy stuff at modest prices. The food buyers have finally woken up to the fact that the middle classes have an aversion to additives and food miles and the jumpers/sweaters still beat anything on the high street for value and durability. Their washable wool can withstand the onslaught of even a housekeeper from the Philippines (and for those of you who have ever had someone from the Philippines do your laundry you know how miraculous this is). These sweaters make great affordable gifts.

For the rest of the merchandise, I’m still not convinced. The children’ department continues to look like an outpost of Disneyland. M&S take note – Eloise does not want Winnie the Pooh on her knickers. The shoes still can’t compete with the cutting edge cheapo shoe stores such as Office and for my money, the heralded Per Una and Autograph lines can’t hold a candle to what’s on offer at H&M, Zara and Topshop.

But with all that said, it’s nice to see a British institution getting back to the business of being a British institution. It seemed unnatural not to shop there. Too much has changed in this socially managed “paradise” of an island in the last eleven years and I, for one, look forward to the return of orderly queues, a rousing defense of free speech and buying my knickers at M&S.

Photo of Twiggy in M&S outfit from ad campaign taken from company's website

Camden Market

It was serendipity that took me to Camden Market. I happened to be in north London, it was a perfect day, I was wearing comfortable shoes and I was on a roll writing about markets. Thus it was that I found myself on the Regent Canal towpath heading for Camden.

The path is a quiet, languid refuge in a hectic town. Sunk down below the level of the roads, long, thin boats putter past at slow speeds. The route meanders through the London Zoo, past warthogs and mountain goats and beneath the elegant Snowdon aviary. After the Zoo, you pass a floating Chinese restaurant, the Feng Shang, which is a fun although expensive place and then along the gardens of interesting looking North London houses.

After a 30 minute walk, I arrived, late morning on a weekday in Camden Market which is really a series of markets loosely clustered around Camden Lock and Camden High Street. Having just finished John Irving’s 800 page novel “Until I Find You”, which is largely set in tattoo parlours, I felt I was right back in the pages of that book. Everything you can possibly do to the human body is on display in Camden.

As for the markets, they are hugely popular with both tourists and youngish Londoners. It is here you will find “alternative” everything. Some of it is “alternative” rubbish for the tourists, but scattered around, if you look hard for it, is original clothing, furniture and objects that you won’t find with traditional retailers. If you are a Goth (as in ‘like a Vampire’), everything your black heart could desire is here. As well, it’s the place to go if you want to buy kinky or vintage or designer rip-off clothes. There were tons of irreverent T-Shirts and greeting cards as well as acres of used leather shoes and jackets. In short, it is the closest thing you’ll find in London to a souk filled with the good, the bad and the awful. I’m coming back with my daughter. She would love this stuff.

There’s plenty of food available, much of it ethnic. It looked pretty good but it was too early for me to eat. There are pubs located around the Lock that looked fun. Even though I was way past the demographic (average age 19) and looked like the very unhip mother of 4 that I am, I found the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming. I didn’t buy anything but I had a good time.

So where do I stand on Camden Market? I reckon if you are my age it’s a good place to go to see what young people are up to. If you are young, it’s a good place to go. If you’re a visitor to London, it’s interesting to check out the alternative scene, and if you arrive by foot along the Regents Canal, it is a lovely walk.

And finally, when I was studying in London oh so many years ago, I used to spend my free time parading up and down the Kings Road, happy in the knowledge that everything on that street would be objectionable to my parents. Now that the Kings Road is a middle class shopping slum, I’m happy to know that Camden and its markets still exists.

Borough Market

On his way to sack London in AD 43, Aulus Plautus and his Roman legions found a market on the south side of the river near what is today London Bridge. 2,000 years later, you too can launch a raid on the most exciting place to buy food in London.

The colourful and grimy Borough Market, which operates as a wholesale produce market to the trade during the week, converts in to the gourmet market par excellence on Friday and Saturday. This is where the leading UK producers, food celebrities such as the Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, locals, City workers, foodies and tourists congregate, consume, discuss and buy food. So popular is Borough Market that in 2003 it won the top prize for “totally London experiences” nominated by the public, ahead of Hyde Park and the South Bank Arts Centre.

The focus at Borough Market is on British artisan producers and it is here you can find every kind of wild mushroom, exotic chillies, truffles, award winning cheeses, and sausages as well as meats and fish and beautiful fresh produce. There is a stall dedicated to garlic, another to blueberries and one devoted to honey produced in greater London.

Compared to the upmarket food halls, the real pay-off in shopping at Borough Market can be found in the opportunity to interact with the individuals who grow, raise and produce what you buy. The stall holders are proud of their offerings and delighted to discuss technique, ruminate on the market and swap recipes. This is where people who love food love to go. This is the place even my French friends respect.

If the food alone weren’t enough, the 4.5 acre Victorian market under a railway viaduct is worth a visit just based on the number of films that have shot scenes there: Bridget Jones, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Howard’s End and The French Lieutenants Woman. You rarely visit this market without seeing a film crew in operation.

From a “No Crowds” perspective, it is best to get to the market early when the vendors have time to chat and the best products are available. On Fridays, those in the know immediately make their way to the stand of the Spanish provider, Brindisa, which offers a chorizo sandwich hugely popular with City workers. By 12:30, the line for these sandwiches winds around the block. If you are in the mood for a wider selection and a place to sit down, Brindisa operates a lively tapas bar on the border of the market which is also always full so arrive early. In addition to Brindisa, there are tons of great things to eat and drink ranging from real German sausages, seafood, chilli, falafel, grilled venison, specialty coffees and teas and much more.

It is also worthwhile to stop in at Southwark Cathedral on the edge of the market where it is thought that a church has been operating for over 1,000 years. This impressive and historic structure can be visited in peace and quiet, and without an admission charge, unlike the Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s. To experience a different kind of living history, stop in for a pint and at the George Inn, mentioned by Charles Dickens in Little Dorrit and the last remaining galleried coaching inn in London. The George Inn can be found at 77 Borough High Street.

London Food Halls

It is Fashion Week in London and I want to go shopping, but not for clothes. As the fashionistas check out Top Shop on Oxford Street, I make my way to the food halls of London’s renowned department stores in Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges, to scratch a retail itch of a different kind. London has some of the best department store food halls in the world and I’m off to see how they rate as destinations for visitors.

In the battle of the food departments, for sheer magnificence, you can’t beat Harrods. I hadn’t been there for years, not liking the owner or his creepy security guards but with that said, the food halls are fabulous, vast, and filled with the most wonderful tiling and decorations to match the food on offer. The range and selection of meat, fish, poultry, game, prepared foods, sauces, and condiments boggles the mind.

And so do the prices. Harrods charges such a premium that it never fails to titillate the tourists. In every conceivable language they gasp and shriek, “Did you see the price of that fish!” or “$50 for jelly beans!” In fact, sticker shock has become such a part of the experience that most visitors end up meandering through, enjoying the old fashioned richness of it all and then end up purchasing a Harrods’ branded package of tea, jam or biscuits. I can’t recommend doing this when the “souvenir” food selection is so much better at Fortnum and Mason. More on that later.

What did look inviting was the amazing number of in-store eating opportunities. Every possible kind of restaurant can be found in the Food Halls including an Oyster Bar, a Fish Bar that cooks what you choose from the counter, a Rotisserie, a Fromagerie featuring inventive dishes focussed on dairy products, a Pizzeria, a sandwich and ice cream bar and a good looking Tapas Bar in the basement that, because it was in the basement, was peaceful and quiet. The prices were no worse than what you would pay at other informal restaurants in Knightsbridge, about £15 to £20 and the atmosphere was lively and people seemed to be having lots of fun. A less expensive option on a good day is to buy the fixings for a picnic which you can eat in Hyde Park, only a few minutes walk away.

So what is the verdict on Harrod’s Food Halls? I enjoyed my visit but bought nothing. I did see some interesting British producers, learned something about choosing olives and smoking guinea fowl. I had the opportunity to sample lots of delicious products and if you are shameless about it, you can almost eat lunch on what they give away. In short, a feast for the eyes, but keep your credit card firmly in your wallet.

From Harrods to Harvey Nichols is a five minute walk but at least 100 years apart in atmosphere. While Harrods celebrates the abundance of the belle époque, Harvey Nics ( as everyone ends up calling it sooner or later) is a showcase for fashionable 21st century food in sleek packaging and a hip and modern environment. This is food for people who live in lofts or would live in lofts if it weren’t for the kids.

I arrived at lunchtime and there were crowds eating at the in-store outlet of “Yo Sushi”, a conveyor belt sushi chain which was novel and amusing a few years ago, but in actual fact, serves up pretty mediocre sushi. For a serious and lengthy lunch, the Fifth Floor Restaurant has always been a good if expensive option.

From the food shopping perspective, I saw nothing at Harvey Nics that I couldn’t live without. There was a small but good selection of just about everything. The products were well presented and the store is bright, clean and attractive. If you like looking at chic shoppers, this is the place. I suppose if you were in buying shoes and a dress and needed things for dinner, it might be a good alternative or if you wanted modern packaging to match your modern kitchen but as a food shopping destination, it left me cold.

If Harrods is 19th century and Harvey Nics the 21st, Fortnum & Mason will take you back 300 years to the time of the Georgians, when two grocers set up shop on the south side of Piccadilly in 1707. With its wonderful window displays, chandeliers, staff in livery, thick carpeting and royal warrants, it looks and feels like the England of our imagination, filled with British products acquired through the very British activities of hunting, shooting and fishing. Ironically, it is packed with people, none of whom look or sound English.

The staff is well trained and solicitous. They happily will give you a mini master class in tea (they have 67 varieties) or any other product that interests you. The shelves are groaning with amazing condiments, including their famous “gentlemen’s relish”. I even broke down and bought some fabulous looking bottarga (mullet roe from Sardinia) which is almost impossible to get even at the best Italian delicatessen. At £140 the kilo, it’s not surprising that there are few stockist. Happily, you only need a very small amount to make the best spaghetti you’ve ever eaten.

I also was impressed with the sandwiches on offer. These are no ordinary looking sandwiches using all kinds of exotic products and combinations ranging in price from £4.75 - £7.50. With Green Park right down the road, this is another good picnic option. As well, within the store are 3 restaurants featuring very British menus where tourists mix happily with well attired older ladies enjoying their Welsh rarebit or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. I’ve eaten many satisfying and pleasant lunches at Fortnums. They also serve tea in the afternoon.

For the London visitor even remotely interested in food, Fortnum & Mason is a classy destination. Certainly, the place is filled with tourists but there is more than enough staff and tills (cash registers) that they manage the numbers very effectively. This is the best place in town to buy food souvenirs to take back to your friends. The products are high quality and the packaging looks impressive.

In fact, my idea of a perfect half day in London, all within a 5 minute walk of each other, would include a tour and lunch at Fortnums, an exhibition at the Royal Academy across the road and a trip to Hatchards, the oldest surviving bookshop in London, established in 1797 and frequented by the likes of Wellington, Kipling and Lord Byron. And if you still have not yet had your fill of food shopping, head for Paxton & Whitfield on Jermyn Street, a 200 year old atmospheric cheese shop that Winston Churchill claimed was the only place a “gentleman buys his cheese”.

Finally, we come to Selfridges, arguably the least famous and perhaps the best all around food hall in London. In contrast to the “recherchez du temps perdu” feel of Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, these food halls are white, gleaming and fabulous but unlike Harvey Nics, Selfridges has an unbelievably huge range of product. Every possible cuisine is well represented for both raw ingredients and prepared foods. If you want an excellent German Weisswurst, pigs trotters or sweetbreads, a complete Chinese or Indian or Middle Eastern meal, or some Spanish ham from pigs who only eat acorns, you will find all these things, and much more, at Selfridges.

If you are a serious cook or just love to eat and look at food, you’ll have a fine time here. Just as Selfridges has transformed itself into the “it” department store, this attitude informs the food halls which make every attempt to be on top of the latest food trends which are marketed through demonstrations and tastings. Like all the other food halls, there were lots of places to eat including Oddono’s which claimed to serve real Italian gelato. I tested this claim on the Pistachio and it stood the test admirably. Finally, it can be said that visiting Selfridge’s Food Halls is made even better by the opportunity to visit the department store which offers one of the most exciting and up-to-the-moment shopping experiences in London. And, if you’ve had enough of the craziness of Oxford Street, take 5 minutes to head over to Hertford House on Manchester Square to see the serene and stately Wallace Collection one of the finest collections of 18th and 19th century art ever assembled by a single family.

Having conducted a whirlwind survey of department stores and food, I can make the case that visiting food halls is one of the best ways to experience the London paradox, where the city is, simultaneously, living history and cutting edge modern. While Harrods and Fortnum & Mason give you the opportunity to revel in the way we used to buy provisions before the industrialisation and mass marketing of food, Selfridges and Harvey Nics demonstrate how far we have come in the preparation and presentation of the best things to eat from all over the world. In London Food Halls, you can find history, sociology, poetry and some lovely small gifts to take back to your friends. All of these places are spotless, fragrant and a very pleasant place to spend time. If you are on a budget, they even give you things to eat. Forget handbags and shoes, when in London, go for the food.

London Shopping Plus A Great Small Museum

The sales are on in London and one of my favourite places to go to hunt for bargains is Kensington High Street. Sure, it has neither the posh of Bond Street, the cutting edge of Notting Hill nor the sheer volume of Oxford Street but I always do well there. Between H&M, Zara, Marks & Spencer and Habitat and others, I have no problem finding those bargains that make the London sales fun and really affordable. After a morning of shopping and a quick lunch at Wagamama http://www.wagamama.com/ , I try to leave time for one of my favourite small museums, Leighton House, which can be found minutes away from the busy Kensington High Street.

On a recent visit to Leighton House, the former home and studio of Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830 - 1896), a leading painter of the day, I had the museum to myself. This is a wonderful place to go if you are looking for a sophisticated take on the Victorian experience and a particularly good place to visit if you like to imagine what it would have been like to live as an artist or intellectual of the day.

As an eminent artist and former President of the Royal Academy, Leighton surrounded himself with sumptuous decoration. The centrepiece of this private world, the Arab Hall shown in the photo, was originally built to display Leighton's priceless collection of Islamic tiles, most from Damascus. The sound of water in a fountain set surprisingly in the centre of the floor, emphasizes the oriental mood. There is even a full wooden harem screen and balcony set into the ceiling and accessible from the floor above.

Along with the ancient tiles, there are also wonderful Victorian tiles created by the leading ceramicist of the time, William De Morgan as well as ceramics from China and Turkey.

In the dining room, which backs onto the extensive garden, you can feel what it would have been like to sit down to properly prepared meals served on china, linen and crystal in the company of other intellectuals and artists of the day such as Burne-Jones and Millais.

A short walk up the impressive staircase and you come to the artist’s studio. Even though it was a wet and dreary day for my visit, the enormous north facing window flooded the room with light. Again, you immediately sense that this was the place where the work was done, where intellectuals met and Leighton's renowned musical evenings took place.

The next time you are tired of shopping, beat a fast retreat to Leighton House in Kensington and commune with the Victorians in peace and pleasure. I highly recommend it.

Leighton House is open daily from 11:00 to 5:30 except Tuesdays, Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years.

http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/LeightonHouseMuseum/General/default.asp

12 Holland Park Road
020 7602 3316

London Silver Vaults

My grandmother was one of the world’s great shoppers. It was not beyond her to purchase things which she would leave at the store because she just didn’t have any more room in her house. But even an enthusiast like my grandmother would find today’s homogenised shopping experience greatly diminished. Whether you are in Selfridges in London, Galleries Lafayette in Paris or Bloomingdales in New York, it’s all the same stuff. You could be anywhere and what you bring home says little about where you have been. It was probably made in China anyway.

That is why I jumped at the chance to visit the London Silver Vaults www.thesilvervaults.com in pursuit of an important gift which all the givers, spread across two continents, agreed should be silver. Finally, I had a reason to shop for something unique and authentically English, recognised throughout the world for the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. I was anticipating a great “No Crowds” shopping experience.

The Silver Vaults opened in 1876 to rent storage vaults to London’s elite for the safekeeping of their silver, jewellery and documents. Over the years, silver dealers have taken over, until today there are approximately 37 dealers offering the world’s largest collection of fine antique silver.

Entering the Silver Vaults by a side street off Chancery Lane, you know these guys mean business. Very serious, rather polite guards at the front desk search your bags and direct you down the stairs. After passing through the thick vault doors and wandering down several corridors, I arrive at the first dealer, in a somewhat intimidating overly crowded small room. Thinking it is too obvious and probably not a good tactic to start with the first door on the right, I progress down several more corridors and around several corners until I come to a shop that has a welcoming air.

John Binks of Stephen Kalms was unpacking boxes of silver having just returned from a large exhibition of art and antiques. I explained my mission and received my first of many short and interesting classes in the history of silver. Mr Binks showed me several wonderful pieces, explained the background, translated the hallmarks, and seemed genuinely interested in helping me find the piece I was looking for. With this good experience under my belt, I went on to explore the other shops, finally finding and purchasing a beautiful silver tray back at Stephen Kalms, this time directly from Stephen.

This was a first class shopping experience. I learned a tremendous amount about the history of English silver from knowledgeable and agreeable instructors. No one rushed me. The shops were never crowded with people although occasionally crowded with silver. It was a hot summer day but cool underground. Most importantly, I had acquired a unique and lovely object where the place of origin, the company and the year could be identified. I knew that the lucky recipient of the gift would not find anything like it in Selfridges, Galleries Lafayette or Bloomingdales and that made me very happy.

I think a visit to the London Silver Vaults is a great idea even if you are not a silver collector. For as little as £50, you can find small objects such as napkin rings which are beautifully made and steeped in history. I found the dealers to be a nice group of people and happy to share their considerable knowledge whether you buy or not. Combining a shopping excursion to the Silver Vaults with a visit to the Sir John Soanes Museum and a stroll through the Inns of Court, strikes me as a perfect way to spend the better part of a day in London.

Emerging into the 90 degree heat of street level with my purchase complete, I was almost tempted to turn right back around to re-enter that wonderful, uniquely English treasure trove of some of the most beautiful objects you can find anywhere in London. And oh how my grandmother would have loved it.