London – Part 4

Day four was really consumer driven. I’m not entirely sure that it was meant to be that way initially, it just turned out that way. *shrugs* Oh! That’s right! It was the one day where I cancelled what was in the itinerary because of expense (Westminster Cathedral) and silly rules about being able to be taken on a free guided tour so long as you were a voting resident (Big Ben). So we skipped it. That’ll learn ‘em!

We did happen to be living up the road from the Conran Shop though, and it seemed a shame that while living so close we would only ever walk past when the doors were closed. Sacrilege even! So in we tromped this morning.

As I have had enough people look askance at me when I mention this shop, allow me to briefly explain that Terence Conran is a world renowned designer. More information can be found here, and getting involved with him really does become a complete and evolutionary lifestyle choice!

We did not leave empty handed. We took our goodies back to the apartment before heading out again.

Next we got on a double decker bus! *ticks the relevant box on the London tourist bingo card*

We were aiming to Wind(ing) our way down Baker St but never quite made it. When the little announcement came over the address system that we were nearing Selfridges I may have let out a squee and made Himself get off the bus, because my Daddy once bought me a lion there that I still own … *cough* I’m good.

As with everywhere else we went the Xmas shops were already in attendance. They deserve a whole post all their own though which I will get to later. As we were scouting the wares, Himself happened upon one of his favourite brands which is made in London. So I asked him why on earth we’d buy it at Selfridges when we could go to the shop front which was on Old Bond St. So off we went to Bond St!

I found Mecca.

Can’t afford to walk in the door yet, but I drooled on the pavement for a while before moving on.

Having lucked out on actually finding the shopfront we were looking for, we asked the nearby (and remarkably helpful) Chanel doorman if he knew where they’d gone, we were informed that the shop front had moved to around the block, and so off we set in that direction. We had been told to walk around Fortnum and Mason but never quite made it …

Oh dear Powers That Be, above and below … I was home.

It may have taken Himself a few hours to drag me away. I have no shame about this. I have never witnessed or been a part of anything like it, before or since!

As it did take a few hours though, we were at prime time to cross the road, head round the corner, and head to somewhere else that I’m glad we hit up after they were closed; Saville Row.

Given that we actually weren’t in the market (at that moment) for a bespoke suit for Himself, we were content to spend time just walking up, and then down the street admiring the different styles and talents of each house. I loved that so many windows were workshop floors where I could look in and see the processes at work!

From here it was just a hop, skip, and a jump (though not literally on our poor tired feet) over to Regent St where I did literally exclaim out loud my astonishment at the look, feel, and density of the street! It’s quite imposing when you’re not prepared for it! Massive towering buildings closing in around you, forming a canyon that appears unending as it winds around a bend, and the hordes of people teeming their way around you! *breathes*

But of course around that bend in the canyon was another sight for me to see *pulls back out the tourist bingo card* …

Picadilly Circus!

We’d even managed to get there at a point in the day that. as the sun was setting, I could say I’d seen it in daylight, but within a few minutes the sun was down and the bright lights of the billboards took over! It was amazing!!! Just what I’d been lead to believe from the movies.

Of course I had a brief but ultimately fruitless werewolf hunt, but felt vindicated (and I may have burst into hysterical cackles) when one of the shops was playing Blue Moon.

None of which stopped me from taking this picture (in possibly every Tube station we went to) …

… wishing there were less people on it, and waiting for the werewolf to come around the corner at me.

I can live in hope that a major pop culture reference will happen to me, can’t I? I don’t want to get eaten, just get the photograph!