Many people will be venturing to London this December for either
a) Christmas Shopping or
b) Millennium Celebrations.
I’m not so sure of the wisdom of shopping in London, but New Year’s celebrations sound promising.
Christmas
Father Christmas
Please note that in the UK, Santa’s name is Father Christmas, he wears a cloak, and lives in a grotto (cave). He can generally be found in a festive cave at most large department stores.
Shopping
Many stores now have extended hours for holiday shoppers. Keep in mind that stores usually open around 10am and close by 6pm, which means holiday hours may still be shorter than you’re used to at home. Most stores can be found along Oxford & Regent Streets, although Harrods is in Knightsbridge. While the famous department stores are worth a visit, don’t miss the smaller specialty shops that can provide both unique gifts and a more pleasant shopping experience.
Fancy schmansy pricey shops
Harrods (tube – Knightsbridge)
Features a large Christmas section. Don’t buy the cheap Christmas Tree balls, they break really really easily. Complete details can be found on the website www.Harrods.com.
Selfridges (tube – Bond Street)
Features include a lot of things I can’t afford, but also has some more moderately priced goods such as “Pink Shirts” and Tommy Hilfiger. Details are on the website www.Selfridges.com
Moderately priced shops
Well to be honest, coming from North America, South America, or probably any other place in the world, this category holds almost every High Street name (High Street = Main Drag). Bigger names are Next for adult clothing and shoes, H Samuel for jewelry, and the Sock Shop for all your theme footwear.
The best place to find these shops is along Oxford Street, get off at either Marble Arch or Tottenham Court Road and walk towards the other end. If you can’t brave the crowds don’t worry, the chain shops (which most are) can be found all over the city. For another highly concentrated area try High Street Kensington.
Cheap places to buy stuff
You can always try the markets (and some are cheaper than others – ie: Camden Market is such a tourist attraction is pretty pricey). On the other hand you can do the really cheap thing and look for the places that rip the labels out of the clothes. These shops are pretty cheap – and sometimes they even leave the labels in. They can often be found in markets but not always.
Some to check out are: One you end up walking towards as you round the first corner to Portobello Road from Notting Hill Gate tube station; all along Church Street just north of High Street Kensington tube station; and along Fonthill Road at Finsbury Park tube (this is only for the really daring, the fashion impaired, or those in need of Bridesmaids dresses).
Specialty shops
Hamleys (tube – Oxford Circus)
British institutional toy store. Here you can fill all your child and adult toy needs (well, maybe not all your adult toys needs). The website is www.Hamleys.com.
Tower Records (tube – Piccadilly Circus)
Apparently they have every record under the sun (I’m dubious to this claim – I doubt they have Buffy Ste Marie!!). Anyway, more importantly they have many guest appearances and performances. Be advised, I know everyone knows how expensive it is in the UK, but CD’s have got to be the most expensive of the lot. When I was in Toronto I bought several CD’s imported for the UK, but they were still almost half the price of here (I can’t explain it, I just live it).
That said, you may find some rare albums here that you can’t find anywhere else. I’ve also noticed album covers change from country to country – if you’re from Canada (and probably the US too) you must check out the UK cover of the FatBoy Slim album (I think it must have been deemed offensive that side of the pond!)
Nike Town (right at Oxford Circus)
What can I say, get your swooshes here.
English Buys (my pick)
Enough of the stores, they’re easy enough to find. Let’s talk about what to buy. I’ve thought long and hard about things here you may not be able to get elsewhere (and sometimes for good reason), and have assembled…
Stacy’s Top Five list of Christmas Buys in London:
5. Pokemon – the craze hasn’t caught on here yet, and you may just be able to find that special piece that’s sold out in your own city.
4. Beano Books – Has your child outgrown Teletubbies and Barney? Maybe you want to help warp the mind of a younger relative? Well perhaps it’s time you introduced a child to Beano, the loving British comic type books that features a lot of bad characters doing a lot of bad things.
3. Wombats – (I’m stuck on toys, but it’s Christmas!) Wombats are really cute creatures and they come in delightful beanie babies. Great for that child whose mind you don’t want to warp.
2. Lycra – Yes, UK shops feature a wide assortment of lycra clothing for everyday needs. Don’t worry about knowing your friend’s size, they’re always one size fits all (or at best small, medium, and large).
1. 70′s clothing and paraphernalia – London has a fascination with the 70′s, and as a result you can buy authentic 1970′s stuff. The best place to look is Camden Market. My particular favorites are the original Denny’s/Texaco uniforms.
Special Honour: Marmite Spread – Ask for it in grocery stores, as it pretends to be edible (it’s yeast extract). I prefer to call it “earwax in a jar”, but apparently some people love the stuff. I personally think it would be great for practical jokes or stopping the cat from chewing things. I sincerely hope for the sake on humankind that this stuff is only available in the UK. To learn more about marmite , visit this site.
New Year’s
The British government has gone all out to encourage Millennium celebrations. You may have seen the Millennium Dome in the new James Bond film, and you may have heard the world’s largest ferris wheel has been raised beside the Thames. Plans for the big night are huge. Complete details can be found on www.LondonTown.com.
Don’t envision a Trafalgar Square party. Crowds here are insane, unwelcome, not encouraged, and there are no events at this location (as in, no midnight countdown, just a lot of chaos).
Many hotels and restaurants have priced themselves out of the Millennium Market, and as a result have not booked up. Cut-rate sales are anticipated in the run up to Christmas.
General Info on London
London’s huge. It’s also crowded and buzzing with an energy all
it’s own. With the exception of wildlife you can find everything
you’ve ever dreamt of – for a price.
When coming here the number one thing you can count on is that you’re not going to be bored. The number two thing is that you’re going to spend a lot more money than you planned (even considering most museums & galleries are free).
Guide Book Update
I know many guide books are highly recommending the Museum of
Mankind just off Bond Street, and I trudged 1/2 hour to see this
wondrous collection only to find out that it’s closed. It is currently
being relocated to the British Museum and will not be on display
for a few years – probably just in time for the next guidebook
update!
Recommended Readings
Edward Rutherford’s “London.” Okay okay, it’s a long book, but
if you have a long plane ride the payoff is excellent. There’s
so much more to be had from the city when you can walk around
and understand how the things you’re seeing got there.
Getting Around
I know all guidebooks will tell you to take black cabs, and they
are pretty cool but also pretty expensive. You can get much cheaper
travel by finding a minicab, with whom you can negotiate the price
upfront. They are really easy to find at night, they hang around
outside of night clubs and other attractions, and they’re listed
in the phone book if you want to get one from your hotel.
Click here for a map of the London Underground.
Where to Find Info
The what’s on bible for most Londoners is “Time Out” which is widely available and comes out weekly for 1.80.
Every Thursday the very similar (though not as comprehensive) guide “Hot Tickets” comes free with the 35p Evening Standard – which is sold on all street corners.
