Shopping
Shop 'til you drop
We all love a bit of retail therapy and London has some of the best places to do so. From markets and street stalls to high end fashion retailers, London has it all.
But one of my favourite activities is window shopping as many of the shops in and around London are quite special with their spectacular window displays and browsing their stores and merchandise makes for a fun day out. And the best part about window shopping, it costs absolutely nothing except a bit of your time.
On this page, I've listed a few of the best shopping experiences you can have in the city. Whether you buy anything or not, the excursion itself is certainly a lot of fun.
Camden Markets - Vintage Clothing
Camden Markets is arguably one of my favourite shopping experiences, with hundreds of quirky shops selling mostly vintage goods...from antiques, vinyl records but clothing is the main commodity sold here. I recently bought myself a couple of pairs of jeans for just £10/pair. I also picked up 2 leather jackets, just £20 each.
In addition to clothing and other vintage goods, you can also grab a bite to eat the dozens of food stalls that line the market halls and streets below.
Harrods - Luxury Department Store, Knightsbridge
Harrods is undoubtedly one of England's most prestigious and luxury department stores and brand, founded by Charles Henry Harrod way back in 1849 making it one of the largest and longest running stores in Britain. And they sell everything luxurious...food, fashion, homewares and technology. Their Harrods branded merchandise is of a particular favourite with shoppers from all walks of life but their main clientele are the rich and famous, people with a very high disposable income who can afford such luxury brands. But if you're a pleb like me, a casual meander through their various departments is quite a treat and is a must do when you visit London, even if you can only dream about owning some of the merchandise on offer.
The LEGO Store - Leicester Square
Liberty's - Luxury Department Store, West End
Liberty Department Store, like Harrods is one of the most iconic brands in London. It was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875. It's main focus is unique fabrics and fashion with quirky pieces of furniture thrown in for good measure. The architecture looks like a Tudor style building but this is in fact a purpose built store in what is known as Mock Tudor.
Authentic Persian Rugs
Unique furniture
Luxury Fabrics & Furnishings
Fortnum & Mason - Another Luxury Department Store
Like Harrods and Liberty's, Fortnum & Mason is another of Britain's most prestigous brands. Originally, it began life as a grocery store, becoming popular during the Victorian era selling high quality food and produce, which it continues to do so today. It was established in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason at Piccadilly, it's flagship store where it has been for over 300 years.
Back when I was on the little boat, I helped a solo boater through the Bosley lock flight on the Macclesfield Canal. As a thank you she gave me a tin of Fortnum & Mason biscuits....Pisstachio and Clotted Cream...probably some of the tastiest biscuits I've ever eaten.
It's worth having a read of their page on Wikipedia as well.
