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London Shopping Tips by grandmaR

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grandmaR   
"..an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." G.K. Chesterton


Real Name: (grandma) Rosalie B.
Lives In: Leonardtown, US
Member Since: Oct 18, 2002
VT Rank: 37

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Tips 1 - 7 of 7
London Shopping
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Clothes: Carnaby Street
  • Tip Rating:
  • London Clothes
  • Carnaby Street from the Big Bus
  • by grandmaR
  • Send Photo to a Friend
  • Name of Shop: Mini-Skirt Center

    During the 1960s Carnaby Street was at the centre of Swinging London - Mini skirts popularized by Mary Quant were the thing. Since then it has caters more to tourists than the fashionable but it is enjoying a revival.

    Some of the shops are Animal, American Apparel, Bailey, and Ben Sherman.



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    Theme: Women's Clothes
    Address: Carnaby Street
    Directions: Near Oxford Circus
    Website: www.carnaby.co.uk,
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful 

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    Department stores: The Greatest Department Store
  • Tip Rating:
  • Name of Shop: Harrods Ltd.

    Harrods has the reputation of having anything that you would want to buy. I really wanted to go here to the Food Hall. But it took so long to get onto the London Eye, that the closest I got was this picture from the top of the Big Bus.

    Monday 10am - 7pm
    Tuesday 10am - 7pm
    Wednesday 10am - 7pm
    Thursday 10am - 7pm
    Friday 10am - 7pm
    Saturday 10am - 7pm
    Sunday Closed

    What To Buy: * Lower Ground Floor departments
    Adult Games
    Egyptian Hall
    Harrods World Souvenirs
    Mens Contemporary Collections
    Mens Designer Collections
    Mens Designer Shoes
    Pens, Stationery & Leather Goods
    Photography
    The Refinery
    Wine Shop

    * Ground Floor
    Bakery & Patisserie
    Beauty Apothecary
    BodyZone
    Candy Shop
    Charcuterie
    Chocolate & Patisserie
    Cigars & Smokers Requisites
    Cosmetics (white hall)
    Designer Jewellery
    Fine Jewellery & Luxury Watches
    Fish
    Fromagerie
    Fruit & Vegetables
    Gloves
    Hats
    Hosiery
    Leather Room
    Lifestyle Fragrance
    Meat & Poultry
    Menswear
    Pantry
    Perfumery (black hall)
    Scarves
    Tea & Coffee
    Traiteur

    * First Floor
    Designer Classics
    Di Milos Boutique
    Eveningwear
    International Designer Collections
    Ladies Shoes
    Lingerie & Nightwear
    Luxury Collections
    Millinery
    Personal Shopping
    Plus Collections
    Swimwear
    The Designer Studio
    The Wedding Dress
    Weekend Room

    * Second floor
    Bathshop
    Books, Magazines & Newspapers
    Casual Dining
    Comfort Zone
    Cookshop
    Crystal & Glass
    Decorative Living
    Design & Decoration
    Garden Living
    Home Electrical
    Hospitality
    International Porcelain
    Pet Shop
    Scentsual Room
    Towels
    Travel Goods & Luggage

    *Third floor
    Antiques & Clock Gallery
    Beds & Bedroom Furniture
    CD DVDs and Videos
    Contemporary Furniture
    Interior Design Studio
    Modern Furniture Gallery
    Pianos & Musical Instruments
    Traditional Furniture Gallery

    *Fourth floor
    Baby Shop
    Childrens Books
    Childrens Designerwear
    Childrens Formalwear
    Childrens Underwear & Nightwear
    Concept Toys and Games
    Junior Collections
    Nursery Furniture
    Preschool Toys and Dolls
    School Uniforms
    Way In Shoes

    * Fifth floor
    Athletics
    Designer Sports
    Golf
    Riding
    Ski
    Team Sports.
    Urban Retreat


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    Theme: Department Store
    Phone: 020 7730 1234
    Address: 87-135 Brompton Road,Knightsbridge,London,SW1X7XL
    Website: http://www.harrods.com/Cultures/en-GB/default.htm
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful 

    Department stores: Blurred and washed out 50s style florals
  • Tip Rating:
  • London Department stores
  • Another view of the interior
  • by grandmaR , 4 more photos
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  • Name of Shop: Liberty of London

    We went into Liberty while we were walking along Regent Street after a long day of sightseeing. I remembered Liberty prints for women's clothing (they now describe these as "blurred and washed out 50s style florals").

    We browsed in the furniture (Oriental rugs and lamps) and accessories section (handbags, scarves) and wandered around the store and looked at their fabrics until the store closed at 1900. Bob thought the fabric prices were also exorbitant. I hadn't intended to buy anything anyway and possibly the Harrods prices would have been worse

    What To Buy: They have yard goods, antique furniture and men's and ladies clothing.

    What To Pay: It was all above my pocketbook

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    Theme: Department Store
    Phone: 020 7734 1234
    Address: Regent Street London W1
    Directions: Nearest tubes
    Oxford Circus - Central, Bakerloo and Victoria lines.
    Piccadilly Circus - Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines.

    Bus Routes
    Nos. 3, 6, 12, 13, 15, 23, 53, X53, 88, 94, 139, 159 and C2.
    Website: http://www.liberty.co.uk/explore/
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful 

    Clothes: The London Cow and the Essential British Kit
  • Tip Rating:
  • London Clothes
  • Regent Street from the bus
  • by grandmaR
  • Send Photo to a Friend
  • Name of Shop: Hackett

    I have not been to this shop. I took the picture because of the cow. London had these fantastically painted fiberglass cows all over the city when we were there in 2002. Since then, I've seen other areas that had other sculptures like this - Norfolk had mermaids, the Outer Banks has winged horses.

    Mon - 10.00am - 7.00pm
    Tues - 10.00am - 7.00pm
    Wed - 10.00am - 7.00pm
    Thurs - 10.00am - 7.00pm
    Fri - 10.00am - 7.00pm
    Sat - 10.00am - 7.00pm
    Sun - 11.00am - 5.00pm

    What To Buy: Apparently the store has men's, women's and children's clothing which they call the Essential Kit.

    Their website says: "The Hackett brand is synonymous with classic British style and excellent quality, both of which have benefited the organisations that we have worked with over the years. We can personalise most of our offerings with your brand or corporate identity, if required, to help you make an impression."

    And they have a cow out front.


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    Theme: Men's Clothes
    Phone: 020 7494 1855
    Address: 143-147 Regent Street, London, W1B 5SQ
    Directions: Six minutes walk from Piccadilly Circus tube station
    Website: http://www.hackett.co.uk/1108.html
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful 

    Department stores: Not a Joke?
  • Tip Rating:
  • Name of Shop: F.C.U.K.

    The name of this chain of stores stands for French Connection UK. It created a furor when they tried to open a store in the US with that name. I'm not sure if they deliberately picked that name in order to rile up people's sensibilities or not. I suspect they did, otherwise, why not change it in the UK to F.C.G.B. or in the US to F.C.U.S.? Of course that wouldn't be as controversial.

    I have never shopped there.

    What To Buy: They apparently carry clothing, watches, toiletries, shoes, housewares and the like.


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    Theme: Bath and Beauty
    Directions: They have several stores in London and in other places in the UK, Europe and the USA
    Website: http://www.fcukbuymail.com/
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful 

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    Books: Museum Related Items
  • Tip Rating:
  • Name of Shop: The British Museum Company

    The British Museum sells gifts that are related to exhibits at the museum. They even have tax-free shops at the airports. I have not actually bought anything here.

    If you are on the internet, you can put in a word and have a search done to see what items they have related to that word. For instance "Roman" gets

    1) "Exploring the Roman World" by Catherine Johns, T.W. Potter Paperback £14.99

    The vast empire created by the Romans remains one of the outstanding achievements of history. This book assesses the impact of the invasion of AD 43 on Iron-Age Britain and surveys the effects of Roman culture on this remote province up to and beyond the end of the military occupation. The process of Romanisation in town and country, in the arts, architecture and religion, is not, however, viewed in isolation, but in terms of Britain's place in the empire as a whole.

    This authoritative study, written by authors with unrivalled experience of the Romano-British collections of The British Museum, provides a fascinating synthesis of an important period. It includes a comprehensive bibliography and gazetteer for those wishing to visit Romano-British sites.

    2) "Roman Britain Introductory Guide" by T.W. Potter
    Paperback £8.99

    In AD 43 the Emperor Claudius ordered an army of 40,000 to invade Britain....The four centuries, during which the Roman presence in Britain rose, flourished and then declined, changed every aspect of life. Industry, trade, government, the arts and learning – even the physical appearance of the country – were all revolutionized, and the effects are still apparent nearly 2000 years later.

    Roman Britain outlines this critical period of history and illustrates it fully with pictures of the surviving objects of the period, largely from the incomparable collections of The British Museum.

    What To Buy: If I put in the word Elgin I get:

    1) Treasures of The British Museum (book)
    The British Museum is one of the most magificent treasure houses in the world. The wealth and range of its collections are unequalled by any other national museum. The Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles... Hardback £29.99
    2) The Elgin Marbles (book)
    The Parthenon sculptures collected by Lord Elgin nearly two hundred years ago rank among the highest achievements of mankind. Since they went on display in The British Museum in 1817 artists, scholars more..Paperback £8.99.

    3) The Parthenon Frieze (book)
    The artistic genius of Athens in the 5th century BC reached its peak in the sculpted marble reliefs of the Parthenon Frieze. Designed by Phidias and carved by a team of anonymous masons, the frieze ad more...Paperback £14.99

    4) OP 146: Cleaning and Controversy: The Cleaning of the Parthenon Sculptures 1811-1939 (book)
    In 1937-8, in preparation for a new gallery given by Lord Duveen, an unauthorised cleaning of the Parthenon Sculptures in The British Museum was carried out. Initially the incident was hidden from the more... Paperback £25.00

    5) Postcard Wallet: Parthenon Sculptures (10 colour postcards in double-sided wallet)
    The Parthenon temple, dedicated to the goddess Athena, was built between 447 and 432 BC on the Athenian Acropolis. The exterior Doric frieze was adorned with relief sculptures depicting mythological ... £3.50

    6) Parthenon Miniatures (230mm x 60mm x 10mm, plaster with hanging hook - three different scenes)
    Miniaturised masterpieces from the Classical world, these panels from the Parthenon retain all the liveliness and detail of the originals. Superb as paperweights, propped on a desk or coffee table or a perfect miniature focal point for a wall. £8.99

    What To Pay: Prices from 50p to £5,000

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    Theme: Books
    Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8584
    Address: Great Russell Street, London WC1
    Directions: Great Court of the British Museum
    Website: http://www.britishmuseum.co.uk/
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful 

    Books: College Bookstore
  • Tip Rating:
  • London Books
  • Gower Street bookstore
  • by grandmaR
  • Send Photo to a Friend
  • Name of Shop: Dillons

    We did not shop here, but I thought it was an interesting looking place. I was trying to take a picture of the bus, but my digital camera wasn't quite fast enough.

    It was at that time partly a bookstore for UCL and partly a general service bookstore with a good literature section. It also had magazines. They also had branches in other places. It has now been bought out by Waterstones

    What To Buy: They have (according to their website) a very large stock of academic, secondhand and remaindered titles in the arts and humanities, also some antiquarian stock


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    Theme: Books
    Phone: 020 7636 1577 (ext. 243)
    Address: 82 Gower St., Bloomsbury.
    Directions: BloomsburyEmail
    Website: www.amazon.co.uk
    Other Contact: sh.gower.waterstones@lineone.net
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful 

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    Comments for grandmaR about London
    highlandlaura Wed Apr 2, 2008 21:20 UTC
     Hi, Rosalie, I love your pics and narrative of your London trip. I need to learn the bus system next time. Your paintings are fab. Will check out London hotel next time and appreciate your tips.
    MikeStarr5 Sun Dec 9, 2007 20:07 UTC
     Excellent 5 star tips and great pics - Well Done - from Mike and Shelley in that forgotten, very historic, suburb of London called "Barking Town".
    fishandchips Tue Jul 17, 2007 01:41 UTC
     Thanks for visiting. Yes, prefer to walk myself - the traffic is a real killer for those bus tours - Mum did like the included Thames cruise though!!
    SLLiew Fri Nov 24, 2006 15:55 UTC
     Bring back memories of London. Great stuff. Enjoyed going by boat to Kew Gardens. Cheers, SL
    See More Comments

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