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"Santa...Claus is coming....to Town!"
I made my list and checked it twice before heading for the 'Big Smoke' - London Town. That's London, England for all the folks out there in Internet-Land; not Canada, USA nor South Africa. Why? Because......
ENGLAND SWINGS
by Roger Miller
(Chorus):
England swings like a pendulum do
Bobbies on bicycles, two by two
Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben
The rosy red cheeks of the little children
Now, if you huff and puff and you fin'lly save enough
Money up to take your family on a trip across the sea
Take a tip before you take your trip
Let me tell you where to go
Go to England, oh
(Chorus)
Mama's old pajamas and your papa's mustache,
Falling out the window sill, frolic in the grass,
Tryin' to mock the way they talk, fun but all in vain,
Gaping at the dapper men with derby hats and canes.
(Chorus)
(Chorus Reprise)
Its Christmas time in the city; come Laze with me, Christmas shopping in London. We started strolling down Old and New Bond Street. Here is where Porsches rub haunches with Jaguars and sophisticated facelifts look 'surprised' to see bland botox features. Here is where Bally shoes slink past Sotherby's and Bonhams, Armani shades glimpse at Calvin Klein shorts and Mulberry bags, Versace blouses flounce at Ermenegildo Zegna suits and Jimmy Choo slingbacks, Burberry scarves wave at Donna Karan jeans and Louis Vuitton cases, and Rolex watches rattle their bracelets at Chopard and Breguet.
First, it's up to Wempe, in their 125th year of existence. The shop in London started in 1997.
Raik Krause and Stefanie Pachale made us very welcomed. Both HTF and I got lucky this year with 'shiny things' from Wempe...er..I mean Santa 
pssss...HTF's are definitely a girl's best friends...shhh.
PanoGraph; off-the-wrist shot
At Glashütte Original during the PuristS' Trip, we saw painstaking polishing and finishing work lovingly applied to the high end watches. We just HAD to get one
PanoGraph; on-the-wrist shot
Off-the-wrist shot...again
Asprey, Breguet, Chopard, de Grisogono and Patek Philippe are amongst other attractions on New Bond Street.
At Asprey, we saw the 8-Day Asprey watch with Parmigiani movement and a 18K gold toothpick; yes -'from the sublime to the ridiculous'.
New Bond Street
Chopard selection in 'Watches of Switzerland'
The new Chopard LUC Twin (ref.16/1880) is amongst them.
Outside Tiffany & Co
Ralph Lauren corner of New Bond Street allows a look to David Morris, Mikimoto, Tiffany & Co, Cartier, Chanel, Bvlgari, Boucheron and Lalique.
Burlington Arcade is between Piccadilly and New Bond Street.
Many jewellery, silverware, vintage watch, pen and luxury shops line the walkway.
Penfriend in Burlington Arcade.
Christmas at Penfriend
Pens Galore
Walking down Piccadilly looking back at the statue of Eros in the distance.
Fortnum & Masons, Piccadilly. (Estd. 1707)
H.M. The Queen's grocers and purveyors of household provisions.
From the company archives: "It took the Great Fire to bring a Fortnum family member to London. This Fortnum established himself as a builder in Stepney, and began to do commendably well. In 1705 his cousin William arrived, and he quickly fell in with a man called Hugh Mason. Mr Mason had a small shop in St James's Market and he provided lodging for William. It didn't take William long to settle down. In 1707 he became a footman in the Royal Household of Queen Anne, thereby establishing a connection with the Royal Family which has continued without a break to the present day. William went into the used-candle business, becoming in fact a grocer in his spare time."
Fortnum & Mason shop-floor
Cooked meats and pie counter in Fortnum & Mason.
Now - those are what you call 'work clothes' in Fortnum & Mason.
Even the walls in Fortnum & Mason were a little upper-class.
Royal Arcade, Piccadilly.
'Pink Lady Hare Dancing with Big Brown Dog', 2000.
Sophie Ryder, Sculptor.
Berkeley Square, Bronze.
We listened carefully but not a single nightingale sang in Berkeley Square that night.
Regent Street by night.
The main attractions here are jewelry, fashion and toys. Hamleys, THE TOYSTORE, is on Regent Street. We need to return here for more shopping with Santa Claus but first, an illuminated look at a bit of architecture in Langham Place next to the BBC.
All Souls Church, Langham Place, is unique as the last surviving church built by John Nash, who also developed nearby Regent’s Park and Regent Street. It was completed in December 1823 at a final cost of £18,323-10s-5d, and opened in November 1824. All Souls was built as a national thanksgiving for the victory at Waterloo.
Nash's design, with its peculiar combination of Gothic spire and classical rotunda, was not at first universally admired. In March 1824, during a House of Commons debate, an MP criticised Nash for designing "this deplorable and horrible object.". After this speech, one press cartoon, depicting Nash impaled on this spire, referred to All Souls as "an extinguisher on a flat candlestick."
The church is built of Bath stone. The winged heads of the cherubs on the external Corinthian columns are based on a design by Michaelangelo.
Next morning; we're back on Regent Street and stumbled upon Boodle & Dunthorne.
Boodle & Dunthorne was founded in the 'Gateway to the New World' in 1798. Liverpool, as it was at that time, was one of Europe's wealthiest cities and leading ports.
The original Mr Boodle and Mr Dunthorne specialised in the creation, and export of objet d'art and art nouveau silver and jewellery, starting a tradition in the company that remains to this day the best of contemporary design, together with the finest traditional values.
Today Boodles remains a British family owned company, run by brothers Nicholas and Michael Wainwright. Whilst many jewellers now buy from manufacturers, Boodle & Dunthorne remains steadfast to its original principles of designing and crafting jewellery themselves, ensuring that Boodles jewellery is always recognisable and of the highest possible standards.
Even jewellers' elves have to rest over the Holidays but they assured us that they will be hard at work from January 10th to create THAT specially designed, Valentine's Day present.
Andrew Wills and Kevin Stokely, who just could not let us leave without another glass of champagne.
Whilst HTF was busy designing her jewelry, I glanced casually over the watch selection. A platinum Patek Philippe impulsively and mysteriously made its way into the MTF collection
Here endeth the lazing stroll through the shopping areas of Bond Street, Piccadilly and Regent Street. Not every shop was visited but more than adequate ground was covered for Christmas. Thank you, dear Reader for Lazing with me.
Photos and Text Copyright Melvyn Teillol-Foo, 2003.
MTF
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