2 December | Shopping in the West End

I went shopping today in search of gifts, and was secretly happy at the massive crowds in the West End (though a little annoyed in the absolutely crammed Tube station). This weekend, Oxford and Regent streets were closed, the streets were decorated with Christmas lights, and there were stages set up, big screens playing Christmas music, and people wandered happily up and down the car-free streets.

Regent Street is quite beautiful, even without Christmas frill: one long, graceful curve from Oxford Street to Piccadilly Circus, and the whole street is lined by white, six-story Georgian buildings all connected to one another. It’s very grand, very European: it feels Parisian to me. Someone planned this section of London, and it stands out in its uniform perfection.

In Regent Street are some beautiful old department stores, where the staircases creak, there are no elevators, and doormen say “Cheerio!” when you leave. I went into Liberty, famous for the fabric it’s been making since the 1870s. 

You have probably seen some of their patterns before:

I wish I could afford to feed my fabric habit, but just bought some patterned postcards. The fabric sells for about £20 a yard. Paper is cheaper than cloth.