Retail therapy
London shops RIP: the high streets they are a chainin'
Marylebone High Street: quirky village or chain store heaven?
Marylebone High Street has been praised for its individual feel. London-RIP reader and long-term local resident, Douglas Hylton, doesn't see it. "Recently, a spokesman for the Howard de Walden Estate, owners of Marylebone High Street freehold, was quoted in the Evening Standard as saying that the Estate had brought about a vibrancy and individuality to the High Street, with less chains and more of a village atmosphere. As someone who has lived, on and off, in the area over a period of 55 years, I can say that the village atmosphere has been well and truly eliminated in favour of trendiness and there are more chains than there have ever been.
Chain gang
True, there are some welcome additons like the Ginger Pig butchers and the Fromagerie cheese shop on Moxon Street, just off the High Street, but the new chains include a Tesco Express, Waitrose, Boots, Starbucks, Oddbins, Pizza Express, La Strada and a number of women's fashion chains including Monsoon, Whistles and more besides.
Compare this to the thee chains that existed when I was a boy: Sainsbury's, Sketchley's and Boots. All the other shops, greengrocers etc, were owned by shopkeepers who were known by their first names. Then it really did have a village atmosphere, yet the Evening Standard wrote the de Walden executive's comments up without question. Incidentally, a recent, much-missed casualty of modern life is the estimable family fishmonger, established in 1856, Blagdon's.
Clusaz, Islington: RIP
It's goodbye to Clusaz, one of London RIP's favourite clothes shops. I liked this shop, which was in Cross Steet, Islington, because, unlike some of the boutiquey places in this area, the clothes were wearable, weren't ridiculously pricey and the assistants didn't look at you as if you were a piece of dog turd when you crossed the threshold.
Clusaz sold an eclectic mixture of clothes, some by name designers, like Donna Karan, and some by people that a fashion ignoramus like me had never heard of. Even if you didn't buy anything, it was an interesting place to have a browse and, as well as being stylish, was also friendly. Which, as anyone remotely familiar with women's clothes shops will know, is pretty damn rare.
Hello Jigsaw
Coincidentally, the Old Parr's Head, which was on the corner of Cross Street and Upper Street, closed in the same week as Clusaz. It was a very pretty pub, all tiled and fashionably distressed, although, from what I recall, the effect was somewhat undermined by the TV it had blaring in the background. It looked as if it was doing well, but it has shut its doors and is now a Jigsaw - which is great if you like clothes that are the colour of mud. Truly, the (upmarket, of course) chains have arrived in Upper Street.
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| Date and time: | 29/03/2011 at 22:37:17 |
| Sender: | Jean Kaye |
| The original Debenhams in Wigmore Street, Bournes and Hollingsworth Fullers in wigmore Street for cakes and lunch Barbelions in Bond Street for afternoon tea (a great favourite). Those were 4the days. RIP Gunters in Park Lane | |
