Tales Behind Your Christmas Gifts
It’s official, we are now in December which means we can really get excited about Christmas! Picking out the perfect Christmas gift for loved ones is something which can bring the most grounded person to their knees in panic, especially if you are Christmas shopping in London. What was once a quiet, peaceful high street becomes a scene for Christmas shopping carnage. Everyone runs to get the last 2-4-1 variety chocolate boxes, terrible smelling perfume gift boxes or, even worse, the novelty tie and socks!
This year Best LDN Walks and Who London are taking a stand. We have created a London walking tour around some of London’s heritage stores to help you find gifts with a meaning, with a story, with history and with love.
Over the course of two and a half hours we take a slow stroll around the historic village of St James and visit a series of fantastic family owned British heritage shops, with a cheeky mulled wine break half way through with splashes of funny facts and strange stories along the way.
On Saturday 13th December we will sample, taste, nibble, smell, drink and laugh our way through the sometimes tedious chore of Christmas shopping. This London walking tour… anything but tedious!
• Sample and pick up English cheeses from a 200 year old cheese shop, the same place that introduced Stilton to high society in 1700.
• Fill your home with Christmassy candles in a Victorian perfume shop and smell personalised fragrances of Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming and Marilyn Monroe.
• Visit an iconic London cigar shop which supplied Winston Churchill, Napoleon 3rd, The Queen Mother, George 6th and Oscar Wilde. Look upon the oldest box of Havana Cigars in existence and of course grab some unique stocking fillers.
• Sip some exclusive liqueur, wines and brandy in a 16th century alcohol store, which supplied The Titanic, Lord Byron and still supplies the Queen. This extra special stop is a brilliant place to grab small stocking filler bottles or for Christmas breakfast champagne!
• Try on hats in the world’s oldest hat shop, the very shop which invented the bowler hat and supplied Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin. Wrap yourself in fur scarves and twirl your cane in this beautiful historic shop.
• Men need pampering too so we step inside a Gentleman’s Club Pamper Salon, in fact the world’s oldest male grooming salon. They have all sorts of shaving accessories and fine smelling bathroom essentials.
• What is Christmas without chocolate? We sample a handful of handmade chocolates in the shop which still supplies the Royal Family. From silky caramels, to creamy fondants, champagne truffles and simply delicious after dinner mints this place has it all and it will be hard to drag ourselves away.
• Books are an easy Christmas present to pick up and we step foot in London’s oldest bookshop famed for its signed editions. You’ll be able to pick up signed cookery, photography and autobiography books, and special edition novels.
• We finally end in a very famous department store which sold the world’s first batch of Heinz baked beans and even invented the Scotch Egg.
If you want to find some beautiful crafted gifts this year which won’t be destined for the rubbish bin then join other Who London members on Saturday 13th December. All you need to bring is a little money and a sense of humour. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover in this special Christmas shopping in London tour.
Guest blog post by Charlotte at Best LDN Walks
SHARE THIS POST
Calendar of Events
Event Listings
January Introductions
Saturday January 30th 2021
5:00pm - 8:00pm
TBC- view all events
Newsletter
Recent Posts
-
Christmas Party At Yours!
Dec 08, 2020
-
What To Do In London This Christmas Time
Oct 27, 2020
-
The Best Of London’s What’s On
Sep 15, 2020
-
Our Events Organisation During COVID-19
Aug 19, 2020
-
Super Saturday Pub, Bars & Restaurants Reopening
Jun 30, 2020
-
How Who London’s 2020 Has Been So Far
Jun 09, 2020
-
Saturday’s Virtual Pub Rooms Included The Brain Dunn Inn Room!
Jun 02, 2020
-
Virtual Things To Do During Coronavirus Lockdown
Apr 14, 2020
-
Stay Connected During COVID-19 Isolation
Apr 07, 2020
-
Our First Speed-Friending Event Of 2020!
Feb 24, 2020
-
Interview With A Who Londoner
Jan 13, 2020
Recent Comments
- Who London on Photos & Comments From Our Speed-Friending Event!
- Joana Grant on Photos & Comments From Our Speed-Friending Event!
- Who London on How Did Our First Speed-Friending Event Go?
- Pearl on How Did Our First Speed-Friending Event Go?
- Free & Low Cost Events To Begin 2016 - Who London on Lumiere London
Categories
- 2015 In Review
- 2016 in Review
- 2017 in Review
- 2018 in Review
- 2019 in Review
- 2019/20 Festive Events
- 2020 Festive Calendar
- 3rd Birthday Celebration
- 5th Birthday Celebration
- Boat Disco Afternoon
- Christmas Event News!
- Christmas Lunch 2017
- Christmas Party Time
- CLSF
- Comedy Night
- COVID-19 Planning
- El Pirata Tapas Party
- Events Under £20
- Exhibitions
- Exploring
- Firework Night 2015
- First Half Of 2020
- Floating Chinese Restaurant
- FT Weekend Live
- FT Weekend Live Event
- Giving Tuesday 2015
- Giving Tuesday Quiz Answers
- Good Friday event
- Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet!
- Hidden Corners of London
- Houses Of Parliament
- HSDY
- Interactive Dining
- Into Yr3
- IWAWL
- IWAWL10
- IWAWL11
- IWAWL12
- IWAWL2
- IWAWL3
- IWAWL4
- IWAWL5
- IWAWL6
- IWAWL7
- IWAWL8
- IWAWL9
- Jan Intros
- January Introductions 2020
- Jazz Night
- Join in at Speed-Friending
- Kayaking
- King's Cross Tour & Regents Canal Ride
- Laughing Yoga
- Launch
- London Kayaking Tour
- London's Theatreland
- Man On The Moon
- Mindful Chef review
- Music Events
- New Booking Facilities
- New Year 2015
- One Yr Web
- Online-Offline
- Open House 2015
- Photo Gallery Offer
- Photos
- Picnic Time!
- Ping Pong Party
- Pre-Xmas Exercise
- Qigong and Meditation
- Queen's 90th Celebration
- Regents Canal Kayaking
- September Speed-Friending
- Shapes In Motion
- Shooting The City
- Small Business Saturday 2015
- Speed-Friending
- Speed-Friending Event
- Stay Connected
- Stella and Dot
- Streetlife March 15
- Summer Speed-Friending
- Super Saturday
- Swing Dancing
- Taste of London lineup
- Upcoming Events
- Valentine's 2015
- VE Day 70
- Virtual Events
- What's On
- Who London Annual Xmas Dinner
- Who London round-up
- Who London's 3rd Birthday
- Wimbledon 15
- Winter Speed-Friending
- Winter Wonderland 2015
- Xmas 2015 New Year
- Xmas Events
- Xmas Greetings
- Xmas Shopping
- Yr2