A wet Wednesday in the West End of London. Now I am not one of those people for whom shopping is a pleasure or a leisure activity. However, there was a good heavy downpour of London rain that day and I had to shop simply because there was stuff I needed urgently. Under the circumstances I decided to head for Selfridges. They have never let me down yet when I have dashed in there for a last minute present for somebody, or even an impulsive luxury for myself. It is probably the one department store in London where even a reluctant shopper like me can enjoy the retail experience. And it wasn’t raining inside.
Selfridges was opened in 1909 by an American, Henry Gordon Selfridge, who brought amazing innovations to London shopping after having done the same in Chicago (but there he was working for somebody else). He said that Selfridges would sell anything “from an aeroplane to a cigar” and who knows, that may still be true. I only went in for some Turkish delight. There is a superb confectionary department just next to the food hall.
London’s weather permitting, the outside of the Selfridges is as delightful as the inside. Look out for the lovely Art Deco clock and statue affair on the front of the building over the main entrance.
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