I like to shop, and I especially like shoping down the West End, I have a few memories of fun had on that side of London, Chrismas lights being turned on, a trip to Hamleys, almost getting a Destiny’s Child autograph only to get at the door for them to leave as they had stayed hours after they had planned to. I’ve even worked at John Lewis (and managed all my Black Friday shopping in one hour starting from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road, quite the acheivement).
So Lockdown or no I still found time to walk down the Oxford St this thursday, just to enjoy a quiet you rarely find past 9.15 when the shops have been opened a few minutes
The thing is though, on thursday, there was something in the air, bustle and energy that has been missing the Street most of this lockdown, before it was a ghost town with few visitors, then it was like a holiday advert, a grand opening, I saw windows being clean, displays being put up, rubbish being thrown away and customers planning how they were going to spend their cash come Monday Morning, then I got to Debenhams.
Already boarded up, the department store would not be opening to say farewell, that’s when I started to feel a like sad, some of my favourite stores were empty. they weren’t going to open again.
When I was a child say 8 or 9, I recall the constant complaints I had when shopping with my mum and my sister, holding the bags, are we finished yet, I dont want to try that on, I’m hungry, I’m going to sit by the shoes! (they are the reason I learned to shop quickly and effenciently, the hours spent! #BORED #Hangry
then teenage boy crazy me shopping for fragance samples, trying to learn about makeup (a lesson I did not learn well, but we’ll talk about it later).
So with that said I’m going to say goodbye to my favour shops and try and figure what the hell I’m going to do now