1 Dec 06 Shopping frenzy tomorrow
I’ve finished all my shopping for the season but I’ve got plans to enter the belly of the Beast tomorrow anyway.
The Beast? That is Oxford Street, where Londoners go do their core ‘high street’ shopping. That’s where the sidewalks (or ‘pavements’) are far too narrow to meet the demand of the throng of shoppers on any regular London day. Now that it’s Christmas shopping season, unless you aim to arrive between Monday and Wednesday early in the am and escape by tube before lunch, you just don’t want to be there. Sharp elbows or not.
Ideally the street would be closed to all vehicular traffic year-round - no taxis, no buses - as pedestrians currently push and pull too much for the average window shopper’s comfort.
Tomorrow has been branded Shop West End / VIP (Very Important Pedestrian) Day: for the first time ever the whole of Oxford Street, from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch, and Regent Street, from Piccadilly Circus past Oxford St, will be closed to traffic for “a day of entertainment and shopping” (from 10:30am-5:00pm). For those uncertain, that adds up to a few miles of busy, central road. Here’s the closure map (PDF), so come on down…
And forget the shopping - this is a street party! Last year Oxford Street alone was closed for a similar event and 500,000 people turned out :D
Really though, it’s a great opportunity to do some street photography with more ‘models’ turning out than usual. Also on the streets will be Santas and reindeer and brass bands and … beautiful lights strung across the streets every 30ish feet. Should be a good time!
Glad my shopping is done though.
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