the postman always rings twice

…first the wine delivery, then the final presents ordered online, then Royal Mail – great, I got my P45.

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Westfield – the new west end?

So now it’s finally the school holidays, and boy has it been a long time coming, we decided to go to the cinema in Shepherds Bush yesterday -how long will Vue keep going with 14 Screens opening across the road at the new Westfield? After watching all the trailers online – Bedtime Stories, Devereaux, The Ink something or other and probably a few more, we went to see Four Christmases which Miniminx loved (some of the more adult jokes were way beyond her but the gross out stuff certainly wasn’t). The trailer is laugh out loud funny and for once there are still more gags in the movie which is my usual pet peeve with comedy ie. you know all the jokes before you even peck at your first bite of popcorn.

Westfield – the carbuncle on the side of the A40 that has gradually taken shape over the last few years with new bus garages and tube to accommodate shoppers – is open after a long wait, and at the height of the credit crunch, most shops have opened with huge price cuts.

Oh my god! It’s amazing – plus they have Wagamama, so lunch was sorted – also very American and it seems much bigger than the Westfield in San Francisco. Apart from being overheated and over lit – why do we get told to buy energy saving light bulbs when shopping centres blaze light 24-7? Miniminx asked for pocket money to buy me a Christmas present so I gave her £10 and she asked the lady behind the desk at Tiffany & Co what that would buy here – prices start at £40 she was told, much to her dismay!

We mooched around Miu Miu, Prada, DKNY – nothing very inspiring and no sale on in the big labels yet. There is a Zara Home so we had a good look around – it’s changed in the last two years, it’s no longer a cornucopia of exotic items, it’s trying to take on the blandness of The White Company and it’s more expensive – I bought a faux fur white bedspread at The White Company for £90, while Zara Home had throws starting at around £129-£179 – that brand can’t command that price so I’d expect to see huge price drops in the sale.

I should have taken photos – the kids have little W12 Black Taxi buggies to help them around the shops – great idea. Lots of very modern comfy public seating – it was all full though.

I’ll definitely go back, it’s a complete change of scene and quite refreshing – not sure if my love affair with Selfridges will continue – but Shopping, Seduction and Mr Selfridge lends an air of mythology to the place which I don’t think Westfield will ever have. We will see how that compares when we visit on Tuesday – in the meantime, I have to try and book a visit with Santa at the Selfridges Grotto.

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London’s West End awash with bargains, but are they really?

After an hour with a recruitment consultancy, meeting two great people who I hope will be able to nudge me in the right direction, it was time to pace the pavements of Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street and Regent Street to walk off the effects of a very strong coffee and kill time before the lunch time drinks party in W10.

Gor blimey – The Pier was having a liquidation sale, 20% off at Heals, everywhere I looked SALE, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% – going, going, gone…but most of it’s all tat. No real bargains and all the joy of and magic of Christmas is disappearing down the drain – what about the Christmas lights and the window decorations? It’s all become a cut price parody of the traditional Peace and Love to All Men. So I bought very little but discovered that in Topshop it’s business as usual and there were queues at the tills, the same in H&M Kids – Zara and Mango had sales on but the clothes were dreary, Urban Outfitters just looks so cheap, I didn’t bother buying anything, but a Grace Jones T-shirt caught my eye and that’ll be great to wear on Christmas day so I’ll have to pop back. It’s a real nonfashion moment this year – no great boots about so my Belstaff’s have been refurbished to last another year. Most of my presents this year are from Space NK (even they have a sale on – which I’ve never known), Cowshed and Amazon. My final fright was Primark – people sitting on the window sills outside having lunch – it was as if the old Wembley Market was on – it’s dire. But it does seem that all the value shops are still full without having to go to the lengths of a pre Christmas sale.

So that’s enough of the West End until next week – every year I take Miniminx to Selfridges, usually on Christmas Eve, and we go to Gordon’s Bar, it’s a much loved tradition of ours, last year we were sat next to a very gorgeous looking Jordan with one of her young children – I have a glass of champagne and Miniminx has an icecream float, then we waft around the store and spend lots of money. It’s frivolous, festive and fun – I hope they have the coat and bag room again – you can leave your shopping and coats for £2 and hightail it round the store in style.

This is precisely why I need a job – I love London and it all it brings!

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