when in London

Do as Londoners do.. Ok, maybe not. I wish I could act like a cultured city dweller but until then I'll continue to be a tourist taking photos of everything and anything. Obviously there was the obligatory trip to Topshop because they don't have one in every single city in the UK.. oh wait. I actually ventured to the first and second floors to Topman this time to have a nosey and I'm so pleased I did. On the first floor they have a area where you can customise your own t-shirt and on the second floor there is a barber, suit fitting service and personal shopper.

They also had this installation suspended above their selection on suits which I thought was so so nice. It just loads of chains hanging but the window above meant the light was shining through them and the overall effect was really pleasing.  

Light fixture at Bertie shoes. I love the rustic look of the fixture and how it is obviously in keeping with the brand and merchandise.

Last time I visited London I didn't get the chance to look in Liberty so it was on my list for this time around. There is far too much to get round in one visit; we wandered around the first floor and then skipped up to the top floor where they have all their antiques and fabrics. After looking at the prices of a few items (and then trying really hard not to touch, knock or bump into anything) and browsing the fabric sections we decided to call it quits and return next time when we're millionaires.

After minor tube confusion we visited the Tate Modern (I'm going to write about this in a separate post) which was so interesting but so huge! By the time we left it was dark and we headed for the Millennium Bridge, which we had vowed to walk across earlier; something along the lines of: 'That's the one from Harry Potter!' 'We have to cross it!'.

 St Paul's Cathedral from the Tate Modern

 The Shard from the Millennium Bridge

Finally, we wandered around Soho looking for somewhere to eat. We passed this store, Cheap Monday, on Carnaby street and I had to stop and get a photo. I've heard of the brand but never bought anything from them but I adore this display, a little bit grungy and a bit different, it lit up pedestrians as they passed. I think its the simplicity of the combination of a standard window display and lighting that resonated with me. Simple but effective.