London Day 2 - Petticoat Lane, Primark

Really?! Tie your own shoe!

10/28/2012

Dad went to the National History Museum, the Nature Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum today. It was a shopping day for us, so we thought it’d be best if he could do what he likes. The museums are free and temperature-monitored, and best of all, free bathrooms! We planned to trek all over town in the freezing cold—as I found out later, my toes froze; it hurt to walk! It was 3 degrees C when we left this morning… it probably rose to 8 degrees later on in the day, but for most of the morning, I felt like I was in Alaska.

Petticoat Lane

On Sundays, shops close early in London. And I goofed, thinking Portobello Road would be opened today—it’s bustling only on Fridays and Saturdays. Angel was so bummed she’d be missing it—she’s been looking forward to Portobello for two years! I scrambled to find an alternative market: Petticoat Lane, now renamed Middlesex Street. I think it did not disappoint. There are thousands of stalls (or so they say, but I’m not too sure about that… maybe a few hundred) selling new just-off-the-season clothing. There were beautiful jackets from Zara and TopShop and Primark there, selling for around 15-40 pounds each. I wanted them all! 

Lots of Londoners make the trek here, and for a long time, it wasn’t really a touristy thing (that’s Portobello). But when we came today, there were a shitload of tourists. Angel and I noticed on this trip that we saw more tourists than Londoners. Maybe the last time we came, it was an off-season but most people we saw were British. The city is way more crowded this time around, and on the streets, there is a lot of pushing and shoving.

I bought a beautiful forest green jacket with black fur. The label is from TopShop. Mom bought a Chanel-like skirt. There were scarves being sold, 2 for 5 pounds, that were outright Coach, LV, Chanel. I think we covered all the streets, but it was too cold to properly shop. Angel kept speeding up ahead while I wanted to go into each stall to look for another jacket or coat I don’t need. ßAngel wrote that >.<

There was a really nice Zara camel cape-like jacket with gold buttons that was selling at a lot of stalls. I really really really wanted it, but when I finally found a stall that sold my size, and tried it on, Angel said I looked like a giant mushroom. There were 2 shoppers wandering around wearing the exact same jacket and it was only 15 pounds! But Angel said one of them just looked like a taller mushroom. Mom went into each stall looking for a winter jacket; she was freezing cold and looking quite miserable.

Spitalfield's

We went to Spitalfield’s afterwards, which is a clothing/knick-knack market a couple blocks up from Petticoat Lane. While Petticoat Lane is just really on the streets and uncovered, Spitalfield’s is in a giant atrium-like building that looks like it was built in the Victorian times. The stuff sold there was super-expensive and very bohemian-looking. Not our style.

Rode the tube to Marble Arch.  And guess what awaited us when we got out.

Primark’s. A giant goody store covering a whole block. The clothes and stuff they sell are relatively cheap (not as cheap as Dd’s, but the quality is definitely a lot better). Flats start from 2 pounds, a lot of boots were 15-25 pounds (good-looking ones too! I wanted them all!), sweaters are 5 pounds… and the thing I love is that everything they sell is completely on-trend but still really good quality. Forever 21 is way more expensive than Primark, especially when you factor in the fact that 21’s clothes wear out after one season! We spent a good 3 hours in the store and came out with lots and lots of stuff. The lines at all the cash registers were crazy long and the whole store looked like Black Friday… which it is every single day! Mom found the winter coat she was looking for, for 18 pounds. Another lady wanted it, but it was the last coat. The store clerk told her that what is here today, will not be here tomorrow. That’s how fast their inventory clears out. It’s massive but awesome. There’s so much stuff that people are squeezing by each other; when I was trying on shoes, people were jumping over me there was just no space.

25 pounds! Where in the US can you buy boots like this at that price?!

As we were waiting in the check-out line, we realized that they participate in the VAT program here. A lot of rushed questions were asked as we moved up the line- how to get the refund? What do I need? Passport? I don’t have my passport, is copy ok? Different people at different times told us different things… but finally, after checking out and lining up upstairs at the VAT counter, the guy said next time, we must bring our original passport. Copies won’t do, but he let us through this time. British citizens are charged a 20% tax on all goods, the highest it has ever been. But for non-EU and British citizens, you may qualify to get that back, if you spend over 30 pounds in a store. However, stores can choose not to participate in the refund program, and they can set their own minimum purchase rules. Primark set it at 50 pounds; we spent 100 pounds. Still not quite sure how they calculated the refund, as 20% of 90 pounds (kid’s clothes don’t count… Angel spent 10 pounds on a girl’s sweater… age 9-10. Yep. She’s that little. Fidgy.) is 18 pounds. But the receipt said we were only eligible for a 7.6 pound refund. The clearinghouse that processes these refunds takes a cut of the amount, but I have a hard time believing they charge over 50% of your refund as processing fees!

When we finally got out of the store, it was already turning dark… at 4pm! Winter really sucks! We went to Marks and Spencer on Oxford Street, then Sainsbury’s, where we loaded up on flapjacks and caramel shortbread bites. We also bought a hot chicken tikka masala and rice meal for 3.5 pounds that was delicious. We walked down Bond Street, where all the high-luxury labels are located. It is a storied street, where the rich shop. The goal was Fortnum & Mason. However…

Fortnum &Mason closed right when we got there. We were across the street, waiting for the light to turn green and they locked the doors! They were herding everyone out… like an army of ants streaming out of the doors. Angel was very put out. The baby looked like she wanted to cry, as we trekked quite a ways carrying armfuls of shopping bags (they were really heavy!) just so she could coo at the displays.

We rode the tube back to our hotel (Ang was throwing tantrums with how hot she was and how much stuff she had to carry), where I asked the front desk for more of their chocolate chip cookies. I got four and Angel ate one right away. And now she’s happy as a duck.