My Beat Regent Street
Journalist David Davis (ex Times) reports from the world's first shopping street, which dates back to the early 19th century. Originally conceived as a processional route for the Prince Regent, later King George IV, it was completed in 1826. Managed on behalf of the Queen by The Crown Estate Regent Street's 1.5 miles of frontage, is undergoing a £500 million transformation to maintain its status beyond the 21st century.Thursday, May 12, 2005
Man for all skills
Neil Johnson is multi-skilled. He repairs shoes and watches, cuts all different types of keys, can engrave virtually anything from trophies to house signs, and also advise people on dry cleaning their clothes.
He needs all these skills to run the tiny one-man shop in Regent Street which is part of Timpsons, Britain’s Quality Service People.
“We’re trained to do many different things” said Neil who travels from his home in Orpington, Kent in time to make an 8am start to catch customers on their way to work.
Five generations of Timpsons have been involved in the business that bears their name.Chief Executive John Timpson is th great grandson of the Founder, William Timpson, who at the age of 16 opened his first shop in Butler Street, Manchester in 1865. Today, 100 years later, there are more than 550 Timpson shops in the group. (www.timpsonltd.co.uk)
He needs all these skills to run the tiny one-man shop in Regent Street which is part of Timpsons, Britain’s Quality Service People.
“We’re trained to do many different things” said Neil who travels from his home in Orpington, Kent in time to make an 8am start to catch customers on their way to work.
Five generations of Timpsons have been involved in the business that bears their name.Chief Executive John Timpson is th great grandson of the Founder, William Timpson, who at the age of 16 opened his first shop in Butler Street, Manchester in 1865. Today, 100 years later, there are more than 550 Timpson shops in the group. (www.timpsonltd.co.uk)
Family affair
Met today the father of London's only 'father and son' newspaper sellers who have their pitches on the opposite sides of Oxford Circus.
It was 12 years ago when Larry Dunsworth from Hampstead took over the pitch on the west side from his son Colin who switched to the east side. "I had just retired after more than 30 years making luxury leather goods and got so bored that I had to find a job to get out of the house" Larry, 72, told me.
"Its an interesting life and I do get to meet lots of different people" adde Larry as he cleaned his Evening Standard stand in readiness for delivery of the first of five editions during his 10am to 7pm day.
It was 12 years ago when Larry Dunsworth from Hampstead took over the pitch on the west side from his son Colin who switched to the east side. "I had just retired after more than 30 years making luxury leather goods and got so bored that I had to find a job to get out of the house" Larry, 72, told me.
"Its an interesting life and I do get to meet lots of different people" adde Larry as he cleaned his Evening Standard stand in readiness for delivery of the first of five editions during his 10am to 7pm day.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Glasses, cosmetics and comic art
Went window shopping today and found myself attracted to three completely different types of shops.
Washin Optical which must have the largest stock of REAL designer glasses of anywhere in London is part of Japan’s oldest and largest group of opticians. The staff in Regent Street is largely Japanese who take a genuine pride in pointing out to everyone who comes into the store the company’s promise to provide quality products at a fair price and ensure customer satisfaction through excellent service. They also explain how the company's name was derived - Wa means Peace and Shin means Truth.
The most expensive glasses are gold plated and will set you back more than £1,000 while the cheapest is less than £100.
Five months ago Richard Branson’s Virgin Group opened its 23rd Virgin Cosmetic Shop (www.virgincosmetics.com) next door the virgin Megastore. “We’re still hoping Richard will pay us a visit – he hasn’t done so yet” Kate, a senior assistant told me.
Just a few doors away is The Reject China Shop where I was fascinated by a window display of comic art, the work of Guillermo Forchino, an Argentinian who now lives and works in Paris. Made in poly resins, the figures resemble the world of comic strip and cartoon characters.
Costing anywhere up to £750, each piece comes wrapped in the newspaper “The Forchino Times” along with Forchino’s autobiography and pictures of his collection
Washin Optical which must have the largest stock of REAL designer glasses of anywhere in London is part of Japan’s oldest and largest group of opticians. The staff in Regent Street is largely Japanese who take a genuine pride in pointing out to everyone who comes into the store the company’s promise to provide quality products at a fair price and ensure customer satisfaction through excellent service. They also explain how the company's name was derived - Wa means Peace and Shin means Truth.
The most expensive glasses are gold plated and will set you back more than £1,000 while the cheapest is less than £100.
Five months ago Richard Branson’s Virgin Group opened its 23rd Virgin Cosmetic Shop (www.virgincosmetics.com) next door the virgin Megastore. “We’re still hoping Richard will pay us a visit – he hasn’t done so yet” Kate, a senior assistant told me.
Just a few doors away is The Reject China Shop where I was fascinated by a window display of comic art, the work of Guillermo Forchino, an Argentinian who now lives and works in Paris. Made in poly resins, the figures resemble the world of comic strip and cartoon characters.
Costing anywhere up to £750, each piece comes wrapped in the newspaper “The Forchino Times” along with Forchino’s autobiography and pictures of his collection
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
On the diamond trail
Photojournalist Matt Shonfeld, at 31, has worked in virtually every corner of the world from photographing young offenders in a Polish prison to fisherman in Iceland; from a Romany gypsy community in the Czech Republic to ship breaking in India and Bangladesh; from The Cloud People of Peru to the Anti Narcotics Police in rural Bolivia and Columbia.
His current assignment is a photographic documentary of the diamond industry and today I found him in Regent Street where he was allowed into Boodles, (www.boodles.co.uk) the jewellery store which dates back to 1798, to capture the retail end of the business. Matt's next stop will be the trading exchanges in Amsterdam.
"I love every minute of every day of my work" said Matt who comes from Manchester but is currently living in Milan. His website www.mattshonfeld.com is a showcase of his life.
His current assignment is a photographic documentary of the diamond industry and today I found him in Regent Street where he was allowed into Boodles, (www.boodles.co.uk) the jewellery store which dates back to 1798, to capture the retail end of the business. Matt's next stop will be the trading exchanges in Amsterdam.
"I love every minute of every day of my work" said Matt who comes from Manchester but is currently living in Milan. His website www.mattshonfeld.com is a showcase of his life.
Young and old
Hilary Ashcroft was enjoying her 80th birthday on a family trip from Nottingham and an early stop was Thorntons (www.thorntons.co.uk) where they treated her to a box of luxury chocolates which she started eating on the pavement. "I can't resist chocolate and I never give any away" she said with a smile.
For nine-year old Thomas today was also something special. He is on the road to full recovery after a serious operation so as a treat his parents Frank and Doris who live in Brighton were giving him a day out. "We're just on our way to Piccadilly Circus to see Eros and then the Imperial War Museum to see all about the war" Tom said.
For nine-year old Thomas today was also something special. He is on the road to full recovery after a serious operation so as a treat his parents Frank and Doris who live in Brighton were giving him a day out. "We're just on our way to Piccadilly Circus to see Eros and then the Imperial War Museum to see all about the war" Tom said.
Irish bid £200m for Trocadero Centre
A consortium of Irish investors has mounted a £200m sterling (€293m) bid for the Trocadero, the London landmark, a stone's throw away from Regent Street, the Irish Independent reports today.
The group is planning a redevelopment which would incorporate a five-star hotel, a casino, a mixture of retail units and some office space.
The group is attempting to buy the property from Lehman Brothers, an international bank, which put it on the market last March.
The group is planning a redevelopment which would incorporate a five-star hotel, a casino, a mixture of retail units and some office space.
The group is attempting to buy the property from Lehman Brothers, an international bank, which put it on the market last March.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Bubbles & Geeks
Most days you'll find a young man from San Diego, California outside Hamleys, (www.hamleys.com) armed with two toy pistols and showering passers-by with a double helping of bubbles. Keane is manager of Regent Street's oldest flagship store which draws customers literally from every corner of the globe.
This afternoon the showers kept Keane and a single bubble gun inside but still he was having fun. "I'm really a kid at heart" he told me "and so are most people who come to Hamleys, young or old".
Just across the street is Apple's (www.apple.com) first European store. Located in Regent House, an original Nash building opened in 1898, it is a huge playroom for the IPod generation. Filled with hundreds of free to use computers and a vast array of IPod gadgets, and a glass staircase leading to a lecture theatre, it has attracted thousands of people since it opened last November, the latest and most exciting flagship store in Regent Street.
Duty manager Chris, who joined Apple a year ago from Marks & Spencer, was proud to explain: "Steve Jobs' policy is to make all our products freely available for everyone to use and to help them understand how to get the best out of them."
Such is the relaxed very soft-sell atmosphere I noticed many people actually using the computers to email friends and family, with the all dressed in black staff looking on admirngly.
People like Bayal, a young bank executive who arrived in London less than a month ago simply gushed with excitement. "It is a most incredible place...I never thought such places existed".
This afternoon the showers kept Keane and a single bubble gun inside but still he was having fun. "I'm really a kid at heart" he told me "and so are most people who come to Hamleys, young or old".
Just across the street is Apple's (www.apple.com) first European store. Located in Regent House, an original Nash building opened in 1898, it is a huge playroom for the IPod generation. Filled with hundreds of free to use computers and a vast array of IPod gadgets, and a glass staircase leading to a lecture theatre, it has attracted thousands of people since it opened last November, the latest and most exciting flagship store in Regent Street.
Duty manager Chris, who joined Apple a year ago from Marks & Spencer, was proud to explain: "Steve Jobs' policy is to make all our products freely available for everyone to use and to help them understand how to get the best out of them."
Such is the relaxed very soft-sell atmosphere I noticed many people actually using the computers to email friends and family, with the all dressed in black staff looking on admirngly.
People like Bayal, a young bank executive who arrived in London less than a month ago simply gushed with excitement. "It is a most incredible place...I never thought such places existed".
Frankly, neither did I.
Magazines on the go
Monday morning and its rush hour and the busiest people are the team who give away free magazines to the thousands of commuters pouring out of the four separate exits of Oxford Circus underground station. Young people like Alex from Mexico, Zedka from the Czech Republic and Angela who is Brazilian have become vital cogs in the distribution chain for the free give-away consumer style magazines that they literally put into the hands of readers.
The team is well-drilled and well-mannered. They work in shfits and get paid by the hour - not by the number of magazines they distribute, as I had at first thought - so there is no need for them to be over-zealous.
Meeting them was a pleasant start to my new assignment and I look forward to the next time.
The team is well-drilled and well-mannered. They work in shfits and get paid by the hour - not by the number of magazines they distribute, as I had at first thought - so there is no need for them to be over-zealous.
Meeting them was a pleasant start to my new assignment and I look forward to the next time.
My first day
This is the first day in my new beat and having reported from many parts of the world it now seems strange that I have returned to Regent Street which I have known since a schoolboy. As a young man I spent many hours waiting in my car parked outside Truimph House for Beryl and when we married 46 years ago, the reception was held in the splendour of the Cafe Royale, on the other side of the street.
I am excited at my latest reporting assignment and the prospect of telling the stories of many of those thousands of people who shop and work in Regent Street, and of the new shops and businesses as they emerge from behind the scaffolding that currently hides those great John Nash buildings.
The task is 24/7 because Regent Street never sleeps and I don't want to miss a thing.
I am excited at my latest reporting assignment and the prospect of telling the stories of many of those thousands of people who shop and work in Regent Street, and of the new shops and businesses as they emerge from behind the scaffolding that currently hides those great John Nash buildings.
The task is 24/7 because Regent Street never sleeps and I don't want to miss a thing.
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