Mayfair and Soho

I found an interesting book at the library a few weeks back - London's hidden walks, by Stephen Millar. In it, the author describes 13 walks in London. The first walk described was one on Mayfair and that's where I headed on the first Saturday in December.

Starting off from the touristy hot spot of Piccadilly Circus, I walked past the Royal Academy of Arts, through the Burlington Arcade and found myself in the heart of the expensive shopping district of Mayfair. Tiffany's and Faberge were just two of the exclusive brands who have showrooms in this area. Interestingly, it was only after I reached home that I discovered that the Faberge showrooms had only just re-opened in London, after a gap of 96 years!

As the centre of the popular music scene of the 1960's, London has a fair few places with connections to great bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. I walked past the building where Keith Moon, drummer of The Who, was found dead in 1978, Grosvenor Square, which was the scene of a demonstration that inspired Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones to write 'Street Fighting Man' and the buidling on Savile Row where The Beatles had the headquarters of their Apple Corps and where they played their last concert in 1969 on the rooftop.

From Mayfair, I headed into Soho, and what a difference it was as compared to Mayfair. Soho is bohemian and edgy, with a profusion of bars, cafes, restaurants, record shops and other small stores. I had a great Japanese lunch in a small corner restaurant, followed by homemade chocolate brownie from a stall in the Broadwick street market.

I followed Berwick street out to Oxford Street, before making my way to Tottenham Court Road and back home.