So, yesterday we went into London. The plan was simple – we would head in, locate Oxfam Originals near Oxford Circus (or indeed Circuuussss), find clothes for myself and Kathryn, find an ethical shoe store for me, and find bras for us all! (Bras for EVERYONE!).
Yeah, it didn’t quite work out like that.
We were, I’ll grant, a little slow off the mark. Getting into London about 1, and because I’d opted for ‘drive to Turnham Green and tube it from there’ (saving us 10 quid less a couple of pence in petrol) we landed up in Chiswick. Chiswick is very nice, and we visited a few shops (including a very nice antique shop) and also bought lunch (at Crepe Parisienne, a really excellent crepe store with quirky but excellent customer service (the guy with the french accent, presumed to be french, is very friendly)) before making our way to Oxford Circus.
I have some vague recollection of hearing that Oxfam Originals having closed or moved, now I come to think about it. But I can’t find any evidence of it, except that despite being listed in phonebooks and websites all over the internet, it ain’t there. Ganton street is devoid of Oxfam Originals stores. This is annoying. However, we found some vintage places off Carnaby street and checked them out; interesting but nothing suitable…
And some git stood on my foot and managed to kick me on his way past and didn’t even apologise.
Anyhow, moving on swiftly.
So, we decided to engage another tourist favourite, Camden Market. I’d (after much searching) found that the only Ethical shoe place in the whole entirety of London was Jinga Shoes. (Or something similar). Unit 4a, Camden Stables Market. We made our way there.
Small is an understatement. They carry two ranges of very nice runners, and that’s it. I really tried. I’d looked up ethical brands (No Sweat, Ikon) and tried to find suppliers (everyone seems to think that buying shoes online is a great plan. Given that I tried on 3 pairs in one shop before deciding what size I wanted that would take a week on the internet shoe plan.
Anyhow, I gave in and bought Converse. I hate buying brand stuff which is expensive for brand’s sake and not because it’s ethical. The No Sweat one-star clones are virtually no more expensive. Gah. But since I’m a 7 in the Converse and a (Children’s) 6 in the Lonsdales I had before (couldn’t even find them this time), and am going to have to go and get runners which also won’t be ethical (since I need to break them in for my run which you all want to sponsor me for, and thus need them soon) I’m feeling the guilt a little.
It is seriously not-on that London does not manage one ethical shoe store. Although I did have a realisation of the problems faced by ethical shops.
As Kathryn stood with a large selection of clothes and carefully considered her way down to 4 items, on the basis that she really should not buy things that she’s already got something similar/equivalent to (a very valid, non-wasteful viewpoint. One which we’re both believers in*) – I realised that these poor Ethical shops do suffer. Because most people of the same bent as us don’t like consumer society we tend to wear clothes until they’re well past their sell-by-date, and similarly don’t tend to buy a great deal that’s frivolous pointless crap… well, they have to work harder to stay afloat.
We were hoping to make it to Fresh and Wild but it was after 7 by the time we got to Kensington on our route back, so we skipped it and went straight for dinner. It’s something I want to get back and visit; I’ve been meaning to do it for a while but it’s inside the congestion charging zone, so it either means getting the tube in and getting stuff, and carrying it back; or getting the train/tube in (more painful) or going at the weekend (painful, and we’d have to pay for parking). So I suspect it’ll remain a ‘when we get a chance’. It’s nice to go to these places just to see the range and variety – and because we live in Slough which has the crappiest range of whole-foods places, it’s easier to go to a supermarket somewhere else than to do lots of small shops. But I *like* shopping at small stores :-/
Anyhow, after the pause for the aforementioned frivolity we headed home, pausing only to consume a very good meal at the Lara Restaurant (also in Turnham Green). It’s a ‘Mediterranean’ restaurant and the food was delicious and very reasonably priced (especially for London). Finally we piled back in the car and headed home.
It was a very odd day. Some bits were really delightful, and some bits were incredibly frustrating. Anyhow, it’s time for a pancake brunch, so I must depart dear reader ;)
* Although I did buy a totally frivolous item yesterday – one which I have no need for, just think it would look cool.
