Wee Birdy

My Secret London with Neal from Present & Correct (Part 1)

Neal Whittington, 29, runs the rather splendid online design and stationery store, Present & Correct. With a solid professional background as a graphic designer and illustrator, Neal spends much of his time these days scouring the globe for weird and wonderful paper-y delights. Here he opens up his little black book of favourite London haunts.

Best for a bargain?
Any of the city car boot sales: Wimbledon, Kilburn, Battersea, Chiswick. Borough Market late in the day for cheap veg.

Above: Bric-a-brac a-plenty at Battersea car boot sale.

Best for vintage?
There are several great shops at the Highbury end of Holloway Road which all sell a mixture of mid-century furniture and accessories. Due to its location you will find these places are much cheaper than if they were located in a trendier part of town.

I love vintage places that just sell one thing too, like Get Stuffed (for taxidermy) or EW Moore (for amazing retro wallpaper), as well as DA Binder (for old shop fittings).

Best for fashion?
I love Paul & Joe, and I always look in Liberty. Smaller independents like Sefton and Diverse stock some good labels. Second-hand shops like Rokit, Beyond Retro and charity shops come up with the goods, too.

Above: Vintage finds at Beyond Retro.

Best for jewellery?
I don’t wear any jewellery but I love Solange Azagury-Partridge. Also our friends Zoe and Morgan.

Above: Designs by Solange Azagury-Partridge.

Best for interiors and gifts?
SCP and Skandium are lovely shops and there are some great little gifty places along Columbia Road – like Ryan Town and Treacle. Labour & Wait is unique and so attractive and I cannot leave Muji empty handed. Ever!

Above: Skandi-heaven at Skandium.

In part 2 tomorrow, Neal reveals his secret London destinations for stationery, kids' stuff, skincare, souvenirs, and places to eat.

For all addresses and a Wee Birdy map of Neal's secret London, click here.

Read more about Neal's online store, Present & Correct here.

For more secret Londons, click here.

“My Secret London” with Jane Ellis from KJ’s Laundry

In the latest instalment of “My Secret London”, Jane Ellis from Marylebone’s award-winning independent fashion boutique, KJ’s Laundry, spills the secret London addresses from her little black book.

Best for a bargain? Brick Lane, East London.

Best for vintage? Hammersmith Vintage Fair.

Best for fashion? Shop at Bluebird.

Best for jewellery? Kabiri.

Best for interiors and gifts? Mint.

Best for beauty and skincare? Liberty beauty hall.

Best for kids? Blossom.

Best for stationery? Smythson.

Any other favourites? Chapel Market.

Your number one London shopping secret? La Fromagerie in Marylebone.

Best London souvenir? A retro poster from the Transport Museum.

Favourite place to eat? Yauatcha.

Click here for a Wee Birdy map of Jane’s secret London addresses.
Check out the latest collections online at KJ’s Laundry.

Huge thanks and wee birdy kisses to Jane for her generous tips and advice.

Shopping in London: Paul A. Young

Paul A. Young is one of London’s leading chocolatiers, with his City shop winning Best New Chocolate Shop in this year’s Academy of Chocolate awards. His 20 years’ experience as a high-profile chef, patissiere and chocolatier reflects his sophisticated understanding of the subtle intricacies of flavour and texture. This has led to the creation of best-sellers like port and stilton truffles and Marmite ganaches. No wonder he’s regularly referred to as the Heston Blumenthal of chocolate. His range is free from preservatives and additives, using only the finest chocolate including Valrhona, Michel Cluizel and Amadei.

Paul is incredibly hands-on and on any day you’ll find him beavering away at either one of his two chocolate boutiques, located in Islington and Bank. With ginger hair and an affable Northern demeanour, he’s not hard to miss. At his boutique in Bank, right in the heart of the City’s financial district, I find him upbeat and positive about the outlook for business. History shows that chocolate sales, like lipstick, actually boom during times of economic depression. People will treat themselves to fine chocolate because it’s a small, affordable luxury.

The shop itself is part of the Royal Exchange, and the location is steeped in London’s incredible 1000 year history. Fragments of Roman stucco, lamps and coins found on the site reveal that it was the centre of Roman Londinium. The shop itself dates back to the Victorian period, when it was a chemist. All of the original features remain, including handsome marble bench tops, wooden shelves and cabinets. Paul takes me on a behind-the-scenes tour of the shop, including the fully customised basement kitchen, where all his fresh, hand-made chocolates are made every day.

Upstairs, Paul’s collection of loose chocolates are displayed like glittering jewels, which is a comparison that isn’t far removed from the truth, considering that edible platinum and gold leaf can be found amongst the ingredients. Single pieces start at £1.75, going up to £50 for a hand-picked box of 40. His house collection includes the silver award-winning raspberry ganache and gold award-winning sea salted caramel, with stock constantly updated, so there’s always an element of surprise. On my visit there's a London Pride Ale truffle and a Winter Pimms ganache with apple and ginger.

Then there’s his signature chocolate brownies, which are extra-gooey, with a fudgey (rather than cakey) consistency. You know they’re good because they specifically lack that gritty saccharine-sweetness of lesser versions. They’re also big – and rich – enough to cut into quarters, so they can shared (or not) back at the office, making the £2.95 price point stretch even further.

The hot chocolate is also a best-seller, made Aztec-style using 100 per cent cocoa and hot water instead of milk. The £2.95 rich concoction is a warming winter drink, with a choice of spices such as ginger, smokey cardamom and two different types of chilli. So good, it's my new favourite London beverage. And that's saying a lot.

Paul A. Young
20 Royal Exchange
Threadneedle Street
London EC3V 3LP
Tel. 020 7929 7007
Nearest tube: Bank
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday 10am - 6:30pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 10am - 6:30pm

The Islington boutique can be found at:
33 Camden Passage
London N1 8EA
Tel. 020 7424 5750
Nearest tube: Angel
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Wednesday and Thursday 11am - 6pm
Friday 11am - 7pm
Saturday 11am - 6pm
Sunday 12 - 5pm

Buying cashmere in London

As I mentioned in a previous post, the streets are awash with the soft, soft touch of cashmere.

If you’ve ever thought about investing in a quality cashmere piece, now is the time to make your move, with the winter sales currently in full swing.

And while all cashmere is luxurious, some cashmere is more luxurious than others (apologies to Orwell). Here’s my pick of the best places to buy the good stuff in London:

N.Peal
Founded in 1963, N.Peal is one of the luxury cashmere brands located in the historic Burlington Arcade, with separate men’s and women’s stores. The knitwear is made and designed in Scotland, using Mongolian and Chinese wool. Cashmere scarves are currently on sale for £79 (down from £99), with certain lines reduced by up to 50 per cent.

www.npeal.com
37 and 71 Burlington Arcade
Mayfair
London W1
Tel: 020 7499 6485

Berk Cashmere
One of London’s more traditional cashmere specialists located in the Burlington Arcade. Think classic cashmere twinsets, sweaters and cardigans. House-brand cashmere scarves start at £99.75.
46-49 Burlington Arcade
Mayfair
London W1
Tel: 020 7493 0028

Brora
This Scottish brand is renowned for its high quality cashmere and classic investment pieces. Cashmere scarves start at £45. If you’ve got your eye on a cashmere sweater or cardie, hold off ‘til 16 January, when the sale starts.

Loving the adorable cashmere baby range:

www.brora.co.uk
344 Kings Road
London
SW3 5UR

186 Upper Street
London
N1 1RQ

81 Marylebone High Street
London
W1U 4QJ

66/68 Ledbury Road
London
W11 2AJ

17 High Street Wimbledon
London
SW19 5DX

Pringle of Scotland
One of Britain’s leading luxury knitwear brands, Pringle started knitting cashmere in 1871. The argyle cashmere sweater is a Pringle classic staple.

Check out the cute kids Autumn/Winter capsule collection for argyle au go go:

(Cashmere aside, here a couple of my favourite looks from their younger and more directional 1815 collection for Spring/Summer 2008:)

Head to Pringle now for 50 per cent off selected items.
www.pringlescotland.com
London stores:
141 Sloane Street
London SW1
Tel: 020 7881 3060

112 New Bond Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7297 4580

High Street picks:

Marks & Spencer
Excellent range of everyday cashmere pieces at reasonable price points, starting at £20 for a cashmere scarf, and £39.50 for short-sleeved sweaters. Sale on now.
www.marksandspencer.com
Find stores here.

Uniqlo
The fun marketing campaign featuring cashmere-clad sock puppets has been hard to miss on London Tube escalators in December, and so is this Japanese brand’s ultra-affordable prices and huge range of fashion colours.

Prices start at £39.95 for cashmere tops. Sale on now.
www.uniqlo.co.uk
Flagship Store
311 Oxford Street,
London,
W1C 2HP
T: 020 7290 7701

170 Oxford Street,
London,
W1D 1NQ
T: 020 7307 9671

Cashmere Clinic
If your cashmere gets moth holes or needs to be repaired, send it to a cashmere specialist. This place is the best in London.

The Cashmere Clinic
www.cashmere-clinic.co.uk
Flat 5, 53 Redcliffe Gardens
London
SW10 9JJ
Tel: 0207 584 9806