Tuesday 24th Selfridges

I was tempted to do nothing today but thought a trip in the buses to Selfridges might be not too stressful. I had been told that if I wanted to go to one department store that Selfridges should be it. I’m not sure if the people who suggested it expected me to buy something – it had lovely stuff – but like the expensive parts of DJ’s. Anyway, I made sure I went into the front entrance and went straight to the info counter. They were far superior to the British Museum – had a lovely, easy to read map that detailed where everything was, and listed all the eating places and what sort of food they served and it was easy to see where the loos were and on which level – not like the Museum – you had to go down heaps of stairs.

My first stop was for morning coffee ( I had had to change buses and breakfast had been several hours before) and they were quite happy for me to have 1 scone rather than the usual 2 per serve. For a moment or 2 I forgot about clotted cream and wondered why they had served me butter. Then I wandered around the food hall. The fish display was interesting. I saw several things that I had seen on menus like skate wings, and dover sole. I also saw conger eel which John and I ate in Chile in 1976 and I havenot seen it anywhere since. The sardines and herrings were bigger than I thought they were. The country of origin and how the fished had been caught /farmed etc were very clearly displayed. I wandered on and saw, in a healthy food counter beetroot sweets. I bought 1 for ₤1 ( I did not want to run the risk of walking out without a bright yellow bag – but then found the food hall uses brown bags). It is a cube roughly 3cm x 3cm x3cm and the ingredients are : cashews, dates, cinnamon, beetroot, fennel seeds according to the label. No sugar or fat. I checked out the oyster bar thinking ahead about lunch., but decided that for the prices they were charging I could shout my 2 frivolous friends to the oyster bar in Sydney DJ’s ( which one of them introduced me to) and still be ahead.

I wandered around the displays of lovely things but felt rather intimidated. I was standing looking at some shirts which were expensive but nice. A middle aged Frenchman asked if I needed help. I explained that I was having afternoon tea on Sunday in a hotel and did not want to buy a new outfit ( well, definitely not at that shop) and thought a new shirt might work. He thought for a bit and produced a nice striped red and white shirt in a slightly crumpled looking fabric and said ‘this one madam’ .’ Why? Why not one of those nice multi coloured thin striped ones with beautiful cuffs? ‘ He very politely said – with casual pants , a nice casual shirt created a better effect than a better shirt with casual pants unless they were nice jeans. At least I think that is what he was saying. Anyway the shirt was nice. At that point 2 young English females joined the discussion. I am not sure they were as convinced as he, but I bought the shirt. He said as he was wrapping it that it will be a good shirt to travel with. ‘You don’t want to carry too much weight’ he said . To which I replied ‘ pity about all the morning teas I’ve been eating’ deliberately taking another meaning. He went bright red, poor man. I hastily apologized. Earlier he told me I needed something around my neck. He asked what sort of necklaces I had with me. Initially he did not believe me when I said none. The whole experience was worth the extra money in amusement value.

I was exhausted by the whole thing and had lunch. I had been told that salt beef sandwiches were an institution at Selfridges, so thought I better have one. It was OK. They said it was on rye bread - I suppose it could have had 5% rye flour max. I wandered in and out of a few other shops but had had enough so came home. Not sure what I will do with my big bright yellow bag.