Christmas Descends

I've never really been enormously enamoured with December. Of course, there are the parties and the get-togethers and the drinking- these bits are all super. But then you've got the no-money, and the stress, and being constantly bloated after gorging yourself silly for one solid month. And then there are the songs. Oh god, the Christmas songs! If I have to hear Mariah Carey warbling 'All I Want For Christmas' one more time (and it's only December 2nd) I will scream.


But this year is going to be different. Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to start wearing Santa hats, or get excited about wrapping presents three weeks early (believe me, there are those that do), but it's been such a gloomy year - for everyone, it seems - that a little bit of cheer just feels right.


So, I decided to dedicate this blog post to Christmas shopping. If you've any sense, you'll be doing it online. This week, I went to the new Westfield Stratford City to see what all the fuss was about. The Christmas lights are far superior to Oxford Street's, and because it's all so new, it's still kind of clean and sparkly. But after I'd wandered the entire place several times- in heels, no less- and done a quick sweep of virtually every shop (save the toyshops on the bottom floor, obvs.) I realised that this colossal, multi-million pound thing is all smoke and mirrors. It feels like it's just been plunked down in Stratford, as if someone's waved their wand and said 'there, there Newham. We'll make you over into something fabulous in time for 2012.' In a way, the place is just empty and characterless, next to Stratford itself. In the Stratford Centre (good old, shabby run-down Stratford Centre) you've can find absolutely anything you're after, probably at a fraction of the cost of what you expected to pay. When you walk through at night time, you'll find teenagers roller-blading. And there's even a good old East End market, perfect for sourcing Caribbean ingredients, or blinged-up phone covers, or amazing jewellery, or like, the guy who will fix your favourite sunglasses for two quid.


Anyway. After circling Westfield repeatedly, I found nothing to buy. For those new to London, I urge you to stay away. The place is swarming with teenage girls carrying Forever 21 bags. Indeed, avoid Oxford Street too, at all costs. This year, pop along to some of London's awesome shopping destinations, the ones where Philip Green or the Westfield Group won't be raking in your money. Here's my top 5:
1. Upper Street, Highbury & Islington tube station. For some fabulous boutiques and gift-shops, perfectly punctuated by pubs for pre and post shopping drinks.
2. Spitalfields Market & Brick Lane, Liverpool Street. This historic market, in beautiful surroundings, is perfect for antique and vintage lovers. There's a Christmas Arts Market every Thursday to Sunday up to Dec 18, and there's late night shopping from Dec 19-23
3. Borough Market, London Bridge. For all you foodies out there. Sample French foie gras or Spanish chorizo and knock it back with some wine at nearby Vinopolis. Oh, and if you want to get all seasonal about it, I hear there's going to be some pretty fantastic Christmas cake knocking about during the month of December.
4. Dalston Kingsland High Street, Dalston Kingsland on the overground. I can't say I've ever seen a whole lot of things I want to buy there, but it's an awesome, bustling place, with a proper old-fashioned cinema and lots of little junk/vintage/charity shops. Oh, and Britney shot a music video there, apparently.
5. Muswell Hill Broadway, Bounds Green or Highgate tube, then bus it. It's posh, but just the right amount of posh. Oodles of charity shops, delis and boutiques, and it's the kind of place that has proper old-fashioned bakers and butchers shops so you can feel like you're on your local high street.


So there you have it. If all else fails, and you're entirely stuck for what to buy your lover or mother or brother for Christmas, remember one thing: you can never go wrong with novelty. I'm buying this for my brother, and I'm fairly confident he's going to consider it his best present ever:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheatwell-Games-12599-Plop-Trumps/dp/B0053PWS1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322868219&sr=8-1

An Introduction to the Unreal City

When I first came to London, I hated it. People elbow and bash you on the tube, sigh when you don't move fast enough. It's hard to find quiet. Or real, pure darkness. Everything about it just felt brasher, busier, ruder, faster, smaller, bigger, tighter...


... My London friends thought I was mad: 'How can you not love every second of this city?' And of course, as the days went by, I realised they were right. Under the smog and the lights, under the furious din of Piccadilly Circus, there's a place that kind of stomps all over every other city or town. Entirely unpredictable. It'll either gobble you whole, or wrap you up warm in its grubby arms.


Unreal City is my blog. Tales of London: present, past, fiction, reality and hopefully, a series of little love letters to my city.