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volante:
england
 Summer in London
Stanley Moss packs in a lot on his
London walkabout, from Asian food to Guy Bourdin
some photographs by the author
Kate Moss’s Topshop range
Photograph from Vogue Paris, June 1986, from Unseen Bourdin
at the Wapping Project
YOU CAN PACK a lot into a day in London
this summer, and enjoy a succession of mini-expeditions into a variety
of neighbourhoods and activities within the space of a few hours.
A recent odyssey featured a morning visit to the Royal College of
Art’s graduate sculpture exhibition at the Battersea campus,
with inspired work by Britain’s finest young talent on display.
Took no more than half an hour to stroll about the galleries.
Followed that with a look at Unseen Bourdin,
a remarkable exhibit of large-format colour photos by the late Guy
Bourdin at the Wapping Project, a converted power station on London’s
east side (take a cab, as the South London tube is closed for repair
through 2010).
There’s an excellent and pricey restaurant
on site, highly regarded with an astounding wine list, but probably
a better bet for a romantic dinner—check out the witty placemats
rendered by London’s incisive, irreverent artist Paul Davis.
Next up, a detour to Goldsmiths’ Hall to
view Creation II, a world-class exhibit of contemporary jewellery,
containing objects unlike anything seen in the stores. You’ll
find it hard to ignore the opulent marble-walled interior of this
heritage space.
Then, boogie down to Sitaaray, a Bollywood-themed
restaurant on Drury Lane in Covent Garden for a leisurely lunch.
This mid-range pit stop is a great choice for families on the go.
Chef Manish Sherma serves a procession of unlimited spicy kebabs
and curries (prix fixé, £16) until you tell
him to quit. He’s created an authentic menu, which goes perfectly
in a setting rich with plush, glittery, shimmery filigree, Indian
movie memorabilia and endless film clips of classic musical numbers
(Lagaan, Om Shanti Om, Ram Da Basanti, Devdas). Cool your
palate with chef’s refreshing mango lhassi, then head back
out to the streets, revived.
You’ll still have time for a visit to Topshop
at Oxford Circus, where the expanded Kate Moss boutique has racks
of items copied from the supermodel’s own vintage clothes’
collection.
If you have any sterling left after that, stroll
west on Oxford Street almost to Marble Arch, where Primark has an
incredible selection of the best budget pieces in town. For a less
frenetic experience, try the Hammersmith location on the west side
of town. You will be amazed at the lightweight piqué polo
shirts in chic colours for £2·50 (not a typo!), and
much much more, proof positive that no matter the price or exchange
rate, London shopping is still—as Austin Powers might remark—groovy,
baby!
Royal College of Art Sculpture Studios
Howie Street, just off the Battersea Bridge Road
London SW11
The Wapping Project
Wapping Hydraulic Power Station
Wapping Wall
London E1W 3SG
Telephone 44 871 332-8754
www.thewappingproject.com
Goldsmiths’ Hall
Foster Lane
London EC2V 6BN
www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk
Sitaaray
167 Drury Lane, Covent Garden
London WC2B 5PG
Telephone 44 20 7831-9399
www.sitaaray.com
Topshop
216 Oxford Street
Marylebone
London W1D 1LA
Telephone 44 20 7636-7700
www.topshop.com
Primark
484–504 Oxford Street
London, W1C 1HG
Telephone 44 20 7495-0420
www.primark.co.uk
Stanley Moss is travel editor of Lucire.
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Chef Manish Sherma at Sitaaray
Endless food and the mango lhassi at Sitaaray
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