In the English capital, besides the timeless department stores Harrod’s, the must-visit areas are mainly in the West End: Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Bond Street, where large retail chains like Selfridges and Marks&Spencer, as well as major fashion brands such as Burberry and Stella McCartney.
Here you can buy not only traditionally English fashion but also the best production from around the world. Especially appreciated and sought after by tourists are wool sweaters and garments, music CDs, small antiques, and bric-a-brac. Younger crowds go crazy for used clothing and footwear, which crowd the markets of Camden Town and Petticoat Lane.
It must be said that London is also a city of markets, fueled by the English passion for collecting. At the Covent Garden market, for example, artisanal objects and antique prints dominate the area called the Apple Market, while souvenirs are found in the section called Jubilee. At the one on Farrington Road, you can find books, prints, and engravings, while Portobello Road Market is considered a shopping enclave divided into 5 specialized areas for antiques, bric-a-brac, clothes, food, books, and musical items. And these are just a few examples, since the capital boasts about twenty markets, always bustling and highly regarded by Londoners themselves.
On the entertainment front, it must first be said that England offers tourists so many events in every corner that one often finds themselves spoiled for choice. For example, those visiting Wales from May to August cannot miss the entertaining Eisteddfod, held in various locations, consisting of impromptu music and poetry competitions. In the Lake District, between July and August, one of the highlights is the Rushbearing, a religious thanksgiving festival, which corresponds to the Harvest Festival, celebrated between late September and early October in all Protestant communities across the country. Classical and contemporary music, opera, and drama have a strong and prestigious presence in England; not surprisingly, almost all of the most important artistic and musical movements of this century and the 20th century originated here. London is the capital of these arts in every respect, but it would be unfair not to consider other cities (Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol…..) where theaters increasingly have resident orchestras.
