A Guide to London Christmas Shopping in 2011

Nov 28th 2011

If you’re tired of the busy shopping streets of London, then you’re not alone. Around Christmas time, the hustle and bustle can reach uncomfortable levels, even for the most voracious of shoppers. Luckily, there are ways to avoid it.

To try and help you alleviate some of the Christmas stress and find presents that are a bit different to the normal high street gifts, we’ve put together a list of our top alternative Christmas shopping events around the city.

The Barbican Christmas Fair – The Barbican Centre – December to February

The Barbican is well known as one of the creative centres of London, and Christmas time is most definitely no exception to this. There are many creative Christmas events for the family taking place over the Christmas period, from concerts spanning festive classics like Handel’s Messiah and variations on traditional tunes, including Kate Rusby’s Folk interpretations of carols, to craft fairs and independent pop-up shops. Visit the Duckie Christmas Market from 10th to 30th December for unique gifts from independent sellers, from cakes and gingerbread to high-tech presents. There’s also the Design Den, which is on until the 23rd December, offering a variety of great craft gifts.

For a full list of what’s on, take a look at the Barbican Christmas event listings.

Selfridges

A visit to Selfridges will give you a unique Christmas shopping experience. There are many Christmas events bringing the store to life this season, from serenades by saxophonists and sopranos, to costumed characters and operatic customer service.

For a gift with a difference, bourbon lovers (or their friends and family) should head to the store between 5 and 8pm on 1st December or from 1 to 6pm on 10th December and snap up a fully personalised bottle of Maker’s Mark. Artists will draw your caricature straight on to the label, or someone else’s likeness if you bring a photo along. The perfect present for collectors and connoisseurs alike!

If you can’t make it to the store this December, then don’t worry – they have an online store on Selfridges.com, so you can order your presents from there too.

East London Design Show – Shoreditch Town Hall – 2nd to 4th December

For the biggest selection of independent designers this year, head over to Shoreditch Town Hall for the East London Design Show. Over 100 designers will be selling various goods, including many designs which are new this year. There are facilities for children on site, so this can be a fantastic family event.

Entry costs £5 per adult, with accompanied children getting in for free. Concessions can get in for only £3. The event opens at 10am, closing at 6pm on the 3rd and 4th. Friday 2nd December is late shopping night, when it will be open until 8pm.

Jermyn Street

Jermyn Street is host to a whole range of different shops, and is the perfect place to buy gifts for someone devoted to their personal style. Centrally located in St. James district but also slightly removed from all the main shopping streets, taking a trip to Jermyn Street is a great way to avoid some of the Christmas rush.

This is street is filled with the best outfitters, ladies clothing stores, shoe and accessory shops, including Vincci, Hackett London, DAKS, Church Shoes and Thomas Pink.

Jermyn Street won’t let you down if you’re looking for a special something for the kitchen, or a fantastic food and wine, either – Fortnum and Mason and Paxton and Whitfield can be found here too.

Jewellery Workshop – The London Jewellery School, Hatton Garden – 9th – 14th December

If you’re a DIY person, why not make a few completely unique, very personal presents this year? The London Jewellery School is offering four classes this December, teaching you how to make some beautiful handmade jewellery. This is a perfect way to make some individual gifts and avoid busy London shopping streets at the same time.

The course runs from 6:30pm to 9pm and costs £49 per person.

We Make London Christmas Fair – Battersea Arts Centre – 10th December

Where in London can you find handmade gifts from 86 UK designers? Try the Battersea Arts Centre on Saturday 10th December, between 11am and 5pm. We Make London is putting on a Christmas fair to promote the work of some of the UK’s best independent designers. The fair isn’t just based around buying presents – with a stage, a workshop area and the chance to gift wrap your presents while you’re there, using freely available accessories and handmade wrapping paper. There are also people around to help you out if you’re having trouble finding particular presents. This is a great chance to have a fun day out with the family, while getting some of your Christmas shopping out of the way – all the while avoid the busy London shopping streets!

Entrance won’t break the bank either – £2 for adults, free for children. So come along to this and support some talented people. If you want to know more about the people involved, visit the We Make London blog, where they regularly post profiles of the designers.

Do you have any alternative London Christmas shopping events or shops you’ll be visiting this year? Leave us a comment and let us know.

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