Another Sunny Day in London: Oxford Street & Liberty

After skipping a week thanks to a horrid cold I was determined to enjoy a Nice Day Out last week and was really looking forward to it, but when the day rolled round I was still feeling a bit sniffly and foggy-headed and also feeling guilty about the stuff on my To Do list that I needed to "catch up" on thanks to being ill. So, I made a "must do" list and worked through it at home that day and then had my day out the day after (Friday instead of Thursday)... but even then, it was sooo tough to make myself actually get out of the house and onto a train.

Each week I look forward to having a nice day trip somewhere but on the day it's so very easy to wake up and feel a bit tired and think "maybe I should just stay at home instead?", or to think "oh my gosh but I've got so much work to do!"

I'm very glad that I've got to "report" to you guys each week about my travels, having that small bit of accountability is really helping me stick with it. Which is lucky because, almost without fail, when I do actually get out of the house and onto a train and start wandering around wherever it is I've gone I have a lovely day and then the next day start work feeling fresh and de-stressed.

So... for my Friday trip I went into London to a) do some shopping and b) enjoy another lovely day of autumn sunshine.

I started with a walk down Oxford Street...
 

 

... from Marble Arch to Oxford Circus. I did a bit of shopping (including a visit to Uniqlo where I got a couple of super cosy faux-fur-lined hoodies to keep me toasty warm in my studio this winter) but mostly window-shopped and looked at nice/interesting bits of architecture.

 

Oxford Street is always so busy, it's not exactly the world's most relaxing place to be but it was nice to be out in the sunshine. I also wandered down a few side streets and in the process found somewhere I've walked past many times but never noticed: St Christopher's Place. The entrance from Oxford Street is really narrow, a tiny alleyway squeezed between two shops...

... but then it widens out into a lovely pedestrianised shopping street full of smart boutique style shops and restaurants and cafes with al fresco dining. It almost feels a bit through-the-wardrobe-and-into-Narnia, it's got such a different feel to it than the rush and noise of Oxford Street. 

Then I had some lunch and went to Liberty which really is like stepping into another, much more magical, world. Such a wonderful building, jam-packed with so very many wonderful things!

 

"No minute ever comes back again. Take heed and see ye nothing do in vain."

I couldn't resist visiting their Christmas shop, despite it only being September (so much sparkly deliciousness plus some pretty awesome life-size furry reindeer). It reminded me that I've had "visit all the Christmas shops in the nice London department stores" on my winter To Do list for years but never got round to it so I shall have to try and fit that in to a Nice Day Out in a couple of months time and really get myself in the mood for the festive season.

Oh, and I was also quite delighted to spot a pile of copies of my first book in their haberdashery department!

Then I walked down Carnaby Street...

 

... bought an icecream and walked to Trafalgar Square, getting a little bit lost a couple of times but not really minding. Just look at that blue sky...

Then I popped into the National Portrait Gallery to visit a couple of their temporary exhibitions (including the brilliant portraits by Jonathan Yeo) and their Tudor galleries (again) because I cannot resist their awesomeness... then I had a cuppa in a nearby cafe and headed home.

Note to self: this Nice Day Out thing is great, Laura, don't be a lazy idiot, don't fret about your To Do list so much, stick with it!!