|
|
 |
| You will be treated to a complete afternoon tea experience that is Anna's legacy, which includes a selection of finger sandwiches, plain and raisin buttermilk scones with Devonshire clotted cream and Cornish strawberry jam, a selection of cream puffs and pastries, and a choice of tea. Click here |  | |
| London's Summer Sales and Afternoon Tea London's Summer Sales and Afternoon Tea London's Summer Sales and Afternoon Tea |
|
Summer Sales and Afternoon Tea By Shophound Alexia
lamorous Supermodel and actress Eva Herzigova brought Brompton Road to a standstill on Saturday at the opening of the annual Harrod's Summer Sale. Led by a band of kilted pipers, she arrived at the famous entrance in horse drawn open landau flanked by top hatted footmen dressed in the store's traditional green livery.
This was an historic occasion for the store founded by tea importer Charles Harrod in 1834. It will be the last such event managed by the ebulliently controversial Mahomed Fayed who has sold the store for a reported £1.5billion to the Arabian Qatari royal family after 26 years at the helm. Controversy stalked Al Fayed to the end, when actress Joanna Lumley, a friend of the British Royal Family, cancelled her engagement to open the sale at the last minute. Al Fayed's son Dodi, it will be remembered, died with Princess Diana in a Paris car crash and the grieving store owner accused the British Royals and Establishment of a covert operation to stop the Princess from marrying Dodi.
Although the store lost its coveted Royal Warrants following Al Fayed's accusations, it has gone from strength to strength under his colourful management and is now on the shopping itinerary of most visitors to London.
Harrod's Summer Sale lasts until 11 July. Overseas buyers can order online from the store's well illustrated catalogue offering up to 50% discounts.
If you are visiting Knightsbridge for the summer sales at Harrods or the glam fashion shops like Chanel that line Sloane Street all the way from my favourite Knightsbridge store Harvey Nichols, (summer Sale starts 27 June), to Peter Jones store in Sloane Square, (summer Sale for two weeks from 27 June), you have a number of 4 and 5 star hotel choices. My particular weak spot however is the classic and almost decadent old world Edwardian luxury of the Cadogan Hotel, onetime home of famed society beauty and courtesan Lillie Langtry, friend of Oscar Wilde and mistress of King Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales.
It is perfectly placed in Sloane Street for your weekend Knightsbridge shopping spree, within easy walking distance of Harrods and Harvey Nichols, the antique shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants of Beauchamp Place, Pont Street and Belgravia, or the upper reaches of Chelsea's King's Road and the elegant new Duke of York Square shopping and dining piazza.
If you are not staying at the Cadogan, relax after your shopping spree and enjoy the indulgence of the hotel's excellent traditional English Afternoon Tea served in the drawing room with a wonderful variety of scones, jams, pastries, sandwiches and large selection of teas. While sipping your Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Assam you can see an exclusive collection of works from The Kings Road Art Gallery.
Prices for afternoon tea start at £22.50 and Champagne afternoon tea is priced at £28.50, comparing most favourably in price and comfort with the popular Afternoon Tea with champagne at the Ritz which will set you back £59, provided you have booked a table some months in advance or are prepared to take Afternoon Tea there at 11.30 in the morning!
Useful Links
Harrod's Sales catalogue
Sloane Street eastside See all the eastside shops from Harvey Nichols store in Knightsbridge to couturier Maria Grachvogel, etc at Sloane Square.
Sloane Street Westside See all the Westside shops from Boodles in Knightsbridge the jewellers to Tiffany's and Cartier at Sloane Square.
Cadogan Hotel Well illustrated website of this famous hotel.
Lillie Langtry The most detailed online biography of the Jersey Lily, as she was known in her heyday before she became an American citizen and settled in California to run a winery.
|
|
| |
