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| A Haven for Harrassed Christmas Shoppers Late night Christmas shopping at Columbia Road, E2 For the past five years, the independent shopkeepers of Columbia Road have been opening their doors on Wednesday evenings in December to offer a seasonal oasis for savvy Christmas shoppers. This year over forty independent shops will be open between 5pm and 9pm on December 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd, accompanied by festivities on the street including seasonal food, yuletide fun and live music. Far from the maddening crowds of the West End, but still only 20 minutes away, the street (world famous for its Sunday market) offers a shopping sanctuary for those seeking standout gifts in an environment that offers festive cheer, rather than branded goods and retail blues. This late-night trading will be in addition to normal Sunday trading (8am to 3pm) that takes place alongside the Flower Market. Columbia Road is one of the few streets in the country composed entirely of independent shops. Small art galleries sit next to cup cake parlours and vintage clothes stores, while English and Italian delis trade alongside garden and antiques outlets. This eclectic variety of shops is complemented by a wealth of award winning pubs, cafés and restaurants. The shops have a common thread; a love of the flower market and its history, and a refusal to be dictated by a retail world where a sense of fun has all but gone. Columbia Road is situated in London’s East End. The shops were originally built on a watercress field as a Victorian shopping arcade some 150 years ago. The steel and glass towers of the City are just a stone’s throw away, and form a striking backdrop to the brown brick and slate roofs of this charming street. Columbia Road retains a Dickensian atmosphere with cobbled streets, Victorian street lamps and traditional shop fronts. The street and surrounding area is frequently used as a location for film and television due to conservation of its unique characteristics. The street is one of London’s last remaining shopping destinations to be wholly made up of independent outlets. Friendly, service-minded shopkeepers sell an unconventional mix of products; from English cheeses to handmade hats, garden pots, perfumes to modernist furniture, and king prawns to Street Art. A plethora of great pubs and delightful cafés and restaurants jostle alongside. There’s nowhere better to soak up a bit of traditional shopping atmosphere on a Sunday, or on a Wednesday night in the lead up to Christmas. |
"Columbia Road has turned into a real treasure trove… and there is fantastic shopping to be done…" India Knight, Sunday times "The perfect way to warm up on a winter's evening, and avoid the high street Christmas crush" Tipped London "...one of the best places in London" Time Out "...the side streets of East London can be as tranquil and pleasant as parks. The area feels light years away from central London, and totally self-sufficient, thanks to a host of enticing restaurants, shops, markets and hotels." New York Times |
| Shops open on Christmas Wednesdays include: | |||
| Angela Flanders Perfumer Bahasa Ben Southgate Beyond Fabrics Bob & Blossom Campania Columbia Road Gallery Degustation Doxi Gallery Elphick’s Far Flea Pit Fred Bare The Future Mapping Company Future Vintage The Garden Shop Given | Glitterati Idonia Van Der Bijl Jessie Chorley and Buddug Jones Dairy Keeping House The Laird of Glencairn Lapin and Me Laxiero Lee’s Seafood Lesley Davy Gallery Maks News Marcos and Trump Metropolis Furniture Co Milagros Negre Nelly Duff The Nelsons Head | Nom Open House L’Orangerie The Powder Room The Red Mud Hut The Royal Oak Ryantown StART SPACE Stoned and Plastered Suck and Chew Supernice Treacle Two Columbia Road Warren Evans Wawa Wingate Studio | |
For the official Columbia Road website: columbiaroad.info Travel: Tube: Bethnal Green (Central) or Old Street (Northern) ** NEW EAST LONDON LINE ** Hoxton & Shoreditch High St. ** Bus: 8, 26, 48, 55 and many others (please see our map) Train: Cambridge Heath Road (National Express/National Rail) or Old Street (First Capital Connect) Directions and parking details on our website at (please see our map) Other transport information can be found at http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk Directions and parking details on our website Christmas Wednesdays take place on December 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd. 5pm to 9pm. If you require any more details, don’t hesitate to contact me, Juliette, on 0207 613 0876 or by email christmas@columbiaroad.info |
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