As the nights drew in and the Christmas lights went up, members of the Society enjoyed two walking tours of St James’s; the home of the traditional gentleman. The tours were led by Society regular and Blue Badge Tourist Guide, Caroline Piper. St James’s is a small, compact area, but with a big history and lots of fascinating stories to tell. Highlights included finding some of the many gentlemen’s clubs in the area, and subtly booing the one that still refuses to admit women! St James’s is full of lovely old-fashioned shops that cater to the tradition gentleman, from wine shops to Winston Churchill’s cigar shop, the oldest hat shop in the world, luxurious chemists for masculine aftershave and elegant tailors for James Bond’s shirts. It is a pretty little area, but especially beautiful at this time of year with the Christmas lights on Regent Street, the beautifully decorated Regency arcades and Fortnum & Mason’s extravagant window displays. Despite the cold a fun time was had by all!
Organised by Caroline Piper