My Fulham Christmas Shopping
KAREN HARDY
The Strictly Come Dancing star and Fulham dance studio owner hits the shops in SW6 and shares her favourite Christmas finds...
I wanted to get something special for my husband – and I’ve found the answer; membership of Broadway House, a private members’ bar. With a beautiful restaurant, bar and two stunning roof terraces. It is a hidden gem where one can relax by day and party by night. £350 might seem expensive – but at less than a £1 a day, it’s worth the exclusivity. And he can take a guest! Broadway House, 474 Fulham Road (www.broadway-house.com).
M
y Christmas list is longer than my arm, and with the abundance of independent shops and businesses in Fulham, I know I can find what I want right on my doorstep! I know that by shopping locally I’m supporting the SW6 economy and helping retain what makes Fulham unique. Let’s face it, we love our local high streets. But if we don’t use ’em we’ll lose ’em.
Vagabond Wines
I start with brunch at Al Santo, 23 Vansten Place (www.alsanto.co.uk), a cosy cafe/deli serving trad Italian & Greek food. Eggs with prosciutto, three cheeses, butter beans, cherry tomatoes and a coffee. Across the road my mouth waters at the display of magnificent cakes and pastries in the window of Del Aziz, 32 Vanston Place (www.delaziz.co.uk) but I’m won over by the ‘Moroccan Mint Tea Time hamper’ at £62, which hits the spot for my tea-loving girlfriend Emma. And I throw in ‘The Ultimate Chilli lovers’ Hamper’ with everything you need for a ‘hot’ Xmas – perfect for my husband Emmerson.
From there I find my way to Fulham Road and Indian Summer, 624c Fulham Road (www.indiansummer shop.com) a store of treasures, trinkets, gifts, jewellery and homeware.
Next stop is next door at Vagabond Wines, 18 Vanston Place (www.vagabondwines.co.uk) where I make a group booking for the Karen Hardy team for our Christmas night out. DIY wine sampling and over 100 wines. From 50p a sample, putting £10 on each person’s card will make a fab start to the evening, then we can pick a few bottles of what we like plus nibbles to keep us all vertical.
Next stop, Little Heroes, 638 Fulham Road (www. littleheroes.co.uk), a brilliant toy shop with everything they could ever want – especially for younger children. Now for me. I’m off to Circa Vintage, 64 Fulham High Street (shop@circavintage.com). The best-kept secret to those in the know. Designers, stylists, singers, actresses and vintage fashionistas come for dresses from every era, from early Victorian to 1970s Ossie Clark. The vintage evening bags and jewellery will also make perfect presents for my (and my hubby’s) PAs, as they always deserve to be spoiled!
Heading up North End Road I’ll swim into Ocean Catch, 407B North End Road, to peruse its range of high-quality fresh fish which won’t break the budget. Mussels, calamari, clams and crab, salmon, bream and smoked haddock. And I’ll pick it up just before the holiday break. And on Christmas Eve I can also pick up my fruit and veg from the market traders on North End Road community of market traders all selling fresh produce at tasty prices.
f Dance
Next stop is the Fit Rooms, 252 North End Road (www. fitrooms.co.uk), a gym hugely popular with Fulham residents. For my friend who lives round the corner, a threemonth membership to help her rediscover her waistline (her words not mine!). At £49 a month it includes top facilities, classes and personal training. Perfect.
Now to Lillie Road (www.lillieroad. co.uk), the interior designers and decorators’ best-kept secret, to look for something for my son’s best friend’s parents who have helped me out in the Strictly season! This is tough, as they have everything! I’m sure to find a little gem with 19 antique shops offering antique furniture, lighting, mirrors, artefacts, taxidermy and decorative arts for all tastes from traditional French country to 20th Century design classics.
Then back down the other side of the Fulham Road to Palmer Menswear, 771 Fulham Road for something for my brother. It’s a boutique with shirts, trousers, socks, suits and shoes, many made especially for them. A few steps on and I’m at Art Beat, 703 Fulham Road (www.artbeatframing.co.uk), for stocking fillers including I Love Fulham mugs and bags, and a reproduction vintage poster of a children’s classic, framed. I’m torn between Babar and Winnie The Pooh, but seeing as it’s Babar’s 80th anniversary this year...
Parsons Nose
On my way out, I’m tempted by Dickensons Meat, a reputable, fair-on-the-pocket butcher’s for 28 years at 365 North End Road, Fulham (www.dickenson-meat. co.uk). The queues tell their own story. Where shall I get my turkey? With three great butchers in Fulham including Randalls, 113 Wandsworth Bridge Road, and The Parson’s Nose, 753 Fulham Road, (finalists in South of England’s butcher of the year 2011) I’m spoilt for choice.
Trekking down Parsons Green Lane back to Imperial Wharf I stop at Cissbury, 93 Wandsworth Bridge Road (www.cissbury.com), where I can buy everything else I need for my husband’s family in New Zealand... perfect gifts I can wrap, pack and not faint when I get the postage bill. Back to the office, Karen Hardy Studios, 10 The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, (www.karenhardystudios. com). It’s a luxury lifestyle experience, and the gift of dance is perfect for someone special. Membership and dance packages available. Finally, slightly exhausted and in need of food and a glass of wine, I head to Circus Circus, 176 Wandsworth Bridge Road (www.circuscircus.co.uk) for party supplies, Xmas decorations and fancy dress for New Year’s Eve.
Your Hammersmith & Fulham Magazine
YOUR MAGS Pages 30-31 Strictly Dancing and Karen Hardy.indd 2
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03/12/2012 13:52:51