Avoiding London : A Short Rant

It may sound perverse – the capital is (at least, since 1947) the jewel in Britain’s crown – to suggest avoiding London. Arguably the most European part of the country, it is at once also both the most and least British part of the Isles, too.

But however bustling, beautiful and exciting the city is, there are times that you really just don’t want to face the hassle and expense of elbowing your way though the crowds, criminally high train fares and rain to do your shopping. Here, then, are a few suggestions for those who would like either to get out of, or to avoid altogether, the capital.

An important thing for those who have fallen out of love with crowds and congestion is knowing when not to be there. Because there are, of course, plenty of moments when there is no better place to be – when you are looking for shows to see, searching for some unusual or exotic product or even just buying your children pyjamas, London has it all. But there are times when if you don’t absolutely need to be there, you may well be better off staying away.

One such time is the pre-Christmas rush. It is certainly tempting, especially for those of us who tend to forget (or ignore) the necessity of buying gifts until the last possible moment, to rush into the capital and spend with gay abandon. There are easier and safer ways to avert the glare of dissatisfied kids, though.

Online shopping is one. As frequently as this suggestion gets made, it is never frequent enough. Often deliveries go right up to Christmas eve (there is a misapprehension that sometime in late November, all post stops moving in mid-air and doesn’t resume travel again until the new year). And from used books to eco friendly clothes via designer children pyjamas, fine wines and everything in between, you need not worry about not being able to find what you are looking for. You might even save money, too.

Marvellous though the online marketplace is, don’t forget your local town, either. For Londoners wanting to get away – at Christmas or any other point in the year – the towns around London and, only a little further out, the cities of Oxford, Bath, Bristol and so on, have plenty to be said for them, too. And shopping on the gorgeous high streets of Oxford or Bath has a lot to be said for it, too.

Finally, all this talk of markets prompts me to remind you that the original meaning of the word still stands. Covered markets in the Home Counties are some of the finest to be had, and you forget them at your peril. The rows of stalls and piles of curiosities also gives rise to some interesting ideas that might not otherwise occur to you.

If you are not tempted by these suggests, of course, it may be that you’ve been bluffing all the while. It may be that the bright lights of the capital are what you really want, after all.