Welcome to our London Christmas Shopping Guide 2015. Over the next few weeks we'll be pointing you in the direction of our favorite shops and shopping neighbourhoods near the meeting and ending points of our London Walks …
D.C Editor Adam weighs in with…
No.3. Porterford Butcher Every year the Worshipful Company of Butchers take part in their annual Boar’s Head Ceremony – in which they bring a boar’s head in tribute to the newly ensconced Lord Mayor of London. Whether or not David Cameron was invited this year – given his alleged proclivities in the pig department – is unclear. Ahem.
“A very jolly bunch they are, too, The Butchers” says London Walks’ Karen of the members of the Butchers’ Company – she met them a couple of years back as she took a walking tour along with the ceremony.
The ceremony also means that Christmas is on the way. And in the work-work-work world of The City, one little corner glams itself up for the Festive season: Bow Lane. Just around the corner in the famous Watling Street, you’ll find Porterford, a traditional butcher shop.
We’re prepared to wager that had the born-again Ebenezer Scrooge been aware of Porterford, then he would have despatched his boy here for Bob Cratchitt’s Christmas turkey.
The knowledgeable Porterford chaps are old school, very keen to tell you all about their wares, give you cooking tips and suggestions and fill you in on the origins of their goods.
They are also as sharp as their own knives
and will never miss even the slightest opportunity to crack a gag. If you go
into their shop with the line “I want a bird for Christmas,” be prepared for a
veritable gale of satirical banter. Politically correct? Not much. Funny? Good
God yes.
This is my favourite:
Customer: I’m here to collect my turkey.
Porterford Butcher: What’s the name?
Customer: Scott.
Porterford Butcher: No, sorry. We don’t have a turkey called Scott. We’ve got one called Tracey, will she do?
The annual Christmas pantomime? Forget it. There are more laughs in Watling Street by far. Expert service, too, don’t forget, but it is the welcome you’ll remember, particularly at this time of year. Never let it be said that Londoners don’t know how to keep Christmas in their hearts. P.S. Excellent at lunchtime, too. How to find Porterford Butchers… Porterford Butcher, 72 Watling Street, London EC4 Christmas 2015 With London Walks
The Amazing Old Shops Walk takes place on the 19th December – meet Judy at Green Park Station at 10:45a.mThe Christmas Lights & Seasonal Cheer Pub Walk takes place on the 19th December meet at Embankment Tube 7:15p.m
On Christmas Day there are TWO London Walks:
Walk up an appetite with The Christmas Morning 1660 Walk – meet at 11:00a.m by the big tree in Trafalgar SquareWalk off the pudding with The Christmas Day Charles Dickens Walk – meet by the big tree in Trafalgar Square at 2:00pm
On Tuesdays our blog posts support the charity Missing People
Thousands of people in the UK are searching for a missing loved one. Missing People is a lifeline when someone disappears.
Support Missing People at www.missingpeople.org.uk
A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.
