Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In addition to fashion, Bond Street is also renowned for its auction houses, the oldest of
which is Sotheby's , at no. 34-35. The viewing galleries (free) are open to the public, as are
the auctions themselves. Bond Street's art galleries are another favourite place for the
wealthy to offload their heirlooms; for contemporary art, head for neighbouring Cork Street.
Both locations' galleries have somewhat intimidating staff, but if you're interested, walk in
and look around. They're only shops, after all.
SAVILE ROW
Green Park. MAP
A classic address in sartorial matters, Savile Row has been the place to go for bespoke tail-
oring since the early nineteenth century. Gieves & Hawkes , at no. 1, were the first tailors to
establish themselves here, back in 1785, with Nelson and Wellington among their first cus-
tomers, while modernist Kilgour , at no. 8, famously made Fred Astaire's morning coat for
Top Hat , helping to popularize Savile Row tailoring in the US. Henry Poole & Co , who
moved to no. 15 in 1846, has cut suits for the likes of Napoleon III, Dickens, Churchill and
de Gaulle, and invented the short smoking jacket (originally designed for the future Edward
VII), later popularized as the tuxedo.
HANDEL HOUSE MUSEUM
25 Brook St Bond Street 020 7495 1685, www.handelhouse.org . Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Thurs till 8pm,
Sun noon-6pm.£6. MAP
The German-born composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) spent the best part of
his life in London, producing all his best-known works at what's now the Handel House
Museum. The composer used the ground floor of the building as a sort of shop where sub-
scribers could buy scores, while the first floor was employed as a rehearsal room. Although
containing few original artefacts, the house has been painstakingly restored, and its atmo-
sphere is enhanced by music students who come to practise on the harpsichords. For inform-
ation on more formal recitals that regularly take place, see the website. Access to the house
is via the chic cobbled yard at the back.
ST GEORGE'S CHURCH
Hanover Square Oxford Circus 020 7629 0874, www.stgeorgeshanoversquare.org . Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri
8am-4pm, Wed 8am-6pm, Sun 8am-noon. MAP
The much-copied Corinthian portico of St George's Church was the first of its kind in Lon-
don when built in the 1720s. The church has long been Mayfair's most fashionable wedding
venue, and those who tied the knot here have included the Shelleys, Benjamin Disraeli, Ge-
orge Eliot and Teddy Roosevelt. Handel, a confirmed bachelor, was a church warden for
many years and even had his own pew.
OXFORD STREET
Marble Arch, Bond Street, Oxford Circus or Tottenham Court Road. MAP
Search WWH ::




Custom Search