Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHINATOWN
CHARING CROSS ROAD
Leicester Square.
MAP
Charing Cross Road, which marks Soho's eastern border, boasts the highest concentration of
bookshops anywhere in London. One of the first to open here, in 1906, was
Foyles
at no.
119 - Éamon de Valera, George Bernard Shaw, Walt Disney and Arthur Conan Doyle were
all once regular customers. You'll find more of Charing Cross Road's original character at
the string of specialist and secondhand bookshops south of Cambridge Circus. One of the
nicest places for specialist and antiquarian book-browsing is
Cecil Court
, the southernmost
pedestrianized alleyway between Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Lane. These short,
civilized, paved alleys boast specialist bookshops, plus various antiquarian dealers selling
modern first editions, old theatre posters, coins and notes, cigarette cards, maps and chil-
dren's books.
OLD COMPTON STREET
Leicester Square.
MAP
If Soho has a main drag, it has to be Old Compton Street, which runs parallel to Shaftesbury
Avenue. The corner shops, peep shows, boutiques and trendy cafés here are typical of the
area and a good barometer of the latest Soho fads. The liberal atmosphere of Soho has also
made it a permanent fixture on the
gay scene
since the last century, though nowadays it's
not just gay bars, clubs and cafés jostling for position on Old Compton Street: there's a gay-
run houseshare agency, a financial advice outfit and even a gay taxi service.
CARNABY STREET
Oxford Circus.
MAP
Carnaby Street was famous as the fashion epicentre of London's Swinging Sixties. A victim
of its own hype, it quickly declined into an avenue of overpriced tack, and so it remained for
several decades. Nowadays, it's pedestrianized and smart again, but dominated by chains -
for any sign of contemporary London fashion, you have to go round the corner to
Foubert's
Place
and
Newburgh Street
.
POLLOCK'S TOY MUSEUM
1 Scala St Goodge Street 020 7636 3452,
www.pollockstoymuseum.com
.
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm.£6.
MAP
This highly atmospheric, doll's house-like toy museum is housed above a wonderful toy
shop. Its collections include a fine example of the Victorian paper theatres popularized by
Benjamin Pollock, who sold them under the slogan “a penny plain, two pence coloured”.
The other exhibits range from vintage teddy bears to Sooty and Sweep, and from Red Army
soldiers to wax dolls, filling every nook and cranny of the museum's six tiny, rickety rooms
and the stairs - be sure to look out for the dalmatian, Dismal Desmond.
