Pall Mall Barber’s Neighbourhood (Part 1) facebook
It’s lunch time at PMB and we’re faced once again with what to do with ourselves. The dilemma is not born out of a dearth of options in WC2 so much as an abundance of choice.
Armed with my baguette, banana and frappe latte I head off up the street to Leicester Square. It’s a good location to head to on any day as it’s one of the main hubs of the West End but especially around now when the Christmas fair is in town. However today is not the best time to sit down there and watch the world go by, as in fact the world isn’t going by so much as congregating in the hope of catching a glimpse of Robert Downey Junior. It’s the film premiere of “Due Date” tonight and workmen are industriously erecting temporary staging, lights and barriers. But I don’t resent the hive of activities going on around me; it’s what you go to Leicester Square for - that and the half price ticket booth.
Which reminds me - I need to queue up for tickets. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the theatre, which is shocking when you think that not only does London have the largest number of theatres in the world but the vast majority of them are within easy walking distance from my place of employment, Pall Mall Barbers. I’m stumped again by choice. Which show do I want to see? It’s got to be “39 Steps” – it’s an award winning comedy that everyone’s raved about. I just can’t believe it’s taken me this long to buy a ticket. The show is at the Criterion Theatre which is based just down the road in Piccadilly Circus.
Now if you think Leicester Square is bustling, then Piccadilly Circus will knock your socks off. I guess it’s our equivalent of Times Square in New York; lots of neon, tour buses, tourists and shops. It might not be the most cultured of London destinations but there’s no denying its excitement. Though I’ll be heading there tonight to see “39 Steps”, I decide to wander there now as it only takes two minutes to walk there and it’s a great location for shopping. I’m not looking for anything in particular but there’s the massive HMV, Waterstones, Gap and let’s not forget Lilywhites. Take a moment and you’ll realise I’ve just covered all your essential male shopping needs: DVDs, CDs, books, clothes and sports. I head into Lilywhites. The inside is similar to life on the outside; the traffic is immense but I’m quite happy to flow along at its pace as I wander along floor upon floor of sporting merchandise. The store stocks everything from football balls to rollerblade elbow guards. Personally I’m looking for a new set of golf clubs. Rich says I have an addiction problem to the sport and he’s probably right but it’s fun to browse nonetheless.
After mentally working out how I could spend my entire month’s salary on golf clubs and novelty accessories, I feel the only safe option left to me is a quick exit from the store and a break from my travels for a cup of green tea, and where best to go for that than China Town. It’s just a matter of walking up Shaftesbury Avenue, past the countless theatres, and taking a right and you’re met by the red and gold arches of China Town. It’s like walking into a different world. You’re hit by a whole new feel from the rest of the West End. The sights, smells and noises change. Now I’m someone who loves his Chinese food and I’ve yet to try every restaurant in the neighbourhood. The task is near on impossible as there are so many of them to choose between. Remember though, the quality does vary massively between the restaurants. I pop into one at random, order my green tea and, while I’m at it, a side dish of spring rolls. What can I say? Despite my best intentions there are just too many foodie temptations and I must admit I’ve been known to have more than one lunch a day since I started working at Pall Mall Barbers.
It’s not long before I realise that my precious lunch hour is almost up. As I pay my bill and make a move I walk past an American couple and I hear her say, “So that dude on the huge pillar in Trafalgar Square - what did he do that was so great?” It makes me smile. If the shops and theatres don’t grab your interest, then the West End’s history sure as hell will. I now know what I’ll be doing on my next lunch break, but for now it’s back to the grindstone for me.
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