Oxford Street

If you would like a better idea about what shopping is like on Oxford Street, take a look at this diary entry of Sophie de la Roche, a German visitor to London in 1786. She was impressed with the streets and the shopping here and even though my shop is located in Cheapside, I am still quite proud of my fellow shopkeepers on Oxford!

View of Oxford Street

"We strolled up and down lovely Oxford Street this evening, for some goods look more attractive by artificial light. Just imagine, dear children, a street taking half an hour to cover from end to end, with double rows of brightly shining lamps, in the middle of which stands an equally long row of beautifully lacquered coaches, and on either side of these there is room for two coaches to pass one another; and the pavement inlaid with flagstones, can stand six people deep and allows one to gaze at the splendidly lit shop fronts in comfort. First one passes a watchmaker's, then a silk or fan store, now a silversmiths, a china or glass shop. Just as alluring are the confectioners and fruiterers, where, behind the handsome glass windows, pyramids of pineapples, figs, grapes, oranges and all manner of fruits are on show.

Up to eleven o'clock at night there are as many people along this street as at Frankfurt during the fair, not to mention the eternal stream of coaches...the arrangement of the shops, with their adjoining living rooms, makes a very pleasant sight. For right through the excellently illuminated shop one can see many a charming family scene enacted : some are still at work, others drinking tea, a third party is entertaining a friendly visitor, in a fourth parents are joking and playing with their childen." {26}