A trip to Harrods can begin long before you reach the shop windows. In this November 2015 film, I take the scenic approach from South Kensington, stop at the Natural History Museum and the V&A, then head for the Christmas displays and lights in Knightsbridge. The evening ends inside the food halls, with oysters and champagne.
The video was originally published on 18 November 2015. This is a look back at that visit: the museum displays, Christmas installations and dining experience belong to the London of that year.
Getting to Harrods via South Kensington
I begin by looking at the different ways people arrive at Harrods, from cars and taxis to the Underground. Knightsbridge is the obvious nearby station, but for this walk I suggest starting at South Kensington and making a little more of the journey.
That choice turns a shopping trip into an evening of architecture, museums and window displays. At street level there are cafés, restaurants and bars to pass along the way. In the film I also point out the pedestrian tunnels from the station, useful on a rainy day, although the streets offer more to look at.
A festive detour to the Natural History Museum
The first substantial stop is the Natural History Museum. In 2015, its winter ice rink occupied the lawn outside, adding another festive scene before we had even reached Harrods. I pause to look at the rink and the museum’s illuminated entrance before heading indoors.
Inside, the grand entrance hall is part of the attraction in its own right. The film captures the dinosaur skeleton that greeted visitors at the time. I talk about the planned change to a blue whale centrepiece, so this section also preserves a moment before that familiar view of the hall changed.
Through the V&A
Next comes the Victoria and Albert Museum. The camera takes in the elaborate entrance, then follows the visit into the courtyard and towards the café. It is another reason to allow time for the journey rather than treating it as a direct walk to the shops.
I could easily have spent much longer in either museum. That is the difficulty with filming a route like this: a short walk becomes a succession of places worth stopping, and my plan to meet Chloe at Harrods starts running behind schedule.
Harrods Christmas windows and lights in 2015
Back outside, I make a circuit of Harrods to film the windows. The displays move between richly coloured theatrical scenes, festive decorations and fashion, with red curtains, dressed figures and Christmas trees providing plenty of detail to pause over.
The wider view is just as much part of the visit. Lights trace the building’s outline above the passing traffic, while the wet road reflects the brightness of the shopfronts. The film spends time both close to the glass and across the street, showing how the individual windows fit into the illuminated building.
Food halls, oysters and champagne
After the lap of the store, I head inside to meet Chloe. The food halls provide another change of scene, with ornate interiors and counters full of things to take home. In the commentary I mention charcuterie and the selection of Scotch eggs before finding seats at the Oyster Bar.
Oysters and champagne turn the shopping stop into the start of an evening out. The camera lingers over the plate and drinks before we return to the pavement for a final look at Harrods after dark.
For another view of London’s department-store windows that season, see my Fortnum & Mason Christmas 2015 visit.
