Nowadays, it isn't just oldies who are baffled by thoroughfares like Bond Street.
The glossy facades of our most famous shopping streets have never housed cheap goods. But there was a time when Covent Garden piazza had stalls selling quirky belts, scarves or trinkets and Burlington Arcade could yield a delightful, affordable gift such as a Battersea enamel box or an Irish linen, hand-rolled handkerchief.
Today, Covent Garden is a soulless hub for high-street chains and brands such as Chanel or Tom Ford. Burlington Arcade is a polished marble souk for the super-rich.
To browse in Asprey or Hermes is to feel overwhelmed by the prices and beady-eyed, hovering staff. Suited-andbooted security men make the very act of entry intimidating.
