Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden

Shopping and shops appear to split people into two camps…

 

1. Those who treat shopping as an exciting recreational activity full of wonder and possibilities.

2. Those who shop reluctantly only because they need something. They go to a vendor for that specific item (or items) and try and get the whole seek and purchase process over as quickly as possible.

I fall into the latter camp unless music, books or sports are involved, at which point I can browse like a true wide-eyed consumerist champion.

The only other way I can be injected with any kind of enthusiasm for personal retail commerce is when I encounter something truly remarkable, so remarkable the whole trudging mercantile process of shopping is entirely forgotten.

I’m an Image Caption ready-to-use.

Photograph by Lorem Ipsum via Unsplash

Not many places can do this but one is certainly Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden. 

One of the truly wondrous things about London is its hidden treasures. Of course there are the major attractions and the perennial “must do’s” for any visitor, but this vast city has nuggets around so many corners, buried deep in alleys, quietly sitting at watersides, below ground, under arches…

Neal’s Yard is one such. Named after a 17^th century developer, it is nestled in a small Covent Garden alley between Shorts Gardens and Monmouth St. It is an absolute gem, bursting with colour and vibrancy. It’s an arty, bohemian confluence of health food cafes and quirky retailers.

A great atmosphere always awaits and it is a wonderful escape from the hurly burly of central London whilst keeping you right in the heart of things.

And what’s more, Neal’s Yard is also something of a Holy Grail for comedy fans. Millions worship at the comic alter of Monty Python and here in Neal’s Yard you will find a blue plaque where the loopy sextet animated and edited their films between 1976 and 1987.

If you go, don’t forget your camera or ensure your phone is charged, it’s Instagram heaven!