Traditional Toys

Chelsea Green, 53 Godfrey Street, London, SW3 5SX
Nearest Tube - Sloane Square
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Traditional Toys is hidden away in Chelsea Green, an an area a few streets away from the Kings Road in Chelsea. The shop is tiny, and crammed to overflowing with unusual and very traditional toys, many of which are made of wood. Perfect for presents for small children, and in the past I've bought a toy theatre, a bow and arrow, and a sailing boat. Everyone wanted to know where I found them!

Freud

198 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8JL
Nearest Tube - A dead heat between Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Covent Garden
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Freud is a small shop at street level at the top end of Shaftesbury Avenue. Underneath is the slightly better known cocktail bar (also call Freud), but both are largely undiscovered gems given that I know people who've worked two minutes away who haven't discovered either. Freud (the shop) sells the most beautiful fans, glasses, coffee makers and other things that would make you the best giver at any wedding. Oh - and for some reason they spell it FREVD on the door, but it's definitely FREUD...

Lisa Stickley

74 Landor Rd, Clapham, London SW9 9PH
Nearest Tube - Clapham North
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Lisa Stickley is textile designer, and her shop showcases her elegant, classical and quirky designs. It's the perfect place to browse for unusual takes on common household items like tea towels or ironing board covers, and also the perfect place for that difficult 'aunt present'. Also check out the window display, featuring their joke of the week.

Art Vinyl

13 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH
Nearest Tube - None, but near to London Fields
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Art Vinyl is a gallery and a shop, focussing on the nearly-lost area of album art design. they have designed a unique frame that lets you display your album sleeves as pictures on the wall, easily openable so that you can change your art depending on mood. The shop also includes a whole gallery of classic sleeves, and others that you can buy. The perfect housewarming present for the music lover!

The Hive Honey Shop

93 Northcote Road London SW11 6PL
Nearest Tube - None, but close to Clapham Junction
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The Hive Honey Shop boasts that it sells the best honey in London. I can't personally endorse that, but I can say that this wonderful shop, on Northcote Road, is one of the most interesting. It sells everything related to honey and beeswax, has an incredible aroma, and even features a working beehive inside the shop, where you can see bees at work between two panes of glass.

Stephan Haroutunian Shirts

95 Moore Park Road

London SW6 2DA

Nearest Tube - Fulham Broadway

Website - StephanShirts

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There's little in life quite as nice as a made to measure shirt. Stephan Hartounian is able to offer these at a very competitive price (£70 or so, no minimum order), through being in a relatively unfashionable part of London, and getting all the shirts made at the family factory in Cyprus. The shirts themselves are absolutely beautiful - why not treat yourself?