Fortnum and Mason

This morning I went on a tour of Fortnum and Mason. It started with coffee and biscuits in their boardroom where the curator told us all about the 306 year history of the store. It was very interesting, and one fact that I found amazing was that the clock on the front of the building weighs 3 tons and recently they had to reinforce the building to support it!

Then we were given a rather quick whizz around the various floors, which all looked so beautiful with the Christmas decorations up, particularly the main decoration that hangs throughout the central atrium.

I bought a few jams, chutneys, mustards and tea but was on the whole very restrained! However, my friend and I did splash out and have lunch in The Fountain restaurant afterwards where we sat at a table next to Neil Dudgeon, the actor who plays the new Barnaby in Midsomer Murders.

So this photo is clearly not an image of Fortnum and Mason. This bicycle with all its many bags belongs to a homeless man who was sitting just in front of the bicycle, which presumably holds all his worldly possessions. He is luckier than most in that he owns a bicycle, but amongst all the glitter of the Christmas decorations and people spending money in the busy stores, it was a harsh reminder that there are many people in this world who will not be having a happy Christmas this year.