Tucked away down a little side street near Leicester Square, Cecil Court feels like the kind of place you'd find in a Dickens novel! As soon as you step into this narrow thoroughfare, you instantly leave all the touristy hustle and bustle behind you, as if the place was invisible. It's lined with small, intimate shops where you can find rare and antique maps, books, stamps, all those nice, old smelling kind of places. But the jewel in the crown is Christopher St James, the most gorgeous little jewellery shop i have ever seen. I can't tell you the number of times i've stood outside this shop after closing hours, peering through the window at all the goodies, wishing i'd just walked a little faster! It's owned by Mr Christopher St. James himself, who is such a wonderful, passionate, friendly guy, that it makes the visit all the more lovely. Oh the stories this man has, having lived between London and Paris for years. He has been commissioned to make jewellery for some really exciting projects, like the films Phantom of the Opera, Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love, as well a number of plays and operas in the West End. The designs are original, achingly beautiful and all at very reasonable prices. Take a detour next time you're in the area...and take some pennies!
As i was snapping away, my eye was drawn to this exceptionally blingy calculator. The story behind it is just gorgeous. It turns out that this sparkly number is actually designer customised. It was made by Alexander McQueen for Christopher, as a thank you for designing jewellery for one of his catwalk shows. Such a thoughtful gift.
