Well it’s all true and hard to resist as a responsible bit of reportage.

Lucy Bell gallery has a very terrific Ken Russell exhibition. Now.

Lots gone already. Some corkers still there. Go and see. Please.

Working up the food chain of delightful pressies we can start with the bestest friends’ pressies, the family mutt. Dawg’s Biscuits, Norman Road’s especial Dog Treat Emporium has Christmas treats du jour, that jour being Christmas, and are open right up to Christmas, except 22nd when they are in Tunbridge Wells.

Just up the evolutionary ladder, Kids, Love have just a fab selection of gifts for all ages including Dads. Christmas from all over the world, eco-xmas, funny-xmas, beautiful-xmas.

Xanadu have a terrific selection of Retro clothes, (I quite fancied the Leopardskin print, calf length All Star sneakers for my mum, but they’ve gone…), Skylon have 1960s, as do Why?

Some Nearly Normans/Friends of Norman are Artists and are selling fantastically desirable work: these are pressies that will last for years, give pleasure for years…worth more than just a thought in our throw away age. Check out Alex Leadbeater and Anna Keiller

For Pressy pressies there is McCarrons of Mercatoria, a veritable universe of prettiness.

And then there are the antique shops, the galleries, the places to refresh, the far-from-the-madding-crowd ambience, and last, but not least for fabulous felted goods, brooches, necklaces and scarves there is the wonder of Nunovalenki.

Most memorable of these were the very posh couple who came in to ask what time the antiques lorries from France usually turn up on Norman Road – apparently they were looking forward to a day of rummaging through the bargains that would soon be piled high on the pavement.

Vicky gently pointed out their mistake but they seemed reluctant to believe her.
So it was back in the Bentley and back to London with them.

New stuff is arriving regularly from Europe and the UK tho’, with some totally fabbo
vintage leather sofas and cool industrial polished steel desks, plus loads of retro lighting

Oh. BTW: Jason and Vicky would like the world to know:

“We are not as smug as the Telegraph thinks we are and in real life we live like pigs. We have never used the term ‘DFL*’, and do occasionally talk to people who aren’t from London.”

(Yes, said Ed.)

*Down From London, for those from, ahem,……