Harrods, London

Would you like that gram of cocaine gift-wrapped or delivered Madam? Harrods did sell cocaine over the counter in their pharmacy department until 1916, a service that one of two of their customers would like to see returned, no doubt. This is the store that likes to provide for its customers.

Founded in 1849 Harrods has become a worldwide name. Covering seven floors and three hundred departments, Harrods is an institution all of its own. It offers everything from selling or renting your house to booking your holiday or perhaps just a coach tour around Windsor. If you wish to leave your valuables in their safe deposit then they can accommodate but a word of warning I did hear a rumour that Tiny Rowlands was not terribly happy with that particular service! Not only do they have their own credit card but also their own bank and bureau de change for anyone short of cash.

Six swings of the shopping bag from Knightsbridge tube station the store cannot really be missed. The famous green uniformed doormen are there to help from opening the door to hailing a taxi to help you carry home any over indulgences. Going in or out can be an unpleasant experience as on some days the volume of people pushing through the doors makes navigating your way around the honeycomb layout of the store a nightmare. So if Harrods is third on your list of shops and you are feeling a tinge stressed keep on walking past. To me its not a shop you nip into.

Of all the departments my favourite is the food hall, which seems to be a tourist attraction all on it’s own. Its not often you see tourists queuing up to take photos of the wet fish display which features some 50 wet fish. If fish isn’t to your taste then there are over 300 cheeses to choose from and nearly 130 types of bread, there has to be something suitable to bung under the grill. Ready to pop in the mouth food can be bought from an array of counters either to take home for a party or to take across to Hyde Park for a picnic - which is what I usually do.

On the subject of food there are over 17 places to eat around the store, from a bar stool where you perch while having a quick coffee to a proper sit down waitress service affair. I have eaten in several of their eateries and found their buffet restaurant very good value for money mainly because you can go up as many times as you like. For lighter lunchtime snacks the Terrace Bar with its rooftop conservatory is a treat and much quieter than some of the quick serve bars around the store.

As a child my first stop was the pet department where live animals can be bought. I remember reading once that someones aunt had bought a bear from the pet department and took it all the way back up to Scotland in the back of a black cab. I can also remember the special children’s hairdressers which was very nice and first cuts still receive a certificate with a lock of hair. The toy department is worth a mention as this is where Winnie the Pooh started out life before being bought for a very young Christopher Robin.

I have always enjoyed shopping in here because of the sheer choice. There is no hard sale in here and the floor managers can be spotted wearing the red carnation in their lapel. I cannot think of anything better than an afternoon window-shopping in Harrods.

So after you have done the food halls, sloshed round the drinks sections, contributed to damaging the ozone layer by spraying half a dozen perfumes in the cosmetic hall, circled the clothes departments that has an outfit for all occasions (even Princess Diana found her famous blue engagement suit here), furnished the house with several tastes of antique and futurist pieces and feel a little jaded there is always the beauty studio offering reflexology and makeovers to help you make it around the rest of the store.

If you are the type of person who only likes a bargain and think Harrods is not for you then think again, blue cross week which is on the last week of the sales usually has the most fantastic bargains and well worth a gander.

So love it or hate it there is something special about Harrods. It’s the special little services that set it apart from the other department stores and into a class of its own. It goes just that little bit further. Even if you never want to set foot in the place you cannot but be charmed by the strings of white lights that outline the store at night giving it that magical quality.