As some of you may know, I spent the past week across the pond, in London. It was my first time there, and my first time absent from the store for a full week. I spent the majority of the time wandering around different neighborhoods and street markets, eating amazing food, drinking excellent coffee and cask ales, visiting old cemeteries, record stores, punk bars, and marveling at the dates on the cornerstones of most of the buildings.

Our hotel was located on the curry-scented Brick Lane, which is where Rough Trade East is located. I walked in one night while one of their free in-store shows was going on, got a coffee from their cafe, totally dug the performance by The Moons, and promptly purchased their newest album “Fables of History” on Schnitzel Records in limited edition 180 gram white vinyl.

Check out one of their new singles, “DOUBLE VISION LOVE“.

Our hotel was also in close proximity to Old Spitalfield’s Market, which I walked to almost every morning. On Thursdays it becomes an antique market, so Dan and I got up early to scope the goods. I found a guy selling a pretty decent selection of records, and spent about an hour digging through the 45s that were 2 for a £ while Dan went through the LPs. Here is a pic of some of the 45s I scored. You can spot the Vibrators, Hawkwind, Ruts, Sweet, Kinks, Roxy Music, Billy Bragg, & more:

We found some amazing Victorian glass-cased taxidermy that we were foaming for but the thought of shipping something that old and fragile back to the States was daunting. Here is a pic of one of my favorite birds, the cormorant, in taxidermy form that was spotted at a Notting Hill antique store:

I had heard that London has a very strong coffee culture these days, and sampled from some of the independent cafes that were speckled between the slews of Starbucks and Pre-a-Mangers. Very few served filter coffee- often I would ask for a coffee and receive an americano from a mustachioed barista (just like Brooklyn!)- I did, however, find a small handful that made an excellent pour-over.

One was Tapped&Packed, a charming little spot in the Fitzrovia neighborhood that uses beans from various small, UK-based roasteries. Another was a fantastic spot in Spitalfield that I frequented quite a few times during my stay, called A. Gold

This tiny gem has a fantastic selection of traditional British foods produced by independent makers, sandwiches made to order, local honey, mead, traditional candy by the quarter, and more. Philip will make you a fine cup of single-origin pour-over coffee, locally roasted by Monmouth Roasters. I wasn’t able to visit the roastery during this trip, but I did pick up a bag of their beans from A. Gold, and am enjoying a cup of the Guatemala as I type this.

I certainly got my fair share of records, coffee, and antiques in London, among other things. I am already nostalgic!

Here are some pics from my magical experience in West Norwood Cemetery. It was raining all day, and as soon as we entered through the gates, the sun poured through the clouds and made a perfect rainbow. Red foxes and magpies danced among the glistening tombstones.

The only museum I was able to squeeze in was the spectacular Victoria and Albert Museum. Here I am in front of a cast of a celtic cross from 600 a.d.! \m/

We had a blast, met some great people, but it’s great to back!

– Sommer

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