Streets Ahead: David Get Your Gun – A Very St James's Tale

Streets Ahead is the column from London Walks' Pen David Tucker…

DC Editor Adam writes…

We're banging on about Christmas shopping here at The Daily Constitutional this month. We're trying where possible to go off the beaten track, looking to dig up little one-woman- and one-man-bands, unique boutiques that give us a better flavour of our London.

Thing is, whenever you go off the beaten track in our town, you'll find that the London Walks Pen & Daily Constitutional Special Correspondent has been there before you. Been there and, as is appropriate in the context-at-hand, bought the t-shirt…and the walking stick (post coming soon)… and now…

Here's Tucker gun shopping in St James's and chewing the fat with a local on gun control…

You’d think it’d be worth a shot.

I expect “they’ll” be coming at me guns a-blazing for even daring to think it.

Worth a shot, I mean, for the U.S. to, well, maybe give our way of doing it a try.

Try it for six months and see what happens. If it doesn’t work, well, back to “normality” – you know, lock and load and spray and pray and oh dear me.

Our Old Palace Quarter Walk goes past William Evans, Gun & Rifle Makers.

William Evans, Gun & Rifle Makers have been going since 1883.

An Annie Get Your Guns emporium – or your average 7.11 lethality mini-mart – they’re not.

Not just firearms and “ammo” of course. Classic English accoutrements. For example, the most beautiful belts in London (they’re Argentinian!).

Love it that high up on a shelf above a wardrobe there’s a library of old leather-bound books. They’re the shop’s ledgers  – dating back to, yup, 1883.

Had a quick word with a stately gentleman who helps the customers in there adjust their aim.

My question was – given the latest horrible news from the land of my birth – “is it easy to get a gun in England?”

“Oh, yes. Providing you have a good reason for owning a gun.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you can’t just walk in here and buy one. You have to get a license from the police. You need to make your case – prove to them that you have a legitimate reason for wanting a firearm. Perhaps shooting rabbits on your land, that sort of thing. Wanting one so you can shoot your fellow employees at your workplace would be frowned on. You wouldn’t be granted a license for that.’

“What do you think of the slogan ‘if you outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns.’”

“A more accurate way of putting it would be ‘if you outlaw guns it would be more difficult for outlaws to lay their hands on guns.’ But seriously it’s pure cant. Nobody’s talking about outlawing them – just regulating them with a bit of common sense.

“It’s as preposterous as saying ‘if you outlaw teddy bears only outlaws will have teddy bears’. Or for that matter, ‘if you outlaw teddy bears only teddy bears will have outlaws.’

“Dear, dear me. They really should reload and try again. If you don’t mind my asking, where are you from? Are you from California?”

“If you don’t mind my asking….” The closest the gentlemen shop keepers of St. James’ ever get to a hip shot!

My kind of firing line.

Christmas 2015 With London Walks

The Amazing Old Shops Walk takes place on the 19th December – meet Judy at Green Park Station at 10:45a.m

The Christmas Lights & Seasonal Cheer Pub Walk takes place on the 19th December meet at Embankment Tube 7:15p.m


On Christmas Day there are TWO London Walks:

Walk up an appetite with The Christmas Morning 1660 Walk – meet at 11:00a.m by the big tree in Trafalgar Square

Walk off the pudding with The Christmas Day Charles Dickens Walk – meet by the big tree in Trafalgar Square at 2:00pm

A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.