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.
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
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.










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