#London Christmas Shopping No.11: Pollock's Toy Shop #CoventGarden @Pollockstoyshop

Daily Constitutional editor Adam Scott-Goulding writes…

It's back! The annual London Christmas Shopping Guide from The Daily Constitutional!



This year I'll be including museum gift shops and markets for gift ideas. 


As well as gifts I'll be pointing you toward local London shops for the best in Christmas food and drink. Where relevant, I'll list the London Walks tour that finishes near the shop in question.



As usual, you can drop me a line with your own tips by emailing the usual address, by leaving a comment below or via Twitter.




LW guide Karen Pierce-Goulding recommends…


Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop, Covent Garden

-->

"If you love art, folly or the bright eyes of children, speed to Pollocks!"*

How true!

This charming magic lantern of a shop is reached by climbing a steep spiral staircase - once on the first floor you are transported into the world of miniature playhouses, shadowboxes, circuses puppets and every conceivable theatrical device and their handmade Victorian Christmas crackers would have delighted even Dickens' Mr And Mrs Fezziwig - the experts in Yuletide celebrations!

* Robert Louis Stevenson's quote

Ask me for directions at the end of my Inside Covent Garden tour on Thursdays. If you are going under your own steam, here's a map…

-->

About your correspondent

Karen

Karen comes trailing clouds of glory. Travel & Leisure crowned her "the world's greatest tour guide." She hosts the Canadian television travel show "London Next Stop." She won the London Tourist Board's Guide of the Year award. She's the author of Royal London. She is, quite simply, a star turn – which is why she's the "go to" London guide for every major media concern. A reformed actress and occasional journalist, she was Independent Magazine's Cultural Heritage Correspondent. Her gold standard walks are, needless to say, vivid and entertaining.

Here's she is presenting her Canadian TV series London Next Stop…

Christmas 2016 With London Walks…

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.