Wow so last week went soooooo quickly! I didn’t get a chance to sit down and write.
I haven’t been lazy! I have however been struggling with some ideas… (Not for lack of trying, I think I’m just a bit tired!)
On Saturday night my boyfriends car was broken into and various things were stolen. So we got very little sleep that night.
Sunday I decided to head to Westfield Stratford. This was because I needed to do some errands and also because my other half wanted to do some work… (I can be quite distracting….apparently) I have been to this Westfield before and I do prefer it. Westfield Shepherds Bush actually gives me a migraine when I go inside. Also it goes round in a little circle and you have to get the weirdest train there. Stratford on the other hand is a curved T structure. which. really should irk me more. Even the vasts amounts of people don’t bother me as much.
Shopping wise there is everything you can imagine (apart from a Ted Baker, unless I am very much mistaken). You do have to be prepared to queue for everything, paying, changing room, cinema, restaurants…. It can be very tiring. Especially on a day where there is an event being hosted at the Olympic Park. On Sunday the legacy games were in full swing and I had to literally fight to get into Toni & Guy! (getting your hair cut next to a paralympian was an experience, especially when you couldn’t remember their name or what sport they took part in but knew their face)
My favorite thing about Westfield Stratford has to be its cinema (followed closely by the frozen yoghurt stand! mmmmmmmmmmm). Its a Vue with extreme screens, where they have cranked up the sound so you can actually hear the film and the screen is the size of 4 double-decker buses (which means I don’t have to put my glasses on! Yippee!) Its expensive but oh so worth it! I was due to see The Worlds End on Sunday but the boyfriend showed up and we went book shopping instead!
I must state at this point that not many people venture along the whole of the shopping center. I find this really strange as you go there to browse and wander around the shops, but the furthest end away from the station is practically deserted. If you don’t like being constantly crushed by other shoppers I would suggest having a wander down this end. There are some pretty good shops, Nine West, Gant, John Lewis etc and some slightly less well known restaurants. (I really must try Mezze when I am next in Stratford) This end also houses my favorite book store of all time! Foyles!
If you love books and have been to Foyles on Tottenham Court Road then I demand you stop reading this immediately and go there right now! I’m serious! Its amazing, albeit a little confusing if you don’t know the layout, but it has one of everything! I have never gone in there and not managed to get the book I wanted! It also has some beautiful first editions for you to peek through glass at! The Foyles in Westfield is not so huge, but still carries with it the charm of the larger store. I particularly like their little essay books, which have been make into thin books with interesting covers. Authors in this series range from Charles Darwin to Seneca to Nietzsche. My boyfriend had to drag me away from a book on Art Deco which at £50 would have put a dent in my already tight budget for this month.
Unlike Shepherds Bush, there is also some out doors space. Called ‘The Street’ it is more your traditional high street atmosphere, which on quiet days it is rather nice to sit along and have your lunch. On event days its very difficult to navigate as they tend to funnel the crowds down this narrow strip.
I am obviously a big fan of Statford Westfield and as someone who normally prefers West London this is a bit of a departure for me. My main reasoning for this is the fact the center is lay out is better. In Shepherds Bush it feels like the shopping center has been squeezed into the available space and therefore feels cramped. Also there are more transport links running too and from it. if your coming from the west it is a bit of a trek but at least you have multiple ways to get there.
Finally Stratford has bowling… Which makes it infinitely better… even if it does cost £20 a game!
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