Wednesday 16 February 2011

Style's Eye Spys///The Harlequin....Old Skool MaLL

"Watford and shopping are two words that shouldn't go together but actually make an ensemble building dream. Sure Watford is grotty and a bit inbred but The Harlequin has served me for many years now and I feel it's time she got a mention.

Just a mere 15 minutes from London's Euston, this 'Mall' is one of the UK's older undercover, one stop high streets and is holding up rather dashingly. It's light and airier than some peers, ie. Brent Cross which is dingy and always induces a migraine, and it is cheap as chips to park here unlike my one true forbidden love, Westfield (which cost me £15 to park in her shiny realm of a car park before xmas). Music plays softly over a PA system, modern bus link tv's have been added and its very clean. Geri Halliwell's mother is STILL a cleaner here. Amazing fact.
The Harl does lack food spots though, many have shut down and been replaced by coffee shops but good old Ponti's is always a winner and John Lewis cafe is pricey but great. She's wheelchair friendly and has many extra facilities which is always great for new mums or people escorting the disabled (my mum likes to be pushed round these floors weekly)....

Shops, now, Primark is fecking fantastic (reviewed previously) unspoilt by the London consumer and still jam packed with all the latest trends and must haves. Plus its gigantic. Topshop is terrible, absolute no go here but the large New Look always acts as a back-up for that fail and I've got many a winning item in here for myself and clients. M&S is fab, John Lewis is the mall's department store ( JL own's the Harlequin which prevents Debenhams for being here, they aren't ever in same mall....another fab fact) and Zara here makes me go weak at the knees. All Zara managers act as buyers and thank the lord that Watford's branch, the manager has the London eye and buys in all the best merch. LOVE.
There's a creche, a massive HMV, BHS, Boots, all the usual culprits and what's more your more than likely to get all the must have items here as opposed to London's stores, which get attacked by
fashionista's globally!!"