marlene_

We are first timers in London for a week and are looking for suggestions on shops for gifts under 30GBP. My list includes:
Liberty
Hamleys
Fortnum & Mason
John Lewis
Harrods
Selfridges
TK Maxx????

Of course we will check out museum gift shops as well.

Any drugstore finds I should consider??

Thanks in advance!

annw

Can you say a bit more about whom you're buying for? I'm guessing both genders and an age range.

A gift I've found useful is linen towels (tea towels, I suppose) -- some cute ones at shops outside Buckingham Palace (side street) for example.

Heathrow has several nice gift shops if you still need something on your way back out of town-- "Keep Calm and Carry On" and the like.

Boots chemist and Marks and Spencer are other options.

Tulips

Cath Kidston does some nice london-themed gifts that are not tacky; bags, washbags, kid's sportsbags with London busses and guards. Several locations in London (Selfridges basement).

The V&A have a good giftshop.

Maybe a bit over 30 pounds, but Link's of London has some nice silver charms, some with London themes.

Avalon2

If you want food gifts in addition to Harrod,s and F&M, and less expensive Try Partridges There is one on King's Row

marlene_

We will be buying for our grandkids, daughter & son-in-law (35-40yo), women friends 60+.

Would prefer to purchase things MADE in UK.

Thanks.

Tulips

Cath Kidston for the grandkids. Or Jack Wills Fabulously British t-shirts and sweatshirts if they're teenagers. Anything by Jo Malone for your friends and daughter; that will set you back more than 30 pounds, but they will love that. For something very British, go for the Earl Grey and Cucumber. This comes beautifully packaged.

Tulips

That's the Earl Grey and Cucumber scent - The Red Roses is lovely too.

BigRuss

<<Any drugstore finds>> Boots pharmacy - there's one just about wherever you'll turn. Then again, you can check your local Target for its Boots pharmacy tie-in.

For the grandhobbits - if they're small, the Hamley's offerings will take care of all their needs. We had a hard enough time getting our 20-mo. old out of there back when we took him . . .

annw

LOVE Cath Kidston -- stocked up at a shop in Oxford and also at Heathrow.

In addition to the large tubes of handcream they have a 4-pack of smaller tubes.

DIVINE! Love the rose scent.

Also small wallets/personal items in nice prints.

PalenQ

Any drugstore finds I should consider??>

I always stop by Boots to stock up on aspirin and codeine or tylenol-codeine pills - banned over the counter in the U.S. but sold over the counter here - great if a headache or tooth ache or any pain pops up.

The London Transport Museum, at Covent Garden, has an extensive souvenir shop for London-themed and Tube-themed things - like model Tube trains and those neat artistic posters hyping places you can go to Tube - kitchen towels - Mind the Gap T-shirts, etc - free to enter the gift shop I believe - the Transport Museum charges but if interested in old Tube trains, trolley buses, trams, etc check it out!

https://www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/

marlene_

Tulips--Earl Grey & Cucumber scent hand cream?? From Cath Kidston?? Just went online to view what Cath Kidston carried and didn't see these. Thanks for the Jo Malone tip.

Annw--Love the tea towel suggestion--easy to pack! Nice to know you love Cath Kidston, too.

PalenQ--any problem bringing tylenol w/codeine back into the States? We will keep the Transport Museum in mind.

vanne

For my women friends I often get things like linens (tea towels, etc.) and pretty trays. Both are easy to pack and useful. In addition to the usual gift shops or dept. stores, you can often find very nice ones in museum shops. I don't look for touristy themes on them.

As an extra gift, I often check my change when I'm at the airport and buy some candy bars that you can't get in the US

historytraveler

I love Jo Malone but it's readily available here. Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus and even Amazon carries it. Still a nice gift. As Russ has already said, Hamley's is great for kids, and I always find uniquely English gifts at Fortum and Mason. Most gift shops at any major tourist site will have a good selection also...something besides the "Mind the Gap" T- shirts and Kate &William mugs.

Tulips

The Earl Grey & Cucumber is a Jo Malone scent.

I think Cath Kidston do a rose handcream.

If you're going to Portobello Road; pop into Ceramica Blue on Blenheim Crescent for great gifts.

marlene_

Tulips---oooh, yes..plan on hitting Portobello Rd. Will check out Ceramica Blue.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

PalenQ

PalenQ--any problem bringing tylenol w/codeine back into the States?>

Well yes - it is a scheduled drug to be had only by prescriptin here I belief - so I take a regular aspirin bottle with me and fill it with codceine-aspirin (or tylenol bottle) or by a regular Boots aspiring bottle and throw away the aspirin and fill it with codeine-aspirin/tylenol.

Not sure what Customs would do with it - surely would not be a dig deal but why take chances?

Many people in the past here report stocking up on these banned in the U.S. without prescription meds which are in reality very harmless - so harmless Brits let them be sold over the counter - not so in other European countries or many TMK.