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Souvenir ideas to bring back from London?

I leave for London Thanksgiving weekend. Can anyone recommend any interesting souvenir ideas other than the typical tea, shortbread etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Bryan

Seriously, is it really that much of a chore to look in a few shops for yourself? You could always get someone else to go on the trip for you and just take photographs?

Ignoring Inky, we were there a number of years ago but Cashmire (spelling )scarfs were reasonable and depending on where you go, crystal was a good buy (vases, biscuit barrels). I bought a very small crystal "Posy Pot" that I gave as a gift which I wish I would have kept. If you are into shoes, Mephistos are really less money in France where they are from, I do not know if they are less in London. Have fun shopping.

We were in London 2 years ago and brought home a wonderful souvenir. While visiting Westminster Abbey, we did what they call a "brass rubbing." You create it yourself and it is very unique - then you take it home and frame it. It was the most unique of anything we took home, and we did it ourselves!

There's a bath products store called Lush that supposedly has amazing things. Chocolate covered Hob-Nobs. A scarf or umbrella from Liberty. A poster from one of the many museums (the old London Underground posters can be great.) Chocolate covered Hob-Nobs. Anything from the gift shop at the Design Museum. Perfume from Floris on Jermyn street. Chocolate covered Hob-Nobs. And, I don't know if Richard Branson's Virgin Bride store sells t-shirts with the store name on them, but if they do, could you bring one back for me?

Food: Lemon curd, jams and jellies, Hooch Clothing: Liberty of London ties and scarves, English woolen scarves and men's caps Housewares: teapots and cups, honey and jam pots, toast stands, linens Miscellaneous: keychains, pens, mystery novels, travel guides, toiletries (the English make great men's cologne). Harrod's has lots of Harrod's stuff - potholders, totebags, bottle openers, etc. The Tower of London has a wonderful souvenir shop; the British Museum has an incredible shop with wonderful reproductions. Hampton Court's kitchen shop is to die for....

I'm not a Harrod's fan but.... They have the cutest little bear wearing the British Union Jack on a little sweater. I prefer the red sweater btw. Ironically I bought mine in the Harrod's outpost in the Vienna Airport! It has "harrods" discreetly [??] embroidered on one of the soles of its cute lil feet... okay so I'm being cutesy... I parted with the bear only because my 93 old mother admired it so much..

Anything in a tin. Be it toffee crackers or whatever, our friends seems to get a charge out the tins, reguardless of whats in them.

You could try John Stuart Mill "On Liberty" or Bertrand Russell.... Seriously does no-one teach/learn grammer or spilling in the US?

Heathrow has many shops and I always buy things there before I leave the country. On one trip I bought coasters with English cottages on them.

Aye, they're taught, Sheila, but naebody listens.

Ruh Roh Rhonda! Sheila, shame shame shame....he (or she) who among you who is without sin [or in this case, misspilling(sic)]....

Well, Sheila, you made me laugh. And your idea of books is not a bad one, particularly of the audio variety as I would guess there are different readers over there. And so on the subject of books, audio and otherwise: How about the latest Harry Potter(s)?

Elvira, you always make me smile. But HONESTLY, can you not tell the difference between my usual mistypings ( not misspellings) and my attempt to take the mickey out of myself??

Sorry, Sheila, rotten lousy crummy scum-sucking day at work...found out we have to work New Year's Eve, Day and the Sunday after. My sense of humor (or humour, as the case may be) was temporarily off-line. Realized it after I re-read your post, and my response. Need beer. Soon will have.

Simple. Buy one of the coffee mugs with the map of the underground on them. You can find them in the shops around the underground station.

Take a day trip to Bath, have lunch at Sally Lunn's (best place in the world) then take a photo of yourself and keep it - wonderful souvenir - you'll never have such a big smile

Excuse me. . . . . excuse me. . . . (with a sense of urgency) what are chocolate covered Hob Nobs?

Choccie hob-nobs are the best food substance in the world. They are oatmeal biscuits (cookies for all in the US)covered in either milk or plain chocolate. It is mandatory that one pack is eaten at a time ( about 20 in each one!!!!) Having lived in the US, I only came home at Christmas and my Mum had strict instructions to have Chocolate Hob-Nobs, Tayto salt and vinegar crisps and rashers in the kitchen!!! They're made by a company called McVities - I could go on and on but trust me, they're gorgeous!!

Wow I always wondered who bought those things covered in English Country Cottages that I have never seen in any English home! To be honest it depends on what kind of gift you are looking for: Something typically english that the English buy for ourselves or Something no one here would ever buy but represents a stylised idea of England. There's nothing wrong either way - it just depends on your preference on the people you are buying for. The tins idea is nice, especially in winter a lot of biscuits (cookies) are sold in tins which are then kept to store other biccies in or in my case all my sewing threads that I have collected to sew buttons back on though I have never ever done this in my life. Infact I have about 10 items of clothing that have been waiting a varying number of years for buttons to be sewn back on to them... Food stuffs are good - typical Brit chocolate such as Cadbury's. Do you have KitKats in USA? We dont really rival the french in terms of posh gift foods like pate and cheese, though I have keep seeing this thing called Gentlemens Relish - have no idea what it is. Smoked Salmon is a good British gift, best from Scotland, sold all over UK. LUSH, they are fantastic and their solid massage bars are the best invention since the wheel. (Yes better than sliced bread) WWW.Lush.co.uk I think I have posted about them before but cant remember Visit the site and be prepared to be tempted. They have a shop in COvent Garden and lots elsewhere too Mmmmmmm