Trading Posts Newsflash: Al Fayed Sells Harrods

We wouldn't normally get excited about a cornershop changing hands, but when the shop in question is possibly the most famous in the world, and the current owner the irrepressible Mohammed Al Fayed, we call it news. 'The store' (as those that work there call it) has gone to Qatar Holdings for a reputed 1.5bn. Our first reaction was a muted 'woop!': whilst Al Fayed is undoubtedly a a dream character for bloggers and parodists, his dealings are at best murky, and he has changed what was a national monument into a personal folly. Dunno when you last went to 'Rods (as pretentious Londoners like to call it), but the last time Londonist went we were turned away 'cos we had ripped jeans on. Oh, and the time before that? We stropped out because they tried to charge us £2.00 to use the loo. But our jubilation was short-lived: the diminutive Egyptian is to stay on in an as yet unspecified capacity. Ho hum. (Image/Rubinho1)