Posh & Posher: The Many Ampersand Shops Of Jermyn Street

M@
By M@ Last edited 54 months ago
Posh & Posher: The Many Ampersand Shops Of Jermyn Street
Fortnum and Mason

Jermyn Street, south of Piccadilly, is a contraction of Jeremy Corbyn Street. The controversial politician was born at number 86.

That's not true. I made it up. What is true is that Jermyn Street has a lot of posh shops, which range all the way from Gentlemen's shirtmakers to Gentlemen's tiemakers.

You can tell how posh a street is using something called the Londonist Ampersand Index (LAI). Simply count the number of shops with an '&' in their names, then divide by the total number of businesses*.

Borehamwood, where I live, has about 50 shops on its high street, only one of which (Holland & Barrett) has an Ampersand. It has an LAI of 0.02, and is therefore not very posh at all.

Jermyn Street, by contrast, enjoys a surfeit of ampersands. The most famous is the department store Fortnum & Mason, which has flourished its logogram for three centuries.

How many other Posh-and-Posher shops — 'amperbrands', if you will — inhabit Jermyn Street? I took my camera for a wander, to the concern of more than one security guard.

Harvie and Hudson
Harvie & Hudson is described, with liberal use of capitalisation, as a "High quality Gentleman's Outfitters specialising in Ready to Wear and Bespoke Shirts. A one stop shop for the traditional English Gentleman". Other nationalities of Gentleman are acceptable, one hopes.
Crockett and Jones.
Presumably named after the two most famous Davys, Crockett & Jones is one of a myriad of options here for upper class footwear. James Bond was a customer in Skyfall.
Crockett and Jones again
Crockett & Jones is so well-heeled that it actually has two stores on Jermyn Street.
Russell and Bromley
Russell & Bromley: at the more affordable end of the posh-shoe spectrum, but still 27 steps up from Clark's.
Foster and Son
Yet another shoe emporium, Foster & Son has traded in repurposed cow since the 1840s.
New & Lingwood offers a classy welcome to Piccadilly Arcade.
Hawes & Curtis
Shirtmongers Hawes & Curtis is another 'Amberbrand' with a double presence on Jermyn Street. The deluxe chain is owned by Touker Suleyman from Dragon's Den.
Hawes and Curtis again
And here's t'other. (The phrase t'other has probably never been used in this shop.)
Turnbull and Asser
Turnbull & Asser is noted for its high-class shirts, for providing ties for the James Bond films, and for provoking sniggers from those with an adolescent sense of humour. Prince Charles is a lifelong customer.
Hilditch and Key
Another shirtmakers, H&K have moved up in the world, having started on Tottenham Court Road in 1899. Shirts cost up to £195 here.
Finally, we have Paxton & Whitfield, the second most famous cheese amperbrand, after Wallace & Gromit.

I counted 12 amberbrands along the street out of a total of around 50 shops. That's a Londonist Ampersand Index of 0.24. Jermyn Street, I conclude, is more than 10 times posher than my own local high street in Borehamwood. How about yours?


*FOOTNOTE: H&M and B&Q lost their poshness the very instant they rebranded from Hennes & Mauritz and Block & Quayle. They do not contribute toward an LAI.

Last Updated 24 September 2019