M@Posh & Posher: The Many Ampersand Shops Of Jermyn Street
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 & 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.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 & Jones is so well-heeled that it actually has two stores on Jermyn Street.Russell & Bromley: at the more affordable end of the posh-shoe spectrum, but still 27 steps up from Clark's.Yet another shoe emporium, Foster & Son has traded in repurposed cow since the 1840s.New & Lingwood offers a classy welcome to Piccadilly Arcade.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.And here's t'other. (The phrase t'other has probably never been used in this shop.)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.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.
