2004.06.11 England Travel Diary Day 10: Burberry Factory Shop
By the time I reached the last entry of the England diary, the first thing that came back was not the shopping. It was this photo. Out of the whole trip, it felt like the best proof that I had really been there ^.^
The awkward part was that this final day did not actually have any new photos. Remember how I had already overworked my digital camera in Bath on Day 3? After returning from the Lake District and sending my cousin back to Brighton, we went to the Burberry Factory Shop in London. From here on, there was no fresh photo evidence left @.@'"
A photo-less final day that somehow felt like an ending
The plan for the last day was simple: leave London and go find the famous Burberry Factory Shop. After several days of watching money disappear in the UK, the words "Factory Shop" sounded like a small hope at the end of the trip. Maybe we would find something cheap, classic, and properly Burberry.
The journey there immediately made things feel less romantic. From central London, the route was honestly a bit complicated: first get to Highbury & Islington, then switch to National Rail, then get off at Hackney Central. Back then I had also found a kind blogger's guide, with step-by-step photos, which made the trip feel more possible ^.^
That route information should not be treated as current advice now. Anyone going today should check official or real-time transport sources. But as a 2004 travel memory, the trouble of changing trains and hunting for the shop was already part of the day's mood.
Three cans of Coke for one pound at Hackney Central
A small side story: Hackney Central was in London's Zone 3, but once we came out of the station, it really did feel rather far out...
Outside the station, a roadside stall was selling Coca-Cola: three cans for one pound!! The 355ml aluminum-can kind. My first thought was: could this be fake Coke? Why is it so cheap?
After several days of spending money in the UK like water, anything that looked cheap felt exciting. Never mind that two people could not really finish three cans on the spot. We bought them immediately and felt as if we had won something. Only after coming back did I calculate it properly: one can was still about NT$21... was that actually cheap? @.@'"
That tiny moment is more vivid to me now than the shopping itself. It is such a traveler's illusion: in an expensive country, you see something that looks like a bargain, get moved first, and do the math later.
Just follow the Japanese or Korean shoppers
Back to the Factory Shop. It was not easy to find, but at the time there was one very practical method: after leaving the station, just follow the Japanese or Korean shoppers. You could find the place quickly without looking too hard at the map.
It was not formal travel advice, but it felt very true to that era of travel. Everyone carried printed notes, read street signs, and guessed a little. If a group of Asian shoppers seemed to be walking with the same purpose, the direction was probably right.
But after arriving, honestly, I was rather disappointed.
Two hours of searching, and the prize was sleepwear
We searched and searched inside, but why did everything look so old-fashioned? The classic Burberry check pieces I had imagined were nowhere to be seen.
The coats looked like they belonged to my father's generation. The few pieces that were slightly acceptable were mostly flawed items. They were cheap, to be fair...
After two serious hours of browsing, I bought only a small wallet and one T-shirt. The T-shirt's future role was also very clear: sleepwear after going home @.@'"
So this was not a successful shopping guide. It was more like a final-day travel story about expectations falling flat. Before going, I thought the Factory Shop might become the shopping climax of the England trip. In the end, the place where shopping actually worked better was the airport duty-free shop.
The airport duty-free shop felt more like the Burberry I had imagined
At the airport duty-free shop, I did end up buying quite a few current-season items. The prices were roughly around 30 percent lower than in Taiwan.
So, based only on my 2004 experience, if someone really loved Burberry products, I would say the Factory Shop was skippable. Keeping the time for more wandering around London might have been more worthwhile. Of course, that was only my experience then. Brand locations, discounts, stock, and prices all change, so anyone going now should check current information.
And that was more or less the closing mood of this England trip. If I ever had another reason to return, it would probably be the Scottish Highlands or the Edinburgh Festival.
London? I would have to think about it again~~
England travel diary series
England Travel Day 1: London City Tour
England Travel Day 2: Cambridge
England Travel Day 3: Bath Spa
England Travel Day 4: Brighton
England Travel Day 5: Leeds Castle
England Travel Day 6: Stratford Upon Avon
England Travel Day 7: Lake District Part I
England Travel Day 8-9: Lake District Part II
England Travel Day 10: Burberry Factory Shop
Afterword: London notes I saved before the trip
I later found the London research notes I had saved before leaving for the UK, so I am keeping them here as a 2004 travel-planning record~~
The notes below are not current travel advice. Phone numbers, prices, opening hours, transport details, and shop status may all have changed long ago. If you are planning a trip now, please check official websites or current sources. Here, they work better as a snapshot of how I prepared for independent travel at the time.
Westminster
In my old notes, Westminster was the part of London that looked most like a postcard: Buckingham Palace, the guards, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Thames all gathered in one area. I had also saved details about summer opening times for Buckingham Palace, the Changing of the Guard, Westminster Abbey visits, and viewpoints for Parliament and Big Ben.
A pub on the Thames
I also noted places like The Tattershall Castle, a floating pub moored on the river. The most memorable line in the old notes was the image of standing slightly tipsy on the deck, watching the boat move with the waves, and not knowing whether you were drunk or whether the river was just too strong.
The City
The City notes focused on St Paul's Cathedral, The Monument, the Bank of England, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and St Katharine Docks. They read exactly like pre-trip notes made by someone afraid of missing important sights: historical background, Tube stations, opening hours, and ticket prices all copied down in advance.
Soho and the shopping streets
The Soho notes were more about where to eat, shop, and see London at night. They mentioned Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Bond Street, and a long list of shops I cared about then: The Body Shop, Aquascutum, Austin Reed, ZARA, Whittard, Burberry, Godiva, Top Shop, NEXT, Boots, Selfridges, Liberty, Marks & Spencer, and more.
Some of those names now feel very tied to that era, but that is part of the charm. They show how I imagined London then: old landmarks on one side, British brands, tea, china, teddy bears, chocolate, and clothes on the other.
Chinatown and Garfunkel's
Among the restaurant notes, the section on Tung Hai Restaurant felt most like the kind of information I would carefully save before a trip: dim sum, crispy duck with pancakes, and a warning not to expect elegant atmosphere or high-quality service, because Chinatown restaurants were known for a certain attitude.
Garfunkel's was saved as an American-style restaurant that was hard to avoid in central London: salads, burgers, steaks, pizza, pasta, and desserts, slightly cheaper than TGI Friday's. Reading that now, it feels less like a must-visit recommendation and more like a safe option for a traveler who wanted to know exactly what kind of meal would arrive.
Full Photo Gallery
Previewing up to 8 album photos. Open the gallery to browse all photos.
Originally published: 2004-06-07 Revised: 2026-07-16 View the original Blogger post
