Harry Gordon Selfridge had such an interesting life it’s amazing it took so long for anyone to make a TV series of it. You start, of course, at his store and are told the story of how he built it. And then it’s a walk through opulent Mayfair where he lived and loved, whilst you are told you the story of his OTT life in London, surrounded by the rich & famous. You hear of the women in his life. And of how Mr S set the template for how we shop today, and why the specific logistics of having a shop in Oxford Street led to a front of store layout that all department stores worldwide have since copied. And we also show you some of the places he used to live.

You then make your way into the Belgravia of the Downton family’s second home in London, and of Upstairs Downstairs. You see the great houses of London’s most exclusive 19th & early 20th century century addresses, where the upper and upper middle classes and their servants lived. And you’ll hear all about what it was REALLY like to be a servant in a Downton-like house at such time. You also see locations used in Downton and Upstairs Downstairs, including the house in the latter. And you’ll hear of the ‘servant problem’ from 1901 onwards and see alternative properties some of the wealthy started moving into, and different places ‘servants’ started working. You also see the present day’s most exclusive addresses where Russian oligarchs and celebrities still have “the help” wait on them hand and foot.

Start Walk: Outside Selfridge & Co
Finish Walk: Sloane Square underground station
Shorter Walk alternative – get tube Green Park to Victoria mid walk. Or we can just concentrate on one of the two shows – Mr Selfridge start Selfridge & Co finish Green Park or Downton start Green Park finish Sloane Square