Today was a beautiful day in Londontown. Michelle and I spent the day wandering London’s streets, as we usually do. We began the day at one of my favourite food markets. On a Saturday, the Duke of York Square in King’s Road is transformed by striped tents sheltering different cuisines from around the world.

You really must go see it for yourself, but I will tell you about the Oyster Man. He’s there every Saturday without fail, shucking his crate of oysters to serve on the half shell with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The amazing thing is that 6 of these fresh, fleshy oysters only cost a fiver. We sampled some of the markets food, and sipped coconut water from a coconut, before heading towards Piccadilly.

Walking down Jermyn Street in Piccadilly, we stumbled upon The Art of Being British Street Party. The road was closed to traffic for the day, and the street was filled with culture, history, and food. Local shops were showcasing their trades, offering free shoe shining and leather care, performing ironing demonstrations, and even instructing how to make the perfect Martini. Musicians from the Royal Academy of Music performed popular British classical and jazz theatre tunes, adding to the buzzing atmosphere.

A collection of Morgans lined the street, and there were little patches of fake grass fenced off with decorative bunting for the Brits to lounge on, as they do so well. British bull dogs guarded shops and a British fashion show complete with catwalk showcased some of Britain’s top designers. We stopped by Fortnum & Mason who were hosting an al fresco tea party, with free tea and scones.

I didn’t get many shots of the street party as I was distracted by everything going on. If you’d like a better look at The Art of Being British, click here.

After we had seen all The Art of Being British had to offer, we walked up through Piccadilly, and into Soho. This is one of my favourite areas to aimlessly wander around as each shop is so different from the last. We saw Cox, Cookies, and Cake had opened and ventured inside to see what was behind the black store front.

Inside is a dark world of fetishes and sweets. The bakers are decked out in leather studded aprons and the floor sparkles under the neon lighting. The cakes are everything opposite to the imagined innocence of a cupcake. Black frosting, skulls, and suggestive lips decorate these hardcore cakes. Best of all, the house special are cakes shaped like boobies.

Outside we ran into renowned shoe designer Patrick Cox, the new owner of Cox, Cookies, and Cakes. He was incredibly relaxed and friendly and we chatted about his new store. The concept and design is incredible, but i’m sad to say the flavour of the cupcakes is not.