Christmas as a beadle of Burlington Arcade
- Published
Steps away from the hustle and bustle of London's Piccadilly, Christmas is under way in Britain's oldest shopping arcade.
The lights are sparkling, the scent of cinnamon and pine fills the air and Burlington Arcade's head beadle Mark Lord is celebrating his favourite time of the year.
Mr Lord, who has been in his role at the arcade for 21 years, says "the magic comes out" at Christmas.
He and his fellow beadles are employed to protect Burlington Arcade and enforce its code of behaviour.
Throughout the festivities they continue to keep a keen eye on the arcade's goings on - although he admits they become more of a concierge service for holiday shoppers.
Head beadle Mark Lord says the arcade's first Christmas Grotto is magical
Beadles were first recruited in 1819 by Lord Cavendish to monitor the arcade.
Described as the oldest and smallest police force in Britain, the Burlington beadles pre-date the Metropolitan Police Service by some 10 years.
Mr Lord says the arcade is a "landmark destination" at Christmas, with locals and tourists alike flocking to the covered shops to take in the lights and decorations.
This year, "it's like walking into an enchanted forest," he says. "It's quite magical... I wish I could put it in a bottle and sell it because I'd make a fortune."
Carols are playing as visitors bustle between boutiques, often with multiple generations in tow.
"You get the grandparents, the parents and the grandchildren all coming to the arcade, where they've come to London to see the lights," he says.
"People even park their cars in Burlington Gardens and have their pictures taken with their cars or their motorbikes."
He adds that the arcade has recently seen some of its busiest weekends in "five or 10 years".
And for the first time it is spreading the festive magic with a Christmas grotto.
Families come year after year to the arcade at Christmas, Mr Lord says
Mr Lord says he tries to give people "little experiences they'll remember for the rest of their life".
"A really beaten-up old Ford Mondeo pulled up at Burlington Gardens with mum and dad in the front and three angelic children in the back," he remembers.
"We were actually closed at the time and the kids had been brought to see the Christmas lights.
"So I asked the parents if the kids had been good, and they said 'yes, yes, yes, yes'.
Mr Lord says he tries to create special memories for arcade visitors at Christmas
"So I let the children in and their mum to run up and down the arcade and have their pictures taken with the Christmas lights.
"It was just beautiful and the kids had such lovely smiles on their faces."
Mr Lord says this time of year regularly brings back repeat visitors, including royalty.
"People come year in, year out," he says. "So you've seen their children grow up.
"We'll get a lot of European royalty that will visit the arcade between now and Christmas," he says.
"Queen Sophia of Spain always came to London in the build-up to Christmas and she would always visit the arcade," Mr Lord says.
"We'll have the Dutch royalty, the Swedish royalty - they'll all be in before Christmas.
"Everyone that comes to the arcade is treated like royalty," he adds.
The beadles say that whistling is not allowed in the Burlington Arcade, but they might make an exception for children who have been good at Christmas
Despite the surge in online retail, Mr Lord is certain that Burlington Arcade will continue to stand the test of time.
"People love the experience," he says. "One of the things the pandemic really taught us was that interaction with others is so important.
"Having an item wrapped in front of you is very special. It makes that purchase seem slightly more personal, you're putting a bit more love and care into it.
"It's just so much nicer than just pressing a button and having something delivered to your front door in a brown paper box."
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- Published9 October 2012
