Fisher London

An intriguing emporium of Georgian and Regency wonders

I pride myself on being good at just a few things – and buying presents is one of them. Yet there is always someone who is difficult to buy for, namely my friend Sasha who, on account of her job in fashion journalism, wants for nothing material (scented candles, forget it; she has the gamut of Jo Malone).

Present-less and en route to Sasha’s house on her birthday, serendipity descended. Along Gray’s Inn Road, an area not known for its retail opportunities, I stopped outside a shop with an intriguing window display of brightly coloured antique decanters and glasses (first picture).

Upon entering Fisher London, proprietor Hilary Fisher promptly asked me whether I would like a glass of sherry (on a freezing November afternoon, yes please). Clearly this was my kind of shop, and at first glance I found an original Regency watercolour of a butterfly in a bird’s-eye maple-wood frame (£90, second picture) that I knew was the one for my friend.

Wandering around I realised I had discovered a trove of Georgian and Regency wonders. A set of four green port or sherry glasses (£40 each) that had enticed me turned out to be Georgian, dating from around 1810, while six yellow sherry glasses from the mid-19th century were £240 for the set.

A number of other items made their way on to my Christmas wish-list, including an intriguing child’s alphabet Staffordshire plate (£85, third picture) featuring a transfer print of “A Mandarin Smoking” and an exceptionally rare, due to its dainty size, Georgian cut-glass cherry bowl from Cork (£350).

But back to my watercolour, I am pleased to report that Sasha’s eyes lit up like a child’s when I gave her the gift. The only problem now is what to get her for Christmas…