Carnaby Street

I was still at school in 1963 when my friends and I discovered Carnaby Street, a small street back then, behind Regent Street and known especially for trendy shirts, even some special made too order ones. In no time at all, by early 1964 it was booming with boutiques specializing in all manner of "Mod clothing" not just shirts.

It was the summer of 1966 which I spent in America traveling around, but spending a lot of  time with my Aunt & Uncle in Florida.  My Aunt worked part-time in downtown St. Petersburg, and I would go with her we so could have lunch together;  the rest of the time I would wander around the shops. One day that August 1966, I was in the downtown Sears department store and went to the youth department. They were doing a promotion for a line of clothing that was being touted as straight from Carnaby Street. It was from Lord John boutique. I was intrigued by the activity and stood in the sidelines. I noticed the only other guy in the department with long hair sitting on a chair looking bored, so I went and sat beside him.
Somewhat surprisingly, I took the initiative and started chatting. I asked him if you knew what was going on. That was when I discovered it was a promotion and the Lord John connection. Getting all excited I told him "well, my friends and I go down to Carnaby Street all the time and I shop at Lord John’s frequently."
He smiled and shook my hand and said hello he is Lord John.
It was on a promotional caravan going across America stimulating interest in Carnaby Street fashion.
It’s amazing who you run into when you’re on holiday thousands of miles away from home. You are away from your usual shopping habits, and then you run into the owner of one of your favourite shops!