Hamleys

Pleasure and pain: such is Hamleys the famous six-storey toy store. Each floor is dedicated to a particular discipline, from toddlers, to plush toys, to books (boring), to the three greatest floors of all: Boys, Girls and Hobbies. From the top floor (where the Superman photo was taken), you can hear the screaming delight of children echoing throughout the building, and amidst that, the sound of whirring electric motors and toys on the Hobby floor. Also on the top floor is a parental oasis where one can get coffee and a snack while your children run about losing their minds.

This store produces equal parts joy and tears as children are forced to somehow choose one toy amongst thousands. Notice Isabelle's plight in the Barbie isle, juxtaposed to Pauline's resorting to the only emotion that can combat a whining child: maniacal laughter.

-JP