‘Made in Chelsea’ tours and chain stores have taken the place of Led Zeppelin and Sloane Rangers on London’s Kings Road
The Kings Road was famous as the centre of counterculture in the 1960s and 1970s. It subsequently became gentrified in the 1980s and 1990s but now is primarily dominated by the outlets of chains such as Vodafone, Lush and French Connection.
On Saturday, when I spotted a group gathered on the corner of Kings Road and Markham Square, I was intrigued and asked what their leader was talking about. This individual, it transpired, was leading the “Made in Chelsea tour”. Priced at £12 per person (£10 for concessions) and “focus[ed] on the spiritual heart and soul of Chelsea”, this “professionally guided” 2-hour walking tour provides an insight into the lives of those on this E4 show.
This bizarre escapade is symbolic of what the Kings Road has sadly become: A high street no different to any other.
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