I opened my salon at 16 Beauchamp Place in 2012, right in the middle of the street. If you have never been, the street is pronounced "Beecham" Place, and it is one of my favourite corners of London.
It sits in Knightsbridge, between Brompton Road and Walton Street, a short walk from Harrods. The name goes back to a sixteenth-century mansion that belonged to the Seymour family, whose titles included Viscount Beauchamp. Until 1885 the street was called Grove Place. Since the Edwardian era it has been known for antique shops and fashion boutiques.
It was once nicknamed milliners' row. When the hat maker John Boyd started out, there were at least 44 milliners on the street. In those days Beauchamp Place was famous far beyond London, drawing royalty and celebrities to its shops and restaurants. The restaurant San Lorenzo, at number 22 from 1963 until it closed in 2022, became closely linked with Diana, Princess of Wales, and photographers often waited outside. Princess Margaret dined there, and the Rolling Stones once rang the bell at three in the morning asking for dinner. In 1978 Ciro's Pizza Pomodoro opened its basement restaurant at number 51, with live music and its own famous crowd, and it is still there today.
Harrods is part of the street's story too. The store grew from a small shop taken over by Charles Henry Harrod in 1849 into one of the most famous stores in the world, a short walk from our door. Diana's connection to this corner was real - she lunched at San Lorenzo, she wore John Boyd's hats, and she was photographed outside San Lorenzo with her brother.
Our building has a piece of that history too. The hat maker John Boyd, who settled on Beauchamp Place in 1994, had his basement shop at number 16, and John Boyd Hats stayed there until it moved to Marylebone. His clients included members of the Royal family, and he made the hat Princess Diana wore as part of her going-away outfit after her wedding. His successor has said Diana frequently visited the shop. John became a close friend of mine. He was very kind to me and helped me when I was starting out. We used to have lunch together at San Lorenzo, and at the Good Earth, the Chinese restaurant around the corner on Brompton Road. Those are some of my fondest memories of this street, and they make the history of this building even more special to me. I am proud that my salon shares this address and its history.
John Boyd was known for being discreet about the people he looked after. I feel the same way. The street still draws famous faces, and my own salon looks after its share of well-known clients. Whoever sits in my chair, the salon is a private, comfortable place, and I never talk about my clients.
If you are in Knightsbridge, come and see us at 16 Beauchamp Place. Have a coffee, walk down a street with a lot of stories, and let us look after your hair.
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