In west London, there is a cut-through from the coughing traffic of Kensington High Street to the calm of Holland Street called Kensington Church Walk. Apart from the pretty neo-Gothic church itself, St Mary Abbots, the walk is unremarkable. Almost. Nearing Holland Street there is a shopfront in what might be called 1960s brown — a sludgy, unprepossessing colour. This is Hornets. There are three Hornets around here; all are extensions of this.
The name — unusual, but we’ll get to that — is not what draws attention. The frontage does: two expansive windows that usually boast a quartet of mannequins, suited in tweeds or navy, invariably with a hat. Cravats make frequent appearances. Lining the front, pressed close to the glass, are boxes with their mouths open, and in them sit gold and silver cufflinks as colourful and impressive as birds of paradise.
