Harrow Online paid a visit to The Bourdon Street Chippy at the weekend – and we were blown away. This isn’t your usual fish and chip shop. In fact, it’s not a real one at all. Instead, every single item inside – from the meals on the counter to the drinks in the vending machine – is made entirely of felt.
The attention to detail is insane. Families heading there this summer will instantly notice the effort that has gone into the installation. Children in particular will enjoy pointing out everything from the hand-stitched boxes of fish and chips to the wall-mounted Sunday roast and even cans of fizzy drinks, all recreated in fabric.
The installation is the work of British artist Lucy Sparrow, who is known for turning everyday spaces into immersive art experiences. Past projects have included supermarkets, corner shops, bodegas in New York and even a pharmacy.
Born in Bath in 1986, she’s built a career out of transforming everyday places into playful, full‑size works of art made entirely from felt.
Her first big breakthrough came in 2014 with The Cornershop in East London, where she filled an old shop with thousands of felt groceries.
Lucy’s work isn’t just about fun and colour, though. By taking something as familiar as a local shop and remaking it in felt, she makes people see ordinary life in a new way.
This latest creation features more than 65,000 handmade felt items, many of which are for sale from as little as £5 each, including 15 different chip shapes in five colours. Sparrow describes it as a “nostalgic, tactile reimagining” of one of Britain’s most-loved food institutions.
The chippy is set up inside the Lyndsey Ingram Gallery in Mayfair and will run for six weeks, until 14 September. Entry is free, with the doors open Wednesday to Sunday each week, as well as on the Bank Holiday Monday (25 August).
How to get there from Harrow
From Harrow on the Hill, take the Metropolitan line southbound to King’s Cross St Pancras, then change to the Piccadilly line westbound to Knightsbridge. The journey takes around 40 minutes, followed by about a 15‑minute walk to the exhibition from the station.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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