Five Interesting Things About Harrods
#1 - London's first escalator!
14 mins
Made from woven leather, the moving staircase was installed in 1898 – staff members would be waiting for customers at the top with either a brandy or some smelling salts to calm the neves post-ride. Now, it has 16 escalators, but unfortunately no drinks at the top of any of them.
#2 - Harrods hired a COBRA to guard a pair of sandles
17 mins
This was only back in 2007, that a cobra was used to protect a pair of ruby, sapphire and diamond encrusted Rene Caovilla sandals, which were worth £62,000.
#3 - The Hidden Egyptian Tomb
21 mins
‘So many staff don’t even know about this’ – we found out about this from a member of staff, in the bag section on the lower-ground floor UNDERNEATH an escalator is an Egyptian Tomb. Go find it!
#4 - Escalators Travel At The Speed of the Nile
24 mins
Mohamed Al Fayed, the former owner, who is from Egypt, spent £40 million refurbishing the main hall where the escalators are, the whole are looks amazing, but you may notice that the escalators run slower than you may expect. That’s because he wanted them to tun at the exact speed as the River Nile
#5 - Selling Heroin and Cocaine
26 mins
Until 1916 you could buy heroin and cocaine over the counter as ‘care packages’ or war bundles. It was promoted as a presents for friends on the front line.
