'Liberty Of London' Part 2 Review - Does Managing Director Ed Burstell Have An Agenda?

REVIEW: Liberty Of London - We're On To You, Ed!

Part 2 of this behind-the-scenes of one of London's most established department stores, which just happens to be set in the distinctive wooden racks of a former battleship in one of the city's most prized retail miles.

There were mumblings last week that the effervescent Ed Burstell - managing director, birthday card signer, all-round troop rallier - had managed to 'pull a Ratner', i.e. talk down his own goods to the horror of the ears of shareholders, when he was heard describing some of Liberty's most enshrined goods as "piles of junk".

Is the irrepressible Ed up to something?

In this episode, he seemed to have weathered that particular (hyped up) storm, but, instead, I detected something else afoot.

Now, I'm sure there's hardly an executive in the land who hasn't dabbled with the dilemma of dealing with clientele thus... keep the old lot happy, while attracting the new. I'm sure the bosses of Radios 1 through 4 would have plenty to say for starters.

It's probably a smaller number, however, to take quite the same hands-on approach as Ed. Last week, we saw him heading out of the door and over to Manolo Blahnik's gaff to select personally what shoes would make it to the Liberty racks.

Jules and Trudie keep an iron grip on the haberdashery department

This week, this high falutin' executive made it his personal mission to head off to London Fashion Week, and took his seat on one of the rows. Are we sure Ed's happy with his career in retail, or is this all a cunning springboard for his next career in fashion and/or the pages of a glam-mag? Meanwhile, his hair was getting longer on top by the minute, shorter around the sides. Ed the new Gok Wan? I'd watch.

Meanwhile, back at the store, Trudie mused to Jules in the haberdashery department, "I can't remember the names of my children, but I recognise their faces." What??? And that's before we got to the carpets floor, also known as the Republic. I don't want it to end, but it does next week.

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