London Christmas, part 3!

The Christmas lights and fun in London are so cheery this year, I'm doing one more blog about them!  If you missed the last 2, just click here and here and you'll find more lovely pictures.

Winter Wonderland takes over Hyde Park each year bringing us a funfair, stalls selling all kinds of festive food and drink, a Christmas market and, my favourite, the singing moose!  It's always a chilly eve when we go and mulled wine is essential to enjoy the outing properly. Here are a few photos to give you a feel for the fun and hopefully the moose video will work for you!

The speaking tree which welcomes you!

Sugar anyone?

Classic helter-skelter

A winter zoo

Cheery snowmen

The singing moose and video below!

Father Christmas off on his deliveries

There's a big skating rink as well

St Pancras station has joined up Christmas and the London Olympics with their golden medal tree: 

London's South Bank has a Christmas market along the banks of the river Thames with great stalls, food including gingerbread and festive drinks as well as a jolly if slightly tired looking Father Christmas!

I hope you enjoyed seeing London at Christmas time over my last 3 blogs. So, here's wishing you all a wonderful festive season and I'm sending my very best wishes for 2013!

Bye for now,
Sue
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon 

Christmassy London in lights

Only 15 days to go! I'm rushing around trying to make sure I have bought everyone's presents, posted all the cards and, most importantly, enjoyed London's Christmas lights! 

One of the wonderful traditions in London at this time of year is the lighting of the tress in Trafalgar Square. Every year since 1947 the people of Norway have sent us a magnificent Christmas tree as a gesture of thanks for British support during the dark days of the Second World War. The switching on of the lights attracts huge crowds and this year was no exception with the square and every viewing point crammed with excited Londoners and tourists.  The 70 foot tree looked fabulous with its 600 bright lights hanging vertically, as is the Norwegian style.  Here are some photos to show you the scenes in the square including the  fine voiced choristers who braved the cold to entertain us!

To top off the evening, we went into the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields for the annual VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) charity Christmas Carol Concert where we had great fun belting out all the old favourites, listened to a wonderful choir doing it properly and heard some fun and inspiring readings and talks about the work of VSO.  A festive glass of hot  mulled wine was also happily consumed!

Inside St Martin-in- the-Fields

The British Museum has a special open evening for members so we could shop in private and enjoy the Egyptian Galleries by night, which was a bit spooky and put me in mind of the film A Night at the Museum. The famous inner courtyard and Reading Room looked festive with their snowflake design.

The museum by night - watched by a Pharaoh!

South Molton Street, just off Oxford Street has very striking lights and they have done the sensible thing and used last years' again - good to see the recycling and the dramatic blue arches would be hard to beat.
  

Another example of recycling is Oxford Street where they have kept most of the lights used last year but added several sections sponsored by Marmite. The advertising for this quintessentially British spread is 'you'll love it or hate it' and that seems to apply to the lights too!  I think most of them are ok but the section where people's faces appear is rather creepy. Have a look at the good bits:

 Selfridges, one of London's top department stores on Oxford Street, is famous for its Christmas windows and although they are not all as good as usual this year, I particularly like these two. 

I'll be back soon with some more sights of London at Christmas time for you.

Bye for now
Sue
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon
 

London is a festive delight as Christmas is coming!

In the build up to Christmas London is a delightful, jolly city full of festive lights in the streets and Christmas displays in the shop windows. Last week I had some American visitors to stay who were taken aback by London's festive look as they were waiting for Thanksgiving to pass but in London we start Christmas really early!

I've been out and about taking photos and this week's blog (and the next few as well!) takes you to some of the sights and even sounds of London in November and December 2012.  Covent Garden looks great with its massive baubles and disco lights - what a combination! The huge reindeer is a favourite and he's back this year with a hat and scarf on and there is also a massive Christmas tree with a bow on. 

The reindeer theme continues in Regents Street where the brilliant lights combine reindeer antlers, the Twelve Days of Christmas and a tribute to the Olympians and Paralympians - quite an achievement!  On the second photo you can see '6 geese a laying' and '5 gold rings' from the Twelve Days!  The third photo celebrates Paralympics GB, a well deserved tribute. 

Carnaby Street has gone big on the Rolling Stones as they mark their 50 years in show business with two sell out (and seriously expensive) concerts in London. 

I'll be back soon with some more London Christmas lights and a peek at the festive shop windows too.

Bye for now
Sue
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon