A Christmas skull in the window of DKNY Jeans. Click image to see photo gallery
Christmas lights in London
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By Sara O'Reilly. Photography Katy Dillon
Updated: Wed Nov 5 2008 -
Once darkness falls and the bargain hunters head home, wrap up warm and take a stroll around London's illuminations. Here's our suggested route to see the capital's best Christmas lights
See our Christmas lights photo gallery
Start with the windows of Selfridges on Oxford Street, where Santa stars in a series of gloriously kitsch scenes. Don’t miss the windows along Duke Street. Once you’ve spotted the Christmas elephant it’s time to turn back and continue east along Oxford Street, passing the Gap store, starkly gift wrapped in neon ribbon. The illuminations on Oxford Street (pealights in the trees and chandeliers over the traffic) are pretty though rather low-key. But the façades of individual shops including Debenhams and John Lewis have become dramatic waterfalls of light. Feature continues
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Turn right on to South Molton Street, decorated with stars, which – if you’re shortsighted or you squint a bit – seem magically suspended over the pedestrianised street. Remind kids to look out for the charming cartoon-like characters presiding over the jewellery in the window of Butler and Wilson, halfway along on the right-hand side.
Turn left on to Brook Street and right on to Bond Street, where gold and silver bows glitter overhead. Highlights to look out for include the neon Christmas skull in the window of DKNY Jeans opposite Fenwick and a surreal dinner-party scene at Mulberry, where there’s a cat swinging from the chandelier, a dog’s worrying at the tablecloth and total mayhem appears imminent. Outside Hermes , on the corner of Bruton Street, slender silver tree trunks sprout from the pavement. Listen carefully: the silver bird houses in their branches are occupied.
Take a quick detour along Bruton Street to Stella McCartney, where the entire façade is ablaze with an upmarket version of the classic crazy suburban Christmas scene. Returning to Old Bond Street, above Cartier , Santa’s sleigh is pulled by black panthers in crimson collars, and at Dolce and Gabbana a mannequin in a mermaid dress presides over a spread of prickly pears and other delicacies. Make your way across to Regent Street , canopied with sculptural nets of light, emphasising the elegant curve of the eighteenth-century thoroughfare.
Finally cut through to the Carnaby Quarter for our favourite lights this season, a gathering of colossal snowmen designed by Paul Dart.- Add your comment to this feature
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13 comments
As well as the lights there are free gigs in Covent Garden, right up till Xmas. The UVA installation reacts to ambient noise - sort of - so this should be pretty special!
I'm losing my job next year (I'm in banking!) and I say bring on the Christmas tree from Norway. If we cancel Christmas too what a gloomy old world this will be!
Yes Holly, it would make perfect sense to cancel one of London's best loved Christmas traditions right when everyone most needs cheering up.
The spirit of Scrooge is alive and well...
Me thinks that Holly is not getting into the Christmas spirit.........Me thinks she needs to lighten up a bit.......
Is Holly suggesting that we should say "no thanks" to the tree donation and offend one nation still prepared to remember in this touching way the actions of our own national heros many years ago? Surely the tree is a wonderful symbol of how nations far apart can come together in hardship? it is the last thing that should offend anyone who sees the need to work together to make the world better.
Look now, 20th November - Friday!! They must be looking into next year's calendar or something :o))) Anyways, I think the show was on Monday. Monday just past, 17th November. Lol.
It is still unclear whether the switch on was on Monday 17th or Friday 21st November. One website originally claimed it was going to be on Friday 21st and when I checked again today they changed it to Monday 17th November.
Am maybe being anal here, well in fact I am, but I wonder what the carbon footprint is to donate a Christmas tree? Not to mention the cost, especially when people left right and centre in London are losing their jobs.
Also - don't miss the HAMPSTEAD CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND HOLIDAY MARKET on 29 November 2008 from 10am. Many festive activities and 30+ vendors, Hampstead High St NW3
17th November is not a Friday...
Could someone please confirm the date too? Thanks.
Yeah, I was after same thing, could someone please update?
There is no time given for the switch on of the lights in Covent Garden. Would you please let me know