London

See our Christmas survival directory of essential services and emergency contacts

I need to buy a Christmas tree
If a burly man in a kilt knocks at your door during the festive period, you might think all your Christmases have come at once but, alas, it will probably just be the delivery team from www.pinesandneedles.com. From £44.90, bare-legged delivery men will drop off an untrimmed six-foot non-drop tree to most London addresses. They will even return to remove your tree in January (and they’ll compost it, too, from £29.95). Pay a bit more and they’ll set up a Scottish-grown Nordmann fir with stand and lights and decorate it (for the princely sum of £318.80). We asked Pines and Needles’ Ashley McCarthy to advise on trimming the tree: ‘We keep ours traditional,’ he says, ‘with red and gold decorations and lights, but never any tinsel. Tinsel, it seems, is out of fashion.’

For last-minute trees, try your local garden centre or street market. Last year, Broadway Market stallholders in London Fields sold cut-price trees at the end of the day. For £5, a couple of missing branches and a few muttered grumbles on the bendy bus, Alternatively, The Christmas Forest stocks quality real tress, has locations all over town (www.christmasforest.co.uk) and is open until December 24, daily 8am-10pm.

My car has packed up
With thousands of shoppers clawing their way along Oxford Street on Christmas Eve, by Christmas Day the capital will be near deserted. With a few exceptions, TfL will be running a Saturday service on Christmas Eve until 7pm, after which the last trains will be as on Sundays. There will not be any night buses, so you’ll have to book a licensed cab or zig-zag your way home on foot after your pre-Christmas drinks. There will be no TfL or National Rail services on Christmas Day, although The Original Tour is operating a limited service on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (020 8877 1722/www.theoriginaltour.com), and National Express’ Dot2Dot service will run between Heathrow and Central London hotels (www.dot2dot.com). There are a few pertinent changes on the tubes (check with TfL for details) including Victoria Line tubes which will not stop at Victoria from December 22 to January 6, and there is no Victoria Line service whatsoever on Boxing Day. In a stroke of unparalleled generosity, TfL will be suspending the Congestion Charge from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day inclusively. And public transport users will benefit from free tube, bus, DLR and tramlink services from 11.45pm to 4.30am on New Year’s Eve. For full details visit www.tfl.gov.uk.

I can’t find a turkey!
You’ve bought Brussels sprouts, fresh cranberry sauce and pigs in blankets, but have forgotten the most important, dinner guest of all: the turkey. By Christmas Eve, most shops will have sold out of the festive bird, but there are last-minute options for the more creative shopper.
Charlie Shaw, butcher of distinction at The Ginger Pig in Borough Market (020 7403 4721/www.thegingerpig.co.uk), recommends a replacement goose (cooked in much the same way you would roast a duck); for a couple, a ‘nice and gamey’ brace of pheasant or, for a larger group, a ‘forerib of beef with fresh homemade horseradish. Delicious.’

Posh internet food specialists www.ocado.com will deliver Waitrose goodies to your door every day bar Christmas Day and New Year’s Day ( marched into your kitchen by Ocado’s delivery elves) and offer a full range of turkey alternatives including a four-bird roast, beef Wellington and a vegetarian shepherd’s pie topped with sweet potato mash. There’s also a special festive offer on a one-litre bottle of Bombay Sapphire for £15.49 (a discount of £5.50) which might take the edge off. A solution may also lie in the fluoro-lit halls of Lidl (0870 444 1234/www.lidl.co.uk) – remember, this is an emergency. Long a secret source of bargain cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, Lidl’s bare-bones interior is an incongruous setting for delicacies such as Canadian lobster, caviar and, of course, goose.

I’ve run out of booze
When the bottle runs dry and nerves are frayed, you should have a back-up plan. Before Christmas Day and, hopefully, before New Year’s Eve, there’s an inexcusable window of opportunity to order enough booze, mixers and party ice to properly anaesthetise any festive gathering for days.

Last year we recommended Oddbins (www.oddbins.com) where, apart from free-flowing deals throughout the year, you can order your ice and drinks in advance, ready for collection.

Ice sculpture specialists Eskimo Ice (www.eskimo-ice.co.uk) will deliver a minimum of four bags of UV filtered ice cubes (each bag contains 12 kilos) for just £28 to central London locations throughout the Christmas and New Year period, except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The obvious option for a Christmas Day emergency is your local corner shop (shops covering more than 3,000sq ft aren’t allowed to trade) who will no doubt have a stockpile of alcoholic beverages for desperate customers.

What if there’s an emergency?

See our Christmas survival directory of essential services and emergency contacts.

A&E departments are used to a sharp increase in alcohol related injuries over the silly season and are prepared to deal with other wintry complaints. If you’re under the weather but not sure it’s an emergency, the Department of Health recommends calling NHS Direct (0845 46 47/www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk), a 24-hour phone service offering practical advice and information. Last year’s top five festive complaints were all seemingly linked to over-excess: abdominal pain, general dental/jaw pain, coughs, vomiting and tooth ache.

Zafash Pharmacy at 233-235 Old Brompton Road, SW5 (020 7373 2798) is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help with any last-minute prescriptions and Marie Stopes International is offering a special Christmas emergency contraception kit (0845 300 8090/www.mariestopes.org.uk).

But what if your emergency is of a more practical nature? For plumbing disasters try the Association of Plumbing and Heating (024 7647 0626/www.aphc.co.uk) which has an out of hours ‘find a plumber’ service on its website. For gas emergencies, contact Transco (0800 111999/www.transco.uk.com). The Master Locksmiths Association (0800 783 1498/ www.locksmiths.co.uk) will help if you’ve lost your keys. And remember to secure your home when you’re out for the day – all those sparkling new gifts under the tree are irresistible to burglars.

I look like a hag
What with all those late nights and the excess booze, by the time Christmas comes it’s unlikely you’ll be looking your glowing best. And yet, there are numerous festive days left to get through. So, what can you do about it?

Make-up
‘If you are changing from a day-time look to a night-time look, metallics are always good,’ says Mei Rees, senior make-up artist at Shu Uemura. ‘Apply a metallic pencil – such as Shu Uemura’s Drawing Pencil, £12 – to the face, anywhere there’s a bone; the cheekbones, the brow bone, around the outer edge of the eyes, down the centre of the nose and above your cupid’s bow.’ Rees also recommends
a slick of orange or red lipgloss for a dash of glamour. The more adventurous could even experiment with crystals or false eyelashes (Shu Uemura provide free applications for lashes in store).
Shu Uemura, 24 Neal St, WC2 (020 7240 7635/www.shuuemura.com) Covent Garden tube. Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-7pm, Sun 12noon-5pm.

Quick hair remedies
Nothing beats a speed blow-dry for that instantly groomed look. Daniel Hersheson’s Blow-dry Bar at Topshop (214 Oxford St, W1 (020 7636 7700) may be tiny and hectic but it’s quick and well-priced. Choose from one of its three new styles for winter including the neatly dishevelled B-52 beehive, wavy Alice in Wonderland or foxy Pretty Woman. The store provides a walk-in service but you can also book on 0207 927 7888. Eleven, 11 Blenheim St, W1(020 7491 2390) offers a super-fast two person blow dry, which means you can be in and out within half an hour while Errol Douglas (18 Motcomb St, SW1/020 7235 0110) offers an Express package. In 30 minutes, you can have a wash, blow dry and manicure (from £65). Men might prefer speedy high-tech Japanese salon Cut NW1 (Unit 38, Euston Station, NW1/www.cut-shop.com) which provides a walk-in service (no need to book). Simply purchase your voucher at a vending machine, queue up – usually for a matter of minutes – and get a haircut (fringe trim from £3; men’s cut from £9 and women’s from £15). Then get any excess hair vacuumed off! How’s that for efficiency?

I’ve forgotten to buy a crucial present
Any avid reader of our street-by-street Christmas gift guides over the past few weeks will be fully stocked for the festive period. Still, a credit card, internet connection and a printer could be the forgetful present-buyer’s saving grace. Remember that animals can be adopted, Oxfam alpaca farmers sponsored, heavenly bodies re-named, mountain treks booked and online dating subscriptions emailed into a dour single relative’s inbox. You could also relive your teen years and create a virtual mixtape using iTunes (www.apple.com/uk) and ‘gift’ it to a loved one, or buy credit to print out or email, or immediately download a little festive fun like Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas (£15.99). And in an inspired alternative to an organic vegetable box, www.wellhungmeat.com offers a monthly organic meat box in varying sizes. Your lucky recipient could be swimming in chops in a matter of days.

I can feel a family row coming on
‘Just don’t go there!’ says communications expert Jo Ellen Gryzb, ‘it’s a good way to stay out of the line of fire.’ The author of ‘Family Heaven, Family Hell’ (www.fusionpress.co.uk), warns that ‘all the danger signs are there. If you feel yourself getting angry with someone, go for a walk, make a cup of tea or scream into the cushions.’ Although the Christmas Row is as traditional as tears in the gravy, Gryzb points out that ‘big events always trigger big emotions so why not let the other person be ‘right’? Why choose a big emotional day to prove a point?’ Gryzb also recommends keeping busy – from setting the table again and again to playing a few Christmas games. ‘Otherwise, everyone just sits around getting annoyed with each other, but keeping busy keeps you out of the line of fire.’

I have to throw a last-minute soirée
It’s the day before New Year’s Eve and you’ve still no idea what you’re going to do? Bite the bullet and throw your own last-minute NYE party (impromptu dos are always the best after all).

The kit
Nothing beats a few table decorations to liven up festivities. You’ll probably still have the Christmas tree and holly up so all you need are some snazzy napkins, a tablecloth and, most importantly, enough glasses to go around. For the former, Marimekko (www.marimekko.com), John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com), and Habitat (www.habitat.net) offer stylish but affordable party decorations. Tesco (www.tesco.com) offers free glass hire to shoppers at various London stores – check with your local branch. Most off-licences also offer free or inexpensive glass hire if you are buying alcohol from them. Majestic (www.majestic.co.uk), for example, offers glass hire to all customers buying wine (a minimum order of 12 bottles) for a deposit of £1 per glass. You’ll get money back on unbroken glasses.

The food
If you’re not happy with high-street offerings (M&S remains the best ), why not opt for a small, independent London caterer? Guy Dimond our Food and Drink editor recommends:

Mimosa
A Herne Hill delicatessen and café which can help you create a delicious French- or Moroccan-themed dinner for ten or 20 people . Mimosa offers advice on portions, plus you have the option of using your own dishes or its Moroccan pottery. There are 15 salads available by the kilo.
Mimosa (020 7733 8838/www.mimosafoods.com). Finger-food buffet for ten from £13.75 per head. Area covered: Herne Hill and surrounds.

Organic: Skye Cooks
Skye Coxe’s ethically minded company creates delicious dishes such as Venezuelan black-bean cakes with tropical fruit salsa, and salads of wood-smoked mushrooms, baby artichokes, roast red onion and sun-blush tomatoes. Vegetarian and vegan functions are no problem and Coxe will produce a menu with seasonal ingredients and portion sizes as required.
Skye Cooks (07939 592 724/www.skyecooks.co.uk). Organic finger-food buffet for 50 from £18 per head. Non-organic from £12 per head.
Area covered: nationwide.

The drinks
Impress your guests with a few unique London inspired cocktails. Myles Davies, mixologist at Hawksmoor, Shoreditch says: ‘Try classic warming drinks that have slipped out of popularity.’ Here are two of his suggestions:

London Flip
Choose ingredients from London for real authenticity: a gin from Kennington, a beer from the Thames Barrier and a port wine. Warm 150ml of Meantime’s London Porter in a pan on the stove. Meanwhile, put 25ml of Beefeater gin, 15ml of good quality port, one teaspoon of caster sugar and the yolk of an egg in a cocktail shaker and shake with cubes of ice. Strain the ingredients into a bowl and whisk in the warmed beer, and then pour into a pre-warmed wine glass, and add a grating of nutmeg.

London Punch for two
A variation on a drink invented by one of London’s finest bartenders Dick Bradsell (his was a Russian spring punch, made with vodka), try gin for a London twist. Take 60ml Beefeater gin, 15ml Crème de cassis (a blackcurrant liqueur), 30ml of lemon juice, two teaspoons of vanilla sugar. Shake all these ingredients together with cubed ice, and pour over fresh ice into a glass large enough for two people and then top up with sparkling wine from the fine chaps at Chapel Down or some Champagne.

I need to get away
While many Londoners bravely face Christmas and New Year’s Eve in the capital, there are some for whom the thought of Brussels sprouts in Balham is too much to bear. Join other escape artists on an emergency getaway, and book as late as Christmas Eve. Apart from the usual impromptu holiday sites like www.lastminute.com which currently has a cheap five nights in Las Vegas on offer, Eurostar runs services throughout Christmas and the New Year, although none on Christmas Day. Other escapees could rent a cottage for an aga-and-wellies New Year’s Eve soiree, or one of the Landmark Trust’s (01628 825925/www.landmarktrust.com) British oddities like Fort Clonque on the coast of Alderney in the Channel Islands which is cut off at high tide (£2,301 for 13 people for seven days). For an anti-Christmas, book a place for Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre (01508 538112/www.padmaloka.org.uk) in Norwich where you can downward dog until your eyes water and breathe a yogic sigh of relief.

See our Christmas survival directory of essential services and emergency contacts.


Essential services and emergency contacts

Domestic
Academy of Plumbing 24-hour call-out service (020 8983 7100/www.academyofplumbing.co.uk).
EDF Energy Power cut and emergency 24-hour helpline for gas and electricity (0800 028 0247/www.edfenergy.com).
National Grid 24-hour emergency helpline (0800 111 999/www.nationalgrid.com/uk).
London Locksmiths Open 24 hours (0800 0612 408/www.londonlocksmiths.org).

Post
Post Office Counters (0845 722 3344/ www.postoffice.co.uk).
Royal Mail (0845 774 0740/www.royalmail.com).
Christmas post deadlines Standard parcels on December 14, second class on December 17, first class deadline December 20, special delivery and Saturday guarantee December 21 and last special delivery collection December 22. For international delivery times and address/postcode finder, see www.royalmail.com.

Driving
The congestion charge will not apply between December 25 and January 1 2008 inclusive. For more information, call 0845 900 1234 or see www.cclondon.com.

Taxis
Black cabs There is a £4 extra charge on all fares between 8pm on December 24 until 6am on December 27, and between 8pm on December 31 and 6am on January 2. See www.london-taxi.co. To book a black cab, call ComputerCab (020 7908 0207 [paying by cash] or 0207 432 1432 [credit card bookings]/www.computercab.co.uk), Radio Taxis (020 7272 0272/www.radiotaxis.co.uk), Zingo (08700 700 700 from mobiles), or contact several radio taxi services through One Number (0871 871 8710/www.onenumbertaxis.com).
Minicabs Call 0207 222 1234 for the nearest licensed minicab office, see www.tfl.gov.uk for a database of licensed minicab firms, or text ‘HOME’ to 60835, and they’ll reply with licensed cab numbers for your location.

Public transport
Tube, DLR and Tramlink services will run all night on New Year’s Eve, December 31. Night and 24-hour buses will run all night as normal. Travel is free from 11.45pm to 4.30am. Call Transport for London (020 7222 1234/www.tfl.gov.uk) for details of travel over the holiday period.

Underground
December 24: Normal service.
December 25: No service.
December 26: Trains start running at 9am, running a Sunday service finishing at Saturday times. Reduced train frequencies on all lines; many stations closed.
December 27-30: Normal service.
December 31: Trains running throughout the night.
January 1: Trains operating on Sunday service finishing at about 11.30pm. Most line should be running, advisable to check before travelling.

Buses
December 24: Sunday service. No night buses. 24-hour buses will run until 12midnight.
December 25: No buses. Some special services run by non-London bus operators in central London.
December 26: From about 8.30am, a Sunday service will operate on all routes.
December 27-28: Saturday service.
December 29-30: Normal service.
December 31: Saturday service runs all night.
January 1: Sunday service.

National Rail
(08457 484 950/www.nationalrail.co.uk). Phone lines closed Christmas Day, check before travelling.
December 24: Amended holiday timetable.
December 25: No service.
December 26: Amended holiday timetable.
December 27-30: Amended holiday timetable.
December 31: Amended holiday timetable.
January 1: Amended holiday timetable.

Victoria Coach Station Bookings
Call 020 7730 3466. For information on National Express services, call 08705 808 080/www.nationalexpress.co.uk, or call MegaBus 0901 331 0031 (bookings) or visit www.megabus.com.

Travel abroad
Heathrow Express (0845 600 1515/www.heathrowexpress.com).
Stansted Express (0845 600 7245/www.stanstedexpress.com).
Gatwick Express (0845 850 1530/www.gatwickexpress.com).
Eurostar (08705 186 186/www.eurostar.com).

Medical
Doctors
Local surgeries should have 24-hour messages with the number of an emergency doctor. The Whitechapel Walk-In Centre at The Royal London Hospital is open 9am-10pm on December 25 and January 1 (0207 943 1333).
Doctors Direct (020 8416 1444). Open throughout Christmas as normal, but you have to pay for home visits.
Hospitals Accident and emergency departments are open 24 hours over the Christmas and New Year period.

Dentists
For emergency dental treatment when your dental surgery is closed, call 020 7377 7151 for free advice and help with finding emergency treatment; or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Pharmacies
Zafash is open 24 hours daily, 233-235 Old Brompton Rd, SW5 (020 7373 2798).

For more information on medical services contact the 24-hour NHS Direct helpline on 0845 4647/www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.