southerndancemum Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Can anyone recommend certain areas to see decent Christmas lights etc? Wan to to take DD up in a couple of weeks for the day / eve and don't know where's best - she's not into shopping for clothes so only really thinking of convent garden for a hot Choc and street entertainment, and probably hamleys would love any other ideas :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottie Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I like to get on a bus at Oxford street, sit on the top deck on the right hand side of the bus and then enjoy the lights and then get off at Marble Arch. Best time is when it gets dark at about 4pm onwards. Walk along outside Selfridges and look at their windows. Go and look at Fortnum and Mason's window display. Trafalgar Square to see the Christmas tree. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southerndancemum Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 Thank you Lottie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottie Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Thought about some more Christmas things to see in London. http://www.visitlondon.com/tag/christmas-markets http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/40165958-southbank-centre-christmas-market http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/40307288-southbank-centres-winter-festival (I wasn't impresesed with Hyde Park Winter Wonderland as had just been to Vienna and seen some of the markets there and then this London one was a big disappointment) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 The lights on Bond Street are usually a good display. If you want to see some ice skating, then I think the one at Somerset House (at the Aldwych, close to Covent Garden) is the one in the most attractive setting IMO. Lovely at night, with the tree lit up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottie Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Skating at Somerset House - http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/skatesomersethouse?camefrom=CFC_UK_SOM_FM £5 tickets for some sessions - http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-1767-special-5-skate-tickets.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Arrowsmith Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Elizabeth Street in Pimlico/ Belgravia. Small but tasteful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 If you are going to the ROH then have a wander round the piazza. There's a big fake topiary reindeer and lots of huge baubles suspended from the ceiling of the arcade. Sloane Square and Duke of York Square are tastefully decorated for Christmas and you can pay a visit to my spiritual home, Peter Jones, which has a penguin themed window display for Christmas. There's a big Zara in DoY Square, plus Jack Wills, Jigsaw and Cath Kidson at this end of the King's Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 (edited) Sloane Square and Duke of York Square are tastefully decorated for Christmas and you can pay a visit to my spiritual home, Peter Jones, which has a penguin themed window display for Christmas. I think all the John Lewis branches must be having the penguin theme this year. The window displays in Oxford Street made me smile. One of them showed 2 baby penguins who have knocked over the laundry basket, and have ended up with lots of lingerie dangling from their beaks and wings. Edited November 25, 2014 by Fonty 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 Not sure when you are coming up to London, but I went down Bond Street yesterday, and can confirm the lights are lovely. Also, if you are thinking of going to Trafalger Square, they don't put the tree up until 4th December, when they have a lighting ceremony. After that, there are Christmas carols being sung every day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 The Lego reindeer and Father Christmas in the Covent Garden Piazza is rather fun but not sure how long it will be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Anyone who goes, please take photos and post them here. Really looking forward to seeing some London Christmas pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 (edited) I took quite a few last year, Melody. Some are a bit dark, though. If I can retrieve them from the external hard Drive I'll try and post some . Edited November 30, 2014 by aileen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Ive got a couple of the Lego Father Christmas and reindeer but I don't know how to post them to the balletcoforum site .....usually personal piccies don't seem to work. I did put one on Facebook but again not sure how to get from there to here!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Just tried to copy from my photo album and it didn't work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Harrods is also lovely at Christmas time! Last winter my son and I stood at Picadilly Circus by Eros and looked up Regent Street - it was super! Also the streets around Covent Garden all had Xmas lighting decorations, not just the actual Plaza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Was it last year or the year before when Eros was turned into a giant "glass snowball" sort of effect. It looked very good. Last time I passed it a few weeks back it had scaffolding around it so not sure what doing this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I saw Harrods and Fortnum and Mason's windows yesterday which were charming and classy, I missed Eros as the no.9 bus now goes via Pall Mall, I'm going again next week and will look out as I walk down Regent Street! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Oooh, I am so glad to see this thread as I was thinking about this exact same thing this afternoon. We are coming down to London on Weds for my DD's advanced 1 exam on Thurs so we have Weds late afternoon/ evening to kill, as well as Thursday morning. We are staying at a hotel near Waterloo Station. Unfortunately, as anyone who has read my recent thread on the Doing Dance forum will know, DD is nursing an ankle injury and is barely fit for the exam really, so I don't want to do a great deal of walking - and sadly the ice skating is a definite no-no! I don't know London well at all, so if anyone could suggest a bus route that will take in some of the Christmassy sites that won't involve us walking too far from the hotel I would really appreciate it. We are real country bumpkins and whilst I love our beautiful scenery I'm quite excited about seeing London at Christmas as despite my advanced years I've never been down at this time of year before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Hi there, The 139 bus goes from Waterloo station, and takes in Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Picadilly Circus, Oxford Street, and goes up to Selfridges at Marble Arch. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/139/?direction=inbound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 What about a trip on the river? You can access boat taxi service ......as opposed to a special boat trip from the Festival Hall this goes from Tate Modern to Tate Britain but you can pick it up in various places.....I think the Festival Hall would be nearest to Waterloo. If you did take an official trip then of course you will get some commentary which may be helpful if stranger to London. I know some trips start across the river from Festival Hall from the Embankment. Covent Garden has plenty to offer and will be very lively!!! That 139 bus route looks useful to know about I was going to suggest a couple of others but I think that one just about covers it all! Have a great couple of days anyway ......what time is the exam on Thursday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 You can walk across Waterloo bridge to the Aldwych, have a peep at the skaters at Somerset House, and then stroll up into Covent Garden. I did think about taking the river boat, but I am not sure if you will have enough time to make it worthwhile. The Thames Clipper is a hop on hop off circuit that covers quite a wide area. The blue route starts at the London Eye at Waterloo, London Bridge, the Tower of London, and down as far as Greenwich. It is fantastic if you have the whole day (and night), to take advantage of it, and I always take London visitors on it if they have the time. http://www.thamesclippers.com/route-time-table Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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