If you are a bit of a Scrouge, or prone to Gringe-like sentiments, then look away now.Perhaps it may be a little early, but living in London it would be impossible to escape the festive spirit. Tinsel shops follow me home, there is a twinkle in every window and the heady smell of gingerbread wafts from open Starbuck's doors. Winter Wonderland has opened at Hyde Park, and ice skaters skid and spin outside the Natural History Museum, couples and families holding hands and sharing cold kisses. As I plunge mittened hands into my coat pockets, ears bitten by the cold and my breath rising in misty clouds, it is these signs of winter creeping its way towards Christmas that put a smile on my face.
I think I was a Christmas Elf in a past life. December arrives and I have an irrational urge to take to the street with a basket and distribute freshly baked gingerbread-men and cookies to random passers by, so eager am I to spread festive cheer. Anything red or sparkly suddenly seems not just appealing, but completely vital. I know all the words to Christmas Carols. I know the names of all the reindeer. My favourite smell is that of Christmas trees (because as a Christmas Elf a Christmas tree isn't a Christmas tree unless it has real branches).
Since October, when the first decorations started appearing around London, I have been fighting a battle with the Elf inside of me. But today, with a month to go until Christmas Eve, the Elf has won.
For the next month I have set myself a challenge to test my dedication to this cinnamon-scented season. When I was younger it used to be a Christmas ritual to come up to London and look at the lights and the Christmas windows, so being here for my first year is an occasion not to go unmarked. I plan to post a festive London photo every day between now and Christmas Eve.
I hope you enjoy, and that by the end of it you will understand why it is impossible to live in London at this time of year and not have Jingle Bells as a permanent soundtrack to your life.
When it comes to Christmas windows, Selfridge's seemed a natural place for me to start, not least because of the sheer PINKness of one of their windows.
The Selfridge's windows were certainly eye catching and packed a punch on colour, but they didn't deliver that much on Christmas in the traditional sense. However, fear not... there is plenty more of that to come :)Libby
I thought the male mannequin had an uncanny resemblance to Tony Blair at first, but on zooming in first impressions seemed what silly. His plastic visage lacks the stress lines of Prime Ministership. Very approving of this challenge though :) don't wear yourself out!
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