My earliest memory of Christmas shopping in London harks back to the late 1970’s. I was about 7 years old and it was my first ever visit to
Liberty. Walking through the large wooden porch I saw the biggest Christmas tree I had ever seen. It filled the whole central atrium with the light and fragrance of Christmas. Since then, Liberty has had a very special place in my heart.
This year the magic continues with a nautical feel harking back to the building’s timber construction – created from the reclaimed wood of two ships – HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan. Here are some pictures of the fabulous store’s festive ship’s mast.
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| Liberty print fabric sails and gifts in the crows nest |
The crisp, clear air and the hustle and bustle along Oxford Street created the perfect atmosphere to set off the stunning Christmas lights along each major shopping street in the West End. I adore the individuality of each street which is reflected in their choice of lights. Carnaby Street has very retro look compared to the more refined lighting of New Bond Street.
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| Carnaby Street |
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| A street off Carnaby Street |
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| The famous Hamleys toy shop on Regent Street |
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| New Bond Street |
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| Boots on Oxford Street |
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| St Christopher Place |
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| Selfridges on Oxford Street |
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| House of Fraser and John Lewis stores in Oxford Street |
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| A beautifully beaded catwalk piece on show in Victoria’s Secret |
To make the trip even more special, Selfridges had a lovely little
Paddington Bear pop-up shop displaying the movie costumes of Mr Brown (Hugh Bonneville), Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins) and Mrs Bird (Julie Walters) ……
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| Mrs Brown (played by Sally Hawkins) |
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| Mrs Bird (played by Julie Walters) |
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| Mr Brown (played by Hugh Bonneville) |
………and of course Paddington Bears for sale.
