CHRISTMAS 2019

So here we are at the end of another year and time for the final blog post this year.
And it seems strange how long this build up to Christmas has been, what with the
tv channels showing their Christmas films around mid September. It felt like we had
jumped from late Summer and straight into the festive season.
Even I've been playing all my favourite Christmas music since the start of November.
So I'll probably be glad to hear the back of them by Boxing Day.

So for the last few weeks I've been running all around our Capital snapping away at
some of our top festive and seasonal spots, trying to visit new places so that I don't
repeat pictures from last year's big end of year post.

Sadly no real Christmas tree this year so I've set up my artificial Nordmann Fir. You
might remember that I planted my real tree in the back garden last Summer so as to
let it grow and mature. Perhaps I'll get a new real one next year.
With artificial trees you can never get that real tree effect.

Anyway, enjoy all the London festive photos and have a Merry Christmas.
(More added photos further down in the right hand side banner space).

CHRISTMAS ON VINYL

Although I love a lot of those 70's and 80's classic festive music songs, for me
nothing beats the old Masters of swing. Artists like Bing, Frank, Ella and
Dean Martin.
The Snowman LP (above) which I got last Christmas comes as a white vinyl
disc. I keep thinking that it looks like white chocolate.
The top two albums above 'The Christmas Album' and Bing's 'White Christmas'
are ones I bought new this year.

I think my red Bucket Hat matches my festive jumper.

Below is my choice for this year's favourite festive tune. And it's something
I've always liked ever since hearing the original by Greg Lake
of Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
You might say that this version is performed in the style of a Carol.
It's certainly popular right now on Classic F.M, the home of Christmas
music.

I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS  SUNG BY THE VISARI SINGERS.

All aboard for an afternoon Festive Tea Bus Tour. And here's one bus I caught
up with while walking down the Brompton Road.

www.b-bakery.com 

No it's not a Golden Thai Temple. This is the famous Churchill Arms Pub in Notting Hill Gate
West London where the entire building is festooned with Christmas trees. There could even be
up to a hundred trees this year as the Landlord was keen to beat last years record of 93 trees.

But the reason that The Churchill Arms is so well known is not because of it's Christmas festive
display, this is something that's fairly new. It's actually the Pub's Summertime display of hundreds
of hanging baskets that contain Geraniums, Impatiens and lots of Summer bedding plants
that cover the entire building. And understandably it is a very popular London instagram spot.

While I was there I thought I'd pop into the Pub itself and I was completely bowled over by
it's charm and cozy atmosphere. It even had a roaring fire right next to another Christmas tree.
And if an American tourist is ever looking for that typical cozy quaint English Pub, then they
need look no further.


Below is a video news report by ITV (not BBC) featuring the familiar face of Martin Stew from
ITV's local London evening tv show. This report is from last year. But I have to say that the tree
lights were much brighter on my visit than they were in this report. I didn't even need to adjust
the pictures in my Windows Photo program.

I nearly almost walked right past Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly due to the fact that it was all lit
up in red, something I'd not seen before. But what a clever idea to have the whole of the front of
the building turned into an advent calendar.
And at around 6.00 pm quite a crowd had gathered outside to hear the Fortnum & Mason
clock strike which always signals the models of Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason, who emerge from
their clock cupboards on the hour.

Above: The Fortnum & Mason Clock

Earlier on this month I managed to dash over to Trafalgar Square for the lighting of
the Christmas tree, our annual gift from the people of Norway. And to switch on the
tree was guest of honour Marianne Borgen The Mayor of Oslo. And it was quite clear
that the Mayor had caught wind of the criticism aimed at what most people are calling
a very poor and sick looking tree.
I say this because the Mayor of Oslo in her speech said quite unapologetically
"This is how our trees look. They all look like this. And yes, this is how we hang
our lights."  And listening to the Mayor I even detected a hint of anger in her voice.
And her statement even brought on a moment of awkward silence from the
huge crowds.
Even one or two Norwegian tourists visiting London had nothing good to say
about the 90 year old tree, saying on the evening tv news that they could have
sent a better one.
Of course we are very greatful for this annual gift from the good people of Norway,
but are we seeing some kind of culture clash taking place here. And I
can't help thinking that this annual fiasco will just continue every year.

So I just wonder if perhaps the Mayor's department in Oslo would ever consider
changing over from a traditional Norway Spruce, to the tree that we here in the U.K,
and certainly almost everywhere, consider to be a real domestic Christmas tree, that
being the Nordmann Fir Tree (picture below). Even my own artificial tree is based
on the appearance of a Nordmann Fir, as are all artificial trees. Can you imagine
the even bigger crowds that would be drawn to Trafalgar Square if they were to
unveil and light up a Nordmann Fir Tree.

Check the two pictures below and ask yourself which tree represents Christmas
because I don't think it is the tree on the right. If anything it looks like a distant
relative of the dreaded English Leylandii known as a Leyland Cypress. It's the one
garden tree that has caused so many skirmishes and Court cases between garden
neighbours at war.

MORE ON THIS STORY ON THE BBC NEWS WEBSITE
  

Below: Marianne Borgen Mayor of Oslo.

So why has the BBC decided to charge these poor elderly
and vulnerable members of our society with their tv tax?

Having walked around Regent Street and Oxford Circus we suddenly ended up outside
the front of the BBC London Studios in Portland Place. And right now the BBC is not my favourite
British institution, and hasn't been for quite a while. The BBC that I grew up watching is
nothing like it is today.
They must be licking their wounds what with the recent Tory Election win plus the news that
Brexit is finally starting to get moving, something that they hoped would never happen.

It used to puzzle me why other people living around the globe couldn't wait to get their daily fix
of the BBC' s World Service tv output. But then little are they aware of the rampant bias that
we have to put up with on our own British domestic Service. What they're getting is something else.
It also disappoints me that people from around the world choose to read that left wing rag
The Guardian in the hope of reading authentic un-biased news coming out of the U.K.
The Guardian is also the House newspaper of the BBC. They even recruit through their pages.
All potential BBC hopeful employee candidates are required to be of a left wing persuasion,
preferably anti-Tory as well as anti-Brexit. Any of those qualities and you just might get a job
with the BBC.
That's not to say that I support The Tories. I still think that they're the nasty uncaring Party that
they've always been. And thanks to them, many families in the U.K this Christmas will struggle,
with many having to rely on Food Banks.

There was a time when BBC News reporters and presenters would simply give us the facts.
But now, the likes of Laura Kuenssberg, Andrew Marr and co are not happy unless they are
bashing the Tories and rubbishing Brexit while giving us their own opinions on the news. Something
they are not paid to do. And of course their social media pages gives them carte blanche to
say what they like, something Channel 4 are looking into by stopping their non politico staff
from tweeting about politics.
And of course the BBC will be heading into hot water next year when they start to rob our Pensioners
over 75 and demand that they start to pay for their tv licence, something that is currently
free to the over 75's.


Below is the 'One Show' studio in the front public foyer. It's a front of house show that comes
on our screens every night from Monday to Friday. And if it's opening theme tune comes tearing
into my living room, then I'll often risk life and limb to reach for the tv remote just to turn it off.

Here's a blog I read avidly every day which monitors the constant bias that seeps out of the BBC
on a daily basis. And yet I always thought that Craig's Bias Blog (below) would sound better
if it was called......'Is The BBC Biased, Is the Pope Catholic.'

IS THE BBC BIASED

I thought that I'd pop over and have a look at the Camden Town
festivities, although there wasn't really much to report about.
I was actually drawn there by the news that Camden Market Lock
had installed their first Ice Rink. But it was only a small one mainly
for children.
But I was impressed with their big Christmas tree at the entrance
to the Market.

Above is the entrance to Carnaby Street which was once again looking
it's usual colourful self.
And this year's display is adorned with the powerful message One Ocean
One Planet, a collaboration with Ocean conservation charity Project Zero.

The Ocean themed light installation was switched on by Rolling Stone
Ronnie Wood back in early November. 

Here's a hidden spot I haven't visited in a while. It's one of London's
largest festive wreaths displayed on the front of the building in South
Cresent.
And not that many visitors to the West End ever get to see it as it's
concealed and hidden behind the main shopping street at Tottenham
Court Road.

Back on Sunday 1st of December our local Village at Hampstead
put on it's annual festivities. The event is not as big as it used to
be, but it does seem to be picking up. This year they put on a Stage
area with some local performers. So we could be slowly getting back
to the days when the event was more ambitious.

One of the biggest surprises when on my festive London walkabout was back in early
December when I was looking around Sloane Square near the famous Kings Road.
And I suddenly caught sight of the Holy Trinity Church so I decided to pop in and have a look.
And what I saw and heard was something I had not expected. I had walked in on the Boy's
Choir of The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School rehearsing Handel's epic Messiah
with the Hallelujha Chorus reverberating around the walls of this well known Church. 
It was absolutely awesome and like being in another world. And yet this was just a
run through rehearsal for the official Concert performance a couple of hours later that
same evening.
The boys were also accompanied by a string and Brass Orchestra. And throughout the rehearsal
while I was there, an official photographer was running around frantically taking lots of
pictures from every possible angle. I later found a page that he posted up online with all
the photos he took that evening while I and a dozen other onlookers were there watching
on in disbelief.

PHOTOGRAPHER WEENSON Oo's PICTURES OF THE BOYS
FROM THE CARDINAL VAUGHAN MEMORIAL SCHOOL CHOIR.
HERE

The images by Weenson Oo were taken during the rehearsal as well
as the actual ticketed Concert later that same evening.
Apparently the boys regularly go on Choir performances around the
world. And next year sees them taking on another busy travel schedule.