Tour of Britain: the London stage

Central London hosted the final stage of the Tour of Britain today.   The streets were closed to traffic, creating a 100 kilometre, 16-lap cycling course around Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Whitehall, Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street.   I spent the afternoon watching the race on Regent Street. The Tour of Britain started last Sunday…

Wonderpass

As winter moves into spring, daffodils are blooming in London.  Here is an image from Regent’s Park, taken on 29th February in this Leap Year. To reach the park from my home, I need to cross the busy Marylebone Road.  I have a few options, above ground and below ground.  One of the subterranean routes…

Chinese New Year in London

Decorations are up in London again, this time for Chinese New Year.   Although today is the first day of the lunar New Year, the main festivities are scheduled for the weekend. The next sign is less inviting, with the same “Avoid the Area” message sent out for Christmas events. If you are in Chinatown this…

Christmas Eve in Marylebone

It’s Christmas Eve, and London is quieter than normal, as many people leave town for Christmas.  This may actually be the best time of year to be in Marylebone. All the lights and decoration add to the special atmosphere.  I was very tempted to go in to Opso on Paddington Street for some Greek food…

Nativity

At the heart of the Christmas celebrations is the Christian story of the birth of Jesus.  In looking at London’s Christmas decorations, I saw very few religious scenes, so for this post I visited a church. All Saints, Margaret Street is located north of Oxford Circus, in Fitzrovia.  Turning off the street into the courtyard…

Light on the Shortest Day

Today is the shortest day of the year in London, so I’m posting my shiniest, brightest photos.  Here’s a golden bauble from the tree at the Grosvenor House Hotel to act as a substitute for the sun. The North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun today, giving the people of the northern hemisphere…

Christmas Soldiers

Yesterday I shared pictures of London’s festive wreaths.  Today I have photos of another quirky Christmas decoration.   Isn’t it odd that a festival of joy, peace, light and family should have a tradition of using toy soldiers as decorations? We can blame Ernst Hoffmann for writing a novella called “The Nutcracker and the Mouse…

Festive Wreaths

Like brussels sprouts, Christmas wreaths divide opinion.  They can be a creative use of natural materials available in winter, like Christmas tree branches, pine cones or holly, woven together in a circle full of symbolism of evergreen eternity.   But in countries where wreaths are symbols of mourning, it can also seem odd to use them…