It is the custom at this time of year to get in a festive mood with a SWC evening walk around the West End Christmas lights. There is no GPX or walk directions, but the route hallowed by tradition is roughly:
Covent Garden * Seven Dials * through Soho to Carnaby Street * Oxford Street and maybe St Christopher's Place and the Selfridges windows * South Molton Street * Bond Street * the Fortnum & Mason windows in Piccadilly.
(A guide to this route may materialise on the day...otherwise Google Maps is your faithful dragoman for the evening.)
After that, those that wish can seek refreshment or nourishment, one idea being a visit to the Christmas market on the South Bank by the Royal Festival Hall - but other ideas are available.
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I worried it might be only me, but n=8 assembled at the front of Charing Cross for this walk. Despite doing our best to lose each other in the jostling, selfie-taking, Instagram-updating crowds (Covent Garden was particularly intense), we managed to stay together throughout the walk.
Ratings for the lights: Villiers Street - not as good as last year but at least they tried something different; Strand - restrained and nice, the best I have seen them; Covent Garden - a repeat of last year, but still stunning and probably the best of the evening; Seven Dials - different, a good effort; Carnaby Street - always innovative and worth seeing but not their best this year, I think; Regents Street - the shimmering angels are fabulous but this is about the tenth year they have used them, Oxford Street - same old same old; South Molton Street - very restrained, just a scattering of Christmas trees.
Bond Street - new lights this year but I preferred the old ones. The bling contest between the fashion brands was fun though. Dior won the Instagram contest with an extravagant tropical reef theme (but what has that to do with Christmas?). I preferred Cartier, which was arty and also got some products into its design.
To finish Fortnum & Mason with its Advent calendar facade and fabulous windows. (Hint: look at what the mice are up to).
It was now nearing 9pm and there was grumbling in the ranks about food and drink. Two peeled off at Piccadilly tube; six carried on to Whitehall. We tried a series of noisy pubs (one of us just in search of the loo). Finally five of us went to one in Whitehall which turned out not to be serving food. So one defected to the Silver Cross (where we had the party), while one had already bought a beer in the first pub. The remaining three of us had divided loyalties, but in the end we all ended up in the Silver Cross where three ate, one had only a quick drink, and four of us stayed till 22.22. Then home with a guilty glance at the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, which we had unfairly neglected.
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