London's Christmas Lights & Windows 2015

It's Christmas season again in London. It feels like we have already just had Christmas because the time has gone quickly. I've had such a busy year with moving house and a working month-to-month on a busy job with a lot of overtime. A few weekends ago, I had a quick wander across London to see some of London's Christmas lights and window displays. I love walking around the city at this time of the year to see the decorations.

Cartier in Mayfair

The journey begins at Oxford Street where the same lights as last year have been used (covered here). These lights are gold and silver orbs ranging in different sizes, and they do look magical. The John Lewis and Debenhams department stores also have the same lights. (I did not take photographs of the John Lewis window display this year as I felt that it was not 'special'.)

Boots on Oxford Street is always decorated, but this year's lights are new and colourful, featuring stars and baubles and wishing shoppers a "Merry Christmas".

St. Christopher's Place is a small area of shopping just north from Oxford Street. This year's lights are large disco balls and gianty red and white baubles with snowflakes. I thought that these were very pretty.

Here's another giant bauble light.

Selfridges rarely disappoints, and this year's window and lights were themed around the moon. Christmas this year is the same day as the full moon, so this has proved popular in advertising. John Lewis' Christmas advertisement this year featured the man on the moon, which also supported AgeUK charity for older people. Selfridge's included a lit-up moon above the entrance, and the light projected onto it was animated.

The highlight of the window displays this year included the 'Star Wars' theme with the costume that Rey (Daisy Ridley) wore and a life-size replica of the droid BB-8. This is near the shop entrance.

The other windows featured scenes inspired by the planets, the zodiac symbols, and mythology (as mythology does tie in to the planets). I am sure that I picked out Mars and Apollo. The side windows to the store featured facts about space, the moon, and so on. The large corner window on the western side featured a model of our solar system. However, I felt that the windows were slightly underwhelming this year.

Across the street, Marks and Spencer's boasted new lights. These are projected onto the building and animated with different colours, featuring a large bow on the front of the building.

Meanwhile, Liberty department store featured a little bit of nostalgia. Their window displays are always packed but never themed as much.

Regent Street has new lights this year, and I have covered them here.

Carnaby Street always feature new lights. I covered their party lights here. They are nearly always my favourite area to look at for Christmas lights in London.

In addition, be sure to check out the giant plug on the wall of one of the buildings as it is always decorated too.

Next up is Choccywoccydoodah, who always do chocolate sculptures for Christmas. Their small shop off Carnaby Street is always packed.

Mayfair's decorations were the same this year with the blue arches on South Molton Street and the feathery lights on New Bond Street. The Stella McCarntney shop also used the same bright lights, but Cartier's was different (see the top of the post).

Many of the shops in Mayfair have outside decorations trimmed with pine.

Fortnum and Mason's Christmas window displays were gorgeous, featuring many of their items. This looked like the perfect items for Christmas.

I loved the gold Christmas pudding and the pudding with the silver and gold almonds pouring out of it.

Their shop from was dressed with the standard Christmas trees.

The Strand also had Christmas lights down it this year.

Last but not least, Covent Garden retained its giant silver reindeer that was used in previous years. It also retained the Lego sculpture; this year's was Santa's Express train. You can read my post about it here.