Feeling very Christmassy

 Poinsettias have been purchased so more and more the Christmas spirit is coming to the home.

Lucy watched me put them out and thought they might be edible... Like the chocolates in the advent calendar?

 brrrrrr brrrrrr it was so very VERY cold.

Wintry weather started our day on Wednesday with SNOW! Kids were so excited thinking it would last 3 weeks to Christmas...

A map and prints of Westminster a very long time ago below. The main map is dated 1710 and London was so very different then!

I was in meetings at Westminster Archives in London all day Wednesday. Coming out it was sunny and I captures a bit of the Christmas atmosphere there before heading off to Oxford st and Regent st to do some X-mas shopping for the family.

 The majesty of the Abbey with the sun crowning the twin towers.

 Westminster Abbey gift shop with their three varied trees:

 This looks like a tree too doesn't it? Lovely detail and gilding.

 All those statues looking down at one.

 And the Heavens so BLUE above.

 London Eye just in view.

 Big Ben

 The House of Parliament Christmas Tree outside.

 Alas this is nothing like the real thing: lots of detailed and differing snowflake patterns on Selfridges I think?

 A Scottish piper outside John Lewis but he played just the most dire tune and badly too. No temptation to take a better photo or indeed dance a bit!

 Come and sit down to eat! Looks inviting|? I think chairs are more comfy but I do like this.

Oh my favourite and had't been here for decades! It's expanded a bit and I bought my fur coat- to be- hooks here. Alas no suitable faux fur for cuffs and hood and not in John Lewis either.
There was a black astrakan for £52/m and a lovely deep white fur at £75/m but the white was too stark a contrast and I don't really like astrakan, I have a real astrakan black fur coat my mum passed over to me many years ago- it languishes in the attic.
Then some shopping in River Island and other teen -related shops; Top Shop, Pull and Bear, Zara and a walk to Tottenham Court and back through Soho and the garment- what's left of it- district behind Oxford St.

 ALL the lights are ON now- remember me grumbling in October? But am happy to see them now.
Regent St  lights have been commercial and film themed for the past few years and ghastly as a result BUT this year they have a proper theme: THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS and the reindeer antlers look SPECTACULAR.

This one is day 2...

In the garment district or Soho:

I stumbled across CANDY KITTENS of made in Chelsea fame but there was a party going on and I felt conspicuous taking a photo- turned out it was the launch party for the X-mad pop up shop in a little arcade behind Liberty.