Day: December 24, 2016

Season Greetings from London Town

Christmas tree in St James's Place London
Christmas tree in St James’s Place London

This is a compilation of pictures of different season decorations around London. Except where otherwise noted all pictures were taken in December 2016 by our correspondent/photographer.

All images in the blog are copyright TheLosAngeleno.com
Boots pharmacy on Oxford Street London
Boots pharmacy on Oxford Street London
Carnaby Street W1 City of Westminster
Carnaby Street W1
City of Westminster
Carnaby Street W1 City of Westminster
Carnaby Street W1
City of Westminster
Carnaby Street W1 City of Westminster
Carnaby Street W1
City of Westminster
Carnaby Street W1 City of Westminster
Carnaby Street W1
City of Westminster
House of Fraser Oxford Street side street entrance
House of Fraser Oxford Street side street entrance
Kensington High Street
Kensington High Street
Whole Foods Kensington High Street Veuve Clicquot window display
Whole Foods Kensington High Street Veuve Clicquot window display
Somewhere in London
Somewhere in London
Oxford Street decorations
Oxford Street decorations
Piccadilly Circus with the Eros staatue
Piccadilly Circus with the Eros staatue
Closeup of the statue on the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain as the formal name is
Closeup of the statue on the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain as the formal name is

Even though the fountain and the statue is generally referred to as just Eros, the name of the fountain is the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. It was constructed in 1892-93 to commemorate the philanthropic work of Lord Shaftesbury, famous Victorian politician and philanthropist. The sculpture is actually not of Eros but rather Eros brother Anteros. The sculptor Alfred Gilbert had already made a sculpture of Anteros and he used this again for the Shaftesbury memorial fountain statue.

Covent Garden market
Covent Garden market
2014 Reindeer Covent Garden
2014 Reindeer Covent Garden

The silver Reindeer was not there this year, but we like it so much that we decided to put this picture from 2014 up.

From one street around Covent Garden
From one street around Covent Garden
Christmas tree Covent Garden
Christmas tree Covent Garden
Shirazeh Houshiary’s Christmas Tree at tate Britain Millbank entrance
Shirazeh Houshiary’s Christmas Tree at Tate Britain the Millbank entrance

The upside down Christmas Tree at Tate Britain is quite spectacular and well worth a visit on it’s own, but there’s more… a lot of really good art.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays from TheLosAngeleno!
A view of the tree from below
A view of the tree from below

Elizabeth Tower with Big Ben to be refurbished

Palace of Westminster the Parliament building in London with the Elisabeth Tower witch houses "Big Ben".
Palace of Westminster the Parliament building in London with the Elizabeth Tower which houses the bell “Big Ben”.

If you want to look at the Elizabeth Tower (as the proper name is since 2012 when it was renamed in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II from being called “the Clock Tower”) with the Big Ben bell, you need to hurry up. Otherwise you risk having to wait three years or so to experience it in it’s full glory since it is to be renovated and scaffolding is going up in the beginning of 2017. The Tower was built in 1859 and it’s clock work as well as the tower itself need to be refurbished every so often and when this happens the bell will also be silent for times during the process. The tower and the clock is of course better known as the name of the big bell inside the tower, “Big Ben”.

Here is an excerpt from the Parliament website: “A three-year programme of essential works to conserve the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell, also known as Big Ben are due to begin early 2017.”

For more information on the Parliament website click here.

Elizabeth Tower.
Elizabeth Tower.
Close up of one of the four sides of the clock face in the Elizabeth Tower.
Close up of one of the four sides of the clock face in the Elizabeth Tower.
Union Jack
Union Jack