London Christmas Past - Christmas Lights of London

December 6th 1935: 19 years before organised Christmas lights reached Regent Street, Harry Gordon Selfridge's world-famous department store, then at the apex of its fame, boasted its own impressive display

Regent Street in 1954 the first year of its Christmas Light Displays - The inspiration of this years display 2016 the Spirit of Christmas 

Late November 1955 - Regent Street Christmas Lights - Snow Flakes - Snow Storm

Regent Street 1957 - Nov 30th - Gas Filled  Balloons

Oxford Street Christmas Lights - Late Nov 1960 -  Snow Flakes and a very impressive Selfridges with all those real Christmas Trees.

Oxford Street 1961 - Chinese Lanterns 

Regent Street 1964 - Fantastic Reindeer Installation for that year

Regent Street 1967 - Taken Nov 21st - Castles in the Clouds

Oxford Street Christmas - 1970 - Chandeliers 

Oxford Street Christmas 1992 - Les Miserables 

Regent Street 1997 - Sponsorship very much in evidence this year

Oxford Street Christmas 2000 

Regent Street Christmas 2002 - Stars and Baubles 

Oxford Street Christmas 2002 - Angels 

Regent Street Christmas 2003

Regent Street Christmas 2004 - The Incredibles 

Oxford Street 2007 - The Enchanted 

Regent Street Christmas 2007

Christmas Past - London Lights Up For Christmas

London, like Britain's other big cities, hails the festive season with a sparkling, glittering display. A quick tour of the West End reveals the variety and the ingenuity of this year's illuminations. Many give first prize to Regent Street: it's opulence of chandeliers is really rather magnificent.
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® Busy days for the Army Postal Department, and work going on right round the clock at the Acton Depot. Hundreds of thousands of parcels pouring in from all over the place. They got to be sorted out and sent all over the place, too. These presents for HM Forces overseas must get there in good time! ® And here is the Headquarters for a good Christmas cause: the collection of toys. The "Evening News" made the appeal for "toys for sick children". It is a voluntary effort, in which everybody can join. ® Tommy Steele and Benny Hill are supposed to be helping with the Lord Mayor of London's giant Christmas pudding. It's to be a one hundred and sixty pounder, to provide portions for a thousand people. All the ingredients come from Australia.

Christmas Past - Regent Street 1957

Balloon Theme - Heavy Traffic - Taken in Dec 1957

England's Christmas street decorations from the past

From balloons and horses to traditional crowns and stars, Christmas decorations in all shapes, sizes and colours have brightened up England's streets over the years. Enjoy some examples of the past here:

London's Christmas displays are world famous, and more than 50 years ago they were just as innovative with decorations shaped like hot-air balloons featuring in Regent Street's display in 1957.

In neighbouring Oxford Street the Christmas lights first went up in 1959.

In the 1960s, the street featured huge illuminated festive decorations which created a breathtaking spectacle.

In the same decade, Christmas decorations of all shapes and sizes brightened up town and city streets across the country, including in Birmingham, Norwich and in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

In Manchester, vehicles and precarious looking ladders were used to install the decorations in Market Street in the 1960s.

By 1993, thousands of Christmas lights were used to decorate the city's Albert Square.

In Newcastle, illuminated stars, snowflakes, angels and candles attached to street lights decorated Northumberland Street in 1987.

In Mousehole, in west Cornwall, Christmas lights have brightened up the village and quays for more than 50 years.

The spectacle attracts people from all over the world.

Over the years world-famous department stores have also competed to lure shoppers through their doors with glamorous outdoor displays.

From Christmas trees positioned between the pillars at Selfridges in London in 1935, to thousands of bright lights being used in festive displays in Harrods and Hamleys almost 70 years later.

The Christmas tree has been the centrepiece of many of the displays. Since 1947 the pine tree in London's Trafalgar Square has been a gift from the people of Norway in recognition of Britain's support during World War Two.

The following year, in the capital's Regent Street, battery-operated lights were precariously placed around Christmas trees on department store window ledges.

And in 1949, Euston Station's main booking hall was decorated with Christmas trees and festive displays.

Christmas Past - Regent Street 1957

December 1957. Crowds of people can be seen on the left outside Liberty's department store and the Galeries Lafayette. There are Christmas decorations strung overhead across the street. The road is blocked with traffic, including two crowded R.T.-type buses.

Regent Street crowded with traffic just before Christmas - photograph - Source

Christmas Past - 1961 Regent Street Lights - Angels Blowing Trumpets

This photo shows the lights in 1961. They include angels blowing trumpets and swags of lights stretched across the street. The street is busy with cars and buses. To the left of the shot, a tree decorated with lights can be seen above a shop doorway.

Copyright:

Transport for London

Source 

Christmas Past - The exterior Christmas display at Selfridges in December 1953

Extravagant and elaborate window and exterior displays at Christmas time and during Royal celebrations have been a tradition at Selfridges since the founder Henry Selfridge first lit the shop windows at night for passers-by to see goods on sale in 1890

Henry Grant Collection / Museum of London

Christmas Past - 1940

In many ways, Christmas 1940 was the first war-time Christmas of World War Two. Celebrating during heavy rationing and restrictions – whilst surviving heavy bombing and coping with the threat of invasion – was a battle in itself.

Photo: A child sleeps in an air-raid shelter festooned with Christmas decorations – a not uncommon sight in December 1940.

TV Times Christmas Cover 1982 - What Was On

Christmas Eve Friday 24th December 1982

  ITV London

  9.30am  Sesame Street

10.30am  A Handful of Songs

10.40am  Once Upon a Time

10.55am  The Dollar Bottom  starring Robert Urquhart

11.30am  A Christmas Treat  read by Edna O'Brien

12.00       Aldabra-Island of Giant Tortoises

  1.00pm  News at One

  1.20pm  Thames News

  1.30pm  The Journey 

  2.00pm  We Six Kings  The King's Singers from Nostell Priory

  2.30pm  Film : Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood

  4.15pm  Strawberry Ice  spectacular fantasy on ice

  5.15pm  The Goodies Christmas Special  Snow White part 2

  5.45pm  ITN News

  6.00pm  Thames Weekend News

  6.15pm  Cartoon Time

  6.30pm  Punchlines! with Lennie Bennett

  7.00pm  A Christmas Lantern  with Cliff Richard, Una Stubbs, Robert Hardy,
                Christopher Timothy, Mike Reid and Wayne Sleep

  8.00pm  In Loving Memory  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
  8.30pm  The Stanley Baxter Hour

  9.30pm  ITN News

  9.45pm  A Christmas Carol  Thea Musgrave operatic version

11.45pm  Watchnight Service  from St Andrew's and St George's Church of Scotland, Edinburgh

12.30am  Closedown

  ITV Yorkshire (as ITV London except)
  1.20pm  Calendar News, Weather

  6.00pm  Calendar, Weather


  Christmas Day Saturday 25th December 1982

  ITV London

  9.00am  Film : Journey Back to Oz  cartoon

10.30am  Christmas Morning Service  from the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady, St John's Wood

11.30am  Film : Enid Blyton's Island of Adventure  with Wilfrid Brambell and Norman Bowler

  1.00pm  Film Fun at Christmas  with Derek Griffiths

  2.00pm  Andy Williams' Christmas Special

  3.00pm  The Queen

  3.05pm  Film : The Parent Trap  starring Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara & Brian Keith

  5.25pm  ITN News

  5.35pm  3-2-1  with Ted Rogers

  6.35pm  Game for a Laugh

  7.25pm Bruce Forsyth's Play Your Cards Right

  8.00pm  Film : The Black Hole  starring Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins and Robert Forster

  9.50pm  Chas and Dave's Christmas Knees-Up

10.50pm  ITN News

10.55pm  Cleo and John  Cleo Laine and John Dankworth
11.55pm  Christmas at Radio GOSH  at Great Ormond Street Hospital

12.05am  Closedown

  ITV Yorkshire (as ITV London)



  Christmas Sunday 26th December 1982

  ITV London

  9.00am  A Snow White Christmas, animated sequel to the fairy tale

  9.50am  Day of Days, Dr Robert Runcie looks back to the historic Canterbury service with the Pope

10.20am  The Birth of Christ, with Dr John Newton, past-president of the Methodist Conference

10.50am  FILM: The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie

12.30pm  Survival Special: Tiger !, Tiger !

  1.30pm  University Challenge

  2.00pm  Film : Benji, with Edgar Buchanan and Peter Breck

  3.30pm  The Krankies Christmas Club

  4.15pm  The Pyramid Game

  4.45pm  Pop Goes Christmas  with David Essex, Shakin' Stevens, Toyah and many others

  5.40pm  Bullseye

  6.10pm  ITN News

  6.15pm  Children Sing Christmas  introduced by Nanette Newman, from Salisbury Cathedral

  7.15pm  FILM: Bear Island  starring Donald Sutherland, Vanessa Redgrave & Richard Widmark

  9.25pm  Secombe at Christmas  with Gemma Craven and Christopher Gable

10.25pm  ITV News

10.30pm  Rod Stewart- Tonight He's Yours  at the Los Angeles Forum last Christmas

12.10am  Closedown : Peace on Earth  with Barbara Leigh-Hunt

12.20am  Closedown

  ITV Yorkshire (as ITV London except)

12.10am  Five Minutes

12.15am  Closedown


  Boxing Day Monday 27th December 1982

  ITV London

  9.30am  Cockleshell Bay

  9.40am  Rainbow

  9.55am  Stainless Steel and the Star Spies

10.45am  Dangermouse

11.05am  Film : Black Beauty with Mark Lester

  1.00pm  ITN News

  1.05pm  Racing from Kempton (1.10, 1.40, 2.15 races)

  2.30pm  Film : Hollywood : The Gift of Laughter

  5.15pm  ITN News and Sport

  5.30pm  Give Us a Clue, presented by Michael Aspel

  6.00pm  Coronation Street

  6.30pm  The James Bond Film : Moonraker  starring Roger Moore, Richard Kiel and Lois Chiles

  9.00pm  The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show

10.00pm  ITN News

10.15pm  Film : California Suite  starring Michael Caine, Alan Alda, Maggie Smith,
                Walter Matthau, Jane Fonda and Elaine May

12.15am  Closedown : Sit Up & Listen with Barbara Leigh-Hunt

  ITV Yorkshire (as ITV London except)

12.10am  Closedown