In pictures: London Boxing Day sales 2015

Thousands of shoppers have descended on London in a bid to bag a Boxing day bargain.

The New West End Company, which represents 600 retailers in the area, said stores could earn more than £100m over the next three days.

It said 50% of Boxing Day shoppers in the capital were tourists, with most coming from China, the Middle East and the US.

New West End Company says 600 retailers in the area could take in £100m over the next three days

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Selfridges said it had taken in more than £2m in an hour - a new record for the retailer.

It said it expected 130,000 shoppers to visit its flagship store on Oxford Street.

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Image captionPeople began queuing outside Selfridges from 01:00 GMT

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Image captionSelfridges expects 130,000 people to visit its London store on the first day of Boxing Day Sales

Image copyrightPA

Image captionShoppers at Harrods were treated to an in-store performance of Elf. Cast members lined up to welcome the first wave of bargain-hunters into the shop

Image copyrightPA

Image captionHarrods staff served hot drinks to people waiting for it to open. Queues outside its Knightsbridge store ran around the corner of the building, with more than one million customers expected to visit over the course of its winter sale

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image captionThe shopping in the West End's big-name shops is being fuelled by tourists, mostly from China, the Middle East and the US

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionHigh street retailers and luxury brands saw thousands of shoppers come through their doors
BBC News

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge beamed as they arrived for the traditional Sandringham Christmas Day service

Gorgeous in green: Kate dazzles in festive coat and hat as she leaves George and Charlotte at home to attend royals' traditional Christmas Day church service at Sandringham 

• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge beamed as they arrived for the traditional Sandringham Christmas Day service
• The royal couple, who chose to leave their young children at home, walked to the church alongside Prince Harry 
• The Queen, who looked festive in a vibrant red coat and matching hat, was the first to arrive in a Bentley
• The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were also in attendance

The Duchess of Cambridge beamed as she arrived alongside husband William for the traditional Christmas Day church service at Sandringham estate - but their two young children were nowhere to be seen.

The royal couple chatted to Prince Harry as they followed the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall to St Mary Magdalene Church. But despite speculation that two-year-old Prince George might make his first appearance at the event, the toddler and his seven-month-old sister Charlotte were left at home.

Led by the Queen who arrived in a Bentley wearing a festive red dress coat, the rest of the family made their way on foot from Sandringham House.

Anne, the Princess Royal, looked in good spirits as she accompanied her father, the Duke of Edinburgh, while the Duke of York was joined by his children, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. 

Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex walked alongside their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. Some 1,000 well-wishers gathered braved bad weather to join in the festivities, which started with the National Anthem and the hymn Angels From The Realm Of Glory.

Source Daily Mail

What's it like working in John Lewis at Christmas?

Working at John Lewis during the Christmas season is a particularly intense experience, writes BBC reporter and one-time temporary employee, Josephine McDermott.

The first thing you have to get to grips with when you start working for John Lewis is the language of the partnership.

It was my first day working in the Christmas department of Peter Jones in Chelsea and on asking where my manager was, the reply came: "Dominic's recovering in babywear."

Fair enough, I thought. It had been a busy day, but babywear? The image of a 6ft guy in a pink romper suit entered my head. It transpired that when partners (the workers) are called to "recover" - as they are over a tannoy at the end of the day - it means they are tidying up the stock on display, moving products to the front of racks and re-folding endlessly unfolded clothing. He was doing this in the baby section downstairs.

The staff customs and rituals took a bit of getting used to, but when it came to the customers, my customer service training had fully prepared me. No, we would never knowingly be undersold on a set of popsicle cluster tree lights. We would smile and greet each shopper, asking them if they needed assistance.

And on our break times in the comfortable John Lewis staff room, we sat there knowing that we all owned the business we were working for and would receive a share based on how hard we worked to make profit.

On my second day in Christmas Stationery, I posed with my manager for a photograph for the staff magazine The Chronicle. We were to be lauded for how the department looked - our impressive "wall" of boxes of Christmas crackers reaching from floor to ceiling, our selection of tree decorations including bejewelled pear baubles from the Vintage Forest collection - the last word in baubles that year - and our huge selection of flat wrap and roll wrap. But praise mainly came for the fact we'd opened ahead of schedule. It was 27 September. Ninety days until Christmas. And Day One of Frosty the Snowman being played.

Image copyrightNASA

The next important thing I learned was how to stifle contortions of rage and agony with a cheerful festive partner smile when a customer innocently asked if I could "Check if you've got it in stock". We were on the fourth floor of the department store and our stock room was on the ground floor. As staff weren't allowed to use the lifts I found myself scurrying up and down the 1930s staircase in my pencil skirt, beige blouse, John Lewis badge and sensible shoes dozens of times a day.

It was by far the worst part of the job. But as a fresh graduate, my last gig had been cleaning toilets in Italy. The other young girl in the department had come fresh from dressing as a badger in WHSmith's.

As Christmas Stationery rolled towards the big day, the customers changed. By Christmas Eve, we had frenzied men, weighed down with bags, who'd sell their children if you agreed to wrap their presents for them. I got yelled at by a customer because I couldn't answer whether Christmas stamps cost more than regular stamps. And no, we don't sell stamps I'm afraid.

I also got a ticking off from my manager because my wrapping of baubles in tissue paper wasn't up to standard. Have you tried wrapping a bauble? I focused on how this job was paying for me to go travelling while I considered the next 20 champagne gold textured baubles I had to lovingly swathe.

We'd all secretly been looking forward to Christmas Eve. This would surely be the day when shoppers caught up with our premature exuberance for the festive season. Not a bit of it. It was agony. We had no stock left, it was freezing cold, the customers were stressed out of their heads and Frosty the Snowman was still playing.

Fourteen years later, I can't hear that song without pulling a stock room face. I guess I'm still recovering.

BBC

Christmas gift for retiring PC who saved dog's life

A homeless man has bought chocolates and a Christmas card for a police officer who helped his injured dog on her last shift before retirement.

Rocco, a Rottweiler, had broken free of his leash and run in front of a car, injuring his hind leg.

PC Lou Richards found him while working her last shift in the mounted branch of the Metropolitan Police.

PC Richards said the card and presents meant more to her than "anything else I've done in my career"

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She managed to track down a vet who treated him free of charge, to the joy of his owner, Darren Thornton.

Three days later a box of chocolates and a Christmas card addressed to the "Three Angels", PC Richards and her fellow officers PC Claire Twig and PC Holly Hine, arrived at the police horses' stables from Mr Thornton.

'Heart-warming'

PC Richards said the card and presents meant more to her "than anything else I've done in my career".

PC Cath I'Anson, of the Met's mounted branch, said Darren had become Rocco's owner after he started walking him on behalf of an elderly lady who went into a care home.

"Since then the two of them have been inseparable and it has meant a lot to Darren that our officers were able to ensure Rocco received the care he needed," she said.

"Life is pretty tough for Darren at the moment and it is really heart-warming to see local officers and residents coming together to help out."

BBC News

A Very Merry Christmas From All Of Us At All About London

Best Wishes - May all of you be warm, safe and be truly happy this Christmas.

Christmas Past - London Christmas Lights in 1997

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Londoner creates festive Tube map to help spread Christmas cheer

A Londoner has created a Tube map with a festive twist to help spread Christmas cheer. The man, who asked only to be named as Paul, created the innovative design as a Christmas card for friends. Stations include 'We Three Kings Cross St. Pancras', 'Holyborn' and 'Myrrhgate'.

Others listed include 'Mornington Present', 'Charing Frost' and 'Winterloo'. 

But one stop which did not require a name change was Angel in Islington. 

The map's creator, who tweets as @bitoclass, said he made the map to send out to friends and family, adding: "I also sent the idea to the London Transport Museum shop in the hope they'd like to mass produce them for Christmas but they didn't reply, sadly!"

Sauce - Evening Song - Banner Standards

St Paul's Services - Blessings To All This Christmas

24 7:30am Morning Prayer 8:00am Eucharist 8:30am Doors open for sightseeing 12:30pm Eucharist 1:15pm Last entry for sightseeing 4:00pm Christmas Carol Service View more 11:30pm Midnight Eucharist View more

25 CHRISTMAS DAY 8:00am Holy Communion View more 8:45am Morning Prayer View more 11:00am Sung Eucharist View more 3:15pm Festal Evensong View more

26 8:00am Morning Prayer 8:30am Eucharist 9:00am Doors open for sightseeing 12:30pm Eucharist 4:00pm Last entry for sightseeing 5:00pm Evening Prayer with Carols View more

27 8:00am Holy Communion 10:15am Choral Mattins 11:30am Sung Eucharist 3:15pm Choral Evensong 6:00pm Eucharist

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28 7:30am Morning Prayer 8:00am Eucharist 8:30am Doors open for sightseeing 12:30pm Eucharist 4:00pm Last entry for sightseeing 5:00pm Evening Prayer with Carols View more

29 7:30am Morning Prayer 8:00am Eucharist 8:30am Doors open for sightseeing 12:30pm Eucharist 4:00pm Last entry for sightseeing 5:00pm Choral Evensong

30 7:30am Morning Prayer 8:00am Eucharist 8:30am Doors open for sightseeing 12:30pm Eucharist 4:00pm Last entry for sightseeing 5:00pm Choral Evensong

31 7:30am Morning Prayer 8:00am Eucharist 8:30am Doors open for sightseeing 12:30pm Eucharist 4:00pm Last entry for sightseeing 5:00pm Choral Evensong

St Paul's -Royal Christmas trees and a realistic mouse Children test new Christmas activities

‘The Queen gives the Cathedral three Christmas trees every year – for a present.’

Seven-year-old Amelia’s mouth opens wide in amazement. ‘The Queen? WOW!’

Amelia is one of three brilliant volunteers who have agreed to stay behind as a packed Cathedral empties after the annual Family Carols service.

St Paul’s Schools and Families Department have produced a stunningly-illustrated new activity leaflet to accompany the Cathedral’s busiest time of year.A Christmas Journey is fresh from the printers and in need of a pilot outing.

The colourful leaflet guides families around the Cathedral and highlights significant works of art to look at and discuss. A Christmas Journey offers fascinating facts, from a former Dean’s wife’s dog featuring in the famous crib, to those three Royal Christmas trees from Sandringham.

There’s space for children's own drawings, lots of festive stickers, and the chance to win a free school visit.

Parents and a grandmother join the trail as Amelia, her brother Leo, 5, from Stoke Newington, and cousin Livy, 8, from Crouch End, find all three trees and make their way to the crib. They spot the dog, and guess which shepherd was given the face of the Master Carver.

‘You can see they’re really excited,’ says Alice, Amelia and Leo’s mum. ‘It’s caught their imagination.’

Amelia and Livy move on to study an icon of Mary and Jesus. ‘Do you think he looks like a real baby?’ asks Amelia’s dad, Kenny. ‘What might they be thinking?’

‘He’s wearing sandals!’

‘They look all old fashioned!’

‘They could be thinking that they love each other.’

They children take a while to find the Virgin and Child statue which once formed part of the reredos behind the High Altar. Once they’ve tracked it down, they decide that its former gold decoration meant it depicted someone special.

‘Can we light a candle?’ asks Amelia. All three light candles for an aunt and grandparents, and stand solemnly in silence for a few moments. Then it’s time to track down a Henry Moore sculpture before going off piste for a special trip to the Quire. The girls take advantage of their VIP status to try out the seats reserved for Prebendaries for Hampstead and Hackney.

There are some searching questions about how Santa fits into a celebration for Mary and Jesus.  The family head downstairs to the Crypt, and Josefina de Vasconcellos's Madonna and Child sculpture - which proves the biggest hit of the trail.

In the spirit of honesty and managing expectations, it’s time to admit that the trail hasn’t been a hit with Leo. He may be a little young for the questions involved, or he may – as Dad Kenny says – just not be in the most cheerful mood.

But he and the girls love the sculpture. ‘There’s a mouse!’ Leo says. ‘Just like a real mouse!’

‘I like the way it’s so realistic, Livy says. 'They didn’t have to put in the extra detail, like the mouse - but they did and it’s just very good.’ 

‘She [the Madonna] looks like Mum,’ says Amelia.

Thanks to Amelia, Leo, Livy and their adults, and to The Friends of St Paul’s Cathedral for funding the Family Trail.

Rare Full Moon On Christmas Day - 25th Dec 2015

Not since 1977 has a full moon dawned in the skies on Christmas. But this year, a bright full moon will be an added gift for the holidays.

How the moon will appear on Christmas, 2015.

Credit: NASA/Goddard/Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

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December's full moon, the last of the year, is called the Full Cold Moon because it occurs during the beginning of winter. The moon's peak this year will occur at 6:11 a.m. EST.

This rare event won't happen again until 2034. That's a long time to wait, so make sure to look up to the skies on Christmas Day.

As you gaze up at the Christmas moon, take note that NASA has a spacecraft currently orbiting Earth's moon. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission has been investigating the lunar surface since 2009.

"As we look at the moon on such an occasion, it's worth remembering that the moon is more than just a celestial neighbor," said John Keller, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The geologic history of the moon and Earth are intimately tied together such that the Earth would be a dramatically different planet without the moon."

LRO has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the moon.

LRO is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

For more information on LRO, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/lro