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A London Christmas 2008: Tinsel & Trimmings
 
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Half the fun of Christmas is dressing up...not just yourself but your home. Whether it's cool chic, snug sparkle or a winter wonderland you're after, London has got all the inspiration and paraphernalia to create a festive atmosphere. From buying your tree to putting the finishing touches to the dining table, we've put together a complete guide to where to go for traditional trimmings, imaginative ideas, the best bargains, most elegant decorations and even hands-on hints for getting creative with the kids. Filled to overflowing with baubles, tinsel, fairy lights, candles and wreaths, our favourite festive shops, tree farms and workshops are dotted around town so, wherever your winter wandering takes you, prepare to be inspired and pick up seasonal stuff to adorn every nook and cranny, branch and fireplace, door and window with yuletide magic.
  The Christmas Forest
 St John's Church, Kilburn Lane, W10 4AA Monday 1st December - Wednesday 24th December (Christmas Eve) 2008 We all know that pine needles are a pain (especially when you tread on them) but for a truly traditional Christmas it's got to be the real thing. The peeps at The Christmas Forest do a fine job of supplying freshly cut, lush trees to London (a choice of six types of firs and spruces no less) and some with needles that stay miraculously on the branches! We love these guys; by creating this urban forest in Kensal Green (and on six other farm-style sites around the capital) we can enjoy our tree-browsing experience AND know that they're doing a bit of good at the same time; for every tree that is sold, a new tree will be planted in dryland Africa through 'Tree Aid', meeting basic needs like food and fuel and providing extra income. The Christmas Forest also saves on 'tree miles', sourcing home-grown firs from special farms and sustainable plantations in the UK rather than flying them all the way from Scandinavia. Bringing the magic of visiting a country farm to the city, once you've chosen the right tree, you can add a few more homely festive touches by shopping for wreaths, lights, mistletoe, holly and even logs for the fire. There are other Christmas Forests in Richmond, Putney, Islington, Stoke Newington, Shepherd's Bush and Ealing. Address: St John's Church, Kilburn Lane, W10 4AA Phone: 07816 382625 Timing: Daily 8am-10pm, Sat 1st December - Mon 24th December (Christmas Eve) 2008 Nearest Station: Kensal Green Tube The Christmas Forest - Information  Camden Garden Centre
2 Barker Drive, St Pancras Way, NW1 0JW If you really want to go to tacky town on transforming your garden into a grotto then you'll need to get on the net, where you can order all sorts of multi-coloured, 3D, light-up, flashing and shimmering outdoor decorations. While Camden Garden Centre does offer waving Santa and reindeer silhouettes, the focus is not on creating an epileptic illumination to annoy the neighbours but on festooning your home with the feel of a glowing winter wonderland. There are lights galore to choose from: berries, snowmen, icicles, strings of fairy lights, sets of 500, everything you need for a festive twinkle. The experience does not stop here - the garden centre's Christmas Spectacular fills the ground floor with seasonal stuff including crackers in a range of children's themes, tinsel and garlands in shimmering colours and decorations and baubles to deck your tree. There's also a range of hats, Santa sacks, stocking fillers, Advent calendars and touches to jazz up your Christmas table. From the end of November every year it's full of the finest Christmas trees too. If you want to decorate your home from top to toe this is a brilliant place to stock up. Demand for trees is high so get in early. Address: 2 Barker Drive, St Pancras Way, NW1 0JW Phone: 020 7387 7080 Timing: Mon to Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm. Christmas Eve half-day. Nearest Station: Camden Town Tube Camden Garden Centre - Information  The Christmas Shop
Hay's Galleria, 55A Tooley Street, SE1 2QN This is an Aladdin's cave bursting at the seams with enough twinkling bits 'n' bobs and Christmas clutter that Father Christmas' North Pole home could have a complete makeover (without dipping into his present fund). The Christmas Shop is home to some truly spectacular tat so if you're having a Christmas party and want to deck the halls with boughs of plastic holly and foil jingle bells, Buckingham Palace baubles and silver or gold glitter acrylic reindeer (with sleigh) this is the ultimate place to splurge. The sheer amount of stuff on display means there are some genuine bargains here too - you'll be able to pick out glass baubles to match your colour scheme, adorn your tree with pretty lanterns and find some great table decorations. There are also nativity scenes, illuminated houses, stockings and sacks, treetop angels and Christmas crackers among the crowded displays. It's the only official Christmas shop in London and, like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia, a winter wonderland awaits 12 months a year. Whether the thought of Christmas fills you with bah humbugs or a tinkling of jingle bells, the glitz and sparkle are worth the trip over to Tower Bridge. Address: Hay's Galleria, 55A Tooley Street, SE1 2QN Phone: 020 7378 1998 Timing: Mon to Fri 8.30am-6pm (7pm throughout December), Sat & Sun 10.30am-5.30pm Nearest Station: London Bridge Tube / Rail The Christmas Shop - Information  Liberty Christmas Shop
Regent Street, W1B 5AH Escaping the Christmas crowds on Regent Street and discovering a Liberty Christmas is a truly magical affair, beautifully styled with traditional elegance and gorgeous touches. From glass snow drops and silver stars to striking mirror-effect baubles, Liberty's Christmas Shop is literally a twinkling winter wonderland that cannot fail to ignite your festive spirit. Housed in a striking, timber-framed, Tudor revival building, Liberty's with small, intimate staircases, intricately designed elevators, wooden balconies and glass atriums, this has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing and unique department stores in the city. Just wandering around it - particularly at Christmas time, when fairy lights adorn the ceiling - is a real joy. The fourth floor is given over to an absolutely stunning range of posh decorations. Address: Regent Street, W1B 5AH Phone: 020 7734 1234 Timing: Mon to Fri 10am-10pm, Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 12pm-6pm Nearest Station: Oxford Circus Tube Liberty - Information  Selfridges Christmas Shop
400 Oxford Street, W1A 2LR This famous department store on Oxford Street prides itself on its consummate flair and sophistication and Christmas is a real chance for these qualities to shine brightly. As well as the huge potential to do all your Christmas shopping in one afternoon (if you've got access to a trust fund), the Selfridges Christmas Shop does a fine line in tree decorations. From 'I Love Selfridges' baubles to faux fruit, there's plenty of inspiration here to transform your tree into a sumptuous spectacle or magic your mantelpiece into a fabulous focal point. There's always a glitzy theme characterising the various adornments; the decadent displays are filled with sparkly stuff from mini crystal chandeliers to tinsel-filled baubles. There's even an assortment of designer stockings to coax Father Christmas down the chimney and a 'make-your-own baubles' set for a more personal touch. Christmas is concentrated on the lower ground floor (kiddies can visit the Selfridges' Grotto via the Santa Express train, bookable online) but the rest of the store, from its cutting-edge window displays and plethora of designer labels to its fashionable Moet Champagne Bar, is the ultimate shopping experience, especially at this time of year. Address: 400 Oxford Street, W1A 2LR Phone: 0800 123400 Timing: Mon to Sat 9.30am-8pm (Thu open till 9pm), Sun midday-6pm Nearest Station: Bond Street Tube Selfridges - Information  V V Rouleaux
54 Sloane Square, SW1W 8AX If you've ever been envious of friends who seem to have Christmas all wrapped up in beautifully-presented gifts, V V Rouleaux will provide all the inspiration you need to become a parcel professional. This shop has ribbons galore, from taffeta and organdie to polka dots and stripes with heaps more feathers, flowers, tassels and trimmings to mix and match. Of course, if you're contemplating a bit of interior designing, this is the place to add the must-have finishing flourishes to your own adventures in style. But whether it's just jazzing up your wrapping technique or branching out to decorate candlesticks, table settings or mantelpieces, this is a treasure trove of imaginative ideas and elegant touches. There's enough sparkle, soft shades and showy splashes to cater for all tastes and styles but you'll need more than a flying visit to truly browse through all the options. For Christmas there's an extensive range of garlands, wreaths and branches complete with jewels, glitter, berries, crystals and even more ribbon than usual. As well as the Sloane Square shop, there's another branch just off of Oxford Street. Address: 54 Sloane Square, SW1W 8AX Phone: 020 7730 3125 Timing: Mon to Sat (excl Wed) 9.30am-6pm, Wed 10.30am-6.30pm Nearest Station: Sloane Square Tube V V Rouleaux - Information  Candle Makers Supplies
28 Blythe Road, W14 0HA There's nothing quite like a sea of flickering flames, especially when the Christmas tree's up and glittering, to create a cosy Christmas-y atmosphere. And for those of us who can juggle festive multi-tasking, candle-making can just be slotted in between sloshing the brandy in the Christmas pud and leaving a tipple for Father Christmas... Situated just behind Olympia, this shop, dripping with wax and other candle-creating paraphernalia, supplies candles to Kensington Palace; fire-starters by royal appointment no less. Candle Makers Supplies has been in business since 1969, so if you feel like making your own flammable wax works this is the place to get all the gear. From waxes and wicks to dyes and dipping cans, you'll be presented with an astonishing array of equipment to ignite ideas about how to light up your living room. You can mould your candles into flowers, fruit and animals, go for more classic shapes or try floating candles. There are even specially-designed candle kits for beginners and a soft wax one in bright colours for children. At Christmas time, Santa and snowmen candle equipment makes an appearance for a fun and festive way to give a glow to your home. Address: 28 Blythe Road, W14 0HA Phone: 020 7602 4031 Timing: Mon to Fri 10.30am-6pm, Sat 10.30am-5pm. Closed for lunch daily 1pm-2pm Nearest Station: Kensington (Olympia) Tube Candle Makers Supplies - Information  Butlers
N1 Shopping Centre, Islington, N1 0PS With all those last-minute jobs (Auntie Mabel's present, stocking fillers for the kids, oh, and the turkey) it's easy to forget about making your dining table to look Christmas-y. But, fear not, Butlers in Islington has everything you need, from the ideas to the products, to give a festive wow factor to Christmas lunch. As well as wholly unnecessary but fabulously frivolous table decorations, they've got a first-class selection of tablecloths, placemats, napkins and even glassware, crockery and cutlery. The shop, housed in the N1 Shopping Centre, has laid and decorated tables dotted around with all the products on-hand next to the display, meaning you can be inspired and then easily find what you're looking for without hunting through shelf after shelf. Whether you are working to a colour-scheme, have a particular theme in mind or just want to do something different, they can help you create a fully coordinated (or not) table. Once here, you don't have to stop at the dining room - there are candle-inspired centrepieces, lovely lanterns and stones and gems to scatter that will look beautiful all over the home. Address: N1 Shopping Centre, Islington, N1 0PS Phone: 020 3227 0025 Timing: Mon to Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm Nearest Station: Angel Tube Butlers - Information
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