Welcome to our London Christmas Shopping Guide 2015. Over the next few weeks we'll be pointing you in the direction of our favorite shops near the meeting and ending points of our London Walks …
D.C Editor Adam kicks off the series by finding peace and charity on noisy Oxford Street…
No.1. John Lewis Roof Garden
London's little shops, the one-offs the one man- and one-woman-bands, are one of the great joys of the season. Tiny bastions of non-conformity where we can pick up something unique for our loved ones at Christmas.
In terms of a unique experience, some of the Big Boys don't do too badly, either.
In the spirit of Christmas, they'll have a welcome on our list, too. Indeed the first guest to arrive at our Christmas shopping party is the department store John Lewis.
If you are reading this overseas, John Lewis is a UK department store with its flagship right here in London at 300 Oxford Street. Their Christmas ad on TV has achieved the status of a "modern tradition" in the UK, much anticipated, much-discussed and, crucially, much shared on social media by Xmas Cheerleaders and Bah-Humbuggers* alike. The year 2015 is no different. Their Man On the Moon campaign has brought sighs and tears and tuts and Christmas spirit into many a British living room (and Twitter feed).
(*Yes, I noticed the unfortunate minor profanity in my coinage "humbugger" and I'll try not to use it again… often.)
This year John Lewis has shared their campaign with Age UK, allowing the charity to use the advert to raise awareness and crucial funds to fight the problem of isolation among the elderly at Christmas and all year round.
Here's the Age UK version of the ad…
Age UK's campaign website tells us: 1 million older people go more than a month without speaking to anyone. Donate now to help Age UK be there for lonely older people: http://bit.ly/donatemoon
John Lewis on Oxford Street has a special installation based on the ad campaign…
…and an app for children with a fact-of-the-day about the moon.
The view from their roof garden is a bit special, too…
Cranes loom over Soho, like dinosaurs on the loose, as the Cross Rail project draws to a close; Centre Point is covered up as it gets a refurb, turning it into (what else?) luxury flats; in the distance The City, our mini Manhattan-on-a-keychain grows and grows with every passing 21st Century year. It's a special view because it marks a moment in time: this could only be London 2015.
Find the John Lewis Roof Garden at 300 Oxford Street, very handy for the end of the Rock'n'Roll London Walk on Friday afternoons…
Later in our series we'll be back to the little guy – including The Button Queen in nearby Marylebone Lane!
Christmas 2015 With London Walks
The Amazing Old Shops Walk takes place on the 19th December – meet Judy at Green Park Station at 10:45a.mThe Christmas Lights & Seasonal Cheer Pub Walk takes place on the 19th December meet at Embankment Tube 7:15p.m
On Christmas Day there are TWO London Walks:
Walk up an appetite with The Christmas Morning 1660 Walk – meet at 11:00a.m by the big tree in Trafalgar SquareWalk off the pudding with The Christmas Day Charles Dickens Walk – meet by the big tree in Trafalgar Square at 2:00pm A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.
