Quarterly December 2008 - Odfjell

London at Christmas
By Peter Grimes, Odfjell (UK) Ltd.
As one of the oldest cities in the world,
London still remains one of the most
visited, with a plethora of historic
buildings and monuments, many
museums and the world famous West
End theatres all competing with the
newer attractions such as the London
Eye and the Tate Modern. However
it is at Christmas time that London
takes on a magical uniqueness that
has to be seen and enjoyed to be fully
appreciated.
Norwegian Christmas tree
Trafalgar Square, a place of significant
historical value, has for many years
been the site for a symbolic gift from
the people of Norway to the people
of London. Since 1947 a Christmas
tree has been given as a gift by the
Norwegian people as a token for
their gratitude of the support Britain
gave during World War II. For many
Londoners the Christmas tree and
carol singing in Trafalgar Square
signal the start of the count down to
Christmas.
The tree, which originates from the
Forests surrounding Oslo, is often up to
20 metres high and can be 50-60 years
old. Felled in November it is brought
to the UK by sea with its final journey
taking place by Road. This year’s
ceremonial lighting will take place on
December 4th.
Ice Skating
For a unique way to experience some
of the capital’s major Landmarks, you
can visit one of the many Ice Rinks
that spring up around the city at this
time of year. As dark descends on the
capital, Ice Skating with a backdrop of
the Natural History Museum, the Tower
of London or Somerset House can be
a truly amazing experience. On the
outskirts of London you can go back
in time and enjoy surroundings such
as Hampton Court Palace where they
try to encapsulate the decorations and
ambience of how the festive season
was celebrated all those years ago.
Shopping
Just as Trafalgar Square would not
be the same at Christmas without the
Norwegian Tree, the streets of the
capital would not be the same without
the stunning array of decorative lights
that adorn all the major shopping
areas. The most famous of these, the
Oxford Street Lights were officially
opened at the end of November with
a ceremony that saw a crowd of
thousands gathered to see the pop
group, the Sugababes flicking the
iconic switch. Whilst Oxford Street is
still the main draw for shoppers, many
of the other major shopping areas of
London including Regent Street, Bond
Street and Carnaby Street to name
a few, all have had their separate
ceremonies.
Grotto. Not to be out done by the more
main stream shopping areas of the
West End, Harrods have added their
own extra touch of magic and sparkle
by basing their festive lights on the well
loved fairytale of Cinderella. Harrods
remains the ultimate in shopping
experiences where you can literally buy
anything you can imagine in opulent
surroundings.
The West End
The West End of London has always
been synonymous with the Theatre, in
particular musicals. London’s theatres
play host to shows all year round
including the record breaking Les
Miserables which is now the longest
running musical of all time when this
year it completed 9000 performances
since its opening in October 1985.
Besides the usual year round shows,
Christmas sees a host of seasonable
performances of that very British
entertainment tradition, the Christmas
Pantomime. You can make your choice
from the usual favourites of Dick
Whittington, Snow White and Cinderella
where girls dress up as boys, the
dame is played by a man in drag and
audience participation is encouraged
if not compulsory with cries of ‘he’s
behind you’ and ‘Oh yes it is’.
If you are visiting with children or in
fact you just want to visit the wonder
of the oldest toy store in the world,
Hamleys really is the place to start. The
shop first opened its doors in 1760 and
known as Noah’s Ark, it crammed its
shelves with anything from Rag dolls
to Tin Soldiers. Even though the toys
are slightly more sophisticated these
days, it is a testament to the shops 250
year old roots and its place in history
that this London Landmark on Regent
Street is still ‘the’ place to buy toys.
Winter Wonderland
Hyde Park is well known for being one
of the largest parks in central London,
but between the end of November
and the beginning of January it
becomes known as the official Winter
Wonderland where the family are
invited to join the many attractions.
You may be forgiven in thinking that
the London Eye had actually moved
from the banks of the Thames to the
banks of the Serpentine, but the Winter
Wonderland experience plays host
to its very own observation wheel,
perhaps not on the scale of its larger
sibling but one which nonetheless
provides stunning views of London and
beyond. Whilst providing yet another
venue to don the ice skates, the family
fun does not end there with a variety
of attractions to keep both adults and
children amused throughout the day
and evening.
If you are lucky enough to still be
enjoying London over Christmas why
not join the Serpentine Swimming
Club in Hyde Park on Christmas Day.
Since 1864, these swimming club
members have swum their traditional
100 yard annual Christmas Day swim.
For anyone foolish enough to brave the
icy Serpentine waters which can dip to
below 4 degrees C, its recommended
that several months of acclimatisation
are undertaken as one New Year’s
reveller found to his cost a few years
ago.
For those that have already seen
London, you will know it is a great
city for 12 months of the year, for the
month of December it is something
quite special. If your planning on
visiting London over Christmas or
indeed at anytime during 2009 please
take some time to visit the Odfjell
(UK) office which is situated only a few
minutes from Hyde Park Corner in the
West end of the City.
The London shopping experience
would not be complete without a visit
to the world famous department store
Harrods, which this year celebrates
one hundred years of their Christmas
Let me take this opportunity to wish
you a very Merry Christmas and the
very best to all Odfjell employees and
their families for 2009.
18 Odfjell Quarterly September 2008
Odfjell Quarterly December 2008 19