Suddenly, yesterday, it felt as if Christmas is coming in the West End of London. I know it happens earlier each year,and now spreads over at least two months. But there was a festive air to the big store, Selfridge's, which has fir branches and little lights around its doors and windows.
This year, though, Selfridge's special Christmas windows (if that's what they are) are a big disappointment. Usually they have ingenious, highly original and altogether superb scenes with a vaguely fairytale theme, to lure everyone in to Santa's grotto.
This year they were dull old things, all in white, with crackers and so forth. I couldn't be bothered to photograph them but the Concept Store's window was worth looking at. As you see, a circle of fans are blowing snow around a sort of orchid construction- it's an art work by Marc Quinn. Full of life and light and movement, it made a nice contrast with bleak November outside (The temperature is quite warm - see the little girl isn't wearing an overcoat.).
Next month I'm off to Germany - Munich, Coburg and Regensburg. I think the Germanic people do Christmas better than anyone else, and I'm thinking that this time I might discover what those peculiar bread things I saw in Munich last time were. I thought they might be a variety of Weckmann (a sort of spiced bread man - delicious, click on the link for the recipe). But this thing doesn't have a head, a pipe or any actual signs of being a "man.". To be honest it looks like a voodoo creature. Tasted fine, though.
Here are some Weckmen stealing butter in Switzerland.
Hmmm, perhaps I'll make some. I think they are actually associated with November, although they have a fairly long "season," - like Selfridge's Christmas windows.
This year, though, Selfridge's special Christmas windows (if that's what they are) are a big disappointment. Usually they have ingenious, highly original and altogether superb scenes with a vaguely fairytale theme, to lure everyone in to Santa's grotto.
This year they were dull old things, all in white, with crackers and so forth. I couldn't be bothered to photograph them but the Concept Store's window was worth looking at. As you see, a circle of fans are blowing snow around a sort of orchid construction- it's an art work by Marc Quinn. Full of life and light and movement, it made a nice contrast with bleak November outside (The temperature is quite warm - see the little girl isn't wearing an overcoat.).
Next month I'm off to Germany - Munich, Coburg and Regensburg. I think the Germanic people do Christmas better than anyone else, and I'm thinking that this time I might discover what those peculiar bread things I saw in Munich last time were. I thought they might be a variety of Weckmann (a sort of spiced bread man - delicious, click on the link for the recipe). But this thing doesn't have a head, a pipe or any actual signs of being a "man.". To be honest it looks like a voodoo creature. Tasted fine, though.
Here are some Weckmen stealing butter in Switzerland.
Hmmm, perhaps I'll make some. I think they are actually associated with November, although they have a fairly long "season," - like Selfridge's Christmas windows.
