London’s Christmas Lights are Special · Greater London Properties

伦敦的圣诞灯饰很特别

If you’ve been out with our estate agent Kings Cross assessing properties for rent or purchase, you may have encountered the interesting Christmas tree at the train station. It is the world’s first playable Christmas tree, an interactive 6m high exhibit with 7,000 LED lights and a joystick at the base. The game you can play is called Line Wobbler, a dungeon crawler with enemies, obstacles and various levels of difficulty. The festive tree sparkles when nobody is playing, and will entertain Londoners until January 4.

London’s Christmas décor has a storied history. The tradition of Christmas lights displays dates to 1954 when Regent Street businesses decided that the post-war city should look suitably festive. It continued on, inspiring the Oxford Street Christmas display in 1959 and after a brief dark spell in the 70s, returned to its illuminated best.

Over the years, celebrities such as the Spice Girls, Craig David, Helen Mirren and Holly Willoughby have been invited to switch on the lights in the presence of large crowds. It’s not all fanfare though. If you’re looking at properties to rent in Soho, an eclectic, community- minded neighbourhood you will be pleased to know that the switch-on last year was dedicated to the ‘Save Soho’ campaign opposing the privatisation of Berwick Street Market. During the same time at Covent Garden, the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Royal Opera House’s The Nutcracker production did the honours.

Truly, no one does Christmas lights quite like London!