“Hey, come over to regent street, it’s so much going on here, all free !!!<3″, I got this message from my friend when I woke up on a lazy sunday morning. But when I was about to leave, it stared to rain. Well, it’s London, you can’t complain. Hesitant at the door, I got another message from him, “Christmas lights switch on starts at 5, come come! :-)”. Then I was determined.
When I got there, I was immediately overwhelmed by the festive atmosphere-the whole street was closed to traffic and filled with family events and musical performances. The hosts will often tease the audiences . When I was standing at the front concentrating on taking photos. A host approached me and suddenly got his palm in the way of my lens. I was scared and perplexed. In a minute, he laughed loudly and then went back to the centre of the stage with a grimace. I was then told by my british friend that this is “british humour”, which would take ages to understand.
“Christmas Lights Switch On” has been a popular festivities in London and it gives the city an instant festive look. Lights at Regent Street, Oxford Street, Covent Garden and Westfield will never disappoint you. This year, the Regent Street’s Christmas Lights are themed around the film ‘Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.’
The official switch-on kicked off at around 5pm with the British pop band Take That flicking the switch-on. This was followed by the spectacular firework display. While watching fireworks for free is most people’s wild wishes, in London, you’ve actually got many chances. The Lord Mayor’s Show is often ended with the firework display and the Bonfire Night is definitely the one you don’t want to miss. They are both in November.
BBC: Take That switch on London’s Regent Street Christmas lights