Light Up My Life

A lot can be garnered from a place by looking at their Christmas lights.

Take Oxford Street. Big garish jobbies, sponsored by a huge corporate company. That's exactly what Oxford street is about - big garish jobbies. Although Disney's film they are promoting this year with Oxford Street's lights are at least in some way relevant to Christmas. "Have an 'Enchanted' Christmas" is arguably more in the spirit than "The Incredibles!" lights from a few years ago. I actually quite like them this year.

In Shepherd's Bush the lights are surprisingly classy. And that's generally how I feel about the Bush - that it's surprisingly classy. Most people think it's a bit grimey. I've heard it being described as the 'cum stain on West London' but that's simply not the case. It's surprisingly classy, just look at the Christmas lights!

There are little trees on the lampposts with little white lights in them. Simple. Elegant. Festive. Lovely jubbly.

Conversely the ones in Swansea are grotesque and more in the spirit of a cheap Las Vegas than winter holidays.

And Cambridge, as you'd expect, has wonderfully sophisticated Christmas lights. Very pretty and quietly elegant.

If I was a town I would have Christmas lights like the ones on M&S on Oxford Street. Very sparkly and overtly festive, but not too much. No, actually I would be the 'Enchanted' lights down the whole of Oxford Street. I just need to find a huge corporate sponsor.