Step into Christmas
MARIA GETS A BEHIND-THESCENES BRESLIN TOUR OF THIS YEAR’S EPIC JOHN LEWIS CHRISTMAS AD, STARRING ELTON JOHN, ON A TRIP TO LONDON’S OXFORD STREET
YOU know the countdown to Christmas is well and truly underway when the annual John Lewis TV ad gets its inaugural airing. Now an established Christmas tradition, the high street giant launched its first big budget production back in 2007. And there have been some classics over the years. Who can forget lovelorn Monty the penguin, 2015’s Man on the Moon and Moz the Monster?
This year music legend Sir Elton John added some major star power to the festive ad. To celebrate the coup the company’s flagship store on London’s Oxford Street is hosting a free, behindthe-scenes tour experience of ‘The Boy and the Piano’.
The ad looks back over Elton’s career and storyboards and era-defining photos of the singer throughout show how the project came together. The third-floor space also houses a mocked up stadium dressing room, where visitors can dress up in wigs and costumes used in the ad, along with a recreation of the studio where the classic Your Song was recorded – complete with a piano signed by Sir Elton.
The tour ends in a candlelit room almost identical to the one featured in the advert, where a young Elton plays for relatives. Visitors are encouraged to tickle the ivories and the Quality Street.
Christmas is all about family traditions. Ours happens to be a trip to London. Or more precisely, Oxford Street.
The longest shopping street in Europe, December sees it bathed in the light of 750,000 LED bulbs. As darkness falls, it is nothing short of magical. But shopping here in the run-up to Christmas is not for the faint-hearted. Dress appropriately – sensible shoes are a must as you negotiate stuffy shops and the Tube.
We plan our trip on the dedicated Oxford Street website, drawing up an itinerary that helps us navigate the 1.5-mile-long street with the help of a bespoke map.
The day kicks off with lunch at John Lewis’ rooftop hideaway overlooking Oxford Street, which offers stunning views of the West End.
At pop-up restaurant MYPIE we tuck into chicken and chorizo pies accompanied by creamy ‘mum why don’t you make it like this?’ mash and gravy. Feeling fortified we head for the shops.
The demise of the department store is big news at the moment, but there’s no more festive a feeling than browsing the aisles of some of Oxford Street’s big names. Baubles in every colour can be found in John Lewis’ third-floor displays, and look out for the giant floor keyboard, a collaboration with Google, where shoppers are urged to learn one of Elton’s hits. We brave Lush. Because who doesn’t want to find a festive bath bomb under the tree? The basement Lush Spa offers full-body, deep-tissue and reflexology-inspired foot massages and facials using products from the store, too. After a Snow Fairy makeover, we hit the shops again.
A few hours later, we seek refuge in Brewd – a sanctuary on the first-floor of French Connection, where a refreshing lemonade sets us up for the final furlong. We shop for Christmas outfits and finally settle on a lace, jersey jumpsuit which the manager says has been flying off the shelves.
Our last port of call on this whistle-stop tour is the fabulously-festive Selfridges where we wonder wistfully whether Santa Baby will be slipping a Chanel bag under the tree. We settle for a back rub and head for a nearby bar to celebrate the start of Christmas.
We’ll be back soon for another festive tradition – a trip to Oxford Street for the Boxing Day sales.