weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

In this second set on London, we visit the small Sloane Square in Chelsea, decorated with simple lights and surrounded by historic buildings, then scoot all the way over to Regent Street in the West End to gaze at the Christmas themed decorations in the windows of Hamleys, one of the world's greatest toy store.

SLOANE SQUARE is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the central London districts of Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea. The area forms a boundary between the two largest aristocratic estates in London, the Grosvenor Estate and the Cadogan. The square was formerly known as 'Hans Town', laid out in 1771. Both the square and Hans Town were named after Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753), an Anglo-Irish doctor who, jointly with his appointed trustees, owned the land at the time.

Estates on all sides are made up of ornate, luxuriously furnished private apartments set behind railings - a minority of these remain combined to form large townhouses. Gothic, classical and Edwardian architecture mix; the area has grown piecemeal, under strict character and aesthetic demands of local urban planning. Elements of almost every street were reinstated, in similar style, after the London Blitz. The square has two notable buildings: Peter Jones department store designed in 1936 and now a Grade II listed building on account of its early curtain wall and modernist aesthetic, pioneering in the UK for a department store. The building was carefully restored 2003–2007 with internal upgrading in line with the original designs. This included making the three story atrium full-height. Peter Jones now operates as part of the employee-owned John Lewis chain. The other notable building is the Royal Court Theatre first opened in 1888 which was important for avant-garde theatre in the 1960s and 1970s when the home of the English Stage Company.

The Venus Fountain in the center of the square was constructed in 1953, designed by sculptor Gilbert Ledward. The fountain depicts Venus, and on the basin section of the fountain is a relief which depicts King Charles II and Nell Gwynn by the Thames. Positioned slightly off-center in the square is a stone cross that is known as Chelsea War Memorial. Made of Portland stone, and designed by an unknown architect, the cross has a capped head on a tapered shaft above a molded three stage octagonal base. A large bronze sword is affixed to its west face.

HAMLEYS is the oldest and largest toy shop in the world. It is named after William Hamley, who founded a toy shop called "Noah's Ark" in High Holborn, London, in 1760. Ownership of the shop passed through the family, and by the time it was operated by Hamley's grandsons in 1837, the store had become famous, counting royalty and nobility among its customers. It moved to its current site on Regent Street in 1881. This flagship store is set over seven floors, with more than 50,000 lines of toys on sale. It is considered one of the city's prominent tourist attractions, receiving around five million visitors each year.

In 1938, Queen Mary, consort of King George V, gave Hamleys a royal warrant. During the Second World War, the Regent Street store was bombed five times. In 1955, Queen Elizabeth II gave the company a second royal warrant as a "toys and sports merchant".

Notes
TRIP INTRODUCTON: Set # 1 provides an introduction to this short series. Please use the link below if you would like to review this information:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-679356-1.html

Thanks for visiting, I recommend viewing the downloads and look forward to your comments and questions.

.

1 - Twilight on Sloane Square viewed from Peter Jones department store, in front the Venus Fountain (1953), at rear the Chelsea War Memorial

(Download)

2 - The last rays of the late afternoon sun illuminate the square as the decorative lights are already in full, but weak glow

(Download)

3 - Nightfall on the square with the brilliant white light clusters on the blue-lit trees and the copper color of the old Sloane Square Hotel

(Download)

4 - The Venus statue on top of the fountain, here seen from the rear with a blue curtain enveloping the façade of the Peter Jones store

(Download)

5 - Dim view of the Venus statue on the fountain

(Download)

6 - The night has fully descended on the square, with the Chelsea War Memorial in the front, its trees lit in blue and a blueish curtain on the Peter Jones store, while the rest of the lights bestow a warm glow

(Download)

7 - Hamleys windows: From the North Pole, the Reindeer are taking off for their annual visit to the children of the world

(Download)

8 - The Reindeer and Santa in his sled, packed with toys for the girls and boys around the globe

(Download)

9 - Cruising over the Kreml in Moscow

(Download)

10 - Continuing the celestial sleigh ride over New York with its iconic buildings, including King Kong climbing up the Empire State Building

(Download)

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Colorful holidays captured well Joe!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Good morning and thank you Mike!

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Magnificent! Beautiful tour!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you very much Joe, happy to hear that you like this set - have a great Sunday - Joe

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Love them!! Thank you, Joe.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Barbara - happy to hear that - enjoy your Sunday - Joe

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Outstanding, Joe. 7,8, and 9 are especially nice.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Ken, glad to hear that you enjoyed Santa's celestial methane-powered excursion with his reindeers! Having fun is always a great thing - so have fun today! Joe

L-Fox

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Larry for looking in on the London mini-adventure - have a great day - Joe

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Well done Joe!

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Beautiful images Joe - great set!

blacks2 Loc: SF. Bay area

Very colorful Christmas Joe, I love it.

GreyOwl40 Loc: Quebec City

A fine set, Joe! Now, Hamleys, that is a store a child could spend a lifetime exploring.