Christmas 1978
Christmas Day
9.45 p.m.
On Christmas Eve we spent our last morning in Zurich walking along the Limmat River and the Bahnhof Strasse in the rain. By the time we got to the airport, however, it was much warmer and the sun was shining before we took off. We had a very pleasant flight on Swissair, but on arrival in London it was raining again. The temperature, at 11oC, felt almost tropical! Margaret was at the airport to meet us, and after settling in at their house, we took the tube to see the Oxford and Regent Street lights. The much acclaimed laser lights in Oxford Street were unappealing, looking like something from H.G. Wells. We came back to a magnificent Christmas dinner at Margaret and Mark's.
Regent Street lights on Christmas Eve.
Lasers in Oxford Street.
Today (Christmas Day) Mark is working (hence Christmas dinner last night). Margaret, Ann and I took a walk to Kensington Gardens in absolutely beautiful weather, crisp and cool with the sun shining. We took a taxi back home to Hammersmith a few miles away. We wanted to get back in time for the Queen's Christmas Speech, which we saw. After that we watched The Sound of Music on T.V. (in colour!). It was beautiful to see it again so soon after visiting Vienna (although it was, of course, set in Salzburg). It must have been at least the tenth time I had seen it, but the second time for Ann and Margaret, but we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
Above and below, Kensington Gardens on Christmas Day - The Serpentine.
The Round Pond.
Albert Memorial.
Kew Gardens on Boxing Day: begonias.
Azaleas.
Crab apples.