Some say it isn’t Christmas until the Coca-Cola ad appears. Other say it isn’t Christmas until December 1. Now, they’re both right, of course, but we think the surest sign of impending Christmas is the grand switch-on of The Churchill Arms‘ Christmas lights. Well, roll us up in wrapping paper and stick some tinsel on us, because they’ve finally flipped the switch on their Christmas lights and Christmas has officially arrived.
The Churchill Arms Christmas lights
Now, to our eyes, the Kensington boozer always establishes the perfect level of festive-ness. We’ve never really been ones for subtlety here at Secret London. We don’t, however, want to think what the electricity bill is going be at the end of the year! But given that The Churchill Arms drops £25,000 on flowers every year, they’ve definitely got the cash. It’s totally worth it, too; just look at this:
The Churchill Arms Christmas display sees some 80 Christmas trees festoon the west London pub, with a whopping 22,000 lights covering the exterior. The warm glow of softly-illuminated Christmas trees are sure to just beckon you to escape the cold and prop up the bar with a pint. Go on then, it’s Christmas after all. Officially!
If you fancy paying The Churchill Arms a visit to catch the awe-inspiring lights, you’ll find it at 119 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN. It’s just a stone’s throw away from Notting Hill Gate tube. Head inside for wartime memorabilia (look out for a cardboard cutout of the pub’s namesake, Winston Churchill), beer, and delicious Thai food. Which aren’t especially Christmassy, I suppose, but come on, that exterior more than makes up for it.
Also published on Medium.