It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and with thousands of people flocking to London to complete their Christmas shopping, the Christmas light displays lighten up the chaotic festive shopping experience.
Stratstone of Mayfair Land Rover and Jaguar recently hit the streets of London with a Jaguar F-TYPE SVR and a Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR to visit a selection of the best Christmas light displays the capital city had to offer. @henryjmw kindly joined to capture some magnificent shots of the cars illuminated by the festive displays.
Savile Row
First stop on our grand tour of London's best Christmas light locations was the store that inspired Matthew Vaughn's blockbuster movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, its prequel King's Man and its sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle; Huntsman.
Established in 1849, Huntsman's are a bespoke tailor and their London store has been located on Savile Row since 1919. Elegantly decorated for Christmas we thought it was a great spot for a few pictures of the Range Rover Sport SVR, especially considering this year marks Huntsman's 100th year of residency at 11 Savile Row.
Further down Savile Row, we parked the Jaguar F-TYPE SVR outside Hackett London's new global flagship store and bespoke concept J.P.Hackett, No.14. We thought the entrance looked remarkable and therefore made an excellent background for capturing elegantly festive photographs of the F-TYPE.
Bond Street
Home to luxurious shops, New Bond Street is a busy area at Christmas. However, it is definitely worth a visit for some exceptional festive shots. Despite being crowded with shoppers and delivery vans, @henryjmw managed to capture some magnificent photographs outside Cartier's spectacular Christmas decoration display.
Cartier's flagship London store has been well and truly transformed, featuring an illuminated large red bow, making the Grade II listed building look like the ultimate gift this Christmas.
Continue along either New or Old Bond Street for some added sparkle in the form of peacock Christmas lights hanging over the streets and tastefully decorated Christmas trees outside the designer stores.
Marylebone
We visited a few locations in Marylebone where we were presented with pleasant Christmas decorations and lights suitable for taking some photos. Firstly, the Range Rover Sport SVR stole the spotlight outside the, subtle yet stylishly decorated, sophisticated restaurant, The Ivy Café.
After a few minutes of driving we arrived at James Street, home to a charming display of lights and bauble decorations draping across the street. This location proved slightly more difficult for capturing photos due to the busy streets, however, @henryjmw had no issue getting a great shot of the F-TYPE SVR.
Finally, we thought it would be rude not to have a photo outside the World's Best Department store, Selfridges Oxford Street. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, the iconic London landmark was bustling with last-minute Christmas shoppers so we only managed a photo outside The Cinema at Selfridges, but we did get a shot of both incredible vehicles together.
The Connaught Hotel
Being one of Mayfair's 5-star luxury hotels, you would expect an impressive Christmas display from The Connaught Hotel. We certainly were not disappointed as we parked the two cars outside the magical setting beside The 2019 Connaught Christmas Tree.
Designed by internationally-acclaimed artist Sean Scully, The 2019 Connaught Christmas Tree was the perfect backdrop for some festive shots of the Range Rover Sport SVR and F-TYPE SVR.
Positioned adjacent to the world-famous Tadao Ando fountain, The Connaught Christmas Tree attracts visitors every year with its different designs. Although still busy, this was one of the quieter areas we visited, which makes a photographer's life easier for taking them perfect snaps.
St James's & Regent Street
Standing proud next to the Guards Crimean War Memorial at Waterloo Place is St James's Christmas Tree decorated in the finest bronze and gold colours. The tree is provided by the Crown Estates along with The Spirit of Christmas Regent Street lights.
Both the F-TYPE SVR and Range Rover Sport SVR looked breathtaking under the clear night sky, lit up by a combination of street lights and Christmas Tree lights. If you look closely, you may even spot a special guest in one of the photos who was there to greet passers by.
For some added festivity we recommend you take a trip up Regent Street to visit the shimmering angel sculptures but expect lots of pedestrians and traffic! The Spirit of Christmas display is central London's largest Christmas light display.
Driving home for Christmas
The Jaguar F-TYPE SVR and Range Rover Sport SVR are focused on luxury and performance. Stratstone Jaguar and Land Rover Mayfair are both SV Specialist Centres that specialise in SVO vehicles, blending luxury, capability and performance to create the ultimate Jaguar or Land Rover.
Photographing these vehicles with London's Christmas lights has created a stunning collection of photographs. If you decide to take any photos of your car in these locations be sure to tag us on Instagram @stratstoneuk using #StratstoneVIP and we may even feature your photos on our feed.
