Stroud Green Christmas Lights.

kreuzkav

I quite like them.  This is the first time I remember them stretching up to the top of SGR road (Tollington Park to fiveways near Old Dairy.  They seem more tasteful than the previous year's ones  that stretched from Tollington park road to FP station.<div><br></div><div>What do you think?</div>

checkski

They depress me. I loathe Xmas. Load of ghastly,  fatuous nonsense. In my not very humble opinion. <div><br></div>

kreuzkav

I'd describe myself as a London Irish pagan.  I don't mean that in the dress in cloak dramatic sense, but in the understated cycle of the seasons one.  November is depressing, then comes light, xmas, christmas, yuletide(I prefer xmas or christmas).  Light in darkness.  I keep it simple.  No materialism.  A few presents for close ones, some nice food on the day, wine. <div><br></div><div>I don't like New Year or my birthday and don't celebrate.  Seems bland and egotistical.  Xmas is about light and love and sharing (if you celebrate it in its divine state).</div>

Sutent

I agree with Chekski here. I don't think repigon should have any influence on the state.

miss annie

I love the winter festivals. Diwali, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas, all of it! Bringing people together to celebrate is lovely.

miss annie

It doesn't really does it @Sutent? It is nice to have the religious holidays as days off though.

kreuzkav

Christmas/xmas is really just a winter festival taken over by the christians.  It existed before Christianity.  Back to the lights on SGR, they are not religious.

ADGS

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kreuzkav

I concur.<div><br></div><div>For those who remember the seeds were sown back in HMHB's childhood:</div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="">www.youtube.com/watch?v=na12OyJEgJ8</a></span><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

kreuzkav

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Toddlesocks

I like the lights. 

tricksy

So do I. Especially as Islington & Haringey have managed to coordinate across the Stroud Grn Rd divide. AND Haringey, unlike last yr, has lit up the whole of our side this time.

kreuzkav

@ Tritsky.  That's what is lovely about them.  They cross the divide.  They're not gaudy and cheap. They're not corporate and flashy. They're simple and divine.  After the sad news last night on Marquis road, it's good to see some cross community unity.  I know they're just lights but they light up a dark time of the year.

marko

Gone are the gaudy shooting stars, which, when hung the wrong-way up (as they often were) looking more like a flaccid cock.

miss annie

Best lights in the area are in a house opposite mine. They do them in the front windows of all three floors on 1st December. Glorious neon jazziness, I love them.

Papa

I like the lights. All the way up the road, both sides, and looking nice.<div>That's a result - well done Islington and Haringey (and that's not something you often get to say).</div>

MHP

I hate Xmas and don't celebrate it one bit, but I like the lights!

miss annie

I am curious about why people hate Christmas as I love it. My family don't do Christmas presents. My close friends & I stopped the gift giving years ago due to huge differences in the amount of spare cash we had to spend, so there's nothing commercial about it for me. Even the tv ads are less annoying now. I agree that Christmas ads and decorations, music etc in shops in October is irritating. Holiday ads are year round even though most people in this country only go away once or twice a year. Doesn't make me hate holidays. Is it purely the commercial side people hate? Or the time off, the food, the excuse for a get together with friends and family?

Sutent

<div>When I was working in the NHS, Christmas was never an issue for me as I was allowed to work on Christmas day and boxing day and then get days of in Lieu later when I choose to. Its only recently that i work for a University that I am forced to have time off and am not allowed to go to work as they lock up and turn the heating off. I cannot claim these days back. I have no issue people celebrating things and getting together, but not at the expenses of my taxes. </div><div><br></div><div>I was in the West Bank earlier this year doing some work near Bethlehem. One of the Palestinian refugee camps is near Bethlehem so I was curious to go and see where Jesus was born.  He was actually born in a cave and not in a stable. The reason stable appeared in the biblical stories was that the local translator who translated the bible from Hebrew to Latin didn't know the word for cave in Latin so used cave instead..</div>

checkski

Well, well, Sutent, that's an interesting titbit (I take it your penultimate word should have been 'manger'?).Good chap, Jesus.He would certainly not have condoned the shocking, miserable brutality that we are currently surrounded by. He would undoubtedly have supported Corbyn,re Syria, wouldn't he? Cameron and co probably profess to be Christians (unlike me), but but their bloodthirstiness disqualifies them from JC's party,  I would say. Jesus Christ MP. I like it.<div><br></div><div>But I doubt JC would have been very keen on Christmas.  All the ballyhoo and hypocrisy,  the vulgar decorations, Santas, etc, etc...'Not in my name!' He would have pleaded. Funny - I feel I know him, although I am not one of his followers. Sorry, Miss Annie, it was nice meeting you all those weeks ago,  but once again we must disagree! </div>

kreuzkav

Irish best selling novelist Maeve Binchy was living and teaching in Israel in the 60s. She was already a skeptic, but on seeing where Jesus was said to be born, she was surprised.  A guard asked her what did she expect, a nativity scene?  She became a confirmed atheist.  <div><br></div><div>I hate the forced fun of christmas.  The new one is to wear ironic christmas jumpers.  </div><div><br></div><div>Back to the lights.  Flying over Brighton into Gatwick ten years ago, I saw the Brighton lights on the pier.  It wasn't Christmas but October.  I love lights.  They are good for the soul and in our darkest time they help.  I guess I'm a bit of a depressive.</div><div><br></div><div>I hope they don't cost much to run.  I imagine they just run off the existing streetlight power.  The biggest cost is putting them up.  And making them, but they can hopefully be used over and over.</div>

miss annie

LED, which is what all Christmas street lights are now, costs almost nothing to run and they'll last for years. Such a large initial expense that councils tend to reuse them for at least three years, I imagine the local traders association at least partly funded them, that's the usual way. My estimate would be anywhere between 8-10K for lights, 2K to install, although they probably send council electricians and riggers to do it rather than external contractors. About £100 for power.

kreuzkav

@ Miss Annie.  Thank you for the informative post about LED etc.<div><br></div><div>I understand Christmas, Xmas.. is loathsome for some.  And I would never force anyone to celebrate.  I lived in shared house once where a few of us who didn't go back for it had a mild celebration.  One guy didn't and stayed in his room.  It transpired due to his mother not accepting him for who he was.  He came down and enjoyed through no force.</div><div><br></div><div>The issue I have is with people who want to ban it.  I don't believe Jesus was born in a manger. As I said it is not really christian.  It has a the name Christ mas, but I can put up with that.</div><div><br></div><div>If I went to India, I wouldn't ban and be spoilsport on their festivals.  I woundn't ban water festivals in Thailand.  </div><div><br></div><div>This is a festival that has existed for thousands of years and is part of the fabric of late December at the darkest time.  I agree it can be quite commercial.  I just have nice food and give gifts to my sister and mother.  At work we have simple a christmas party.  I don't like the Oxford Street lights as they're too sponsored.</div><div><br></div><div>Bring on the light in winter.</div>

krappyrubsnif

Deleted. I love Christmas.

kreuzkav

I'm sure you can just give by being a raconteur Mr. KRS.  Don't stress.

krappyrubsnif

Deleted

miss annie

Try Matt Haig's book, Reasons to Stat Alive. Not specifically festive but really excellent on all types of depression. Recommended.

krappyrubsnif

Deleted

Sutent

Jesus Kraapt why do you bother

Arkady

I've fallen into certain routines that I find helpful and seem to be appreciated. So I always get my folks a TV box-set. They love them, and they last them most of the year. And I always get my delinquent brother the weirdist alcohol that I can find in Jack's off-licence.<div><br></div><div>Otherwise I know what you mean - it's supposed to be family time, but it feels so forced and claustrophobic that it's always the least fun family time I have all year. Lots of brisk winter walks help. I'm desperate to actually stay in London next year so I can take the Parkland Walk to the heath and sip from flask of something warm and alcoholic, cigar in hand, while looking out from Parliament Hill.</div>