The Laboratory

Sorry for the delay! On a stroll round London last month we saw some lovely Christmas windows. At Selfridges, they are paying tribute to two Disney designers, Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle, responsible for some of the most best loved Disney sets, including the castle that forms the backdrops at Disneyland parks the world over.  And we couldn't do Christmas windows without mentioning the best ones of all, Fenwick in Newcastle, who this year had a Dickens' A Christmas Carol theme. Here's a list of all the themes Fenwick has had over the past 50+ years: 1971 – Camberwick Green 1972 – Chigley 1973 – Rupert Meets Santa 1974 – Sooty’s Circus 1975 – Aladdin 1976 – Fairytale Christmas with Cinderella 1977 – Treasure Island 1978 – Storybook Christmas 1979 – Wonderful world of Pantomime 1980 – A Christmas Carol 1981 – Alice in Wonderland 1982 – Arabian Nights 1983 – Fly to Fenwick’s for Christmas 1984 – Gulliver 1985 – Fairytale Christmas with Pinocchio 1986 – Christmas Circus 1987 –...

You'll be able to tell that Adam's school is one of the ones that are still going this week, as all the posts will be up late. Sorry! After yesterday's heartwarming trees, here are some more stories about Christmas windows. Of course you know all about the Fenwick window in Newcastle, a long tradition of entertaining Geordies, and this year they unveiled a series of Narnia windows: The other great thing about the window is that Greggs, who are on the other side of Northumberland Street, reverse their name above the shop, so it looks the right way round when you are looking in the Fenwick window. In Toronto, where we have holidaying plans, they also have a long tradition of Christmas windows. Simpsons and Eatons, two of the largest stores, have had windows dating back to the 1920s. Below, Simpsons 1920, and Eatons 1958. You can read more at:  https://spacing.ca/toronto/2023/12/13/the-tradition-of-christmas-window-displays/ Finally, one village has had the enterprising idea o...

One of the most exciting things to happen this year was Sarah getting a new job at the department store Fenwick, only a month after Debenhams folded. It was all down to an enormous amount of effort she put into job-hunting and demonstarting her skills. Adam was impressed because Fenwick is one of the stores of his childhood, taking pride of place on Newcastle's Northumberland Street, with its famous Christmas windows. It first opened in 1882, and soon had a fleet of delivery vans that would drive around Newcastle delivering everything from food to furniture. Still going strong with 9 stores nationally, it still has vans and Christmas windows!   This year's Christmas windows are a collaboration with the new Shaun the Sheep film which is being shown on BBC One on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There's also a van driving round with Shaun in it to bring good cheer to the Angel of the North!