Another festive and holiday season will soon be at an end. Then we have to wait another eleven months to see the decorations again. 🌟✨️🌟 If you have the chance to see this post on Instagram, there's music too. 📍Jermyn Street, London SW1

Having featured numerous Christmas trees in my previous posts, I thought I should feature this festive decoration. At Battersea Power Station, there have been images of Christmas trees projected on to the chimneys and the walls of the columns that support them. A sight to behold.🎄🌟✨️ 📍London SW11

The Christmas tree at the Royal Albert Hall. Living in the immediate neighbourhood means that I often ignore what is going on at this venue, but this year I made the conscious effort of checking out their Christmas tree and decorations. 🎄✨️🌟 📍Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7

I feel fortunate to have written about pioneering Indian women engineers from the 1940s to the 1970s and to have the bragging rights of being the first to write about the history of women engineers in India. #booksky📚💙 #books #pioneeringwomenengineers

For three years in a row, this Christmas tree 🎄 in Athens has been my favourite. Those who follow me regularly know that I take lots of photos of Christmas decorations. This tree is still the one that pleases me immensely. Until next year. 📍Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, Greece 🇬🇷

The Christmas tree 🎄 at Trafalgar Square in London is an annual gift from the people of Oslo. There is frequent criticism of the shape of the tree. It is always in a natural state without additional foliage attached to make it look better. Natural beauty. ✨️🌟 📍Trafalgar Square, London

Old religions hollowed out. Capitalism took their place. Work more. Consume more. Desire more. Happiness waits at the end. People believed the promise. They obeyed it. Human history has never seen a faith with believers this loyal.

The Christmas tree 🎄 at Battersea Power Station. As I haven't visited this spot after dark, I am sharing this photo taken one afternoon under grey skies. 🌟✨️ 📍Battersea Power Station south entrance, London SW11

The Christmas tree 🎄 at the bottom of Lower Regent Street. It is worth a look if you are going to be in London. 🌟✨️ 📍Waterloo Place, London SW1

The Christmas tree 🎄 at Bishopsgate Plaza, opposite Liverpool Street Station, is said to be the tallest in the City of London. It stands at 65 feet tall and is impressive to see. 📍London EC3

The Christmas tree 🎄 at Leadenhall Market. It has become quite the tourist attraction now. 🌟🌱 📍Leadenhall Market, London EC3

If Mozart made cakes. À la Flûte Enchantée. 🍰🧁🥮 📍Avenue Mozart, Paris 16ème

The Connaught Hotel and its Christmas tree 🎄. Usually the festive decorations on their trees are understated. 🌟✨️ 📍Carlos Place/Mount Street, London W1

The moon hid behind the branches of a tree when I took this photograph of a Christmas tree in the middle of a private garden square in my neighbourhood. 🎄🌟✨️ 📍South Kensington, London SW7

Christmas decorations for sale at a famous department store in London. 🎄🌟✨️ 📍Regent Street/Great Marlborough Street, London W1

The Ever After Garden features these flowers, each of which has been lit by members of the public to honour family members who are no longer with them. It is a novel way to raise funds for a famous charity. I must go back to light a couple of roses in memory of my parents. 🌹🌱 📍Chelsea, London SW3

Falling behind on my posts again. So I will feature one of the many angels that dominate the decorations in London. The company that is responsible for these try to tell us that they're called Christmas Spirits. But the world calls them angels. 🎄🌟✨️ 📍Regent Street, London W1

When the mild weather tricks the Prunus trees into thinking that spring is here. Not that I am complaining. 🌱💮🌸 📍South Kensington, London SW7

The Christmas decorations at this florist are always a beautiful sight to see. 🌱🎄🎊 📍King's Road, Chelsea, London SW3

In me thou see'st the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away, In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by. Excerpts from Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare. 🌱🍂🍁 📍South Kensington, London SW7

It is almost the end of November. Everyone is asking where time has gone so fast. The passage of time is inevitable. I'll leave you with this bouquet of roses to think about time. 🌱🌹 📍Chelsea, London SW3

Struggling to balance demands at work and other things in life, including social media engagement. But one must plough (or, in my case, plod) on! Photo of Waterloo Place and Lower Regent Street taken from the Institute of Directors. 🎄🌟✨️ 📍Pall Mall and Waterloo Place, London SW1

Dreaming of spring, although winter is only about to start. The soft light, the subtle colours, the gentle beauty of the petals unfolding to reveal the rebirth of nature. Despite the longing for spring, I intend to enjoy the remaining days of autumn and the forthcoming winter. 🌱🌸🌺 📍London

Hello again BlueSky and BlueSky friends. It's been an extraordinarily busy week for me and I need to catch up on everyone's posts. Meanwhile, London is full of decorations for Christmas and this is a close up of one. The twelve days of Christmas. 🎄🌟🦢 📍Duke of York Square, London SW3

Going back in time to two years ago when this florist had an imaginative window display for the festive season. 🎄🌟✨️ 📍King's Road, London SW3

The festive season lights have been switched on and I felt happy to see them again. It's like an old friend coming back into my life. Is that a crazy thing to feel? 😬✨️🌟👑🎄 📍King's Road, Chelsea, London SW3

Delighted to see these beautiful fuchsia flowers still flowering at this time of year. This variety is called Delta's Sarah. 🌱💮🌸 📍Kensington, London W8

The eye-catching angels of Regent Street are back for the tenth year in a row. Each time I see them, it feels like they are as good as new. ✨️🌟💫⭐️✨️ 📍Regent Street, London W1

Late afternoon autumn sunshine highlights the golden colours of the leaves of these trees. 🌳🍂🌞 📍South Kensington, London SW7

The different phases of changing colour. 🌱🍃🍂🍁🌱 📍Chelsea, London SW3

Cyclamen flowers, commonly called Florist's Cyclamen, on sale at the local nursery. They definitely brighten up dark and grey winter days. 🌱🌸💮 📍Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London

The sunshine in recent weeks has helped to enhance the colours of the leaves this year. They are a sight to see. 🌱🍁🍂 📍South Kensington, London SW7

Especially for you. With thanks for the likes for most of my posts here on Blue Sky. 🌱🏵🍁 📍Chelsea, London SW3

That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. Sonnet 73, William Shakespeare. 🌱🍁🍂 📍Chelsea, London SW3

HM Queen Sirikit (1932-2025). RIP 🙏🙏🙏 ขอแสดงความเสียใจกับการสูญเสียของคุณ 🙏💐 (File photo, may be subject to copyright)

The acer leaves are turning red. In previous years, they would be a brilliant shade of red around now. Let's hope that happens in the next few days. 🌱🍁🍂 📍South Kensington, London SW7

Happy Diwali to my friends around the world who are celebrating today. 🪔✨️ #Diwali 📍South Kensington, London SW7

Lighting up my surroundings. These Prunus species trees (there are two of them, one behind the other) grace us with pink flowers every spring. Every autumn, they give us these glowing colours. 🌱🌸🍂 📍South Kensington, London SW7

A flower decoration spotted during a recent visit to this landmark hotel in central London. 🌱🌸 📍Whitehall, London SW1

Changing colours, changing seasons. This is the giant mophead blue variety of hydrangea, now displaying different colours. 🌱🌸 📍South Kensington, London SW7

The beauty of autumn 🍂 or one last chance to impress before the cold weather sets in. It depends on an individual's point of view. 🌱🍁 📍Kensington Gardens, London

This famous spot will soon be full of social media influencers taking photos for their followers. Luckily there weren't any when I walked past recently, possibly because only the top section of the ivy has changed colour. 🌱🍂 📍Kynance Mews, London SW7

Dahlias to bring an end to another brilliant set of seasons of floral beauty. Despite the lack of rain these past few months, some flowers have bloomed spectacularly. 🌱🌸🏵 📍Fulham Road, London SW3

With the passing of Jane Goodall today, we lost one of the most consequential voices in environmental science and animal behavior. In 2002, she said, “We have found that…there isn't a sharp line dividing humans from the rest of the animal kingdom.” (Continued in comments)

Some colour for you. Spotted outside a famous pub on the King's Road. 🌱🌸🏵 📍Chelsea, London SW3

A close-up of the floral display at Cartier during Chelsea In Bloom, September 2021. 🌱🌸🏵 📍Sloane Square, London SW1

Walking past this flower shop, I had to take a close-up photo of these dahlias. 🌱💮 📍Chelsea, London SW3

Late summer beauties. 🌱🌸 Photo taken in 2024. This year, despite the recent rain in London, the flowers haven't bloomed as before. 📍Chelsea, London SW3

He was a great actor and so much more. So sad to lose a tireless champion for the environment. R.I.P. Robert Redford.

Today I was planning to go for a walk around the garden of a neighbourhood palace. But thanks to inaccurate weather forecasts and the unpredictability of nature, I stayed home to shelter from the rain. Here's a picture from a previous walk around the Sunken Garden. 🌱💮 📍Kensington Palace, London