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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Gareth Richman, Harriet Brewis

Stunning vintage photos show Christmas being celebrated in London from 1930s to Swinging Sixties

Stockings over the fireplace, last-minute shopping frenzies – some festive traditions never change. These stunning photos from the 1930s to the Swinging Sixties are testament to Londoners’ enduring joy at Christmas.

They also mark a time of immense transition which saw Britain struggle through the Great Depression, fight in World War Two and crown a new monarch: Queen Elizabeth II.

But while gas masks under the mistletoe are now an all but extinct sight, and children are more likely to unwrap video games than marching drums, families across the capital continue to delight in age-old Christmas staples.

From a pair of pensioners pulling a cracker over pudding, to children in paper hats at a Holland Park school party – these visual treasures prove December is the season to be jolly.

Guests at a Christmas party at Holland Park Comprehensive School, London, organised for children from diverse ethnic backgrounds. (Douglas Miller/Getty Images)

Policemen in their bobby hats made excellent tree decorators in 1936, one picture reveals. While a little girl shows geese aren’t just for Christmas by turning her would-be meal into a cherished pet in another heartwarming snap.

A touching photo of little boys rehearsing for their Christmas party at the Homeless Children’s Aid Society reminds us of all the people, young and old, for whom December 25 can be a difficult time.

It is therefore heartening to see Father Christmas visiting children in need laden with presents in a number of images.

A recurrent theme throughout the gallery is food - and plenty of it. From puddings aboard a tinsel decked train to dinner at a home for orphans, Christmas is a time for glutting on feasts and festive cheer.

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