My Christmas Day speech for 2018 took a different route from the royal broadcast. This Roberts London Christmas special brought together the city’s festive lights, a message beside the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree and a visit to the Chandos pub.
The video premiered on 25 December 2018. It is a short seasonal film, with an opening montage, a Christmas message and a fireside finish. These photographs come from the original episode and preserve the London scenes as they appeared in the film.
A Christmas montage of London
Before the main message, the special moves through a sequence of London Christmas scenes. Fireworks appear above Regent Street’s angel lights, skaters circle beneath strings of lights, and illuminated market stalls brighten the night. The Christmas tree at Hay’s Galleria adds another familiar setting to the montage.
This opening gathers the colour and movement of the season into a few minutes. Rather than follow a single walk from start to finish, it brings different festive scenes together. Crowds, decorations and fairground lights set the mood before the pace slows in Trafalgar Square.
A Christmas Day speech in Trafalgar Square
The main outdoor message has the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree as its backdrop. Its tall outline and vertical strings of lights stand out against the dark square. Rain on the paving reflects the surrounding lights, giving the familiar setting a very wintry appearance.
I speak to the camera with the tree behind me before heading away through the wet streets. It is a personal Roberts London Christmas greeting, framed by the city that runs through the rest of the channel.
From the square to the Chandos
For the pub portion of the special, I head to the Chandos. Its illuminated exterior makes a bright contrast with the wet pavement outside. The camera then follows the red-carpeted staircase into the pub.
The original introduction played on the difference between a royal palace and a gin palace. That light-hearted comparison gives the Christmas Day speech its pub setting, without turning it into a formal address. The Chandos is part of the story as a place to finish the outing and deliver the festive message.
A fireside Christmas finish
Inside, the film settles beside a burning fire. I sit with a drink and speak to the camera, while close views of the flames bring a quieter note after the streets and Christmas lights. The change of setting makes the closing scenes feel warm and intimate.
The special ends with Merry Christmas and Happy New Year greetings. It is a brief record of the season: London outside, a fire inside and a message to the people watching.
Watch the Roberts London Christmas special
Watch the original Christmas Day speech below. First shown on 25 December 2018, the episode runs for just over seven and a half minutes and includes the opening London montage, Trafalgar Square and the Chandos visit.
