November in London brings a striking change of mood. The month begins with fireworks, pauses for remembrance and ends with the first proper taste of Christmas. In this 2017 film, I follow that change from Westminster and the Thames to Victoria Park, Whitehall and the South Bank.
Originally published on 30 November 2017, this is a record of those evenings as I experienced them. The city is often very dark, but its illuminated landmarks, fireworks and market lights give the camera plenty to find. The photographs below are stills from the original film.
Westminster and the Thames after dark
I begin in Parliament Square, with the Palace of Westminster behind me. Guy Fawkes Night is the first event on my mind. Before heading to a park, I want to see whether any fireworks are visible across the London skyline from the river.
At Westminster Bridge, the Palace looks magnificent in the evening light. Renovation work is already changing the familiar view: scaffolding covers parts of the building and Big Ben. Across the water, the London Eye is illuminated in red, with blue light around the buildings below it.
Then I continue along the north bank towards the footbridges beside the railway bridge. I can hear fireworks and smell gunpowder in the air. Seeing the displays clearly is another matter, especially with tall buildings between me and the distant flashes.
Looking for fireworks on the London skyline
The two footbridges offer different views because the railway bridge’s metalwork stands between them. On one side, I look back towards Westminster and the London Eye. On the other, the view opens towards the Southbank Centre and the City, including the dome of St Paul’s.
Trains rumble overhead while I try to find the source of the bangs and crackles. The fireworks remain difficult to pick out on camera. Even so, the river is worth the walk for its own sake, with lights stretching across the water. For a closer view of a display, I decide to head to a park after all.
Guy Fawkes Night in Victoria Park
The next part of November in London takes me east, between Mile End and Bethnal Green. I stop beside a traditional pub with a fish-and-chip shop opposite, then follow the crowds towards Victoria Park. The fireworks show was free to attend that year.
Inside the park, trucks sell hot food and there are pop-up places to eat and drink. It is a cold evening, and an enormous crowd has gathered. I notice there is no funfair here; the fireworks are the main reason for my visit.
Once the display begins, colour fills the sky above the silhouettes of the spectators. The film stays with the fireworks, catching several bursts before returning to the practical business of standing in a busy park on a November night.
My advice from the evening is simple: wear suitable footwear. With thousands of people walking over the grass, the ground becomes muddy. After the finale, everyone begins making their way out, and I head home before the next outing later in the month.
November remembrance at the Cenotaph
Back in Westminster, the mood is quieter. I visit the Cenotaph in Whitehall and talk about the remembrance services held here and around the country. The memorial is illuminated against the surrounding buildings, with its flags visible in the evening light.
I also show the poppy I am wearing. In the film, I describe buying one as an act of charity and gratitude, and wearing it as a symbol of remembrance and hope. This part of the month asks for a pause before the city moves further into its Christmas celebrations.
Christmas begins on the South Bank
By the end of November in London, the festive season is well underway. I finish on the South Bank, near the London Eye, for a first glimpse of a Christmas market. Wooden huts and strings of lights turn the space beneath the bridge into a busy evening destination.
The smell of mulled wine and festive food is the final impression I share. It is only a brief visit, with more of Christmas saved for the next month’s film. After the dark riverside walk, fireworks and remembrance, these market lights bring the November episode to a warm close.
Watch November in London 2017
Watch the full film below for the Thames views, Victoria Park display, Cenotaph visit and South Bank market. For the next part of the season, continue with Christmas in London 2017: lights, markets and ice skating.
