Fortnum and Mason Xmas Windows?

Here's a London Xmas mystery for you to solve.
When I saw the windows at Fortnum and Mason in October I was puzzled.
I went inside and asked the liveried doorman if these mushroomie, underworld, Hobbit-esque window decorations were for Halloween?
I was assured these were the Christmas windows!?
What?

Is it possible?

Mustrooms and moss + British jams..?

Giant acorns + tiny lamps...

Champagne amidst the leaves - this looks a tad Christmasy...

But silver champagne glasses full of green moss? Huh?

Champagne and macarons, contact me, 9" x 11"Please say it isn't so!

I can live with a Beefeater chess set - what a perfect Xmas gift.

Burgundy velvet slippers in the hay? Hmm...

French parfums amongst the moss..? non non non!

Mustard under glass - is this a vision from the latest, darkest Harry Potter movie? Please tell me someone was pulling my leg.

This can NOT be Christmas at F n' M in Piccadilly.

Doesn't one deserve a bit of dessert after that?

BONJOUR FORTNUM and MASON!

'Little Paris' in London

Piles of Frenchie croissants right in S. Ken SW3

'Little Paris' in London. Bute Street off the Brompton road. Full of cafes, charcuteries, boucheries, papeteries, French book stores. You'll hear lots of French spoken and see French kiddies with their au pairs, mainly because the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle is nearby... You think you're in London. You took the Eurostar from Paris.
But in fact you're in 'Little Paris' - well that's what I call it...

Clafoutis at PAUL Boulangerie, 9" x 11"

There's a PAUL cafe just outside South Ken' Station where Frenchies and wannabe Frenchies grab a croissant and a demi...

Bute Street on Saturdays becomes a weekly marche loaded with French goodies..

Coq au vin...boef with vin rouge...you name it

True, the Frenchies will break down and don their English wellies if it's raining...

On the week-end they head to cafe Aubaine further down at 260 -262 Brompton Road for 'le brunch' If you are not dressed appropriately "Frenchie' forget about going...

Bien sur there are menu ardoise/blackboards with stacks of baguettes...

And bien sur there are MACARONS!! After all...

I had chocolat chaud, a croissant and multi-pots of very British jam. Was there a choice?

BONJOUR LITTLE PARIS!

Pollock'e Toy Museum

Yesterday Bill said,"the toy theater is just wonderful!" Perfect segway for me to take you along to London's Covent Garden! Where once there was vegetable and fruit sellers, now you'll find antiques and hot chocolate (22 kinds) and... Pollock's Toy museum. Just head upstairs... For a treasure trove of toys, miniatures and papercutouts. So many DIY paper toy theatres.

Reproduced from Victorian designs. Pollock's has been making the best toy theatres for over a hundred years...

You can still buy everything essential (Pulcinella and Cinderella for just a few pounds) to put together an imaginary paper cutout world.

Victorian Times , contact, 9" x 11"

Tiny Mad Hatter's tea party miniatures can perform on your cardboard toy stage...

Plus Buckingham Palace guards.

A Bear will attend.

Wearing a pink clown's hat.

Victorian noise makers and spinning tops are provided should you get bored during the performance.

Post-performance hot-mulled wine awaits you in Covent Garden. And a perfect plate of paella for a fiver.

BONJOUR POLLOCK'S TOY MUSEUM!

Diaghilev - V&A, London

More dance tales for the balletomanes out there. In London I went to see the Diaghilev exhibit at the V&A.

Room after room of sumptuous costumes, stage sets, posters, playbills, videos, background music, backstage tales from the golden age of Les Ballet Russes (1909-1929).

 Imagine yourself twirling like a czar, sporting a mink hat
Illustrations/costume design from Russian Leon Bakst.