St. Pancras International has officially unveiled its much-loved and highly-anticipated Christmas Tree, in partnership with Hatchards, the UK’s oldest bookshop and one of the station’s many iconic retailers. It is a brilliant partnership when one considers the magical ability of both books and train travel to transport people to exciting new places.
The St. Pancras International Christmas Tree has been a London icon for well-over a decade with a reputation for iconic brand partners and pushing the boundaries of what traditionally constitutes a Christmas tree. Over the years, the Tree has played music, displayed light shows and even snowed as part of its ambition to bring festive cheer to travellers and tourists.
The Tree also includes the Christmas Grotto, located on The Grand Terrace of St. Pancras from the 17th of November. During their visit, children can meet Santa, enjoy activities with Elves, listen to stories and even take their parents for a trip to Hamleys and Hatchards where they can receive 20% off with their grotto ticket.
The 2023 Christmas Tree stands at 12 metres tall, and features a winding staircase, wrapping around 270 shelves with an impressive array of more than 3,800 books, which have been hand-painted and inscribed with titles of Christmas Classics such as Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” and many more.
Within the tree there are eight cubby holes where children and adults alike can sit and fully immerse themselves in the magic of Christmas. In each booth, there are speakers which allow customers to select a five minute excerpt from an audiobook or reading provided exclusively by Penguin Books, featuring authors including Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Zadie Smith, Robin Stevens, Gabrielle Zevin, Alice Winn, Rick Riordan, Michael Morpurgo, Richard Osman and Tom Fletcher. With each booth having two options, guests will be able to choose from sixteen different audios.
These cubby holes are a great free attraction for the whole family or the perfect place to take five and relax while travelling through St. Pancras. Do visit such a magical Christmas tradition at St Pancras International https://stpancras.com/ this most amazing of historic stations.
Photography – courtesy of Sam Lane Photography