Rock cousins and Xmassy Oxford Street already

Thursday evening saw me and a colleague in Regent Street and Oxford Street. Having emerged from the depths of Central Line tunnels at Oxford Circus, we had to push through a human flood of people.  (It's always busy there, but not as bad as that.)There were some people in black and red 'uniforms' among pedestrains. They explained to me that the crowds had gathered to watch turning on Christmas lights in Oxford Street. The event was to take place any minute from then, as soon as a famous UK band had finished playing outside John Lewis store. (Sorry, failed to memorise the name of the band.) We had no time for that as we were heading for Westminster University to attend a lecture on teaching writing to EAL students! We got there in time to look around the interesting building.
  
My friend, a Londoner for decades, had never been there before. Typical...;-) Then the lecture started and all of us teachers immersed ourselves in the experience of being a student once more, just for a short time. It definitely was worth coming. We listened to a man of immense experience in the field and an author of many EAL books published by Oxford University Press. Although I followed the talk attentively, I couldn't stop thinking of the opening picture of a very rare rock formation that formed the background of the introductory page. I couldn't help but ask Mr Edward de Chazal where he had got the picture from, only to hear that the rock actually is near his home! I was astonished as to me it looked very much like a spectacular rock formation in Crete which I photographed last spring. However, it turned out that the rock featured in the lecture is on the Juraissic Coast in Dorset, and that our speaker photographed it himself along with many other picturesque spots in his neighbourhood. It would be fascinating to go and see the place.

A small reception after Edward de Chazal's lecture at the University of Westminster

And now I wanted to upload a picture of the Cretan rock, but it has to wait. Earlier on I managed to mess up with my computer settings and it refuses cooperation.
...
Instead, I can upload a few 'fresh' pictures of 'prematurely Christmassy' Oxford Street 2014.
No. Actually, it turns out I cannot do that now either as my magic phone hasn't processed them yet.
Let me then wish you good night and go gently into into the sleeping mode.
...
Obviously, the phone needed some rest. Now the promised pictures of Christmas lights in Oxford Street:

Oxford Circus
 

Before the lights above the street were turned on, a band was playing outside John Lewis.
 

 

 


 

 

We turned into St Christopher Place in search of something to eat and enjoyed The Stairway to Heaven plus some Peruvian tunes as well as a chat with a busker there. Although Peruvian, I don't think he's heard of Paddington Bear though...
  


Near Bond Street Station we encountered my ever favourite Paddington Bear: