Morning:
14°c
Oxford St carols banned as nuisance to shoppers
Benedict Moore-Bridger19.11.08
AN Oxford Street department store has been banned from playing Christmas carols because they create "noise pollution".
Westminster council officials have ordered Debenhams not to broadcast the festive music that traditionally accompanies its window display.
Shoppers can no longer listen to the likes of Jingle Bells or Silent Night as they look at images of snowmen and reindeer. The store offered to turn down the volume but this was rejected by the council which feared that broadcasting into the street could negatively affect trade.
The order came to light when Conservative MP Julian Lewis attacked the move in Parliament, contrasting the ban with the "unauthorised and illegal protest noise" faced by MPs and parliamentary staff from anti-war protesters such as Brian Haw.
Mr Lewis highlighted the case as part of his campaign against noise from protesters who he claims will not be prosecuted by the council.
A Debenhams spokesman confirmed the ban, adding: "All we were trying to do was bring a bit of festive cheer to Oxford Street. It was never our intention to irritate anyone. We offered to turn it down."
Daniel Astaire, Westminster's cabinet member for community protection, said: "If every business was allowed to blast its choice of music and advertising into Oxford Street a visit would become unbearable and inevitably affect trade."
Figures this week showed that shoppers are continuing to flock to the West End despite the recession and the opening of the rival Westfield mall in Shepherd's Bush.
The number of bargain hunters in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street was up 11.6 per cent on last year at weekends. Sunday was the best day with 17.4 per cent more people crowding into central London's shopping district.
In Oxford Street shopper numbers were up 20.1 per cent. Store managers said the strength of the euro and the Christmas lights had attracted more people than expected.
French, Italian and German visitors are in London in record numbers, taking advantage of the 20 per cent fall in the value of the pound against the euro.
Reader views (51)
When will these Government/Council officials decide it's time to stop telling people how we should live our lives and let us have at least a little bit of cheer during this gloomy credit crunch period.
- Bazzer, Ilford
Well John Clague of Melbourne, why are you commenting on the state of the UK, you don't live here, so shut up.
You so obviously hate the UK you had to move to the other side of the world.
I cannot stand, smug self satisfied morons who express opinions they are not entitled to.
Do enjoy your life in paradise, and leave us to ours.
- Kerry, Purley
Presumably the Salvation Army will be stopped also from bringing "Glad tidings of comfort & joy" to an otherwise miserable British Public-how farcical and I am a Westminster rate Payer.
- Harvey Lawrence, London UK
And you wonder why we ex pats STAY overseas....you laughable lot...
- John Clague, Melbourne Australia
Yet in a lot of shops you cannot get away from that so called "rap" music, churning out their vile lyrics.
- Pat, Essex
Ever heard of the meaning of Christmas and the season of "Glad Tidings of Joy"? Come on, let's spread a little happiness
- Diana From Devon, Newton Abbt, UK
Yurh! Let's have more pop and rap! Don't get enough!
- John Problem, Hackney Wick, London, UK
I have never come across anyone of any other faith be offended by Christmas, just PC-fixated idiots expecting them to be.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
Great! There's nothing worse than having Christmas Carols blasting out at you in November. By Christmas you're sick of the damned things!
- Richard, London
1. It's obviously a 'Christianity' thing, not a 'noise' thing.
2. I love Christmas, but think it should be confined to December, I'v seen decorations out in October and that can only devalue the whole experience.
3. There are a lot of people out there that don't appear to know what month it is!
- Paul, London
What a bunch of miserable so and so's we seem to be!
- Stuart, Luton, UK
Tom, you've hit it on the head. European legislation. Noise restrictions passed by the far-off federal government on the continent and which all provinces (including the U.K.) have to obey. The huge majority of Brits still don't seem to understand that the country in which they now live is a federal state called the E.U.
- Phil Jones, London UK
I wondered how long it would be until someone mentioned Birmingham Council’s Winterland event. A great storey about the PC grinches that stole Christmas, the only problem is that it wasn’t true, it’s an urban myth started about 3 years ago. The council did decide on a winterland event to boost shopping in the city centre in November but it didn’t replace the Christmas celebrations planned for December. Show’s that you can’t keep a good yarn down, even if it is utter rubbish.
- Nj, London
Liberal and Proud - I'm glad you're NOT talking down a blind pilot to land in Oxford Street!!
- David Williams, BORDEAUX France
Shoppers and presumably local residents should be entitled to some peace. Oxford street is noisy enough as it is, and you can imagine a situations where shops compete for the attention of shoppers by increasing the volume of music. Christmas is a commercial enterprise down this street. Don't kid yourselves. If one wants to feel a warm Christmas glow inside, how about just sitting on a radiator instead?
- Colin Cook, Oxford, UK
once again a council imposes its will...in Birmingham it WAS WINTERLAND..instead of Christmas...now its london,,denegrading a Christmas treat...under the guise of noise pollution....even the BBC proms was regulated by this same nonsense...the tragedy is that this is European legislation,!!...not British leislation,,I wander if the same zeal is applied in Bavaria..France..Italy,,the government should put more pressure on training councils in how to apply tthe law...with some degree of common sense,,,,and Christmas spirit!
- Tom, surrey
Come on, i want christmus carols when im comming over for my yerly christmus shopping in London. By the way, the real Santa lives in Sweden.
- Mats Olsson, Stockholm Sweden
More Westminister ******** from a "cabinet member for community protection" (CMFCP!says it all really). And there was I thinking it was only the loony Labour left that abolished Christmas, boom, bust, and rubbish collection. If I were Debs or any other trader I'd tell the CMFCP to go Hark the Herald Angels. Let's hear it for lots more wassails and Carol singing, a Labour-led depression is crushing Oxford Street.
- Ken, France
I have to laugh out loud at most of the comments below.
Every year the tabloid press trots out these misreported and made up, "Their Gonna Ban Xmas", and bang on cue people start foaming at the mouth.
"It's political correctness gawn mad, I tell ya!"
Blah, Blah, Blah,
Hey!, do you know Birmingham City Council has renamed Xmas "Winterval"!
It,s true, I read it in the paper!
- William, London
And what a bunch of moronic killjoys......just in case westminster council have overlooked the point......its CHRISTMAS (or soon will be )so will soem body in the council PLEASE tell me what part of that they have difficulty understanding? noise pollution my !
- Charles, London
It's not Christmas in November.
- Squiz, Islington
How can the council complain about Christmas Music, what about the Notting Hill Carnival, that's loud. What about if you are English and Christian, we cannot put up the George Flag and celebrate Christmas as we used to, or we are seen not to be politically correct. What about us true Brits, stop eroding our culture.
- L Palmer, Shropshire
What a depressing place this is becoming. We're worried about recession... we're worried about inflation... if the interest rate goes up, were stuffed... and if it comes down we're stuffed! We are in recession and getting deeper by the day... people are losing jobs left right and centre... and now to top it off, we're going to lose the Xmas 'spirit'... who's running this country?!?!
- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK
I walked passed Fortnum and Mason's the other day and they were blaring so called 'hymns' from their window display at about 120 decibels which completely ruined my phone conversation for at least 15 seconds! Supposing I had been on the phone to a dying relative or trying to talk down a pilot who had gone blind at the controls of his plane.
I blame the disgracefully politically correct council. I for one will be voting Labour to try to stop the spread of this nasty left wing PC politics! Shame on you Conservative party. Shame. On. You.
(please!)
- Liberal And Proud, London UK
I wouldn't want to shop anywhere that wanted my money but made pathetic excuses to outlaw Carols. I've noticed that Oxford Street are preper to welcome pickpockets and beggars.
- Marie Dixie, Hammersmith
People need to keep a sense of perspective. Christmas music shouldn't be played until December anyway. Most stores start selling Christmas paraphanalia in late October. By the time we get to Christmas - we're Christmassed-out!
- N H, London, UK
Noise pollution, yet another OTT and petty matter. If they (the authorities) are that worried then why not grant licences?
- Tony Islander, Herts
Oh for pete's sake...it's Christmas. If Westminster Council is so keen to get rid of annoying music, I'd be extremely obliged if they would do something about that annoying hotel coffee shop by Tower Bridge at the entrance to St Katherine's Docks that keeps blaring out bad pop music.
- Alice Cowans, London, UK
Westminster is really stupid, that's spoiling the festive season. Why don't they do something instead about the stores that play dangerously loud music inside, instead of spoiling our winter?
- Denise, London
Fantastic. I assume that they are also banning all music from their stores be it popular Christmas songs or the latest top 10 over the Xmas period as they will also be causing noise pollution too.
- Lisa H, London
What next? I think it is disgusting that this has been stopped. I went there when the music was playing, it was not loud, and it really cheered me up.
This is supposed to be a Christian country, and I find it offensive to my religion that Christmas is being outcast by others. Before anyone says that snowmen, santa are not a part of Christian belief, I realise that, but along with the Nativity, this is very much a part of the Season of Goodwill.
- E Sullivan, London
They'll be banning church bells next... I hate what has happened to our country... Funnily enough, when I lived in Oman, some of the supermarkets/stores played Christmas music and also gave customers little Christmas gifts and that is a Moslem country!
- Katie, London
Just stand in the street and lsiten to the noise pollution caused by yobs on motorcycles (often with the exhausts illegally modified).
Do they get stopped and taken off the road by these idiots? Oh no.
Sorry, I forgot: carol singers are an EASY TARGET. For a moment there I overlooked that fact that all these fools do it chase the easy, law-abiding ones.
Cheers and havea great Christmas.
- Peter Dempsey, London
This is awful and disappointing The Carols and the music and the vendors selling chesnuts create the atmosphere of the season These efforts by the stores and the buskers etc all add to the happy and joyful moments of the day You do not have to be christian to enjoy the seasonal music. If shoppers can not enjoy these extra entertainments in Oxford Street They will vote with their feet and go elsewhere to places like Westfields Music, decor everything laid on to make shopping a fun experience.
- Mrs Smith, London UK
What has gone wrong with our once GREAT BRITAIN? We were once a Christian nation with religious beliefs and now we can not practice those beliefs due to political correctness gone mad. We've opened our borders to the world who are allowed to practice their beliefs without caution or consideration for the indigenous people. We don’t complain or have bare any grudges; instead we welcome with open arms.
We the British are sued every which way we turn when we: (recent news) don't employ a Muslim woman in a hairdresser as her own hair is covered in a burka (not good for the promotion of business), Ask a Muslim Chef to fry bacon when he new the job would involve cooking all kinds of meat including non halel products... I mean, please, can we have just one moment of common sense! My child is at risk of missing out one some of the great traditions I enjoyed as a child.
Before the Government embrace any other traditions and cultures, they must first must learn to respect the ways their people.
- Wordfromthestreet, London
I'll tell you what lets just cancel xmas and any other chance to be happy cause I soooo don't want to upset anyone. People that don't like music while they are shopping can use the internet and as for anyone that finds Rudolph the red nose reindeer offensive needs to seek help.
- Julie Walsh, London
Frank, you're a bitter old cob aren't you (replace cob with a word of your choice that rhymes - I had a word in mind begins with k!). You're an idiot...
I'm not Christian... I celebrate Xmas... I'll happily be the first one to sign a petition that fights FOR Carols to be allowed on Oxford Street... or any other part of the country!!!
- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK
Unfortunately, Debenhams has "music" blaring out on many occasions at a volume which really does constitute noise pollution so, although I love Christmas carols, I am pleased at this ban. The store has brought this on itself.
- L Oxley, London, England
People should stand up against this as it's only right christmas carols are played in shops during the December month...it's very relaxing and is part of "our" culture...is it not?
- Sarah, London
Sorry Marianne, SW France it's NOVEMBER not December!
- Lee F, London
It’s started early this year, not Christmas, but the annual bout of misleading stories in the press about PC councils and schools cancelling Christmas and stirring everyone into self-righteous indignation. It can’t be long until I read the recycled myth about a school cancelling a nativity play and we can all wail that it’s Political Correctness gone mad init!
- Nj, London
YAYA!! No more carols being played over and over and over again - while your at it - get that guy with his loudspeaker by Oxford Circus tube station - telling us how bad we all are and to start praying for forgiveness.
- Sarah, Chiswick, London
Bah Humbug!!!
It's proberly got more to do with the PC world Westminster council, worrying about people getting offended.
- Triffidqueen, Desk in London
Well it's confirmed. The problem here is WESTMINSTER COUNCIL for being run by a group of righteous, self-opinionated wannabee do-gooders who have COMPLETELY lost their senses [thought so several years ago when I got a parking ticket]
This is England - supposedly a Christian country. This is December - supposedly the time of the virgin birth. RULE BRITTANIA I say!
- Marianne, SW France
O deary me. Do we really pay these idiots?
- Martin H Watson, Teddington
... playing Christmas carols because they create "noise pollution". Yeah right ~ noise pollution.
Actually this whole Christmas thing is just not PC. Please consider the Muslims who will be offended by the music.
- Frank, Home Counties, England
Superb! There's nothing more insincere and saccharine than shops playing tacky arrangement of Christmas Carols all December!
- Neil, London
I no longer reside in London but I think it's a very sad day when the council tells a department store not to play Christmas Carols at Christmas. I always used to enjoy browsing through a beautifully decorated store, to the sound of Christmas music, it helped to lift the mood. Bah humbug methinks.
- Yvonne, Doncaster, UK
This wouldn't have anything to do with political correctness, would it?? At the rate things are going, I don't see Christmas being celebrated much longer.
- Phil Jones, London UK
If Debenhams really were playing Carols in mid November it was quite right to prevent this as noise pollution. To remind desparate retailers, Christmas is actually 25 December, and is not primarily a commercial event - the continual move to bring forward the retails sales boost is extremey cynical and seems only to happen in the UK.
- John, london
Shame other shops haven't been banned as well. Walking up Oxford Street last night was like being in a disco with all the music blaring out!
- Lavinia, London
