Marks & Spencer turned Christmas red into a cue for a suave Mrs Claus – taking a leaf out of Helen Mirren’s book in… RED. And it’s Islington that sees the best of her heroics (before she slips back to her sofa in the North Pole, and her book “Fifty Shades of Red”).
Mrs Claus zooms to the helipad on a snow bike before tearing off in her chopper for London, and setting it down in Barnard Park, to deliver the special package (of red sneakers).
The fake snow fell in July this year for the shoot. A large scaffold was built in the park so cameras could film inside the chopper, and two police officers were on hand to help.
A Thornhill Crescent house was used as the inside of the family’s home. And the exterior, as the children race out to play in the snow, is in fact Matilda Street – opposite Barnard Park.
FilmFixer manages the film office for Islington Council. FilmFixer director Karen Everett says, “Full snow in July is a lot of fun for everyone – if it’s done considerately. We were thrilled to help accommodate a helicopter landing for Mrs Claus, and filling Matilda Street with snow for children to play in, for this fresh approach to Christmas.”