The Great Big Raffle

I'm Dreaming Of A Red Christmas

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The Raffles Hotel in Singapore is the ultimate reference point in a) luxury and b) colonial history. This shot (above) was taken from the front of the hotel and perhaps gives you an idea of the huge scale of the decorations. The hotel, by the way, is named after Sir Stamford Raffles.

The second shot (above) was also taken from the sweeping semi-circular driveway and gives you some idea of the size of the bow. The arched windows are about fifteen to eighteen feet tall (between five and six metres) from the topmost point of the arch to the bottom of the window. When you think about it, the weight of those decorations would be considerable. I guess they would need specialists to put them up, with considerable skill and great dexterity.

This last shot (above) was taken in the famous courtyard of the Raffles Hotel. Along with the graceful arched wreaths, you can also see the landmark "RH" in stained glass in the front of this food pagoda as well as in the background of the picture.