I’ve had a thoroughly festive few days in London and it has been fantastic! As I mentioned in my Christmas on Both Sides of the World post, there’s something about a London Christmas that feels very traditional to me. The gorgeous decorations and lights twinkling in the evening sky, Christmas markets, mulled wine – it sure gets me in the spirit! This was further aided by my recent Christmassy activities.
It all kicked off with the annual Food Baby Club Christmas Pot Luck Dinner on Thursday. This is a group of my friends that love to eat – most of the year we take turns picking a restaurant to try. However for Christmas we all cook for each other and get very merry! This year I hosted and everyone outdid themselves with delicious food, great Secret Santa presents and stellar Christmas jumpers – which is your favourite?
Some of our epic spread
Next up was Winter Wonderland. On my visit last year I trekked around most of the site and had great fun sampling the different takes on mulled wine and fairground activities. This time I stuck mainly to the Bavarian Village, which gave me major Oktoberfest flashbacks – in a good way!
The ice rink at Winter Wonderland
My friend Emma and I climbed the stairs for this fantastic view – as you can see it was heaving with people enjoying the fun-filled atmosphere. We sampled bratwurst in a pretzel (delicious) and I had mulled wine with amaretto, one of my favourite combinations. Winter Wonderland really does have something for everyone – from speed skaters to families to thrillseekers!
Last but by no means least, I decided to recreate my Christmas Extravaganza from 2013. Thanks to a little too much festive imbibing the night before, we didn’t make it quite as far as last time, but I did love the many and varied light displays that we saw even within a shorter walk. We started at the Cider Lodge at the Southbank Christmas Market, which was buzzing even on a Sunday afternoon.
The view from the lodge
Me, Rachael and Margaux getting some Christmas spirit
First up was Trafalgar Square to visit the Norwegian Christmas tree. A tree is gifted each year by the city of Oslo in gratitude for Britain’s support of Norway in World War Two – pretty special!
We also stumbled across the smallest police station in the world – it’s in the south-east corner if you’d like to as well! Sadly these days it’s more of a broom cupboard than anything else, but it was originally built so police could keep a subtle eye on demonstrations in the square.
Emma contemplating how many cops fit inside…
Next stop was the gorgeous window displays of Fortnum and Masons – and we couldn’t resist a peek inside as well. The air was thick with mince pies and festive buzz – so lovely!
We strolled along New Bond Street, alternately admiring the beautiful peacock lights and the bright window displays of the designers that line the road.
Stella bringing kitsch back?!
Even the teeny streets have lights!
The crowds of Oxford Street brought our walk to a close, but not before we stopped to admire the beautiful displays strung along the road. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love how London goes all out for Christmas, it makes it such a special time of year!
What’s your favourite activity to get in the festive spirit?
Need more Christmas? Check out Cologne’s Quirky Christmas Markets or the Kew Gardens Christmas Lights!
