February 2026 Archives

Celebrating Chinese New Year in London has been on my bucket list for well over a decade now, and I nearly went in 2014 when it was also the "year of the horse". The horse is my Chinese New Year animal, so I decided to make the effort this year to see the Chinese New Year parade in central London and then check out what was happening at Trafalgar Square. We have had an extremely wet winter so far since the beginning of January with nearly every single day having rain. The weather largely stayed dry during my visit into central London to celebrate Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year parade kicked off the celebrations at 10:00 in the morning. I got a good spot on the quiet road near Trafalgar Square, but soon it became extremely crowded. 

Colour and costume was the theme of the day.

Many references to the twelve Chinese New Year animals were present. The horse took centre stage.

One of the first spectaculars was the Chinese dragon, which wound its way through the crowds like a serpent.

Schools and community groups followed with their own versions of dragons and the Chinese lions and other symbols of fortune and success.

Of course, we had the horse!

The colour and atmosphere was amazing.

One of the highlights of the parade were the dancers. They put on a show for a couple of minutes in front of me with energetic jumps, drums, and flying red cloth.

I headed my way up to Chinatown and caught a few more glimpses of the dragons.

Of course, Chinatown was popular and decorated with thousands of the red lanterns. Crowds had spilled onto the streets to enjoy Chinese cuisine.

I headed over to Trafalgar Square. They should have let us in at 11:00, but it ended up being 11:30 before we were able to get in. I was one of the first in, and I went straight to the companies and games giving free items. The square soon got very crowded. I wanted to watch the big stage from the top of the stairs, but by the time I had spent a few minutes walking around, it was impossible to climb back up the stairs due to people filling every space.

I had a look at the items for sale. 

Finally, the day kicked off with an opening ceremony with the VIPs.

Each of the VIPs got to "dot the lion" with a brush to give it life (to see, hear, and smell). This ritual brings the lion to life.

We also had some "Money Gods" on stage.

After a break, we were treated to a performance by the talented lions. The lions balanced on small platforms on poles. There are more than one man to a lion costume, and their acrobatics were amazing. 

I watched the lions peform, and I really wanted to stay for the later events, but I was tired. The square was very crowded, and I just did not want to stay. I may try it next year. There is a lighting ceremony at the end of the day at Trafalgar Square and music before that.

I had previously gone to Chinatown on the Saturday of the Chinese New Year. Most of the events take place on the Sunday, but I happened to find myself in Chinatown and watching the lions dance and parade around. It was not too crowded then, but this year, going into Chinatown to see the lions was not possible. For photographs of my visit to Chinatown, see Chinatown London Welcomes Lunar New Year 2014. 

Kingston Lacey in Dorest is a National Trust property that is known for their beautiful snowdrop displays that take place from the end of January into early March, and my visit to see the snowdrops this year took place on the first weekend in February. The snowdrops cover the ground in the Victorian Fernery as well as in the gardens walk. We have had a very wet year this year, and I went to visit the snowdrops on a wet Sunday with my friends.

Before our visit, we went for Sunday roast at The Three Legged Cross pub. I had a Sunday roast meal and brownie for dessert. I had roast turkey.

We headed to Kingston Lacey in Dorset to see the snowdrops and have a quick walk.

Our fist stop was at the house where I saw the self portait of Rembrandt, which is doing the tour in a few National Trust estates this year.

The Egyptian rooms were also open, and I had a look inside them as well.

The rest of the time was spent walking around the wet gardens, and it had started to rain. The rain this year has been non-stop.

To see a previous visit to the snowdrops at Kingston Lacey, visit the below:

Kingston Lacey Snowdrops 2020

More posts at Kingston Lacey:

Summer Afternoon at Kingston Lacey
Autumn at Kingston Lacey

I visited coconut-themed dessert cafe Coco Playa in Soho / edge of Chinatown (Rupert Street) in London on two occassions. I tried a couple of their different desserts, such as their coconut panna cotta served in a real coconut shell with different toppings. The cafe has been in operation for a few years now. 

I had the "bellyful of berries" panna cotta, served in a coconut shell. As the shell was a smaller size than their usual size, the cost was less. They did not have the larger shells at my time of visit, but this was a nice size to try. The dessert was good, and the toppings paired well with the panna cotta, which was a coconut-flavoured jelly. I also ordered a pastel de nata.

On the second visit, I tried the traditional dessert of mango and sticky rice, served with condensed milk. The mango was delicious and full of flavour.

I love coconut flavour, so this little dessert shop went down a nice treat for me.

Last month, I purchased one of the special cocktail boxes from Craft Gin Club. I purchased the Margarita box. The spicy Margarita is one of my favourite cocktails, and I've not made my own margarita from scratch before. The box came with all of the ingredients needed to create your own margarita cocktail. (To make a spicy one, I ground up some bird's eye chilis and mixed the oil with the tequila, and you can make it as spicy as you want.)

The box came with the following:

Tiempo Tequila: This was a smoothe tequila, and the most important aspect of a margarita is to use a good-quality tequila. This one was a good quality.

Burnt Faith Triple Sec in 'blood orange': This spirit can be added with tequila to produce the margarita, although other orange-flavour liqueur will also work.

Bristol Syrup Co Lime Sherbet: This lime-flavoured sugar syrup helps balance the lime and sweet ingredients used to make a margarita (instead of needing simple sugar syrup and lime juice as separate ingredients).

Cornish Sea Salt Company salt flakes: I've previously purchased these salt flakes for margaritas, so this was a great addition to the box.

Belvoir Farm Raspberry Margarita: This was a non-alcoholic drink that tasted of a raspberry margarita, and I mixed some of it with the margarita for a different flavour.

Street artist Curtis Hytton painted the large wall at Whitecross Street for Whitecross Street Party in 2024. Th UK-based artist has painted across the world, and his work normally features animals and birds that seem to be made of flowers. The idea of nature - wildlife and floral - brings a little bit of colour to the streets in this built-up part of London. 

For those heading to New York City, I would recommend a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the most photographed and iconic structures in New York City. Last November when I visited New York City, I did this and had a good pizza lunch in Dumbo, a part of Brooklyn on the other side of Manhattan with nice views of the towering buildings of Lower Manhattan. I was staying in the financial district, so the easiest way to get there was via the ferry to Dumbo (down under the Manhattan bridge underpass). 

The ferry was a quick trip with nice views.

Dumbo has a couple of famous pizza restaurants. When I visited New York City many years ago, I went to to Juliana's. Grimaldi's is the more popular pizza restaurant, so I went there this time. The restaurants are a few doors down from each other.

I had a glass of wine and a mocktail.

The pizza was delicious. I had onion and jalapeno toppings.

The Thai restaurant (Elephant District) here looked good as well.

There are a couple of ice cream cafes here too, but one of them was shut. I ended up purchasing an ice cream sundae in the chain one, Van Leeuwen. I enjoyed an ice cream on a chilly but sunny November day with views of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Afterwards, I headed to the Brooklyn Bridge to walk across it and admire the different views over the city.

I got some nice photographs of the bridge the evening before with a nice sunset from the financial district.

I recommend a walk across the bridge and visit to one of the pizza restaurants in Dumbo.

At the end of last week, I went to Welford Park to see their snowdrops woods. Welford Park, located near Reading in Berkshire, is home to five acres of natural snowdrop woods along the river. The snowdrops can be visited throughout the month of February, and they are at the best in the middle of the month. Welford Park, also known for the shooting location of "The Great British Bake-Off", has a church, gift shop, and Queen Anne style home. For those who want a bite to eat, lunches and snacks are served in a tent during the snowdrop visit.

I had a walk along the river and found the snowdrops wood, which was really impressive. I have never seen so many in one place and in large clusters as well. There was a walkway around the beech woods to admire them. This is actually one of the best places to see snowdrops, and it has the largest area to see them.

The snowdrop is not native to Britain, and they are often found in places that were historically associated with monastaries as they were planted by the monks for medical and decorative benfits.

There are pleasant walks along the river.

I enjoy getting out in nature, and due to the wet weather since the start of the year, I have hardly had a chance to get outside. Luckily, the rain did not come down, but it was wet and muddy in places due to all of the rain. Seeing the woods and nature in its winter sleep but with signs that spring is coming makes me feel hopeful. 

A pathway is set up to walk the perimeter of the snowdrop woods.

Afterwards, I walked across the river on the bridge and got some nice views of the house. I imagine that it does look pretty in the summer.

Before I left, I had a wander around the gift shop and the church.

I also noted that crocus flowers, daffofils, and other early spring or late winter flowers were coming out.

For those who wish to have a wander around a beautiful snowdrop woods and to see one of the best in the country, I recommend Welford Park in Berkshire.

Today is Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday), and today, I went to Greenwich Market to watch the Pancake Day race. This was my first time to experience the Pancake Day race at Greenwich Market, but I have been to a few of the other ones in London in past years. In addition to being Pancake Day, today is a special celebration day as it is also Chinese New Year and Ramadan. That's three special celebrations all on one day. 

The Greenwich Market Pancake Day race was held from noon until 2:00pm at Fry's Court inside the market. This is very much a community event set to raise funds for Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice. Pearly Queens for both communities were in attendance and also raced. Unlike other Pancake Day races where there are teams of six competing against each other, this race asked for volunteers to do a lap each way with flipping a fake pancake three times each way.

The groups were mixed in age and ability with the winner receiving a medal. Often, it was families who took part. A lot of children took part.

Even an owl took part.

Everyone seemed to have a fun time, and the weeks of rain that the country has had since the start of the year was absent. We had some sunshine, though it got colder as the day progressed.

I had a quick break for lunch and went inside the market to one of the sellers (food trucks) selling Chinese food. I had spicy chicken and noodles. After all, it is Chinese New Year today, and we welcomed the horse.

Th Pearly Queen and chef race was memorable. The Bexly Pearly Queen won against the Royal Greenwich one.

Overall, it was a pleasant day. I had been wishing to visit this Pancake Day race for a few years now, and I finally got to see it.

Of course, I had my own pancakes at hom with cream, raspberries, and blueberries.

Here are previous Pancake Day posts:

• Better Bankside Pancake Day Race 2025
• Valentine's Day Pancake Day 2024 (2024)
• Leadenhall Pancake Day Race 2024 (2024)
• Japanese Souffle Pancakes from Coffee Addict (2023)
• TFL Tube Lockdown Strike Pancake Day (2022)
• Lockdown Pancake Day 2021 (2021)
• Happy Pancake Day! Pancakes at Pancs, Covent Garden (2020)
• Pancakes: "Crème de la Crêpe" in Covent Garden (2020)
• Pancake Day at "Where the Pancakes Are" in Flat Iron Square, (Borough, London) (2019)
• Leadenhall Market Pancake Day Race (2019)
• Pancake Day at Outsider Tart (Chiswick, London) (2018)
• Great Spitalfields Pancake Day Race 2017 (2017)
• Happy Pancake Day - Balan's Soho Society (Westfield)! (2016)
• Great Spitalfields Pancake Day Race 2015 (2015)
• Great Spitalfields Pancake Day Race 2014 (2014)
• Great Spitalfields Pancake Day Race 2013 (2013)

One of the attractions that I did while I was in New York City at the end of November was to walk The High Line. The High Line was a former railroad placed above street level to ease congestion with traffic at street level, and it was operational in the 1930s. The railway fell into disuse in the 80s. The line was developed into gardens from 2009 in different phases, and it is a place to see nature and artwork. There are various sculptures and street art along the High Line for visitors to appreciate.

I started at Hudson Yards mall. The mall has a lot of designer shops and restaurants, and there is an attraction here for people to walk up a sculpture and up onto the rooftop for views ovr New York City. The mall was decorated for Christmas. I bought some delicious chocolate from Li-Lac chocolates.

At Hudson Yards, I joined the High Line. "Foot Fountain" by Mika Rottenberg is one of the artworks here, and it is a pink foot and leg with a working fountain on top, but the fountain was not on. 

I am not sure (and did not seem to photograph) who was responsible for the below artwork of a yellow face and a statue of a figure with missing head of a woman who appears to melt into the plinth. 

The High Line was a nice way to see the architecture and experience a little bit of nature in such a built-up city.

The below giant pigeon sculpture is "Dinosaur" by Ivan Argote.

"Th Sun is a Flame that Haunts the Night" by Tai Shani

I also discovered a familiar street art by M. Chat off of the High Line. I saw the artist's work in Sarajevo many years ago. The artist is from France.

The gardens on top of the High Line probably do look beautiful in the summer.

Sopheap Pich's "Kânh Chhrôôl (Gluta Usitata), Melembu, and Khlông (Dipterocarpus Tuberculatus)"

Unknown work pictured on The High Line.

A large street art mural along the High Line - "The Creation of the Creatures by Day and Night" by Rosana Paulino.

A work by street artist Kobra, which was mostly obscured by a tree and buildings.

Unknown street art on a building off the High Line.

Street art by Vesid

Other artwork by Kobra.

There was a large seating area overlooking the street, and this was not too far from Chelsea Market.

I enjoyed the visit to Chelsea Market with different food for sale and interesting shops. It reminded me a little bit of the markets in London, such as Camden. I enjoyed a coconut gelato.

The High Line was one of my favourite activities to do in New York City with the visit to Chelsea Market and Hudson Yards, and then I went on to Bleecker Street.

I visited Highclere Castle for a Valentine's Day themed tour of the castle and champagne afternoon tea. The castle tour included a visit to the different rooms and a self-guided tour of the lower ground level where there is a museum on Egyptian artefacts and replicas. The Lord Carnavron, who owned the estate in the 1920s financially backed Howard Carter in the search for Egyptian tombs and located the tomb of King Tutankhamun. In addition to its historical significance with helping to locate the hidden treasures in Egypt, Highclere Castle is recognised for being the home of the fictional Grantham family in "Downton Abbey". The popular television series, which aired in the mid-2010s for six seasons, produced three films. The third and final film was released at the end of last year.

For Valentine's Day, the castle was decorated with beautiful pink, red, and white flowers in the different rooms and on the bannister of the great staircase. Photographs inside the castle are not permitted.

I used to live not far from Highclere Castle when I lived in Basingstoke. The nearest town is Newbury. Of course, the fictional "Downton Abbey" is located in Yorkshire. Many years ago, I visited Highclere Castle when I went with friends to Battle Proms and Picnic at Highclere Castle. 

I had never watched "Downton Abbey" before. Actually, I did see the first film in the cinema as I had the unlimited cinema, but I did not know the characters, and coming into it in the middle was difficult to follow. Because I have wanted to visit Highclere Castle for several years, I decided that I should binge-watch the television series "Downton Abbey" before my visit as I had never sen it. Many of the interior shots are of the castle, including the main hall (saloon) and many other rooms except the "downstairs" scenes. We explored the upstairs floor first, where the bedrooms are. Some of these rooms were used in filming, such as Cora's room (below), Edith's room, and a red bedroom. 

Afterwards, we explored the beautiful ground floor rooms - the library, withdrawing room, smoking room, dining room, parlour, and additional rooms. Many of these rooms were used in the filming.

After the house tour, we went into the lowest level to see the museum of Egyptian items discovered in the 1920s. There were also replica items from King Tut's tomb and a recreation on how they discovered the room through little windows and saw the gold glimmering. When we finished this, we headed to the stable yard to enjoy afternoon tea. 

I had the vegetarian menu. The sandwiches were egg, coronation chickpea, cucumber, and cheese. 

Next up was the scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream. 

We were served a chocolate and glass of champagne in respect for Valentine's Day, and the afternoon tea was also Valentine's Day-themed.

I received three mini desserts. The first was the swan filled with sweet cream, made of choux pastry. There was also a heart-shaped shortbread with a raspberry cream. The third was a Victoria sponge with cream and jam.

Afterwards, I had a wander around the estate. I captured some views that are recognisable.

The stables area behind the castle was not usd in filming, but the gift shop is here as is the restaurant.

Further down the hill from the castle is a memorial to air men who lost their lives during World War II. I knew that the highest point in Hampshire was here in this location, and it so happened that in bad weather, the pilots had a bad accident and crashed onto the hil. One was an aircraft of American pilots.

I went to explore the garden as well.

The bench next to the tree was used in the filming in a few scenes. 

Afterwards, I caught a glimpse of some nice scenery and architecture on leaving the estate. 

Highclere estate is more than 1,300 years old. It belonged to Winchester bishops and was purchased with a house built on it in the late-1600s. The currnt house dates from the mid-1800s by the same architect who built the Houses of Parliament. 

The Valentine's Day visit with afternoon tea also came with a book written by one of the owners of Highclere Castle and the estate. The book "At Home at Highclere" has historical information, photographs, and recipes. I also purchased the Highclere Castle gin and Highclere Castle champagne in the gift shop.

I dressed up for my visit to Highclere Castle.

For those who wish to see what the castle interior looked like, decorated for Valentine's Day, see the Instagram post. You may also wish to re-visit my post about the Battle Proms and Picnic at Highclere Castle from several years ago.

Valentine's Day is almost upon us, and I went to Peggy Porschen last weekend to see their special cakes for this year's big day. I was not disappointed to see their pink cafe front decorated for the season with pink hearts and envelopes, a ribbon and beautiful blue cornflowers (my favourite flower), pink and white roses and other flowers, and red berries. This year, the design was centred around "love birds" and envelopes (love letters) with hearts on them. 

I bought one of their shortbread biscuits with the design on them.

There was a range of different cupcakes with different flavours and two main designs for Valentine's Day. One was completely in pink, and the other had a different design with blue love birds and hearts. This is the one I selected.

Of course, there were other specials too. I liked the heart-shaped cakes in pink or red frosting and the passionfruit cream cake with hearts.

I had a raspberry hot chocolate with the cupcake, and this came in a pink colour. It was very much on trend with Valentine's Day.

I also had the berry smoothie, which was a dark pink colour and topped with edible cornflower petals.

I also took away on of the other seasonal cupcakes, which was the pistachio and rose cupcake. This cupcake had a rose petal on top. I preferred the flavour of this one.

For more posts about Peggy Porschen and to see last year's Valentine's Day selection, read below.

Valentine's Day at Peggy Porschen 2025

Welcome to the summer and autumn 2025 edition of "empties", the beauty and skin-care products that I have used up over the the months during the summer and autumn. I wanted to showcase the products that I have used so that I can remember which ones that I would purchase again and recommend. 

Maybelline Watr Shine Diamonds: This sparkly and glittery nail polish is in a deep pink/purple colour and is a good colour for late summer and early autumn. The only problem with it was that it tended to clump up.

Geranium Odorata by Diptyque: This floral perfume by Diptyque uses geranium, which is an uplifting scent and wore well on my skin. I like the brand, so I would consider to purchase from them.

Nuxe Aquabella Moisturising emulsion: This product provides hyderation to combination skin and improves the skin generally. The product seemed to do well for me, so I would consider to use it again.

Penhaligons Endymion: This perfume has a pleasant scent, but I have a lot of perfume products to get through at present.

Ciate mini nail polish in "pillow fight": This is a grey-purple shade that can match a range of outfits. The product is okay, but it tends to dry out quickly in the small bottles.

WBCo Prep Mist in watermelon: This facial spray provides moisture to skin while traveling or on the go. It contains alo vera and makes the skin feel cool and hydrated. I used it before applying make-up, and I felt that the make-up absorbed better. I would consider to purchase it again.

Bath and Body Works Candy Corn hand sanitizer: I like the brand, and this is an American scent of "candy corn" sweets but in hand sanitizer form, which I enjoyed.

Benefit lash: This is a volume-enhancing lash product, but I would not purchase it again.

Maybelline lash: This product did seem to perform well with my lashes and darkend and lengthened them.

Berrisom horror mask in 'skull black rice': The horror-themed mask adds moisturise to skin and improves elasticity. This is a perfect mask for Halloween and autumn vibes:

Liz Earle Hand Repair: This hand cream helps add missing moisture to hands, and it is a perfect treat for the autumn when the hands start to dry out.

Illamasqua lipstick in "Nebula": This is a bright pink colour. The colour stained lips for a long last. I would choose a slightly-muted colour if purchasing myself.

Neon Vibes Peel-off Mask illuminating: This neon facial mask adds a bit of summery festival colour to your beauty routine. The product looked good, but I wouldn't bother to purchase it again.

Too Cool for School Pumpkin 24k Gold Mask: This facial mask glows a gold colour and is good for the autumn vibe. I did not feel that this product worked, so I would not purchase it again.

Bang Beauty brow cream: This was not a good product as it was completely dried and hard. I could not use it. If a product compltely dries, then it cannot be good for skin.

Headline Colors nail polish in "Quicksand": This muted brown nail polish had a nice shine and glided on, so I would consider the brand aain.

Revive watermelon sheet mask: This is a perfect summery scent of watermelon and adds a lot of moisture to the skin. I probably would not buy it again, though, as I don't feel it worked for me.

Thisworks in the sone body lotion: This is a lavender-scented body and hand cream, which is perfect before bed to relax the senses. I don't need anymore hand and body creams, but I appreciated this one.

Lancome eye shadow in Rose Bois and Cedar Rose: This duo of eyeshadow was a pleasant couple of shades and a nice travel product.

Avant Deluxe night cream: This night cream promised to add moisture to skin overnight. I did not feel it was better than other products, so I would not purchase again.

Lush Sparkly Pumpkin bath jelly: This cooling jelly product can be used in the bath as soap or shower gel. It lathered up nicely, and I enjoyed the scent and would purchase again.

Peter Thomas Roth 24k Gold Mask: The product is a facial mask with 24k gold. The product does not work at all for me. I would not repurchase it.

Lee Stafford dry shampoo: This dry shampoo was perfect for dark hair, and it blended better into my dark colour. I would buy it again.

Rimmel Foundation: The foundation felt clumpy on my skin and was not the right shade. I felt that it was too heavy for me.

Zerreau Beauty towel-off shampoo: This dry shampoo was a good alternative to lightly-wet hair without a full wash. The product was average. I would not use it again.

Nails Inc "Westminster Bridge matt topcoat" polish: This nail polish provided a matt finish to nails, but I did not like the product as it was too clumpy for a matt finish.

Nail polish in "white": This is a nail polish with confetti in pink and blue muted colours. I did not like it, and I felt it was very clumpy. I would not purchase it.

Roger Gallet perfumed soap: This little bar of soap was lovely in scent and was perfect for holding and using. 

Berry Burst candle: The candle did not have a very strong throw, so I would not purchase it again.

So Strawberries and Cream mist: This product provided a temporary fragrance to skin. The product smells pleasant, but it is not long-wearing.

Green People Age+ Defy Brightening: This product promises enhanced moituriser to skin. The product did seem to help my skin.

Olas Toothpaste: This is a toothpaste, but I would not purchase it again.  

Bath and Body Works Limoncello body wash: This is a perfect summer scent from one of my favourite brands.

Bath and Body Works Cherry Blossom body cream: I enjoyed the scent, but I did not like the product as it does not absorb into my skin. I would not buy it again.

Cool Gel Finca Canarias: I bought some products from this company in Fuertaventura, and it is a lovely product that cools the skin and can be used for a range of uses. I used it to add some moisture to my dry skin in the autumn. It can be used for sun damage too.

Last week, Piccadilly Circus came to life with a special illuminated illumination and programmes for "Art After Dark". The special event returned from last year with a new installation appearing for a few evenings at Piccadilly Circus by London-based artist Lakwena Maciver. The artwork is inspired by music, and it is titled "Rise and Shine" and featured several cubes of lit-up panels arranged in a tower with psychadelic-style designs.

For past years of Art After Dark, see below:

Art After Dark 2025

Brazilian-born street artist Liam Bononi paints realistic artwork with expression and energy, and some of his most recent work includes glassware. The skill in painting glassware is challenging, and I find his style of work impressive. The artist painted in Bristol in 2024 and in Swindon later the same year. The work is titled "Lenses" and is of a woman holding up a glass jar. The artist bought the jar from a charity shop and was inspired by the way the sun shines through the glass and bends the light onto the wall.

More work by the artist on this blog can be found below.

Louis Bononi Bristol Upfest Violinist

This Valentine's Day, Lush delivered new items in the seasonal range along with some items from previous years. I visited the shop and bought a few of the items in the Valentine's Day and seasonal range, which included Chinese New Year for the Year of the Horse. Read below to see what Lush has in store for this year's Valentine's Day.

Sweetheart bath bomb: This pink and white bath bomb with hearts on it smells of vanilla and citrus orange. It smells a little bit like sugary sweets.

Bananas for you bubbleroon: This banana-shaped bubbleroon is one of the Valentine's Day products. It has a banana scent, but it is very muted.

Life in Rosy Light bath bomb: This heart-shaped bath bomb is a floral scent and turns the bath water into a pink colour.

Love Letter bath bomb: This envelop-shaped bath bomb was in last year's seasonal range and appears this year too. It is a sweet candy-strawberry scent. 

Be My Valentine bubble bath: This heart-shaped bubble bath product is reusable. Simply hold it (via the wooden arrow) into the stream of water and watch bubbles appear. It is a floral scent.

Previously released was the return of the strawberry-heart shape bubbleroon Strawberry Crumble Bubbleroon. 

For Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year), which also appears this month, the horse-shaped bath bomb made a debut. Gallop to Success is an uplifting-scented bath bomb with orange flower and mandarin to aid relaxation.

Unicorn Poop is more of a summery and spring bath bomb with a rainbow of pastel colours, and it can be accompanied by an uplifting playlist. It is a playfully-scented product.

Read about last year's Valentine's Day selection from Lush here.

Castle Clinton is located in Battery Park in New York City. The castle is a circular fortress built for the War of 1812 and was the first immigration station that processed millions of people to the United States before Ellis Island. It was also used as an an entertainment venue and hosted concerts and other events. After it ceased to be used for immigration administration, it was turned into an aquarium. Since 1946, it has become a visitor centre and contains information inside one of the rooms about the castle's use throughout the decades.

The inside of the castle walls is open to the elements with views of the skyline.

Facing the sea, the walls have windows in them built for cannon defence.

There are views over to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Battery Park was looking beautiful in the sun with the colourful trees. The weather was still warm during my visit at the end of November.

The castle is open most of the year and free to visit, and there are one or two guided tours each day depending on what time of the year visited.

During my visit to New York City at the end of November last year, I spent a morning visiting the Rockefellr Center. This Art Deco tower was built during the Great Depression by Rockefeller. NBC Studios and Radio City are part of the complex. The Rockefeller Center hosts the large Christmas tree and ice rink. I visited the observation deck, called "Top of the Rock".

The views are impressive across Manhattan and Central Park.

I had a glass of white wine and a martini, and my breakfast was a cinnamon bun. It was delicious.

I think the view of the Empire State Building is probably better than being on top of the Empire State Building.

I could also see the Statue of Liberty in the far distance.

At the bottom of the Rockefeller, I saw the Lego shop and went inside to see the different creations.

I was worried about the height of the building, but once I got up there, I was not frightened at all. There are a couple of other attactions with photograph opportunities, but I did not do these.

For two days at the end of January, the City of London hosted a new light and sound exhibition known as "Vibrance". A few different spots in the City became a canvas for the light and sound installations, and it was a busy evening with many out in the dark January evening to see the displays. The installations took place around the London Wall, Guildhall, and Barbican areas.

Salters' Garden: This little garden forming part of the old London wall and courtyard with hedges became a soundscape with a couple of projections of light onto the wall. The soundscape led viewers into this little area and past a lit-up stone vessel with its shadow projected onto the old Roman wall. 

The Guildhall became a canvas for a light show with different types of imagery projected onto the building and electronic music playing. This was also combined with opera music and a live opera singer who came outside of the building to sing at various points. The display and performance was impressive.

Milton Court has a projection of different paintings created by artists. The paintings featured aspects of London.

St. Alphage London Wall and Garden: This ruin of an archway has projections of the original brickwork placed onto it, and these shift with the movement of people in the area.

St. Giles Cripplegate is located next to the Barbican complex, and it uses virtual reality technology to project changing patterns, lights, and colours throughout the building's interior.

I enjoyed visiting these installations, although I struggled to find St. Giles, and it was busy with a long line to enter a couple of the installations.

A new sculpture by Gillie and Marc has appeared for a short time in Paternoster Square near to St. Paul's Cathedral. The sculpture features a selection of animals riding a long scooter, and it is namd "Go WIldlife Go". There is also a space for adults and children to fit in between the animals and take a photograph.

Gillie and Marc are known for their sculptures, which seem to be placed around various parts of London and feature their iconic personified dog and rabbit figures, as shown in the below photograph.

The sculpture features many animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. Koala, elephant, rhino, giraffe, ape, hippo, cheetah, and lion are some of the animals. The artists wish to inspire people to protect animals.

The sculpture was on display until early February.

Ant Carver is a London-based street artist whose work I first started to see around London in 2016. In 2022 and in 2024, the artist went to Bristol to paint for Upfest. The first artwork was painted in 2022 and has faded slightly. It is located in Bedminster. "Love Me/Love Me Not" is from a series by the artist with the subject of loss. The subject is pulling apart a rose petal.

In 2024, the artist experimented with some new styles. The below work is painted in Bedminster and features a new style from the artist in painting intense imagery that contrasts.

I have also included one of the original artworks from the artist from around 2016 or 2017, and the style has evolved; it is good to see how far the artist has come with style and execution of the work.

More work by Ant Carver that I have covered on my blog include:

Ant Carver Street Art in East and South London
Ant Carver on Hanbury Street
Ant Carver Mural on Loss on Hanbury Street
Street Art: Ant Carver
Ant Carver Portraits of Models
Ant Carver Pastes New Portraits on East London Streets
Portrait of a Girl on Hanbury Street
Ant Carver Adds More Paste-ups to Sclater Street
Camden Street Art Self-Guided Trail

The City of London has hosted a couple of light sculpture installations (at Principle Place and CityPoint) for the past few years. These are managed by Brookfield Properties and brings together interesting and interactive light-based sculptures to London during the winter months. The sculptures were launched in October and were taken away at the end of the month. 

The sculpture at CityPoint featured a selection of little sculptures with eyes that lit up in different LED illustrations, and many had a button that, when pressed, would play music.

The other sculpture I did see back in the autumn, but I did not photograph it. When I went to photograph it, it had been removed already ahead of time. This on was a large sphere located outside of Principal Place near to Liverpool Street.

Previous editions of IlluminoCity are below:

IlluminoCity 2024
IlluminoCity 2023
IlluminoCity Light Festival 2021