Results matching “Christmas”

I visited Belton House's Christmas light trail at the beginning of December. Belton House is owned by the National Trust, and the construction of the house dates to the mid-1600s. This was my first ever visit to the property, and I will have to return when the house and grounds are open to epxlore it sometime. I visited it to see the Christmas lights trail, and I was amazed at just how much there was to see. Overall, the website states that it will take ninty minutes to walk the trail, though I think I walked it in about two or two and a half hours with some stops for photographs and to enjoy some of the more interactive installations more.

In addition to the light trail, visitors could enjoy some food and drink set up in the stable grounds of the house before (or after) the light show, and there was another space about halfway around the trail where visitors could purchase a hot drink or buy gourmet marshmallows to toast over one of the fire pits. 

The first part of the trail led us past through the front of the house where the name "Belton" was lit up. The front of the house was drenched in blue light with snowflake motifs.

Then, we walked through the light tunnel, which is always popular for photographs. Every light trail now seems to have one of these.

After this, there was a section of colourful trees and a colourful walkway with blues, reds, greens, and purples.

Next up were the singing lit-up trees that played two different songs. One of them was a vocal chorus that I am unsure who sings, which was a little eerie, and the other song was "Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul McCartney.

The trail then led us through some mirrored hearts, which I remember seeing last year when I visited the Christmas Light Trail at National Trust's Stourhead.

There were a few different places to get photographs through the trail, but I did not bother as there was a queue, and I don't really like my photograph taken at the moment anyway. Some of them were the selfie "Christmas at" windows, and the one pictured below was a bench decorated with pine and bauble garlands.

After this, the trail winded around through heart tunnels, which I thought were really fun. Unfortunately, a couple of the heart arches were not lit up on my visit.

Next up was a little section of woods, and we went over a small bridge which was lit up blue underneath to appear like water. The trees were lit up in greens and blues to a nice effect.

Through this section was an area of lit-up white orbs hanging from the branches of trees with some positioned on the ground.

Continuing on, the magic increased with bright lights spiralling and moving across overhead in blues, whites, and reds. This was set to soundscape and looked magical. 

Ahead of us, it ended into a small field of orbs that reminded me of fireworks exploding. This was set to the Disney song "When You Wish Upon A Star" (I think that was the correct Disney song).

The trail then ended on the side of an expansive lake, and we could see the trees along the other side of the banks lit up to music, which I believe was "Once Upon A December" from the Disney film "Anastasia". I watched the light show a couple of times and had to replace my camera battery here. This looked much better in person as it was more than the frame of my camera could capture.

After the lake light show, we came to the middle of the trail. Santa was there to greet the children, and there were a couple of kiosks selling the hot drinks and marshmallows. We bought a drink but did not linger.

The next part of the trail led us through singing lights. At each pitch of the vocal assigned to one tree, the lights would scale up (or down) the tree to match the vocal range.

After this was a lovely little cove with red poppies suspended in air. This was one of my favourite parts of the trail.

Finally, we headed through a lit-up hedge to complete the rest of the trail, which would lead us back through some familiar areas.

This tree was covered with pink, purple, and green lights and mirrored balls.

And we were back at the coloured forest of trees with the music that we saw toward the beginning of the trail. This time, instead of watching the trees at a distance, we got to walk through them.

And finally, we came to another pond with a temple on the far side. This was sequenced to colour-changing pond lillies to a soundscape. I stayed to watch the display at different angles.

We were almost at the end of the trail now and stayed to watch a soundscape of hundreds of coloured orbs in a field which would change colour and pattern depending on the music. 

After this, we came to a lit-up glasshouse, and in front of this was a field of flames.

We walked through the field of flames to leave the trail, and that was the end of the trail.

Back in the stable yard, we were able to get some food and drink, and we admired the Christmas trees and decorations on the way out.

That concludes Christmas at Belton House. The trail itself is currently on and booking until January 2. I really enjoyed the Christmas trail at Belton House.

I love to see a glimpse of the National Trust properties dressed up festively; they look so magical. While in Yorkshire at the beginning of December, I was able to see the property in its full festive glory. I first visited Nostell in 2020 when a couple of National Trust places had reopened after being closed for months during the pandemic. Only the ground floor was open, so we did not get to see much, and I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to see a few rooms upstairs on this visit. (You can read about my first visit and see photographs here.) Nostell was the first stop of the day, and we arrived early for a snack and a browse around the shop before the house opened.

It is a short trek from the parking to the house and cafe. Near the parking is a little information kiosk, and it had a gingerbread village inside it.

The stables near the house was the first stop as this is where the cafe and shop are located. There were also some decorations here. One of the little rooms of the stables was decorated as a "retired reindeer home", and a little poem accompanied it, hung on the wall for all to read. 

The stables courtyard had some other decorations and a Christmas tree. I enjoyed these gourds arranged like snowmen.

When inside the house, the first proper room to visit (outisde of the servant entrance hallway) was the dollhouse room. The dollhouse was on display and dressed for Christmas. The chef was also dressed festively in the kitchen of the dollhouse, and the little mouse can be discovered here if you have a keen eye to see it. Children love to spot the mouse.

The main entrance hall contained three trees, and the fireplaces on either side of the room contained festive garlands. The theme of the Christmas decorations in Nostell this year was woodlands. Each room had a hidden woodland animal to discover on a board when you enter the room. So, that was a fun game to enjoy while looking around the house.

After exploring part of the ground floor and locating some woodland critters, seeing a few other decorations, and having a chat about a large painting, we headed upstairs. The dining room was laid for a Christmas meal.

The next room was amazing, and I did not expect it to be so beautiful. It was the "wow factor" when I entered the room. The fireplaces on both sides of the room were decorated, and the largest Christmas tree in the house was set as the feature for this room. This is the musical room. We had a chat to the volunteer in the room about the owner of the house and the scandals of the family.

The next room contained a lot of paintings, and we learned a little about one or two of them. The Christmas decorations in the room were blue, and it was a fox in this room. He is sitting on the sofa.

The bedroom was next, and we had a good chat with the volunteer while we took in the beautiful room. We learned about the fire damage that happened to this room. This was the last room to visit before heading downstairs. The volunteer mentioned a library, but it didn't appear to be open as we were directed downstairs.

There was a final room to check here, and the other more "museum" rooms were shut. This room was the kitchen, and it was laid out with some festive treats and jelly moulds.

I loved seeing the Christmas decorations in this house and speaking to the volunteers here. I can't wait to go back to visit when the whole house is open to the public.

Craft Gin Club is a monthly gin subscription box that sends members one full-sized bottle of gin with a range of snacks and mixers and a magainze "Ginned!". The magazine is filled with information on the "gin of the month", cocktail recipes, and other content. The December box is the festive box and promises to be extra special. For December, the gin of the month is Kirkjuvagr Yuletide Gin, a gin that is produced exclusively for Craft Gin Club by The Orkney Distillery. The gin is described as using Christmas flavours, such as nutmeg and cinnamon. 

The tonics this month are from London Essence: Ginger Ale and Pomelo Pink Pepper tonic. These tonics were included in this month's box because they work well with highlighting the flavours of Kirkjuvagr Yuletide Gin. Also included in the box is the Amarula Ethiopian Coffee Cream Liqueur, which is created using sustainable ingredients from Africa and is perfect for creamy cocktails. (I do not like the taste of coffee, so this one is going to get a new home.)

Now onto the additional mixers this month: Bibite Polara Melograno and Angostura Bitters. Bibite Polara Melograno is described as a sweet-tart flavour with pomegranate. Angostura Bitters are made from the finest Trinidadian cocoa.

Subscribers also received a small box of Lindt LINDOR milk chocolate truffles. (I dislike LINDOR chocolate, so this one will also get a new home.)

We received four different snacks from brands that had featured in past boxes this year but that have had a festive makeover. One of my favourite items in a previous box was Cheesies, a popped cheese-flavoured snack. For December, they have lauched a festive flavour (Cheesies Jingle Bites) using a mix of cheddar, gouda, and emmental. Another previous treat with a Christmas twist is from Copperpot fudge. The brand is back in the box with a festive flavour, the Copperpot Christmas Spiced Fudge. This Cornish fudge contains spices, fruit, and brandy in its festive twist. 

Two additional snacks that were in previous boxes have also had additional festive makeovers. The British Snack Co. have included a festive flavour this month: the Awfully Posh Mince Pie popcorn. I dislike mince pies, so I am not sure about this one. Mackie's of Scotland have included a Turkey and Stuffing potato chips.

As always, the box also includes special garnishes. This month, it is orange and redcurrants to keep in the festive theme. Fireside Fizz cocktail syrup is the bespoke syrup for the cocktail of the month recipe.

I am only just getting around to writing this difficult post; well, I have written it and then edited it and then wrote it again and edited it some more. This is a difficult post to write because the result of it is that I have been messed around, and I am disappointed and have been let down. So, bear with me while it unfolds, but I cannot go into too much detail really. I wanted to write it down to vent, and I figure that this will help me. It all started earlier in the year but escalated in the summer.

The summer has flown by as life slowly opened back up after eighteen months of having one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. This summer, I had been "making up for lost time" and have a lot of entries to write and post from the past few months, so I have been behind a lot of the time. Despite life opening back up, this year has always felt to me as though something is "out of alignment". I know that we are still in a pandemic, but something did not feel exactly "right" a few weeks into the year. I guess it started with bad news in mid-March, but I tried to remain positive. Then, I had more bad news at the end of August, a day before going on holiday, regarding my role due to the company seeking to replace the technology stack. 

I wrote a post in mid-March (A Year in Pandemic Lockdown) just before I had the bad news about my role at a company that I loved. Work was one aspect of my life that I appreciated and was grateful for, especially after many years of contracting and not having a break or stability, and then the pandemic hit. I felt that I'd got the perfect job and that things would go easier in that area of my life. I was looking forward to 2022 so that I could use my work benefits and finally travel again as I wasn't able to when I was contracting and then since the pandemic. I really thought that I'd found a place that I would stay at for several years. The past several years have truthfully left my exhausted, and that goes for this year and last year due to the pandemic.

The last three months (the end of August through to mid-November) have come with the worst news and is one of the worst periods in my life so far.

Work was not the only thing wrong. COVID also ravaged my home area at the same time as my role was being made redundant this autumn, and in a very short space of time (roughly a month), I have had a few family and friends die or become very ill. So far, three have died (including one close family member), and others had gotten very ill and were in hospital. I am worried about the rest of my family and friends. I've become mentally exhausted with everything. So, obviously my mind is not in a great place. I've felt depressed and anxious, which hit the worst in the autumn. It did not help that others were not pulling their weight at work and that others had been made redundant in June, meaning that there was a lot more on my plate.

The ordeal with the redundancy is particularly cruel because most of the restrictions on our lives for the past 18+ months were lifted in early August, and just as things started to reopen and as soon as I start to take annual leave, the news comes, and my life is turned upside down. As if the pandemic and COVID hitting my family and friends in the states where I'm unable to do anything is not enough.

The redundancy has impacted my plans completely. I was originally due to see my friends and family in the states in 2020, but then obviously that didn't go ahead. From the autumn of 2020, I planned to use a lot of annual leave at the end of next March and beginning of April. I had nearly twenty days of annual leave to use until the end of March. These plans to see my family and friends has cruelly been taken away from me in the decision.

Readers of this blog will know my sacrifies over the past several years with freelancing and not being allowed to take holiday and lacking stability. The reason for me going permanent was to have that stability in my life. I was tired of short "rolling" contracts and not being allowed or able to take time off. On top of that, a few of the contracts required working evenings, weekends, and bank holidays, and I even worked on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve a couple of times to meet the deadlines. I'd put work above myself.

Of course, the pandemic meant that I and others have not had much stability anyway. All in all, I had about six months of "job stability" from late summer 2020 until March. 

I have spent my annual leave and waking moments worrying and depressed (I think I've become quite good at hiding it) with everything going on and feeling helpless. I feel emotionally exhausted. For this to happen to me after all of the difficulties in the past few years and just as the majority of pandemic restrictions were lifted earlier in August for life to "return to normal" is just wrong. Particularly as I worked very hard and had put in far more hours, often working overtime to help others out.

Generally, life has made me feel that I "cannot catch my breath". I remember the reasons I went contracting originally, and that was because I had been screwed over previously with redundancy and with a direct offer of "a dreamjob", which turned out to be all hot air. However, contracting was the same way. You are always at the mercy of the client or company. A few people I have worked with previously have tended to be extremely lucky and ended up in long-term contracts and contracts that are long-term without tight deadlines.

Contracting (not that I would want to do that again, but if I really had to) is not even an option now as I had started the process of closing my company in early March, and I couldn't have backed out. So, I am not able to create another company for two years from that date. I don't want to anyway. 

I had absolutely loved my previous job and the team I worked with; I had helped to evolve and create that time and I had hired one of the people on the team. There is a lot more going on than I can say, but in short, I was treated very poorly. This has tainted my feelings of the job, and I have become disillusioned with employers now. I was appalled at how I'd been treated despite all of the great feedback from colleagues and all hard and extra work that I'd put in, and I genuinely thought that I was appreciated and valued. Obviously, it is the topmost managers and HR making decisions, and they really do not know, but the way they handled me with everything that I was going through was horrid. I have realised that it is not the good employer that I thought it was.

I started a new job in mid-November. 

Generally, I am still feeling exhausted about everything. Settling into a new role and new company, especially during a pandemic and in the run up to Christmas, is not easy. 

I am hoping that things look up for me. That's all I can do, HOPE. 

If you've come to see the photographs, I am sorry to rant. I was in a far worse place not long ago, but I feel that I can type it out now without saying too much, but it really is worse that I've let on. Anyway, if you have come for the photographs, I have included the following: 

• LOVE sculpture discovered in Mayfair in London
• Parrots decorate Annabel's night club in London
• Pink flower display in Regent's Park
• Ilfracombe harbour
• Colourful bollards at Covent Garden
• A visit to Sheffield Park in October near the height of everything bad happening to try to clear my mind and see autumn colour. 

Merry Christmas! I was not ready at all for Christmas this year, and I'm not getting (and did not get) any time off of work to sort things out. (Actually, more on the work situation is coming soon.) So, a lot of it has actually been delayed until Monday. Regardless, I ended up booked into Christmas lunch at The Apple Tree at Gerrad's Cross on a whim. Readers may remember that I went here in 2019 for Christmas, and you can see that post here: Christmas Lunch at The Apple Tree, Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire. It was a novelty then. The second phase of renovation was in its final weeks, so we wanted to get away from it all. Overall, the meal was not nearly as good as 2019. The service was not attentive and unfriendly, and I had to get up to tell the staff twice that they left off some items on my plate and then again when I found a hair in my food. For the cost of it, I expected more. 

The deal we got was the same as last time with the five course meal. This came with a small selection of olives and bread to start. Last year, we got larger portions each. I purchased a soda separately, which was not included in the cost. The five-course meal came with a glass of champagne, which wasn't even topped up (glasses above in photograph have not been sipped), and a cocktail. The second course was the appetizer. It was thrown in front of us without any explanation of what the food was or any polite courtesy. The bloke and I both had the carrot and parsnip soup to start.

For the main, I had the turkey. It was missing the stuffing and sausage/bacon (pigs in blanket). The cranberry parcel, which was delicious last year, came with a hair in it. It was only two thin slices of turkey, contrasted with last year. We had a selection of vegetables to share. By contrast, the bloke had the venison, which came topped up and with a lot more meat.

The bloke had the dark chocolate and raspberry delice, and I had the chocolate and orange bomb. This was served with a pot of caramel, which I had to pour myself. Again, there was no explanation of what you had to do here, but I knew the sauce was to be poured over the chocolate bomb because I've had a similar dessert a couple of times. However, others may not know.

Overall, it was a disappointment at the Apple Tree in Gerrard's Cross this Christmas, and I won't be visiting again.

After the meal, the bloke and I went home to tidy up as we are having visitors tomorrow. This evening, a group of us on the road headed a few doors down to have drinks and a toast to Christmas day. They set up a bar in their garden this year and have an outside area. We had drinks and had a good laugh. So, in the end it was a decent day. It just has not felt like Christmas this year at all. 

Anyway, I hope all of my readers had a lovely Christmas day.

Christmas has returned to London with a more normal display of Christmas lights, decorations, treats, and other events this year. Over the past few weeks, I have had a walk to see some of the best Christmas lights and decorations that London has to offer this year. For those who have not been able to get to see them, I hope that these photographs will be enjoyed, even though it is not quite the same as seeing them in real life. There are some great displays this year and some firm old favourites too. This article lists all of the different areas of London where you can see some of the best festive decor and try some festive treats.

Covent Garden: Covent Garden is always a pleasure to visit over the holiday season. This year, events and exhibitions returned to normal levels. In fact, they actually seemed to do more than they have ever done in the past. The Pink Figaro car (which has its own Instagram) was located in Covent Garden with a floral display at the end of November.

Also from the end of November, Disney's "Frozen" took over Covent Garden due to the theatre performance at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. A display with falling snow and music launched at the end of November along with a day filled with "Frozen" ice sculptures with ice sculpture carving. The infinity tunnel of lights at Conduit Court (on the edge of the market) was also themed with white and blue lights and neon lyrics to the entrances and exits of the infinity tunnel. Later in the season, a fashion show inspired by "Frozen" was on display in the market. (The full blog post is here.)

Also new to Covent Garden this year is a Christmas food market so visitors can get food and drink. Indoor dining domes have been set up outside the market amongst several decorated Christmas trees, and visitors had to reserve them in advance.

Also on the entrance to the market was a tunnel created. It was lit up and encouraged photographs.

The large Christmas tree is also back at Covent Garden this year.

The mistletoe and giant silver baubles have also returned to the market along with floral displays. They have been firmly amongst the Christmas decor for several years now.

For several years (with the exception of the past few), Lego had created installations at Covent Garden. They have returned again this year with a "Carousel of Creativity" display and a group of gnomes amongst some of the floral displays. (The full blog post is here.)

Additionally, at the end of November, one of the sculptures of balloon dogs from artist Whatshisname was displayed with a Christmas bauble. The others were removed, and this one was only on display earlier in the season. (The full blog post about the art installation from Whatshisname at Covent Garden is here.)

The Ivy restaurant at Covent Garden always contains a festive display. It is not as lavish this year as it has been in previous years. It is white, silver, and green with snowflake motifs.

Miracle at Henrietta is a pop-up bar specialising in Christmas cocktails. This was the third year that I have visited it, although I did not visit it last year but did the previous two years. (To read more about it, click here.)

Some of the restaurants and shops across London have been decorated beautifully, such as this little Santa sleigh with a group of dogs as reindeer pulling it. This restaurant, Clos Maggiore, is located in Covent Garden. I thought that it was such a cute display.

Connaught Village: Connaught Village came onto my radar this year. It is a part of London that I've not really visited before. It is located just to the north of Marble Arch and consists of a row of specialty shops. The festive Christmas lights were put up at the end of November and are inspired by the seasonal film "Love Actually" and feature quotations from the film. The street itself contained white light netting from one end to the other.

Miracle at 34 Mayfair: This restaurant, located in Mayfair close to Grosvenor Square, is decorated exteriorly this year. The past two years, the interior of the restaurant was filled with hundreds of Christmas baubles hanging on the ceiling and walls. (You can read about last year's here.)

Annabel's: Located off Berkley Square in Mayfair, this exclusive nightclub has become a firm favourite go-to for seasonal displays. This year, the building has been transformed into a giant gingerbread house. It looks amazing during the day and is transformed with lights at night.

Mayfair: Several of the high end shops are now decorating for Christmas with some new ones this year. Chanel is one of the new ones and features a larger-than-life perfume bottle. Ralph Lauren has expanded their display and offers coffee (though they did offer the coffee last year too, but it's on a much larger scale). Tiffany's also has a new larger display. Cartier, which did kick off the popularity with their picturesque display, has gotten bigger and better. Stella McCarney has returned with the neon lights that have appeared in past years.

The Christmas lights down New Bond Street have remained the same for the past few years with white peacock feathers.

Bill's Restaurant in Soho (Brewer Street): New to the Christmas decor this year is Bill's restaurant in Soho, which has been transformed into a giant smiling Rudolph. At dark, the nose and antlers shine.

ChinChin Labs Ice Cream in Soho: On the menu this year at popular ChinChin is a dessert that is a menu secret. It is a Christmas tree shape of Basked Alaska. It is marshmallow meringue, ice cream, nuts, and sour cherries and tastes as delicious as it looks. (To read a post about this popular ice cream brand, see this post.)

Milk Train in Covent Garden: Milk Train are always on game with seasonal treats. They became popular and sought after a few years ago with their cotton candy ice cream creations. This year, they have a gingerbread ice cream. They also brought back their Christmas tree creation with ice cream and cotton candy, which I purchased last year. (To read about last year's Milk Train creations, click here.) (To read about Milk Train on this blog, click here.) 

Peggy Porschen: Known for their beautiful cafe front and beautiful treats, Peggy Porschen is a must to visit. This year, they had a range of Christmas treats and a gingerbread theme to their cafe front. They had different cupcake flavours from mince pie to gingerbread to cranberry. They also had a hot chocolate special with gingerbread. There are two branches of Peggy Porschen's in London; one is on King's Road and the other is located in Belgravia. (To see last year's treats from Peggy Porschen, click here.)

Chestnut: One of London's newest bakeries, Chestnut occupies the space where the now-closed Dominique Ansel's was once. I had a peek inside, but there was a queue and not much seating. It is a smaller and more homemade affair that seems to specialise in breads and lunch. They do not stock a lot at a time, but there were four festive-looking gingerbreads. 

Yolkin: I did not visit them this year, but Yolkin are famous for their ice cream macaron sandwiches. They have the same Christmas range each year with different festive motifs and flavours. (Yolkin Ice Cream Macaron Sandwiches - Christmas)

Fait Maison: This cafe makes beautiful treats, and I visited over Christmas last year but did not see what they had on offer this year as they have not advertised much. (Read more about Fait Maison Brunch and Holiday Cupcakes or see their range of treats when I visited last year here.)

Bubblewrap: Last year, I bought a reindeer ice cream. They have a similar reindeer ice cream bubblewrap creation this year. (See their treats from last year.)

Doughnut Time: Their doughnuts always look amazing and are on full display in windows with witty names. They have another great festive range this year. I am not a big fan of these doughnuts myself as they are too large and too sweet, but they always have fans. There are a few branches across London now.

Lola's Cupckes: Lola's can be purchased at multiple places across London, and they are in virtually every main station. They always go out with seasonal ranges. 

Whipped: Famous for cheesecake and cookies, Whipped create some season treats. Unfortunately, their cafe near Covent Garden closed just before Christmas at short notice, but they do have a Brixton branch.

Humble Crumble: I did visit them again this year for their festive creation, which is their festive crumble flavour topped with whipped trees and sprinkled with white chocolate shavings. 

Fortnum and Masons: This shop always looks extremely festive Christmas, and I love looking at the window displays. The past few years, the whole store has dressed itself as a giant advent calendar. I even managed to see the little clock work on the front of the building when I visited.

Liberty: Liberty department store has decorated its famous floor inside with a hot air balloon. With the exception of last year, the store has been creating a festive display inside the area here. The windows and floral display at the front of the building are also worth seeing.

Selfridges: I did not get to visit this year, but their windows are always filled with festive displays, and they offer up a lot of treats inside the food hall too. (To see last year's lights, see this blog post.)

Oxford Street window displays: The major department stores in London decorate along Oxford Street, but it looked empty last year. I did not venture down there this year. (To see last year's lights, see this blog post.)

St. Christopher's Place: This little alley (blink and you'll walk past it) near Selfridges off Oxford Street contains many restaurants and shops. There's always Christmas decorations down here, and they are slightly different each year. I did not venture down there this year, but you can read about it in my past posts. (To see last year's lights, see this blog post.)

Carnaby: I would argue that these are the best Christmas lights to see in London because they are different every year, and they really put on a display. This year, the theme is 'Canarby Kaleidoscope'. It features hundreds of reflective butterflies floating above Carnaby Street. The display is difficult to photograph because of the reflective nature of the materials, and it does not tend to capture well in photographs. It looks much better in real life. (To read more about the Carnaby Christmas lights this year, click here.)

Connaught Hotel Christmas Tree: Each year for the past several years, with the exception of last year, the Connaught Hotel commissions a Christmas tree design from different artists. This year, it is Annie Morris and Idris Khan. (You can read more about this year's Christmas tree here.)

Mount Street: Mount Street is the road that The Connaught Hotel and a lot of other restaurants and shops is situated on, and it runs from the top of Berkeley Square to Park Lane. It has gotten more festive this year with new Christmas lights in the shape of blue bows. A few of the restaurants and shops have also started to decorate more. Scott's is a seafood restaurant located on the road, and it has gone all out with festive lights and a sleeping moon with clouds. 

Hedonism Wines: Located not far from the top of Berkeley Square, this large wine shop always has a festive display outside, and it had gotten bigger and bigger each year. However, it's a bit more muted this year and is best described as a winter scene. It features a snowman, bench, postbox, and a lot of snowballs. It is definitely there to encourage selfies, although I have not really seen it in many.

Burlington Arcade: Burlington Arcade is one of London's top arcades (and the most famous) at the edge of Mayfair. The arcade is decorated with a 007 "James Bond" theme this year featuring the colours white and gold, and there are gears and giant baubles and 007 motifs like the gun barrel imagery from the opening credits.

Regents Street: The lovely gold angels have returned to the street and are a firm favourite with many a visitor to London. They have been the street's festive decor for a few years now and were inspired by a traditional display.

Oxford Street: This year, Oxford Street is twinkling with thousands of gold stars hanging from strings of light. The stars are new this year and add a touch of magic to the street.

Seven Dials: Seven Dials returns with its silver, gold, and white lights, and the middle of the roundabout features a lovely display of lights and garlands across the street.

Leicester Square: The Christmas market has returned to Leicester Square with many festive twinkling lights, plenty of food and drink, and gifts galore.

The Strand and North Bank: The Christmas lights this year are new and feature blue and gold lights in the shape of baubles. Down toward Embankment are golden orbs of lights.

St. Pancras Christmas Tree: This year's Christmas tree at St. Pancras station is hosted by London Zoo. Last year was a trying year for the zoo. The Christmas tree is a bit more muted than in previous years, but it features a book filled with zoo animals and a tree with animals on it. There's a festive-looking penguin on the sign above. 

Granary Square: North of King's Cross is Granary Square, and new this year is a giant cracker encouraging photographs and interactions. A giant pair of dice (a cracker gift) and hat/joke have popped out of the cracker. 

A new tree has also appeared this year to replace the one last year at the square. The new tree changes colour.

Coal Drops Yard: One of London's newest shopping and night life areas hosts a new Christmas tree each year. This one is interactive and changes colour and pattern.

Soho: Soho's Christmas lights this year have been designed by children. Central London schools contributed to this with artwork submitted in May for the lights to be created. 

The Shard: Each year in December, the stop of the Shard is lit up with different colours that cycle through in different patterns. I did not get a chance to go this year.

London Bridge: The area around City Hall and from London Bridge to Tower Bridge has Christmas markets and Christmas displays. Also check out Hays Gallery for a Christmas tree. I did not get a chance to visit this year.

Harvy Nichols: This department store has been brightened up with every colour in the rainbow and stained-glass effect designs.

Harrods: The whole shop is covered in lights, and there are nice window displays. However, the top attraction this year is a giant Chanel sculpture marketing their perfume.

Chelsea: I do not know where to begin here, but if you walk around Chelsea, you are bound to find some lovely displays, such as the two below.

The Ivy Chelsea on King's Road: This year, the Ivy have been inspired by the story of the Grinch. The village, mountain cave, and Grinch stealing Christmas have all been included in the display. This display is always a firm favourite.

King's Road: Giant Christmas trees, lights, and floral displays are located down King's Road.

Victoria and Victoria Station: Victoria has had several Christmas decorations placed around, and an advent calendar Christmas tree is on display in the station.

Tate Britain: Tate Britain's winter commission has not taken place this year, but you can read a post about the popular installation by Chila Kumari Singh Burman that displayed last year. "Remembering a brave new world".

Churchill Arms in Kensington: The Churchill Arms is London's best-dressed pub with Christmas trees covering the outside of the pub. It is worth a visit and is a little different each year.

South Bank: South Bank has a festive Christmas market on select weekends. I am not sure of the times. However, there's a lot of street food and restaurants along South Bank, so there's always something going on here. They are also hosting a version of their own Winter Lights exhibition until January 9, so it is worth a visit to see some illuminated artwork.

Winter Wonderland: After last year's cancellation, Winter Wonderland is back on again this year, but visitors must purchase tickets in advance in order to visit. This is to prevent over-crowding. Visitors can ice skate, visit a circus, shop at Christmas markets, enjoy food and drink, enjoy various roller coasters and other rides, and much more. I have not been this year, and I don't want to go. It's too busy at the best of times for me.

Previous London Christmas lights are below:

• Where to see London's Christmas Lights and Decorations in 2020
• Where to Buy Christmas-Themed Treats in London (2020)
• Where to see London Christmas lights and decorations (2019 Edition)
• Christmas in London 2018 - Lights and Displays
• Where to see London's Christmas Lights 2017
• London's Christmas Lights 2016
• Christmas Lights and Windows 2015
• London Christmas Lights 2014
• London's Christmas Lights 2013
• London Christmas Lights and Window Displays 2012

Previous London Window displays are below (I've phased these out as they have not been as interesting the past few years and more interest seems to be on the facade of the building as opposed to displays inside the windows):

• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011

Fans of Disney's "Frozen" have had a treat at Covent Garden this November and December with a celebration of all things "Frozen", which is currently showing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Visitors can visit the "Frozen" artwork with Christmas trees in front of the market, and snow falls to an instrumental version of the animation's famous "Let it Go" song every hour from mid-day. Over the past few weeks, the market has been the place for "Frozen" fans with an infinity light tunnel, costumes, and ice sculptures in addition to the falling snow and music.

The infinity light tunnel at Conduit Court in Covent Garden has become themed to blues and whites for "Frozen" with lyrics to the "Let it Go" song on display above the tunnel. Both times that I visited, it was attracting a large group of visitors.

The "Frozen Forest" is a cluster of decorated trees and the "Frozen" logo in front. This is where the snow falls each hour and where music is played. It attracts a lot of people, but the quietest time was in the morning. On the first weekend, it was particularly busy because that was also the weekend of the ice sculptures, and so many parents were around with their children dressed as their favourite "Frozen" characters.

Several ice sculptures were displayed for one day only in early November. In addition to the display, which was put on by The Ice Co, one of Europe's largest ice sculpture companies, the sculpture of Sven the reindeer was being carved in front of an audience. I visited in the early afternoon, and the sculotures appeared to be melting quickly.

The last "Frozen" fun at Covent Garden features fashion. Central Saint Martin's and Disney's "Frozen" have partnered together. The inspiration was on fashion in stage, and they were inspired by "Frozen". Six of the items were on display inside Covent Garden market. 

The "Frozen" display at Covent Garden's last day is on December 27, so if you do want to see it, then head over. Alternatively, if you are a Lego fan, there is an additional Lego installation at Covent Garden, and you can see the details here: "Christmas Carousel of Creativity": Lego Returns to Covent Garden.

This year, Lego has returned to Covent Garden with a brand new installation called "Christmas Carousel of Creativity" after a few years. The installation is free to visit and features scuptures made for the 2021 holiday advertisement. A few years ago now, Lego used to reveal a new Lego installation for the holiday season each year in Covent Garden. December 2016 was the last official time that they did this because a new Lego store had just opened in Leicester Square at the end of 2016. In addition to the main installation, a secondary installation featuring some gnome sculptures has appeared amongst the floral displays in front of Covent Garden market.

Last year (2020), there actually was smaller scale Lego at Covent Garden over Christmas. There were smaller sculptures nestled in with the plant display in Covent Garden. The sculptures featured Mario and Santa with moving eyes, and you can see them in my Christmas post last year: Where to see London's Christmas Lights and Decorations in 2020.

In 2016, the last year that Lego did anything in Covent Garden for a few years, a large installation of Santa's workshop appeared (Lego "Let's Build Xmas" in Covent Garden). It was made of Lego bricks and had several sculptures with kits that could be purchased. As the official Lego shop had opened (First Look at the Lego Store in Leicester Square), I assumed that they were no longer interested in their installations at Covent Garden. 

The rotating carousel depicted different large-scale Lego creations: a car airplane, a firefighter dragon, a Christmas tree, a princess race car driver, a globe in the shape of an ice cream cone, and a cactus. A large-scale snowman and Santa and Christmas trees are also on display.

In previous years, the following Lego installations appeared at Covent Garden over the holidays: Santa and his reindeer, a large snowglobe filled with London monuments made from Lego, and a large Lego advent calendar which was opened daily. Visitors could sit inside the sleigh and have their photographs taken and were encouraged to use social media to upload them.

Bournemouth's Christmas Tree Wonderland Trail launched in 2018, and it's been held every year since. I did not visit it in 2019 nor in 2020, but I visited it again this year. In addition to the original trees and sculptures that I saw during my 2018 visit, there were a few new ones. Most of the Christmas Tree trail takes place in the middle of Bournemouth in the Lower Gardens. There is an expansive Christmas market in the middle of the town (just outside the Lower Gardens) as well, and the trail runs from the seafront. As with 2018 when some of the displays malfunctioned, some of the trees were not completely lit or lit at all, but the majority were. The Bournemouth Christmas Tree Wonderland will take place until the second of January. 

There were some new trees and a picture frame in the Christmas Market, which encouraged photographs.

My favourite was probably this glowing tree, although a few of the branches had malfunctioned.

I really wanted a hot chocolate, but we were in a rush because we were visiting family with small childen and baby, and the second time that I walked past the hot chocolate kiosk, it was rammed. So, my photographs are also all a bit rushed. It was also packed and impossible to do too much.

The high tree with music and lights that change colour and patterns had also returned, and visitors could walk through it again, but it was so busy.

There was a new fountain made of lit-up archways.

The trees are named after world cities, such as Seattle, Moscow, Bethlehem, and Warsaw. 

I loved the giant deer.

The buildings and trees around the Lower Gardens also had snowflakes projected onto them. 

The giant bauble could be walked through and attracted a lot of attention.

You can see my previous visit and photographs here:

Bournemouth's Christmas Tree Wonderland - 2018

In 2018 and 2019, I visited Henrietta Hotel in London's Covent Garden to enjoy Christmas-themed cocktails from U.S.-based pop-up bar Miracle. This is the fourth year that the pop-up bar has been in London. Miracle serve up a selection of festive alcoholic drinks in special glassware amongst Christmas decor. This year, it was not vintage Christmas (except for the old-style television playing "It's A Wonderful Life"), but it was still Christmassy with LED lights, warm blankets, a Christmas tree, garlands, wreaths, and a selection of modern Christmas music played with other hits. I visited with friends this year, and it was still good, but I felt that it was better in 2018 and 2019.

The drinks below are Christmaspolitan, On Dasher!, and Yippie Ki Ya Mother F****r! The drinks are pretty strong here, so you do get what you pay for. On Dasher! is a gin and vanilla liquer creamy cocktail topped with soda. Christmaspolitan is the Christmas version of the Cosmopolian cocktail but with a cranberry and spice twist. Yippie Ki Ya Mother F****r! is rum-based.

The Jingle Balls Nog came in a miniature mug and was a creamy cold cocktail with sherry, cream, milk, cognac, and other ingredients, but it was not strong at all. 

SanTaRex comes served in a festive T-Rex mug and includes tequila, melon liquer, and bitters.

For previous visits to Miracle at Henrietta in Covent Garden, see the links below:

Miracle Pop-up Christmas Cocktails Returns to London Henrietta Hotel
Christmas Cocktails @ Miracle at Henrietta