Results matching “Christmas”

Covent Garden have changed their Christmas lights in the main market hall this year. Every few years, they change their decorations and displays. For the past few years, they had a mistletoe theme. Before that, they had giant red baubles. This year, they have introduced bells tied with red ribbons and red baubles. These decorations hang from the ceiling of the main market hall.

Previous London Christmas lights are below:

• London's Christmas Lights, Decorations, and Treats 2022
• London's Christmas Lights, Decorations, and Treats 2021
• 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

This year's Carnaby Street Christmas lights theme is "Carnaby Universe". The street is covered with purple, blue, and green streamers and banners with neon lights and orbs featuring moons and planets. The Christmas lights at Carnaby Street are always amongst the ones that I look forward to seeing most, and this year does not disappoint with the universe theme.

To see previous Carnaby Street Christmas lights in my blog, see the below posts:

• Carnaby Street Christmas Lights 2022: Carnaby Celebrates
  Carnaby Street Christmas Lights 2021: Christmas Kaleidoscope
• Carnaby Street Christmas Lights 2020: Choose Love
• Carnaby Street Christmas "One Ocean One Planet"
• Carnaby Street Christmas Lights Celebrate Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
• Carnaby Christmas Carnival
• Carnaby Christmas Revolution
• Carnaby Christmas Party
• Robins
• Santa
• Rolling Stones (rock and roll)

Each year, Connaugh's Christmas tree is designed by an artist. This year's Christmas Tree at Connaught in London is designed by Rachel Whitbread and contains 102 neon white circles, and these circles symbolise positive energy and togetherness found during the festive season. 

Previous Connaught Christmas trees that I covered on my blog are below:

At the end of November, I headed over to Leonardslee Gardens to see Leonardslee Illuminated. I've never been to Leonardleee Gardens, and this was the first time at Leonardslee Illuminated. Leonardslee Illuminated kicked off at the end of November and will be on display until early January. I got the earlier slot and spent some time looking around the Christmas market that they had. I was really impressed with the light trail at Leonardslee, and below are my photographs that I captured on the day.

Along with the Christmas market near the entrance, they also had some food trucks, but I'd just eaten. However, I did get a stick of jumbo marshmallows and cooked them over a fire pit.

After the marshmallows, I started off on the illuminated trail. There were some illuminauted trees in different colours, disco balls shooting out lights, and some people dressed up in costume.

There was a miniature greenhouse with snowflake and ice projections on it too. 

Next up was a field of coloured orbs and an illuminiated art sculpture.

The trail winded down a hillside, and at one point, I crossed through a walkway with streaming horizontal lights and illuminated trees on the other side, which led further down a hillside.

These lit-up birds looked magical.

Next was a patch of illuminated snowdrops.

On the other side, going down the hill, I glimpsed what was to come - illuminated trees that switched colour and hanging lit-up stars of different colours.

This led on down to a pond or lake with lanterns hanging in the trees.

Over the pond was the moon illuminated whilst the projections of light on the moon and trees behind glew different colours.

On the other side of the lake opposite the moon were more illuminations, including dragon flies. These also turned different colours.

There were a couple of illuminiated frogs too.

A light projection with some fog was next up with glimpses of another orb. This time, it was Earth but during darkness or night-time.

The trail climbed another hill, and there was another pond on top. At the very top pond was the Earth during daylight. The trees behind had a glow that changed colour, and a smoke machine created a mist.

After walking through this and down another hill to another part of the lake or pond, I was treated to a magical fountain display set to music.

On the other side of the lake now, I caught more glimpses of the Earth at dark.

Then, the trail ascended up back through the woods. There were illuminiated mushrooms and illuminated cocoon objects that looked alien all hanging from trees.

We also had more snowdrops and illuminated flowers and acorns.

That concludes Leonadslee Illuminated, and I had fun seeing this different trail.

At the end of last month, I visited Nymans to see their Christmas display. Nymans is a home and gardens managed by National Trust, and it is located in West Sussex. This Christmas, Nymans are celebrating Nutcracker Christmas. There are several Nutcracker sculptures placed around the garden, and the house has been decorated with an inspiration of the "Nutcracker" performance. There's also a display of costumes from Matthew Bourne's "Nutcracker!" in the upper floor of the house.

The Nutcracker statues around the gardens each had a name and had a children's activity. These were fun to locate, and the first one was in the garden shop area.

In addition to the statues, some of the grounds were also decorated for the holidays with the "Nutcracker" theme of sweets and dreams.

There was also the evil mouse character lurking.

After a quick look around the grounds, I went into the house to see it decorated for the "Nutcracker!". 

The dining room was filled with a buffet of sweets.

Beautiful Christmas trees were located in the rooms.

And there were more sweets and cakes in the other rooms too, such as the sweet trolley in the library room.

The Christmas displays led up the stairs.

The main couple of rooms here contained the costumes for the "Nutcracker" performance and a documentary being shown on a televsion about the characters and the costumes. I am not familiar with the story, but I have been wanting to visit the performance in London for the past several years but have just never gotten around to it.

After the house, I went back through the gardens, and I saw the remaining Nutcracker statues on the trail back through th grounds.

Also, the autumn colour was still beautiful; it was so cold.

After the visit to Nymans, I headed down the road to "The Victory Inn" pub in Stapleford, and I had some food before my next stop, which was a Christmas light show down the road at another garden. I had a delicious curry here and finished with sticky toffee pudding. I was sat right in front of the fire, which was wonderful. It is a lovely pub.

My previous posts on Nymans can be seen by looking at the below links:

Nymans Summer Gardens and House 
Nyman's Gardens in Autumn
A Visit to Nymans (National Trust, West Sussex): Lockdown Edition

Uppark is a property managed by the National Trust in Wst Sussex. The history of the property dates back as a deer park used in the 14th century and was leased as a pair called "Up Park and Down Park". The house was built at the end of the 1600s and then renovated, and the house today is shown as the country house would have been lived in in the 18th century with French furniture, Italian paintings, and Dutch porcelain. The house tells two stories: those of the upper class and those who were servants and lived below the stairs. Uppark is open during December with some of its rooms dressed up for Christmas for the family upstairs and preparations for the big day underway downstairs in the servant's area for "Upstairs, Downstairs" Christmas.

The walk down to the house was feeling festive with some reindeer and lights glowing down the pathway to the house.

Before going to check out the house, I headed to the cafe to have a drink and a pastry for breakfast and then a quick browse in the book shop, but I did not buy any books this time as I have a lot to read.

Festive decorations greeted me in the hall when I entered Uppark house. 

The main attraction was the saloon, and the fireplace has the Roman Romulus and Remus depicted. The room contains a beautiful Christmas tree on one side, and the other side of the room has a table laid out with playing cards and a pink Christmas cake on a table.

The Little Parlour is the next room, and this is the room where the ladies would gather. The room has been decorated for Christmas as well with tea cups, a cake, and gardlands of greenery on the mantle.

Before the dining room is another small room which contained a Christmas tree.

The next room was the Dining Room, which was laid out for a Christmas meal. I had a longer look at the detail in the paintings with the voluneer in the room.

The Servery is the room on the other side of the dining room, and the servants would arrive to the dining room in a series of tunnels and then wait here for the food to be served up. The room contains a beauiful stained glass window, which is a focal point. It was lit from behind and designed to look impressive. The design of the stained glass is inspired by the Elgin Marbles from the Greek Parthenon.

From the servery, stairs led down to the servant's quarters. These are presented as they would have been in the middle of the 1800s. The kitchen showcased a Christmas meal being prepared with different ingredients, baking gingrbread men, and dried fruit being combined to make mince for pies or cake. The Butler's room and the other areas included Christmas trees with home-made decorations and glasses out being cleaned for the day.

After exploring how the servants celebrated and prepared for Christmas, I had a quick wander around the grounds and spotted a robin.

I enjoyed visiting Uppark for Christmas to see how both the wealthy owners of the estate and their servants celebrated. For more posts about Uppark, see below:

Late Spring Visit to Uppark Park and House

I enjoy seeing Lush's seasonal collections, and this Christmas, some old favourites returned amongst some new releases. I visited the shop on Oxford Street and picked a few of my favourite items to try, and I also snapped photographs of some of their Christmas range this year. Keep reading to find out more.

Catch me if You Can Bath Bomb: Ginger scent

Let It Snow Bath Bomb

Penguin Bath Bomb: Citrus oils and hand-painted

Lord of Misrule Bubble Bar: A traditional Christmas role of "Lord of Misrule" at the Christmas feasts

Lump of Coal Bath Bomb: Cinnamon, clove, and orange oils

Sweet Pudding Bath Bomb: A sweet scent of almond and sugary fragrance

Snow Fairy Lights Bath Bomb: Uses the famous sell-out scent "Snow Fairy"

Reindeer Bubble Bar: Mossy 

Snowy Bath Bomb: Lemongrass 

Christmas Cranberry Soap: A cranberry fruity scent; this is one of my favourites and bought some last year and received amazing feedback that I smelled good when I bathed in this. I've got a lot of soap to use up so I didn't buy any new.

Magical Santa Bath Bomb: Lemon and roseword fragrance, and the Santa has a rainbow colouring display in the bath

Candy Cane Bubble Bar: Peppermint scent

Snow Bear Soap: This year, my favourite Snow Cake fragrance comes in a little bear design

Snow Dragon Bath Bomb: Sea salt and essential oils of ylang ylang, lemon myrtle, and grapefruit

Sleepy Bear Bath Bomb: Scents of lavender and tonka beans.

Shoot for the Stars Bath Bomb: Coconut and cocao scent

Baked Alaska Soap: A colourful soap with a fruity scent

Snow Fairy Soap: This popular scent comes around every Christmas and is now in soap form.

Snow Drift Bath Bomb: Refreshing and fresh scent with eucalyptus and peppermint

Not necessarily Christmas, but I loved that Lush has now created a Diwali bath bomb.

Not pictured but also in the Christmas collection include the below.

Butterbear Bath Bomb: A new design on an old scent from a previous year.with cocoa butter and ylang ylang

Wishing Lamp Bath Bomb: Comes apart to make three baths of bath bombs. 

Cinnamon Roll Bubble Bar: A cinnamon scented bath bomb that was released in previous years

Berry Berry Shower Gel: A fruity berry scent with a festive 'frosted' twist; this is a product that I purchased in a previous year.

Yog Nog Shower Gel, and Strawberry Santa Foaming Wash, Bouncing Santa Shower Jelly

Do you have a favourite?

At the end of November, I headed to Bath in Somerset in England to attend the annual Christmas market. My favourite Christmas market, I have been wanting to return for a few years now but did not get the chance to go until this year. I used to live in Bath for three years, and I enjoyed the city. In addition to the wonderful cabins selling a vast array of goods not found in most markets, Bath has a lot of independent and interesting shops. I have not been there since the pandemic, and I was gutted, however, to see that a few of the shops that I enjoyed visiting over the years have closed down and the Christmas market itself was not as large as in previous years. In front of the cathedral square were less cabins, but there were additional cabins heading down one of the other streets opposite the pump rooms. 

Although the day was mainly overcast and cloudy, it was dry and the sun did manage to shine sometimes. For lunch, I headed to have afternoon tea at The Mad Hatters Tea Party, and I enjoyed it.

I had some time to look around some of the shops and the Christmas market, starting from the famous Bath Abbey. I did purchase some items.

Before the shopping, I decided to have a hot chocolate with marshmallow topping as the journey to Bath was a long one. I also had a cookie. The hot chocolate and cookie came from Mrs. Potts Chocolate House, which seems to be a new establishment, or if it is not, I had not noticed it before. There were sweet shops located here previously, but I don't remember this one. Opposite is a long-term chocolate and fudge shop.

The little chocolate button that came with the hot chocolate tasted nice, and the milk chocolate cookie sandwich was ok. It's not the best that I've ever had, though. 

After the chocolate to give me the energy I needed for the walking and shopping, I went on my way.

In between the browsing of the little Christmas market cabins, I checked out some views of the city that I have missed, such as Pultney Bridge.

Then I walked up to the main shopping streets to see what changed. The Christmas market cabins extend out further than they used to. 

Toward the end of the visit, I had a mulled non-alcoholic apple juice.

I had a wonderful day re-visiting Bath and the Christmas market. Although the city has changed, a lot of it has still remained the same. 

How I miss living in Bath! At the end of last month, I headed back to my former home city of nearly three years to attend the annual Christmas market. I wanted to return for it a few years ago now, but I never got to, so this was the year to do it. I have told many a person that Bath's Christmas market is my favourite in England. In addition to the wonderful cabins selling a vast array of goods not found in most markets, Bath has a lot of independent and interesting shops and restaurants. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party is a cafe located on Orange Grove in Bath, and it's just around the corner from the views of the famous Pultney Bridge and gardens and Bath Abbey. I believe the cafe started trading sometime in 2014, and it appeared on the BBC in 2015.

I booked in advance, and I was glad that I did because the place was already busy with a large party and one other group of two. I also stated dietary requirements in advance. With the afternoon tea, visitors can choose two different types of sandwich. We had cheese, cucumber, pesto and tomato, and ham. I had the vegetarian options. The sandwiches were great quality, and there was more than enough. We were well-fed.

The afternoon tea also comes with unlimited hot drinks, and this can include tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. I had chai and standard black tea and also tried the hot chocolate. I am not a coffee drinker.

The top tier of the afternoon tea included a scone each, some fruit, and the cake. (Fruit included slices of strawberries and red grapes.) Visitors were asked their preference of a cake slice on arrival, and there were three to choose from on the visit: Red Velvet, Lotus Biscoff, and carrot cake. Neither of us care for Red Velvet, so we had one carrot cake and one Lotus Biscoff. The cake slices were generous portions.

I managed to eat the sandwiches and the scone somehow.

The scone was served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, and they were promptly warmed up when we were ready. We were looked after very well with cups of tea or hot chocolate soon replenished.

Also, I forgot to mention the decor. In keeping with the "Mad Hatter" theme from the "Alice in Wonderland" book, the decor consisted of a lot of quiky items. It gave it a homely feeling. There were rabbits, the mad hatter, tea pots, playing cards, clocks, artwork, and much more to set the theme of the story. I liked how the plates and cups were also the "Alice in Wonderland" theme.

As the portions were so large, the two cake slices ended up going home after one bite sample of each. 

We were really looked after well, and the food was delicious. Afterwards, we spent more time wandering around the market and shops to attempt to walk off some of the meal. We had a quick look at Pultney Bridge, which is always a view that I enjoyed when I lived in Bath.

I recommend The Mad Hatter's Tea Party in Bath, and as the cafe is small, booking is essential to secure a place.

While going through my wardrobe recently, I discovered a beauty advent calendar that I kept to open up the next year, but I completely forgot. In my defense, that was the year that I was living out of boxes as I had not unpacked due to the house move, and I believe I got it on discount after the advent had already started. Then, it was a renovation in 2017 and a trip to the states for December; I still had not finished unpacking as the renovation for the second phase kicked off at the end of 2018, and that finally finished in 2020. I spent the time in early 2020 unpacking. Then, of course, there was the pandemic and I totally forgot that I had left it in the wardrobe. The YOU Beauty Discovery box provides twenty-four special sample products that are related to skin-care, make-up, bath and relaxation. Read below to see the contents.

1. NUXE, Crème Fraiche® de Beauté Mask: Provides hydration and moisture to the skin when massaged in a couple of times per week, and most people see the benefits after 28 days of use.

2. Molton Brown, Frankincense & Allspice Hand Wash: This festive scent of hand wash comes in a compact size and festive shade of red.

3. Cowshed, Cow Pat Moisturising Hand Cream: Shea butter and cocao help to provide moisture to the hands for daily use and is perfect for winter with dry skin problems. It has a nice fragrance that s citrus and herby.

4. Sally Hansen, Complete Salon Manicure™ Christmas Collection*: I received a green-blue shade of this nail polish, which provides nourishment for stronger nails.

5. High Definition, Bronzer in Light-Medium: This bronzer powder provides a subtle shade for a sun-kissed skin glow, and this is perfect for the winter months when sunlight is rare. The product is long-lasting and perfect for those with paler skin.

6. ila, Bath Salts for Cleansing: This is a bath product; the bath salts help a tired or stressed individual to detox. The product uses Himalayan salts and help stimulate circulation and leave skin soft and clean.

7. The Konjac Sponge Company, 100% Pure Konjac Facial Puff Sponge in white (Full Size): This natural sponge product helps exfoliate the face and is kind on skin.

8. Heaven Skincare, Bee Venom Eyes: This eye cream promises to soothe the eye area and remove lines; it promises a brighter appearance and removal of puffiness.

9. ESPA, Optimal Skin ProSerum & £15 Voucher: This serum helps to soothe the skin and has a pleasant scent. It helps to cleanse and moisturise. The product also came with a gift card, but it had obviously expired.

10. TEEEZ, Read My Lips Lipstick in Roulette Red: This lipstick makes lips appear plumper and is highly-pigmented.

11. Lipcote, The Original Lipstick Sealer: This lipstick sealer helps your lipstick have staying power so that it isn't easily being removed throughout the day.

12. Pixi, Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black/Noir: This eye liner is waterproof and smudge-proof for a longer-lasting finish that will continue to look good throughout the day.

13. Roger & Gallet, Fleur de Figuier Replenishing Body Lotion: This body lotion is in the fig blossom scent, and I have used this product before and have also purchased the perfume as it is one of my favourite scents.

14. Burt's Bees, Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream: This facial cleanser removes makeup and uses natural products. 

15. Caudalie, Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum: This serum helps to keep skin hydrated. I've also used the product before.

16. The Vintage Cosmetic Company, Slanted Tweezers - Rosie Spot: This spotted tweezers looks stylish and can be carried around to use on the go.

17. Lanolips, Purse Size 101 Ointment: This is a lip balm that uses natural products that are better for your skin and health.

18. Benefit Cosmetics, Roller Lash Mascara: This mascara helps lashes appear longer and fuller, and I've previously purchased and used this product.

19. Bee Good, Youth Enhancing Plump & Firm Moisturiser: This is a plumping daily moisturiser to enhance skin and prevent aging. I've also previously used this product as it was provided before in beauty boxes or advent calendars.

20.Philip Kingsley, Body Building Shampoo & Body Building Conditioner Duo: I've also used both of these products, and they seem to make their way into most beauty advent calendars and beauty subscription boxes at some point. I have received them many times.

21. REN, Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial: This facial helps remove toxins in the skin and deeply-moisturises for a youthful appearance. I have also previously used the product.

22. Age Defy+, 24 HR Brightening Moisturiser: This facial moisturising cream helps to brighten skin and remove the appearance of age spots.

23. Rodial, STEMCELL Super-Food Glam Balm Multi: Stem cell technology is used to provide immediate relief for lips. I've also received this product previously.

24. RITUALS, Mini Under a Fig Tree Fragrance Sticks: Another product I received before is this RITUALS diffuser set with the Fig Tree fragrance. It comes in a compact size and is perfect for a small room, such as a bathroom.