Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

The other night I decided to do something different, so me and my girlfriend went to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Standing at the top of Kensington High Street (my suggestion) and staring hopefully into the dark sprawling mass that is Hyde Park, we quickly realised that either a) we’d got the dates wrong or b) I’d brought us to the wrong tube stop. We quickly settled on b).

Half an hour later, stuck in traffic on a bus to Hyde Park Corner, the other half getting crosser by the minute, I was beginning to regret my high and lofty ideas of ringing the changes. We should have stayed in, I thought.

However, as the bus pulled around the next corner, a wondrous land of bright wintry lights twinkling in trees and the merry sound of laughter ringing out from laughing families made all the travelling seem worth it. We’d found nirvana. Well, we’d reached Hyde Park Corner at least.

This place is a great alternative idea for an evening out this festive season. Serving delicious cups of mulled wine (£4 a pop) Bratwurst and sauerkraut and candyfloss and organic steak burgers and Germanic and Austrian craftwork and sweets . . . I could go on. Amongst all this, of course, is the fair: A huge big wheel (although at £7 quid each a little steep) haunted house, rollercoaster, whirling rides, carousel and an ice rink – I mean, what more could you want from a winter night out?

One word of advice – make sure you get off at the wrong tube stop and trek across London for an hour – it makes it SO much more exciting!