Page 83 - Tourism Diary

You’ll also find ice rinks at the Natural History
Museum, The Tower of London and Canary Wharf but
there are plenty more dotted around the city.
VISIT HOGWARTS IN THE SNOW

ENJOY COVENT GARDEN
I love visiting Covent Garden any time of year, with its
colorful street performances and a mix of independent
shops and quirky stalls, as well as a few well-known
high street stores. At Christmas, however, with over- Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry
sized silver baubles and gigantic mistletoe hanging Potter, is some way out of London but it’s well worth
from the ceiling, it’s particularly enchanting. There’s the effort to get there. Harry Potter fans will love it
such a festive atmosphere here. The smell of roasting at any time of year. But at Christmas, it’s even more
chestnuts and mulled wine drifts through the air and magical, with the giant model of Hogwarts (the actual
the giant Christmas tree always looks splendid. It’s a model used in the filming) covered in snow and the
great place for picking up unique Christmas gifts too. Great Hall laid out for a Christmas Feast. See Hogwarts
And I still love these giant red baubles from a few in the Snow from 16th November to 26th January.
years ago, I hope they bring them back again one year.
The Christmas lights are turning on in Covent Garden CATCH A CHRISTMAS SHOW
on 12th November.
Christmas in London’s theatreland isn’t limited to
DISCOVER KEW GARDENS AT the great British tradition of pantomime. There are
CHRISTMAS comic adult-only shows, seasonal ballets (most notably
two productions of The Nutcracker), musicals, plays
and extravaganzas. The most popular shows, such as
The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker get sold out well in
advance with tickets going on sale early in the new year.

The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew after-dark festival,
when the Gardens are lit up with thousands of lights
and laser beams, runs from Wednesday 20 November
2019 to Sunday 5 January 2021. This year the winter SEE THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
trail through the Gardens is bigger than ever. With
spiced cider, hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows, and There are numerous streets with fabulous Christmas
more, you’re sure not to go hungry or thirsty! displays. A good way to discover the best of them is
through a walking tour. See the route I took, along
TAKE A SPIN ON THE ICE with more of my pictures, here; Where to find the best
Christmas lights in London. If you don’t have time to
As Christmas in London draws near, ice rinks pop up see them all, make sure you don’t miss Regents Street
all over the city. The one pictured below is in Winter and Oxford Street.
Wonderland but it’s grew a lot in size since then! This year, have yourselves a merry little Christmas in London!

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