London Christmas 2021: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Regent Street lights, London Eye pub pod, Somerset House skating

The idea of taking a weekend trip from Sheffield to the capital would previously have seemed like a no-brainer but this time we had to be careful – my friend and I had both had all our jabs, we wore masks indoors (this was a couple of weeks ago, before the new restrictions) and stayed as socially distanced as possible.

Luckily, there’s a lot to do in London that’s outdoors.

We travelled by train on Saturday morning and dropped off our bags at the three-star ibis Styles London Gloucester Road Hotel. This is a great base, only five minutes’ walk from Gloucester Road Tube and close to South Kensington and the big museums on Cromwell Road, and it’s got a great quirky Underground theme with lots of fun details. It’s like staying in a boutique hotel without the price tag (prices start at £80 a night for a double room).

The carpet next to the bed says ‘Mind the gap’ and the sign on the bathroom reads ‘Water+Loo’.

Winter Wonderland fun in Hyde Park

On leaving the hotel, we headed straight to Hyde Park – one stop on the Tube – to visit Winter Wonderland (hydeparkwinterwonderland.com, runs to January 3). It’s huge with loads to do – big rides, Christmas market stalls, loads of activities from ice skating to ice sculpting, two circuses and plenty of food stalls and bars – we enjoyed the Fire Pit Bar, which has live entertainment.

You could easily spend most of the day here as there’s so much to explore. Booking is essential and some activities cost extra.

We headed from there to see the Christmas lights. The stars above Oxford Street are nothing special but New Bond Street is lovely and the Spirit of Christmas sparkling angels on Regent Street are spectacular and not to be missed.

Skating and hot chocolate at Somerset House

Carnaby Street has fabulously funky rainbows and butterflies with an inclusive Choose Love theme.

We were booked in for dinner in Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in Kingly Court on Carnaby Street (www.imadssyriankitchen.co.uk). The lovely Imad Alarnab, who is a Syrian refugee, created a real buzz with a series of pop-ups before opening his restaurant this year.

The food is gorgeous – like Middle Eastern tapas bursting with freshness and flavour, with big and small plates to share in a relaxed atmosphere. The staff are knowledgable and friendly and we were sorry it was just a quick pre-theatre visit.

Kingly Court has three storeys of restaurants in a building set round a central courtyard – just sit and eat downstairs or opt for one of 21 bars, restaurants and cafes.

From there it was a 10-minute walk to the Dominion Theatre on Tottenham Court Road to see The Prince of Egypt (www.theprinceofegyptmusical.com), a big hit musical about the story of Moses, inspired by the popular animated film.

If you loved that you will enjoy the drama and the songs, such as When You Believe, and the spectacular staging. It got a standing ovation but I have to say I wasn’t swept along. The season ends on January 8.

We enjoyed a relaxed drink in the hotel bar before bed. Breakfast the next morning was a great Continental-style buffet with plenty of choice that set us up for another fun-packed day.

We were booked in to skate at Somerset House (www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/skate-somerset-house). The stately home on the Embankment of the Thames is a spectacular backdrop for the ice rink and the skating sessions are really well organised.

I chickened out – I’m like Bambi on skates – and settled in to watch as my friend Linda hit the ice – actually, she stayed on her feet! Afterwards, we headed to the Hotel Chocolat Chocmobile and grabbed two delicious Mince Pie Hot Chocolates laced with chocolate liqueur. Scrumptious!

Drinks in the sky on the London Eye

Our final big treat was my favourite – we walked across Waterloo Bridge to the South Bank and the lastminute.com London Eye pub pod. This is a fantastic VIP experience where you get fast tracked on to the London Eye to ride in style on the pub pod, decked out in outlandish Christmas decorations.

You can even play a game of darts while waiting for your first drink!

The ticket includes one of two Absolut vodka cocktails and another drink while you enjoy the 30-minute view of the London skyline.

Our guide was really knowledgable and fun and could point out all the interesting landmarks.

After that, there was just time to grab a snack at the South Bank Christmas market before heading back to our hotel to pic our bags and reluctantly head for home.

The whole weekend had been a real treat and the only low point was the train journey. We ended up sitting in corridors on massively overcrowded trains both ways.

It’s more important than ever to get a seat reservation – our tickets were Super Off Peak, so we weren’t booked on to specific services and there were no first class upgrade seats left, either.

You can plan your weekend at the website, visitlondon.com/things-to-do/whats-on/special-events/best-light-festivals, which has lots of spectacular ideas.

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