Yesterday I arrived home feeling the most festive I have felt in a long time. Usually I don’t really have much seasonal spirit, reserving any excitement for the minimum-work maximum-food delights of Doctor Who Day itself, but yesterday grabbed me like an annoying Mr Hankey and forced me to comply with its festive demands. Christmas decorations were being hung in the office throughout the afternoon, with pretty baubles dangling from the strip-light diffusers and fairy lights twinkling by the end of the day, whilst the one and only Xmas album to bring a smile to my face played on the CD player. (I now cannot hear santa doing the mambo without thinking of a certain Honey Schnapps‘ festive performance last year!) Then, at the end of the working day, I headed off to meet a friend at Hyde Park for a spot of ice skating in the Winter Wonderland.
When this was booked, I had visions of Elle and I daintily whizzing round the ice wearing something pretty like Vacant’s Snowflake Dress, a long white wooly scarf and matching ear muffs. However, the reality was rather different. When we made plans, the weather was pleasantly chilly, but this week we have had some of the coldest weather so far this year so wrapping up warm was far more important than looking glamorous, even for me. We circled the ice time and time again in our many layers, chatting as we went, hoping to eventually remember how to pick up speed without losing our balance. Eventually, we gave up and headed for the nearest place selling hot chocolate in order to thaw out a tad. Thankfully, this particular winter adventure turned out to not be nearly as cold as I’d feared. After a wander around the pretty market stalls and beautifully lit fairground rides, we decided to head to a pub (sadly one that had sold out of mulled wine!) before trekking home through the snow. All my week needs now is a mince pie or two and I’ll be just about ready to put up the Nightmare Before Christmas Tree!
Second image by Vacant.
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