Walking in a Winter Wonderland

It’s been a couple of years since I last went to Winter Wonderland, a pop-up free attraction that takes over Hyde Park every winter. Each year it grows bigger, to the point where it’s now basically a free Christmas theme park split into different “lands”; Santa land, Fairy land, Bavarian village and so on. Markets, ice-skating, mazes, rides, food and drink; it’s all happening! Obviously as it’s free entry and in Britain, the whole purpose is to get royally trashed. One of my favourite “adult” experiences is getting drunk and going on rollercoasters; it’s the best!

Last time I had the opportunity was back in Tokyo DisneySea, so obviously the trip to Winter Wonderland revolved around stopping off at the pop-up bars and little bar cabins. We made a beeline for the carousel bar which spins around as you drink, before grabbing a couple of mulled ciders and riding the Ghost Train rides. I absolutely love fairground rides! Even if you don’t fancy paying to ride the rollercoasters, just wandering around the twinkly lights and decorations whilst feeling increasingly hazy is a pretty important part of any London Christmas. Let me know if you’ve been!

Leadenhall Market

Leadenhall Market is a beautiful 14th century covered market in the City of London. The distictinve red, cream, gold and green decor was designed all the way back in 1881. Though the colour scheme is the same all year round, it’s one of my favourite places to visit at Christmas because it lends itself so well to the festive colour scheme! I’ve been coming since I was 16 and I haven’t tired of it yet. The market is quite small and tucked away in the middle of the City, so it’s the kind of place that often gets held up as a “hidden gem” – these days it’s not so much of a fruit and veg market as it is a row of luxury shops and eateries.

I dragged along with me my most recent companion of choice; with him being a Harry Potter fan I was so excited to tell him that the market was the location for the Diagon Alley scenes in the first two films. Production moved to Borough Market after that but it’s still a must-see for any fan. Although to be honest, I’m not a massive fan and the giant Christmas tree, mulled wine sellers and gorgeous fairy lights make it such a perfect place to go anyway!

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Quizmas

If you’re not familiar with my project Quizcats, Quizcats is a 10 piece band and we put on events that combine live-band karaoke with a pub quiz. The nights are themed (films, musicals, 90s etc) and end up superfun in a silly, easy way: dancing, costumes, prizes for best team name and so on. I spend most of my time working on Quizcats – sorting all aspects of the show and promoting it.

Next Sunday we’re doing a Christmas themed show, Quizmas. I am SO excited!! I didn’t think I could get through this month without telling you about it – it’s been my sole focus for so many weeks and I’ve dedicated myself to the project. This show has a few festive surprises – we have a Christmassy photobooth (I’m secretly jealous I can’t get involved with this!) and the rest of the band (the 9 guys in the pictures) will all be dressed in seasonal attire, complete with me in a ridiculous Santa dress. I can’t wait to see what the audience wear!

We get a lot of comments from the audience on how much fun they have and I think it’s genuinely because (as cheesey as it sounds) we, the band, have so much fun on stage. I put in a lot (a LOT) of unpaid hours to the job, but the minute I get into rehearsals with the guys or up on stage with Chris it’s like I’m having the time of my life. The shows are at the forefront of my mind for such a long time, occupying so much stress and toil, but on the night I just basically go on stage and have a ball.I think the place I’m really happiest is performing in front of an audience and the Quizcats boys are just such an awesome bunch, every show we do feels like we’re just hanging out and having a great time. To have an entire audience join in dancing along and cheering with you is indescribably fun!

I’ll definitely share some pictures of the event itself once it’s happened! If you’re London based and want to come then use the code “TapeParade” for 40% off tickets. And let me know so I can come and say hello! #Quizmas :)