Winter Wonderland Hyde Park 2018 brought the Christmas fairground back to London, and I went along on opening night. It was a freezing November evening, so something hot to eat and drink was high on my list. First, though, there were the lights, the ice rink and a whole temporary village to explore.
This film captures my visit to the 2018 event. It premiered on 23 November 2018, just as the season was getting under way. The opening-night walk is a snapshot of that year’s fairground, food stalls and festive atmosphere.
Watch my Winter Wonderland Hyde Park 2018 walk
Ice skating and fairground lights
Once inside, I walked past Christmas trees and wooden stalls towards the ice rink. Strings of lights stretched above the skaters, while the illuminated bandstand gave the scene a festive centre. There was plenty to watch before I reached the larger rides.
Then the fairground changed the scale of everything. Tall rides reached into the dark sky, roller-coaster tracks looped above the crowds and the giant wheel glowed white. The film moves between those big attractions and smaller details, including a colourful sweet counter and food stalls.
For this visit, I kept moving around on foot with the camera. That gave me time to take in the lights and the people passing between the attractions. Even without going on a ride, the walk had plenty of movement and colour.
Into the Bavarian Village
Next came my favourite part of Winter Wonderland: the Bavarian Village. The wooden fronts, strings of bulbs and food counters gave this part of the walk a different feel. After looking up at the giant wheel and roller coasters, I was ready to concentrate on supper.
The camera follows the route between the stalls before reaching Mr. Bratwurst. There, the barbecue and bread rolls made the decision fairly easy. A hot sausage was exactly the sort of food I wanted on such a cold evening.
Bratwurst, ketchup and mustard
I picked up a bratwurst in a bread roll, then dealt with the sauces. Instead of ordinary bottles on a counter, the ketchup and mustard hung overhead in large dispensers. Working out how to squeeze them onto the sausage became its own little moment in the film.
Finally, with ketchup and mustard added, I could try it. The bratwurst was delicious, with the smoky flavour from the barbecue coming through. It was a simple meal, eaten standing up among the lights, and one of the highlights of the visit.
The photographs show the actual food as well as the stall. From the bread basket beside the barbecue to the sausage in my hand, this was the part of the evening worth stopping for.
Mulled wine and a last look around
Afterwards, I had a mulled wine and carried on exploring. By then, the bright rides and busy walkways had become the backdrop to a warming drink. It was still November, but the Christmas atmosphere was already well established.
Near the end, I walked past the Fire Pit bar. The film closes on the flames of an outdoor fire, a quieter detail after all the fairground colour. Warm food, mulled wine and a cold walk through the lights made a fitting start to the season.
More from the London Christmas archive
For another year at the same event, revisit my Winter Wonderland 2017 walk. You can also explore November in London 2018 for the wider story of the city moving into Christmas.
