Winterville in Victoria Park brought an alternative Christmas festival to East London in 2014. On my first visit, I found an illuminated pop-up town with an ice rink, fairground rides, a roller disco and plenty of places to stop for food or a drink.
The original film was published on 16 December 2014, during Winterville’s first year. This archive visit records that opening season: the glowing entrance, horse-drawn carriages and a relaxed evening among the festival lights.
A first look at Winterville in Victoria Park
I had already filmed Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland that Christmas, so the obvious question was how the two compared. My first impression was that they shared a great deal. Both felt professionally organised, with security and the facilities needed for a busy temporary town.
Winterville was smaller, though I was careful to say that it was still a substantial event. It had the familiar ingredients of a Christmas fair: an ice rink, a Ferris wheel, a market, bars and a town square. The difference came through in the details and the East London character of the attractions.
An ice rink and a roller disco
Skaters fill the outdoor rink in the film, with coloured lights illuminating the ice. It was one of the main attractions, but there was another way to spend the evening on wheels: the roller disco.
Inside the covered disco, coloured lights and music gave the skating a different atmosphere. In the commentary I pointed to its DJs as part of what made Winterville distinctive. The festival combined familiar seasonal activities with its own approach to a night out.
The original commentary also mentioned the House of Fairy Tales for children, horse-drawn carriage rides and a vintage motorcycle Wall of Death. Those belonged to the wider programme described during this 2014 visit; the film’s walk takes in a selection of the festival rather than every event.
Fairground lights after dark
The longer montage gives the rides room to speak for themselves. A roller coaster twists through green supports and purple lights, while other rides flash against the night sky. Walking between them was part of the pleasure, even without taking a turn on each one.
The Big Wheel stood above the fairground, with its sign and illuminated frame visible from the paths below. Strings of lights linked the different areas, and the town square gave the site a central meeting point.
Street food, craft beer and room to wander
Food and drink were another part of Winterville’s appeal. In the film I mentioned local favourites such as Voodoo Ray’s and the craft beer available at the bars. Food stalls and picnic tables appear along the walk, offering places to pause between attractions.
My verdict at the time was that the atmosphere felt friendly and relaxed. Entry was free during this 2014 visit, while most rides and attractions were charged separately. That meant you could enjoy the setting and decide what to spend once inside.
I also made the practical point that trying every attraction would add up. For someone simply meeting friends for food and festive drinks, however, I thought it offered a memorable evening. Those observations describe the event as I experienced it in 2014.
Remembering the first Winterville
What stayed with me was the balance between a recognisable Christmas fair and the smaller touches that gave it a character of its own. The roller disco, carriages, street food and illuminated paths all helped shape that impression.
This is a record of Winterville’s first season in Victoria Park. For another chapter in the archive, see my return to Winterville in 2015. You can also explore a different festive setting in the 2014 Tate Modern Christmas market visit.
