Christmas light show at Kew
Yesterday we set off at 4pm to catch the train and meet up with Youngest Cee, GF(P) and her Mum to visit the Christmas light show at Kew Gardens. The journey up to London and across to Richmond takes two trains for us - the mainline train to London (which takes 20 minutes), and then the underground out to Kew. It worked seamlessly (as usual) and we were waiting at the main gate for everyone at 5.45pm. We had wrapped up warm because during the day the temperature was around 1C/33F, but once the sun was fully down the temperatures were supposed to plummet! It was worth it for the pretty display - there are a few photos under the cut.
The entrance, with one of the Pavillions, tastefully lit up in the distance.
Floating light show
It was so pretty - cycling through different colours
Snowflakes and trees!
One of the many light tunnels
Real fire lighting up the foreground, with imitation fire across one of the Kew garden buildings.
There were a lot of displays linked to music - the one was fun.
A short video of what it was like
Arches of decorations around the place helped give it the Christmas spirit
Floating candles - these were really pretty
Youngest Cee and GF(P) being big kids toasting marshmallows (for a small charge of course!)
I liked all the flower light sculptures
This tree was amazing
Mr Cee and me in another of the light arches. This one is called The Cathedral
Elvis singing Rockin' Robin was playing as we walked through these glittery birds *g*
Anyone in the UK may recognise this - it's the Venus Flytrap from the retailer John Lewis's Christmas advert on the TV. It's supposed to be about ditching the holiday traditions if you want to. The child in this family wants to use his enormous ("Little Shop of Horrors" inspired) Flytrap as the Christmas tree in the ad. The family put it outside and used a traditional tree, but of course, at the end, they all go and put their presents around the Flytrap... *eyeroll*
Stained glass greenhouses all lit up
I like how they use the paths for displays too - the one had messages about protecting nature.
The end is always near the large glasshouse with a light show to music
Although we were all well wrapped up, we hadn't prepared for the temperature to go down to -2C/28F, so by the end of the two-and-half hours it took to go around the whole walk (with a couple of stops for food), we were all very, very cold. We said goodbye to the others at 8.45pm and set off back home - we got back just after 10.15pm as we'd had a 20-minute wait at the mainline station which slowed us down. Hot showers helped to warm us up, and we fell into bed afterwards as we had walked nearly eight miles.
The entrance, with one of the Pavillions, tastefully lit up in the distance.
Floating light show
It was so pretty - cycling through different colours
Snowflakes and trees!
One of the many light tunnels
Real fire lighting up the foreground, with imitation fire across one of the Kew garden buildings.
There were a lot of displays linked to music - the one was fun.
A short video of what it was like
Arches of decorations around the place helped give it the Christmas spirit
Floating candles - these were really pretty
Youngest Cee and GF(P) being big kids toasting marshmallows (for a small charge of course!)
I liked all the flower light sculptures
This tree was amazing
Mr Cee and me in another of the light arches. This one is called The Cathedral
Elvis singing Rockin' Robin was playing as we walked through these glittery birds *g*
Anyone in the UK may recognise this - it's the Venus Flytrap from the retailer John Lewis's Christmas advert on the TV. It's supposed to be about ditching the holiday traditions if you want to. The child in this family wants to use his enormous ("Little Shop of Horrors" inspired) Flytrap as the Christmas tree in the ad. The family put it outside and used a traditional tree, but of course, at the end, they all go and put their presents around the Flytrap... *eyeroll*
Stained glass greenhouses all lit up
I like how they use the paths for displays too - the one had messages about protecting nature.
The end is always near the large glasshouse with a light show to music
Although we were all well wrapped up, we hadn't prepared for the temperature to go down to -2C/28F, so by the end of the two-and-half hours it took to go around the whole walk (with a couple of stops for food), we were all very, very cold. We said goodbye to the others at 8.45pm and set off back home - we got back just after 10.15pm as we'd had a 20-minute wait at the mainline station which slowed us down. Hot showers helped to warm us up, and we fell into bed afterwards as we had walked nearly eight miles.