The world is your oyster they say ..

.. and so it is.

To be explored and enjoyed in small chunks as and when spare funds decide to play ball with spare time.

(Relate) 

I read the most enchanting blog this morning by The Obsessive Writer, I found myself totally feeling the author’s mother’s desire to travel. I so relate to this myself now that my children have left home. I wish to start adding new adventures to those already acquired. My dream is for my family members, in their various numbers, if they so wish, to tag along. The Obssessive Writer’s travel blog about Dubai can be read here.

Today my adventure is a mere hour’s train ride to London from East Anglia. But my husband is with me and having got him to agree to leave the farm for a day is a fabulous achievement in its own right, let me tell you.

Destination – Hyde Park, London and the annual Winter Wonderland

Once through the Hyde Park Corner entrance where strict safety checks are carried out, you are off on a grass-saving platform of temporary rubber flooring on which have been erected many Christmas themed gastronomic outlets and I counted no less than 15 alcoholic refreshment venues, many with heated lamps over outside seating areas, fully-stocked bars and plenty of staff to cope with crowds.

What is it about lights and music, when combined? The two create within us all a childlike excitement, don’t you think? Even the cold temperatures can be ignored when you can wrap your hands around a Nutella-based hot chocolate, and tap your foot to George Michael’s Christmas songs (God rest his soul) or in my case a very warm mulled wine in fact. I am sadly no longer able to tolerate wine of any colour, unless I wish to welcome three days of migraines. However, the heating process of mulled versions must cook away the problem as I appear to be able to enjoy, without fallout, two of these quite happily – Merry Christmas 🍷!

I attempted to hit some half inflated balloons amongst the many fairground style games which will keep all ages amused. I had five arrows and a full size bow, but won nothing more than a reminder as to why archers wear protective cuffs on their left arms! Full contingent of fairground rides cater for every member of the family; granny may enjoy the carousel horses while really little ones can giggle at a gentle turn in a teacup.

For the more daring, there are rollercoasters and a variety of contraptions which provide sudden vertical drops, centrifugal force on either end of a huge rotating arm and good old scream-inducing waltzers, watched over by a polar bear.

Part of every fairground ride is a Haunted House attraction and the one in Hyde Park is reminiscent of those found at Disneyland in its magnitude!   It is hard to believe that it will be dismantled after only six weeks of use.  Particularly gruesome figures hanging from broken windows, screams from within the walls make it a favourite of all ages.

A huge amount of work has been put into this free-entry extravaganza and I would recommend journeying to London before the 1st January 2018 to enjoy a few hours if you have the time.

(Today’s word prompt ‘RELATE’ for creative writing from WordPress sits superbly alongside my appreciation of a travel blog I read earlier and have shared with you above) (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyde_Park_Winter_Wonderland)Relate” target=”_blank”>relate