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If you grunt in disgust at the mere sight of Christmas decorations in November, avert your eyes now. But if you’re on a first-name basis with the staff at Winter Wonderland and can think of nothing better than living off a year-round diet of mulled wine and mince pies, read on...
January: a month when your trousers no longer fit and you’ve left your dignity on the Central line after a particularly mortifying NYE walk of shame. How to cope with these post-holiday season misfortunes? Complete denial, of course. Pretend that the festive season is still in full swing by checking out these five picks for keeping those fuzzy Yuletide feelings going well into the new year:
1) Get lost in another kind of winter wonderland
Bompas and Parr, the wacky London duo who brought us inhalable cocktails, are at it again with The Height of Winter on the seventy-second floor of The Shard. They've created a winter paradise complete with caroling plants and a touch-responsive iridescent grotto, running until January 31. Treats on offer include Snow White hot chocolate and mulled champagne (but really, they had us at caroling plants). Tickets are £25.95 per adult, which might be a stretch on the post-Christmas budget, but it includes entrance to the vertigo-inducing View From the Shard experience.
Winter: Once Upon a Wigwam
2) Revisit that wigwam
Fancy some festive heights but spent all your dosh on Christmas presents for your cat? Head to the Queen of Hoxton's rooftop for Winter: Once Upon a Wigwam where entrance is free and the 'Egg Snog' (eggnog with Monkey Shoulder whiskey) is plentiful. The enchanted forest setting comes complete with fairy lights, hot buttered rum and a gingerbread-inspired bar. Need we say more? Open until late March.
© Stacy Sobieski
3) Get your skate on
With the Canary Wharf and Broadgate ice rinks remaining open until February, here's your chance to perfect your pirouettes. Or you could just stand to the side and hold up score cards whenever people fall over. But if you're not a fan of the cold, check out the Southbank Centre’s festive BUMP Rollerdisco, open until January 17.
4) Keep the giving spirit going
Kickstart those 2016 fitness resolutions while doing something for a good cause by signing up for Cancer Research UK's London Winter Run on January 31. The 10k route will feature plenty of wintery fun, including a Snow Zone and polar bear hugs at the finish line. Shin splints have never felt so satisfying.
Tinderella at Above the Stag© Pics by Gaz
5) Yell 'he's behind you!' one last time
Above the Stag Theatre's saucy adult panto Tinderella runs until January 16. Take a friend, leave your propriety at the door and let the innuendos commence. For something a bit more family friendly, check out Robin Hood at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, running until January 23.
Montague Ski Lodge
6) Get cosy in an alpine ski lodge
Venture to the Alps without leaving the M25 at The Lodge in Clapham, where you can chow down on some traditional Alpine fare and sip beer that was brewed at the foot of the Swiss Alps. There's also the Montague Ski Lodge at the Montague Hotel, open until mid-January, where you can snuggle up by the pine trees or frolic under the falling snow. They also have 12 festive flavoured vodkas on offer – including candy cane and Turkish delight.
See what else is happening in London in January.