Your Last Taste of Winter

London has been feeling much less festive since the turn of the New Year. It doesn’t help that the sky is grey and the rain has chased away the last of the snow. However, until Sunday 23rd January, you still have a chance to have some winter fun before spring breaks through. If you take a taxi to the Strand, you’ll see that Somerset House has a magnificent ice rink within its eighteenth century courtyard. With an impressive and majestic backdrop, you’ll have a feast for the eyes as well as a workout for your body! Make sure you wrap up warm, as it’s in the open air.

With their decorations once again provided by Tiffany’s, you have the chance to buy sweets, cakes, gifts and ornaments from the Tiffany Blue Box Tuck Shop. Continuing with the theme, there is an early bird session from 8.45am, aptly named ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. After your skate, you can enjoy a cupcake and a glass of champagne, or a hot chocolate for the kids. On the 900 metre square rink, you can take beginners lessons or go to one of the late night discos on Friday and Saturday, starting at 8.00pm. There are also sessions for children, students and for disabled people.

You’ll probably work up quite an appetite while you’re skating on the ice, so afterwards you can pop into Tom’s Skate Lounge, run by chef Tom Aikens. Snacks are available throughout the daytime, and in the evening it turns into a bar. This is a great day out for the family, or a romantic place to go on a date for couples. Your journey will be easy if you take a city of London taxi, with Temple tube station just a stone’s throw away. Make the most of the last bit of winter while you still can!