Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Throughout late November and December the section of Hyde Park near Hyde Park Corner is transformed into a Winter Wonderland, complete with fairground rides, giant wheel, circus, Christmas market, food and drink stalls, Santa's grotto and, of course, an ice rink. It's the sixth consecutive year that the Winter Wonderland has come to Hyde Park and it's already a favourite in many Londoners' calendar. Doing your best Torvill and Dean impersonation is a great way to embrace the cold and this new Ice Rink - which now surrounds the Victorian bandstand and is illuminated by 108,000 pea-lights - is the biggest of its kind in the UK. You'll certainly benefit from the extra space for all those slick ice manoeuvres (such as the classic floor-pick-up). Doing a turn on the 53-metre-high Observational Wheel takes in great views over London's most popular Christmas attraction, fittingly set in the capital's most prominent park. Zippos Circus is always a hit - and the show never fails to pull crowds into its heated big top when temperatures plummet. New last year were the acrobatic Zippos Cirque Extreme, the Alpine Hotel - the biggest funhouse in Europe - and the Alpine Adventure roller-coaster. The traditional Angels Christmas Market, with its wooden chalets and various Bavarian-style bars and cafes, is a hoot, as is the Spiegel Saloon, a large, festive and fully covered restaurant. Don't go with an empty wallet because while the whole thing is not cheap, it's such fun you'll want to get into the spirit and spend. (Remember: advanced booking on the main attractions is advised while you'll need to buy tokens from kiosks dotted around the fair for the many rides.) Free entry means you can just walk around and absorb the festive ambiance - but it will take a strong will not to succumb to the smells and fun on offer.