Winter Wonderland

We visited the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park yesterday.  We set off on the first leg of our journey, to mum's local station. It was a beautiful morning.  It was bright and sunny, and there had been a sprinkling of snow in the night.

Mum met us off the train, and we got the tube to Green Park.  It was one of the new Metropolitan Line trains, where the carriages are open all the way down.  Much niced to travel in than normal tubes.

It was a bit of a walk from the station, and it was freezing.  The kids aren't that keen on walking.  They cheered up when we arrived though.

There was a lot to see and do.  I spent more than I planned buying tickets for the rides, and the rides cost more tickets than I had hoped.  For example, the kids wanted to go on the helter skelter.  Of course, I say.  3 tickets each, i.e £3 each.  How many slides can they have, I ask the man running the helter skelter.  One, he says.  My jaw drops.  One?  Yes, he says.  One.  Oh. £6 for approximately one minute.
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.  Mum bought some tickets too!
They went on a reindeer kids roller coaster, in a fun house (4 tickets each, ouch), on a huge inflatable slide, and on my favourite ride: a swing chair carousel.  I love that ride, and went on with them.  Betsy loved it too, and cried when it was over.
Poor Betsy really suffered in the cold.  I hadn't really acknowledged how cold she gets.  She was in tights and leggings and extra socks, two tops and a coat, and was freezing.  She *desperately* needed the loo 3 times, simply because of the cold.  I've now ordered her some merino base layer leggings and long sleeved vests, and wool socks to wear with her wellies.  I'd hate for her to feel so cold and miserable again.

I'd also booked tickets to see the Magical Ice Kingdom, which is lots of ice sculptures.  The sculptures were beautiful.  Betsy loved this, despite the cold.  Freddie did not, as there was a soundtrack and it was loud.  If I'd realised I would have brought the ear defenders.  So very frustrating.  

We headed off, with three tired and chilly children, looking forward to getting home.  We got out of London ok, but then there was a problem further down the line and our train (and all the other trains) terminated early.  Disaster!  We were one stop away from mum's station, so we took our chances in the queue for a taxi with all the commuters.  The taxi company were amazing,and rustled up an 8 seater to fit the kids in.  We took refuge at mum's, who luckily had food in the the kids like, and my step dad drove us home once he got back from work.  It had been a loonnnnnng day!
Despite the problems (the cold, the noise, the trains) Freddie and Betsy said they'd had a good time.  Thank goodness!