Kew Gardens Xmas Lights Trail

This year we decided to try the delights of Xmas at Kew Gardens. The 'glittering after dark trail' was indeed a fun and festive experience, very much enjoyed by all my family, from children to grandparents. The route around was a good, manageable length for everyone, on paved pathways with plenty of interest along the way. Two of the parks' cafes were open supplemented by stalls providing christmassy food and drinks. We enjoyed toasting fancy flavoured marshmallows over an open fire.

I took photos of a few of the features I enjoyed along the way although there was plenty more to see.

I liked the sophisticated atmosphere created by a number of these sparkling chandeliers hanging from the branches of a huge tree.

These trees were cleverly constructed from red electric cable which when assembled together formed trunks and branches. I particularly liked the way the bottom of the cables spread out and disappear into the base like roots.

A particular highlight was an area of huge colourful plantlike structures which you could wander through and under.

These remind me of lilly of the valley and have been created using lampshades strung together in a rope of cable.