Winter In London

London’s best offerings this season turns the best parts of the city into a wonderland of delights.

- Mindy Teh

Winter in London has shed its reputation for grimness. The cold months of yesteryear recall the soot and grime, made even more miserable by persistent rain. The celebratory mood of the season was noticeably dampened during the recessions of the 80s, 90s and the Great Recession.

All that went with the physical, economical and positive emotional outlook undergone incrementally in the new millennium. Its implementation of the congestion charge in 2003 saw instant palpable change—with London assuming a more lively, vibrant and decidedly less polluted physical transformation. The city’s new skyline, thanks to the completion of state-of-the-art buildings such as the Shard, has also contributed to its new dynamism.

London’s natives these days are, through this writer’s observations, peppier, less cynical and more energised. Sure, Brexit may have split opinions but nothing, not even the city’s coldest days, can stop Londoners from keeping (somewhat) calm and relentlessly driving on.

A London winter can be atmospheric, even beautiful. On rare days when the sun is up, the sky takes on an almost mythical light. Some days, a palate of silver, blues, mauves and ombre grey can be enjoyed. And what of London’s famous reputation for rain? That’s easy—know better to bring along a big, bright neon umbrella!

Which makes it all the more than reasonable to explore—and enjoy— London’s best and beloved districts this season and look to the myriad activities taking place. Dare we say it, the city has become a veritable Winter Wonderland with whole districts and neighbourhoods getting into the spirit of things.

SHOPPING