Christmas in Wimbledon

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Posted 2016-11-28 by Bastion Harrison ⇒ follow

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Wimbledon has officially entered the spirit of the season after a fantastic Winter Wonderland on The Broadway, which closed off all the roads. There were rides, games, crafts, and lots of tasty street food. The day in Wonderland may have ended, but Wimbledon will be feeling very Christmassy right up until the big day.

[SECTION]Centre Court[/SECTION]

Santa Claus has come to town and proving how magical he is, can he found at two places at once. As I walked into Scope's Charity shop, there he was by the door, greeting children and handing out cookies. Then further up, on the first floor of Centre Court, he was hiding away in a fantasy castle, waiting to plop kids on his knee and ask them what they want for Christmas. Well now we know how he manages to get around the world in one night - he can multiply himself.

Centre Court was full of other fun activities to enjoy as well. On the first floor a group of teenagers were playing 'footpool' (a cross between football and pool), with a Womble acting as referee.

Younger children were enchanted by an enchanting tree with a face that blinks and talks. On the ground floor, there was a stage showing various events throughout the day. When I was there a dance competition for small children was taking place. Those kids can really boogie.

All the shops a overflowing with Christmas decorations and Christmas gifts. You too can look like Santa and his elves with the help of Patricia's costume shop, which also has balloons of all shapes and sizes, including reindeer and candy canes.

I was brought to a halt in front of home decor shop Chickadee, where in the window is a giant bear called Arthur. Take a selfie with him to post on Instagram and you could win £50 voucher.

[SECTION]Elys[/SECTION]

Oh, there he is again. Pop into Elys department store and guess who's waiting. Yep, Santa is in his grotto. Three in one town, wow, we're really spoilt for choice. Before you even get inside, however, you can you can enjoy entertainment on the front door: popcorn, juggling, carol singers, balloons and steel drums.

[SECTION]Christmas Market[/SECTION]

Wimbledon's weekend market merges with their Christmas market, every Saturday and Sunday until the 20th December, stalls will fill the piazza full of gifts, crafts, and street food.

The best bargain is the book store, which is selling children's books at a 'buy one get two free' deal. I was able to get my two year old second cousin some last minute gifts, including a sticker book and a nativity book that makes sounds.

The winner of the most colourful stall? Without a doubt the flower stall, which was in full bloom. Just what you need to liven up the dreary winter weather.

The most prolific stalls? Definitely the food. Each stall featured cuisine from a different country, including Germany, Italy, Brazil, and Greece. I bought some hot polenta and mushrooms to takeaway, from First Fast Food . The stall is run by Paola, an Italian lady whose passion for food came from her mother. The dish that bought was one of her mother's recipes.

Another Italian stall sold a variety of artisan cheeses, tomato sauce, and pastries. They have a lovely salty cheese made with truffles and a mild soft cow's cheese. Both have a unique flavour that I haven't experience with other cheeses.

My biggest haul came from a Portuguese-Brazilian stall called Luso Brazil . I was so spoilt for choice with all the unique sweet and savoury snacks available that I ended up getting almost everything.

All this was accompanied by a stage of carol singers, making a truly festive atmosphere.

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