Playtime: A Christmas Glow-up

Sara Whatley and her family love the magic of Christmas lights – from the big organised light trails to the twinkles much closer to home 

Light trails in the depth of winter have become something of a traditionin recent years, and I for one am thrilled to embrace this trend. There is nothing more lovely than dressing up in all your winter woollies and venturing out into the cold and dark to explore the magical world of illuminations. 

Over the years we have visited Glow Wild at Wakehurst with its intricate willow sculptures and ever shifting light projection on the Grade 1 listed mansion. We’ve also been to Leonardslee Lights in Horsham where an enormous illuminated full moon hung low over the lakes and ethereal music seemed to come from the very trees themselves. 

Most recently we visited Christmas at Bedgebury and found ourselves entranced by the illuminations as we travelled through the forest. A techno light display made my husband and I laugh as we relived our youth; the synchronised fountains set to dramatic beats of music had us all mesmerised from beginning to end; and the ropes of rainbow mycelium lights carpeting the ground and twisting around trees was simply spectacular. 

In the car on the way home I asked the children what their favourite bit was; Mia enthusiastically explained all her favourite displays while Jarvis stayed quiet, exhausted from the exciting adventure. Then later, just as he was dropping off to sleep, he whispered in little voice, ‘Mummy, I’ve remembered what my favourite bit was – seeing Father Christmas!’ and with that he promptly fell into a deep sleep. 

Another great option for appreciating Christmas lights is simply to take an evening walk through your local neighbourhood – there are often some spectacular home displays of Christmas lights. Or you could takea drive out after dark and venture further afield if you know certain areas have especially good light displays. 

Neighbours often tend to follow suit when it comes to outdoor Christmas decorations – so you might be lucky and find a whole row of illuminations to marvel at. 

Back home you can finish off the evening with some hot chocolate topped with marshmallows while you play some Christmas tunes to get into the Christmas spirit. And don’t forget – your favourite lights of the season might be even closer to home – in fact in your own living room!

The gentle and cosy glow of Christmas tree lights hold a certain magic of their own and sometimes the most comforting thing to do is to simply sit and bathe in the radiant glow of the tree and let the spirit of Christmas wash over you. I like to do this with all the other lights off and then snuggle up in front of a festive film. Make sure you take time this Christmas to immerse yourself in illuminations and enjoy the glow up of the festive season.