We Are Only Making One Post Today,

as there are so many pictures, 

 it has taken ages to resize, level and describe them, so here we go, as an aside other than resizing and leveling them, they are all straight out of the camera, no colour changes or enhancing,

first stop the park post box,

then a walk to the station,

and a pose on the way,

a couple of trains later and we were here,

at the showroom of,

Barker and Stonehouse,

where over a cup of hot chocolate and coffee for myself we chose our bedroom furniture,

next stop the Natural History Museum, but we were not going inside,

this is what we had come for,

a small funfair,

and best of all an outdoor ice rink,

Steve had kindly bought the girls a ticket to skate,

each session lasts 50 minuets, at the end of each session the Zamboni ice machine restores the surface ready for the next session,

looking down, the march of the penguins,

and looking across from the balcony a few stalls selling sweets, as you can imagine this was a popular event for the kids,

and out with the penguins,

it took some time to work out what they were for,

I had left Steve on the balcony 

and made my way downstairs,

as the first of this session entered the rink,

and here was Kai, who having skated before was full of confidence,

and here was Diana, whose new best friend was the fence around the rink,

and this is what the penguins are for, on the right a youngster who is a bit unsteady uses the penguin to help keep balance,

any minuet now,

Diana decided against leaving the rail,

meanwhile Kai

was belting around the rink,

both Steve and myself said to the girls do not take a telephone on the ice in case you drop it, or fall over on it,

so that worked then!

Kai gave Diana a helping hand,

amid huge rounds of laughter,

but Diana if nothing else,

was determined not to let go,

any way Kai,

kindly showed Diana,

how it was done,

so off we go,

well not quiet,

try as she might,

Kai could not get Diana off of the handrail,

even with a helping hand,

Diana clung to her new best friend,

of course there were many people like Diana,

who would not make the move to open ice,

but wait,

any second now,

NOOOO!!!!!

Kai went for a skate,

so I took a few photographs,

is Kai going to try skating backwards?

no forward it is then,

and off she goes,

Diana all giggles,

then a tricky bit,

the corner,

but all went well,

which was a relief,

I had a quick look at the roundabout, which was in such a great condition,

looking back at the skaters,

and then at the prancing horses,

as they went round,

all beautifully painted,

next,

a sweet stall,

by now Diana had made her way along the end guardrail,

when Kai skated by,

and so with a helping hand Diana was off,

and down!

I do not know how I took these photographs, both Steve and myself were helpless with laughter,

even more so when Kai having helped Diana to her feet then fell over herself!

then the official photographer seeing the girls in trouble came over to help,

in no time at all,

Diana was back on the guardrail,

and making her way,

back to the exit,

for everybody that was here,

it was great fun,

and as I took a few more of the crowd,

there was Kai,

who is getting very good at skating,

falling over, over,

we went to Diana's favorite, the new one and only Jollibee in the UK at Earls Court, there was a queue to get in, and longer than this,

,

the restaurant next door but one had obviously complained that the queue of people was blocking the front of his restaurant, so a Jollibee worker made sure that the restaurant front was kept clear, so we joined the queue here at the back of it,

and here we were,

Steve and Kai had been to the Philippines with us so knew what to expect, I have to say I am not a fan of any fast food, so I settled for a coffee,

meal over and we were off to our next stop, Kew Gardens for the light show, we were early but there was already a huge queue, Steve had bought advance tickets so we will have no problems getting in,

we had a couple of hours to kill before the gardens opened, so off to one of the local pubs,

aptly named the Botanist,

Steve went for white wine, so for a change so did I,

to go with my meal,

fish and triple fried chips,

we walked back to the entrance gate,

and we were in,

past the food stalls,

a quick pose,

and the light show began, these on the side of a building,

and this one of the glass houses,

lit in an ever changing,

kaleidoscope of colours,

in I am guessing a computer controlled light show,

we started our walk around the displays,

lighting companies,

each put up their own deigns,

some using buildings in the distance to enhance their displays,

trees,

and walk ways,

were illuminated with different lights,

with some of the higher branches highlighted,

this was a moving display,

with a carpet of lights changing colours, 

and patterns,

there was even a photo frame,

so you could get into the picture,

back to the light show,

not only did the lights on the ground change colour,

but the trees,

either side of the show,

changed colour as well,

all of the time glowing bright and back again,

it was so nice to watch,

and here is Diana watching it too,

even better it was all set to music, so here is a short video of it, 

we continued our walk,

looking at the trees,

illuminated,

and standing out,

against the night sky,

I particularly liked this one,

and the silver light it spilt onto the pathway,

and these technicolor conifers,

also aircraft coming in to land at Hearthrow,

got in on the act,

I like the white illuminated tree, so I doubled back,

and took a close up of it, 

as well as the message in the pathway,

it was at this point I lost Steve, Kai and Diana,

so I continued by myself,

snapping away as I went,

it was all so nice,

especially when some areas high above,

were highlighted,

the imagination to think all of this out,

must have taken so long,

by now I had reached one of the lakes,

where floating lights were in place,

and pretty they looked too,

looking closely,

as they changed colour,

they reminded me

of the little paper boats,

my father used to make for me,

and if he used a page from a newspaper,

would upscale the size and make a paper hat, 

looking the same as the boat,

as I walked across the bridge,

another floating light show came into view,

with trees casting their reflection on the water,

again the colours never stopped changing,

a big tree in the distance,

it's middle illuminated,

another light show, but a bit difficult to photograph,

but this one was easy,

next an active display,

that you could walk through,

but I decided to try and catch everyone up so walked around it,

then a cathedral of light,

and that was just what it looked like,

a cathedral,

pointing to the night sky,

as I passed this tree I smelt something,

it was lighted burning oil lamps,

laid out on the ground, with the trees above illuminated,

there was a troupe of players for the children to watch,

but I did not stop,

I carried on walking to this fairyland,

well at least,

that's what it looked like to me,

and one of the biggest Christmas trees I have seen decked out in Christmas lights,

this tree caught my eye,

as it rapidly,

changed colours,

as I watched it,

it really was so nice,

as each coulour,

gave way to the next,

an avenue of what looked like bursting fireworks in the sky,

beckoned me next,

when I then arrived at the lake,

the palm house in the distance,

putting on a show,

of ever changing colours,

one moving along the building,

transforming it,

as it went,

absolutely stunning,

I still can not get over,

the thought,

and planning that went in to all of this,

looking across to the entrance,

the tall building there putting on a show,

I was still mesmerized,

by the palm house,

I continued walking around the pool,

taking photographs as I went,

I just love this ghostly blue,

at this part of the colour cycle,

and then action in the pool center,

jets of water suddenly appeared,

as a water display,

swung into action, the water,

looking like the veins of a leaf,

the water soon calmed,

after the display,

I was now at the house opposite the palm house,

when another water display started,

the statue in the lake looking almost like it was fighting off the light

the palm house started it's light show again,

one more photograph of it,

and I was back at the garden shop where I meet up with Steve,Kai and Diana, and what had they been up to?

 I had some how missed the marshmallow, 

 roasting station,

I missed my one,

what a wonderful day,

we made our way back to Beckenham, where we said our farewells to Steve and Kai, then for us home a nightcap and we were off to bed.