Glide above the crowds at John Lewis’ Skyline Skating.
‘Tis now the season for London’s skating rinks to begin opening up all over town, and on October 20th, we’re getting a brand new one. High above the fervour of the Christmas shoppers on Oxford Street, you’ll find Skyline Skating, the new winter pop-up sitting atop John Lewis’ flagship store.
Designed to evoke the Frost Fairs of old London, it’s a cute little spot, bedecked with Christmas trees and fairy lights. Little is, sadly, the operative word when it comes the rink itself – as you’d imagine, space up on the roof is pretty limited, so it’s more of a place to pose, rather than practice your pirouettes. Additionally, it’s not actually an ice rink, since it’s made out of plastic, which does rob the spot of some of its Christmas magic… Still, it’s very atmospheric, with the views over central London making for a pretty sweet addition.
Aside from the rink, there’s plenty of fun to be had up on the roof. John Lewis have partnered with ginthusiastic Chiswick distillery Sipsmith to bring hot gin cocktails to the rooftop, including hot gin & ginger, mulled sloe gin, and hot G&Ts. Not sure I’d recommend hitting the rink after a few of those, though…
Food comes courtesy of MYPIE, who have conjured up a range of pies for the occasion, including a festive venison and chestnut pie. Meanwhile, when the cold bites, you can retreat to one of the roof’s bookable hideaways, to snuggle up under fluffy blankets with yet more drinks. It’s much cosier than your average Frost Fair, and there’s zero chance of falling into the Thames too – wins all round!
Location: John Lewis, 300 Oxford Street, W1C 1DX. Nearest station is Oxford Circus. See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: Skyline Skating is open from October 20th to January 6th, 2019. Opening hours are 12-9pm (Sun to Wed), 12-11pm (Thu to Sat). Skating times differ slightly – find them here.
Price: skating is £8.
More information: from their website.