Trafalgar Square is a simple walk down Victoria Street (or you may choose to hop on one of the many buses) and the famous annual Christmas tree, an annual gift to Westminster from Oslo as a token of thanks for British support during the years of occupation in World War Two, is centre piece of the Christmas celebrations there. This year the tree stands at 33 metres high and is 90 years old. The tree is decorated in a traditional Norwegian style with 500 white lights using voltage halogen bulbs which only draw 15amps (3.5KW) of power. They will be lit from noon until midnight each day until Thursday 6 January.

The 2010 Christmas tree lighting ceremony will take place on 2 December.

The Christmas tree in the square provides a central focus for the traditional carol-singing programme. This year it will take place in the evenings, generally from 5pm to 9pm, from Tuesday 7 to Wednesday 22 December 2010. Different groups perform Christmas carols in the square, raising funds for voluntary or charitable organisations. All are welcome to come to the square to listen – and perhaps join in.

View the carol-singing programme to see which groups are singing when.

Ice Skating

There are 4 local rinks local to Pimlico that you can skate on this Christmas:

The London Eye Ice Rink – Ice skating will be available daily from the 20th November 2010 until the 5th January 2011 between 10am and 9pm on the London Eye’s landscape.

The Natural History Museum,  a 1,000 square metre ice rink in the spectacular setting of the Natural History Museum’s grounds

Somerset House Ice rink in the Somerset House courtyard, one of the most beautiful ice rinks in the country, both in the day and in the evening.

Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, brings Ice Skating, the Giant Wheel & Zippo’s Christmas Circus

Pimlico Shopping

In addition to Pimlico’s regular markets there are the following special Christmas Events:

Belgravia Christmas Sunday

Sparkling their way through two of Belgravia’s most beautiful streets, reindeer and Father Christmas himself will make Christmas come to life on the 5th December. Elizabeth Street and Pimlico Road will be thriving with festive handmade craft stalls, fairies, balloon modellers, choirs, brass bands and delicious food and drink to get you in the Christmas mood. The Christmas Tree Festival is being organised by Sparks, a UK charity that funds research for conditions that affect pregnancy, babies and young children, will be held over 4 and 5 December to coincide with Belgravia Christmas Sunday. More than 30 trees will be decorated by sponsors and displayed at St. Peter’s Eaton Square. Rickshaws will be made available courtesy of Grosvenor, to ferry visitors between St Peter’s and the rest of the Belgravia Christmas Sunday events.

Victoria’s Christmas in Harmony

Lemar (The Brit and MOBO winning R&B singer songwriter) will be switching on Victoria’s festive lights at the Christmas in Harmony concert in Westminster Cathedral’s Piazza. He will be performing one of his recent hits, followed by the London Community Gospel Choir and the Urban Soul Orchestra. Free on 25 November from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Westminster Cathedral Piazza, Victoria Street

German Christmas Market

Between the Southbank Centre/Royal Festival Hall and London Eye along the River Thames, featuring unusual Christmas presents such as amber & silver jewellery, hand crafted toys, fragile glass ornaments for your Christmas tree, hand tatted laces, tin toys, candles in all shapes and sizes, hand-made ceramics or creative metal design.

The Christmas Market will take place from the 19th November 2010 until the 23rd December 2010.

Opening times:
Sunday to Thursday	11.00am – 8.00pm
Fridays / Saturdays	10.00am – 10.00pm

It will be a German style Christmas Market with 60 wooden chalets situated between Southbank Centre and London Eye.

The carousel in the centre of the Christmas Market offers younger visitors an enjoyable attraction especially for them. Parents can relax with a glass of “Glühwein” (German Mulled Wine) while listening to traditional Christmas music and watching their little ones enjoying a ride on the merry-go-round.

Chelsea Physic Garden Christmas Fair

This weekend the two-day Christmas Fair (Saturday 27 November, 11am-4pm, and Sunday 28 November, 10am-4pm) at Chelsea Physic Garden presents a rare opportunity to visit London’s oldest botanic garden in winter, when it is normally closed. Admission is £5 and volunteer guides will be on hand on both days to conduct guided tours. Anyone buying a Saturday ticket will be able to return on the Sunday for free.

The Fair will be held in a large heated marquee in the grounds of the Garden. The shop will also be open on both days – selling a variety of gardening books, and gifts for adults and children.

Mouth watering hot breakfasts, lunches (including game stew), mince pies and mulled wine will be provided by the Garden’s renowned Tangerine Dream Café, which will also take orders for food to be delivered in time for Christmas.

Family craft workshops (making cards and decorations from natural and recycled materials) will be taking place at the fair – in the education room.

A Christmas Show

If you haven’t seen it, Christmas presents a last opportunity to see an adaptation of E Nesbit’s classic story “The Railway Children” (it closes on January 2nd 2011).

London’s breathtaking theatrical event is staged at the former Eurostar Terminal (10 mins from Pimlico Flats by C10 Bus) where a 1,000 seat venue has been built around the railway tracks with audience seated either side. Featuring Stirling Single, a gorgeous 66-tonne steam locomotive and the Old Gentlemans’s Saloon (from the original Railway Children film) join Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis as they tell their story – of joy, sadness, laughter and love…