I can’t believe it but I’m actually feeling quite Christmassy! It’s a little early I know but hey, it’s the most exciting time of the year right? I love the festive season and in our house it’s a very busy time so we need to start early. On top of Christmas it’s also my Father in law’s birthday and my and Jonny’s ‘first becoming a couple’ anniversary on Christmas Eve, Florence’s birthday on New Year’s Eve and then Jonny’s birthday is on the 2nd of January so we’ve lots to organise as you can imagine! But hey, I’m just finding excuses, we love to get in the spirit of things early and when we went along to a preview skate at Somerset House this past weekend it was all the invitation we needed to start humming carols and thinking about getting the tree up!

Somerset House holds events all through the year for the whole family and in November opens up its famous ice rink which stays in the beautiful surrounds until 6th January next year. Last year we went along to the preview skate and Florence has been talking about skating with penguins ever since so we were thrilled to go back again for more last weekend and see how much better we’d got since then! I was pregnant this time last year and couldn’t really go for it so I was determined to make the most of it and go as fast as I could this time round!

What I love about skating at Somerset House is that they have such lovely surroundings which are steeped in history, once on that rink and you could be in another era. It looks (and you feel as you skate) like you’re in a perfect scene from a Victorian Christmas card and with the hot chocolate served at Tom’s Skate Lounge you can sit and soak up that scene before and after your skate as well. When we first arrived and saw the beautiful Christmas tree, got a warm drink in our hands and watched other people skating it all felt a little bit magical really and all a little bit (despite the date) Christmas day like! Florence was really excited and truth be told so was I.

The tree, enjoying something warming and something yummy in Tom’s Skate Lounge and Florence excitedly preparing to skate!

For children under 8 there is a smaller rink joined on to the main one and here there are special stabiliser penguins which the children can hold on to as they skate for extra balance. Florence did a bit of skating on the penguins and we also took a couple of turns without one on the main rink with her holding my hands. She enjoyed both but especially enjoyed the penguins as she could do it on her own.  Seeing her hold on to the penguin without any assistance from us made me realise just how much she’s grown in a year! She was nearly two last time and although she loved it I did need to hold on to the penguin with her, not so this time round! She still doesn’t have big enough feet for the smallest size 7 skates they offer so again this year she was bulked out with extra socks and a tight tie with the laces. Didn’t seem to matter last or this year if I’m honest, she was very impressive with how well she balanced considering all factors of being on skates and with shoes too big for her!

This is Florence skating last year on the left and a year on she’s much more grown up on the right!

Because we are a family of four with a little baby who is obviously not old enough to skate, we had to take it in turns and because we both wanted to skate with Florence and have a little go on our own too they very kindly let Florence have her session in two halves. I went first and Florence came on for half of it then she did the same with Jonny which was great as we all got a proper go and Florence got to have a break in between which she needed actually as it’s really quite hard work, especially if you have little legs. Towards the end of her go with me she got a bit lazy and stood on the front of the penguin while I skated round pushing her – she thought that was great fun!

Florence’s very own lazy skating technique!

Then it was my turn and without meaning to blow my own trumpet I actually think I did pretty well. I didn’t fall over (despite a few near misses) and by the end of my session was skating pretty fast! I loved it and it reminded me of my youth when my Father lived in Holland and we would skate on the ponds. The ice must have been super thick where he lived as even burger bars opened up on the ice and practically everyone had their own skates, I certainly wouldn’t recommend doing it over here! Perfect then that we have Somerset House in Central London!

I loved my skate!

I’d say Jonny wasn’t quite as daring as me but he still really improved as the session went on and by the time he took Florence for the last half of his session he was feeling much more confident. I think they both loved skating together and it was lovely to watch with Jimmy who had woken up and was enjoying soaking up the atmosphere with a croissant!

Jimmy and I had a great time watching Daddy and Florence skate!

Actually as a spectator it’s really nice as well, there are places to stand at both ends and in Toms Skate Lounge the wall is glass floor to ceiling so you can enjoy watching people go by whilst in the warmth of the lounge too. We liked it outside because it meant the skaters could stop for a little chat from time to time and because the wall round the rink is also glass, Florence could see without having to be picked up, there is even a little step little ones can sit on and see the action from.

Florence had the perfect vantage point!

It’s nice that skaters can stop for a chat, here’s me and Jonny doing just that during our sessions.

We all had such a fabulous time skating at Somerset House, it really is the perfect place to do it helped along by its idyllic setting. I’m just not sure we can wait another year for another go so perhaps we’ll have to go back… Well, we have got a while to go before Christmas actually comes so all the more time to enjoy festive activities like this one!

The Ice rink will be holding club nights featuring well-known DJs, offering skate school for children and adults and holding a special skating session for wheel chair users. You can also just pop along with the whole family, like we did, and enjoy a skating session in the build up to your Christmas! It is recommended that sessions be pre booked although they do hold a small number of tickets to be purchased on the day at the box office in person. Ticket prices start at £7.50.