For an alternative day out this Christmas why not experience a full blown renactment of the Battle of North Cape on board HMS Belfast.
This Christmas, London's museums and galleries have enough on offer to get even the staunchest bah-humbuggers off the sofa.
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a smoothie then head over to the annual ice rink at Somerset House, open until January 27 (excluding Christmas day), while the Natural History Museum has a 1000-square-metre ice rink in the museum gardens, open until January 21 2006 (apart from Christmas day).
The Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink will run until January 14 and even the Tower of London has got it on the act by transforming its moat into a rink (again until January 14).
Those wishing to have a royal skate around can do so at Royal Windsor Castle until January 7 and The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew until Sunday January 7.
If your idea of a good time is more sitting down and enjoying the view then Kew is also offering heritage rides in traditional festive horse and carriages across the gardens until January 1.
Other places to sit down and take in the landscape are the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, which is offering picturesque winter views of the Queens House, the Royal Observatory and the Thames until January 14.
If you wish to be entertained instead the Imperial War Museum is the place to go as it is the setting for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Tales from Narnia on December 16-22 and December 27-30 with performances taking place at 12noon, 1.00pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm.
Those wanting a more interactive experience can see a blow-by-blow re-enactment of the Battle of North cape on board HMS Belfast on December 28 and 29 (Normal admission prices apply) while the Tower of London experience promises to be even more involved between December 27 and 31. Here you step back in time to 1284 and the Christmas festivities of King Edward I are rip-roariously re-enacted by all singing and dancing costumed performers.
There will be similar shenanigans at Hampton Court Palace between December 27 and 31 where the palace’s food historians will prepare a feast for King Henry VIII and his hungry courtiers. Both events are especially suitable for families and children.
Sting’s latest album of lute songs has helped to revive the music of this era and the Handel House Museum on December 28 has a performance of lute music by Stuart Willis. Tickets £9/£7.50 concessions – booking on 020 7399 1953.
A walk along the river will be more interesting than usual this year, as artist David Batchelor has decorated the South Bank Centre with a range of very unusual Christmas lights. These include the lighting up of a cement mixer and bins within a building site area and festooning out a stretch of waterfront with 500 lamps made from recycled bottles.
Should this suitably inspire you and your children to get arty you may want to visit The National Gallery as it has a series of holiday events from December 27 to Saturday 30 including artist led workshops for children up to 11.
A great place to wave goodbye to the Christmas period is The Geffrye Museum, which in addition to its exhibition of period rooms bedecked in authentic seasonal decorations will host the Twelfth Night celebrations. These signify the end of the yuletide period and include the burning of the holly and the ivy, stories about epiphany, carol singing and a taste of mulled wine to wash away those January blues.
Enjoy Christmas and go and explore the variety of activities London has to offer over the holidays.
