Two years ago I was delighted to go along to the Rochester Victorian Christmas weekend at the beginning of December…and had been looking forward to going last year too but of course like everything else last year it got cancelled..
So I was delighted to see a few weeks ago that it had returned this year and I wanted to go along to it..as it makes me feel all festive for Christmas, and being in Kent. and local to Rochester it makes sense to experience it. It doesn’t cost anything to go, other than the usual car parking charges, so its a nice experience.
My husband and I went along on the Sunday afternoon as I thought it would be less busy than on the Sunday and it was certainly very busy!!! We walked along the High Street where the lovely little independent shops are, all so pretty in the twilight and as the night fell…Christmas lights in the windows and people sitting in the cosy pubs and bars having drinks and meals. It was bitterly cold, we were all wrapped up well..
There was live music outside some of the pubs, and the local pipes and drums band played to the crowd too.
We knew we’d try food and drink whilst we were there and the first thing we wanted was the delicious hot mulled wine and hot mince pie… do we want brandy in the mulled wine we were asked…yes we certainly do! It was the most delicious mulled wine I’ve ever drunk…perfect to warm us up on a cold winters afternoon….
The other thing I love is that they always promise snow…and have a few well hidden snow machines as you walk along, adding the the wonderful Christmas atmosphere..its all so well organised!
We went back up The High Street and then along up past the Cathedral where the Bavarian village stalls were for some savoury food- my husband fancied a burger in roll, and I had sausages in a roll, we ate it at the side of the stall, watching the people walk by..families and couples, it was an absolute delight to see people again, enjoying the festivities, and the Christmas lights, the music, and watching the procession along the road, all the people in the parade who had dressed up in Victorian clothes, the bagpipers marching along, and even a one man band at the end, everyone was so happy to be there, it was a joy… part of Christmas for me now, in Kent.
