I knew it had been a while since I’d been to the Crossrail Place Roof Garden but I was surprised to learn it was 2016. I thought we’d visited the last time we went to the Winter Lights which was in 2017, but maybe we didn’t. Either way the last time I shared photos of it here, it wasn’t illuminated and it looked quite different - pop over and take a look.

I think I quite like it illuminated though. The lights give it a magical feel, and accentuates the shape and form of the trees and bushes, don’t you think?

red and orange illuminated trees in the Crossrail Place roof garden in Canary Wharf

The whole roof garden was full of greens, reds and pinks and it’s own atmospheric “smoke” - well I hope it was atmospheric, although it was rather cold.

lit up pink - another colour in the crossrail place garden

As we approached the end of the garden and the Big Easy (which we avoided visiting on this visit) we saw the Vena Lumen - or pulsing light - bench. There was quite a queue to try this one out, and so I’m rather pleased with my grabbed shot during the changeover when people who had rather Britishly queued to wait their turn. The dark plate that you can see on the arm is for your hand, and that contact made the lights dance, to much amusement and oohs and ahhs.

Vena Lumen - a winter lights bench illuminated green

I had to smile though as behind the bench were the slightly less patient, with people crouched behind it taking their photos and no doubt a few of these have appeared on social media too. I didn’t even have the patience for that, and was more than happy to return to taking pictures of illuminated trees, while MOH patiently waited.

Perhaps that’s when he hatched his plan for a glass of wine in Waitrose, who knows. But as plans go it was a pretty good one and one that hurried me along. Well, it would wouldn’t it?

For a couple of weeks in January, Canary Wharf was lit up with thirty light installations by some of the most creative artists and designers. Having been meaning to get over to the Wharf since it started on 16 January, we finally made it over there on its last night.

And no, I've no idea what took us so long.

Canary Wharf still confuses me, somehow whenever I'm there I lose all sense of direction and fall into the trap of believing that it all looks the same. This time was no different and if I'm honest wasn't helped by the dark evening. I'm not sure I'll ever get the hang of it but no matter with a step count of 16,000 by the end of the day I'd discovered the plus of walking in circles in London's Docklands.

It was great to see the angel wings and people - of all ages - interacting with them. MOH declined a photo with wings, which is probably wise. We avoided the groups of people and headed over to the Ovo which was on its first visit to the UK, from Belgium.

It was one of those calming and thought provoking sculptures and one I could have watched for ages. there was a small queue to go onto the platform and inside but I decided against that content with watching from the outside. Leaving the Ovo we headed over to Crossrail Place, had another wander through the Roof Garden and back again finding ourselves in front of the luminous colour of Our Spectral Vision, which was one of my favourite installations.

Well, you know me and colour. Stunning isn't it?

I was intrigued to see what the Cathedral of Mirrors was, and it wasn't what I imagined. There were twelve towers which I later discovered responded to people's movements using high-tech sensors. The Canary Wharf website says "pulses of light are sent racing through the columns generating more light energy as people congregate" and it was true, it was like watching an adult playground, each mesmerised by the result of their movements.

And against the lights of the office blocks, it really did look larger than it was. Before heading off to find a restaurant with a less than forty-five minute wait, we had a couple more circuits around Canary Wharf, when I *think* I might have just cracked the layout. Don't get too excited by that though, by the time I go back again it'll all be history!

In the short film below you'll see Water Wall where a mist screen transforms water into a canvas for projections and what looks like smoke rings. There's Huge Reeds which were swaying rhythmically at Cabot Square. You'll notice which is my favourite installation, I was mesmerised by Bloom, which when you know it's a thousand globes of light on a stalk and swaying in the breeze reminiscent of a field of flowers you'll not be surprised. But in the distance we could see what we were off to next - Horizontal Interference - and I don't think it's just me, but it reminded me of one of those windbreaks that was an essential in the 1970s. Ours wasn't as vibrant or fancy as this though, and mostly it was left in the car, I'm sure. Or just moved about the shed.

Did you get along to see the Winter Lights at Canary Wharf? I'd be interested to know what you thought, and which was your favourite - leave me a comment to let me know.