TWINKLING fairy lights, mulled wine, carols and armfuls of greenery – at this time of year they begin to work their magic on all but the most Scrooge-like.

But if you still haven’t felt the first tingle of festive anticipation, it might be time to head to a place where the history, traditions and sheer variety of Christmas happenings will put you right in the mood.

Christmastime in London can offer the peace of a candlelit carol service, the bustle of the busiest shopping streets, a frosty walk by the river or the razzle-dazzle of a star-studded show.

And possibly the most central place to take in all this is the Charing Cross Hotel, a haven of style and charm (with hundreds of candles lit throughout the place every evening). The ornate Eleanor Cross outside the front entrance is where all distances from London are measured.

Trafalgar Square is yards away, as is Covent Garden where designer Paul Cocksedge’s giant interactive ‘Merry Kissmas’ Christmas tree can be lit up with 50,000 red and white LED lights by two people simply kissing while standing on the connectivity panel and holding the mistletoe.

Ice skating is de rigueur this Christmas with rinks springing up all over the place, but the original at Somerset House, off the Strand, remains the daddy of them all. The likes of Pippa Middleton and Paloma Faith have been donning the blades at the outdoor rink – and was that really Jayne Torvill we saw teaching a young child some moves? The well-organised operation is a chance for everybody to enjoy a taste of winter sports in this little haven from the surrounding hustle and bustle – and there’s mulled wine and hot chocolate for après-skate.

While at Somerset House why not take half an hour to see the Rene Gruau exhibition? He created the iconic images used by Dior for perfumes and haute couture and his original artwork is here.

Across the river on the South Bank, there’s a German Christmas market housed in wooden stalls selling crafts, gifts and seasonal food and drinks. Santa’s in residence for younger visitors and Christmas music helps create the festive atmosphere.

If you fancy a treat, or want an extravagant present idea, the London Eye is offering festive flights with a glass of Champagne or mulled wine and mince pies as well as the usual trips.

The special flights are not cheap, but getting up so high to get a brilliant overview of the city’s twinkling lights doesn’t have to break the bank. Half an hour in the air starts from £17.95.

And talking of views, the nearby Skylon restaurant at the Royal Festival Hall, offers a spectacular panorama of London’s skyline through its floor-to-ceiling windows. The food’s great too, with the top-end destination Restaurant and informal Grill providing superb dishes and service. A two-course meal at Skylon costs £25 (under-16s £16.25) if you book a flight on the Eye.

Then, of course, there’s the shopping. We followed a bit of retail therapy in Selfridges with a visit to Dorset chef Mark Hix’s chic in-store Restaurant and Champagne Bar. The linguine with crab (from Dorset, naturally) and chilli was just the perfect upmarket bowl of pasta.

A bit of spoiling never goes amiss, but experiencing the best of festive London doesn’t have to be expensive. Sights don’t get more Christmassy than the huge tree in Leadenhall Market, a beautifully ornate covered Victorian market in the City.

An insight into Christmases further past is on offer for free at Shoreditch’s Geffrye Museum, which every year dresses up its English middle-class living room sets for the season to show how Christmas has been celebrated from 1600 to the present day. It’s a lovely, welcoming museum, an homage to the home and the season through the ages.

getting there

• For the latest on what’s new this Christmas see visitlondon.com

• Cliff Moore stayed as a guest of Visit London at the Charing Cross Hotel, part of the Guoman collection, guoman.com

• Skating - somersethouse.org.uk

• Christmas afternoon tea at the Royal Horseguards – theroyalhorseguards.com

• coventgardenlondonuk.com

• The Cologne Christmas market – southbankcentre.co.uk

• Skylon – skylon-restaurant.co.uk

• London Eye – londoneye.com

• Hix Restaurant & Cocktail Bar – hixatselfridges.co.uk

• Geffrye Museum – geffrye-museum.org.uk