Who knew that hopping on a train at silly o’clock on a frosty London morning could lead to one of the warmest days of the year? And by “warm”, I mean emotionally – because the temperature certainly wasn’t doing us any favours. With the mercury hovering between a very unfriendly -1°C and 3°C, we bundled up like walking Christmas parcels and headed to St Pancras for a press trip to Canterbury that promised both festive fun and genuine feel-good magic.
And goodness… it delivered. Literally.
St Pancras International Station, Pancras Road, London. NW1 2QL
Picture: Andy Jones/South Eastern Railway
All aboard the EnterTRAINment Express!
Southeastern pulled out all the stops – and the board games – as they transformed their 09:36 high-speed service into a festive wonder on rails. For Railway 200, they joined forces with some of the UK’s most beloved toy companies – Mood Bears, Hornby, and Asmodee – plus Nick of super cool website Kidzcoolit and the legendary toyologist Peter Jenkinson to whisk 200 donated toys down to Kent for Demelza Children’s Hospice.
In true Christmas-film fashion, our train carriage was buzzing with:
Board games from Asmodee
Hornby mini-trains zipping about
A Dickensian storyteller giving us proper Victorian Christmas vibes
A giant Mood Bear called “Hope” who was impossible not to hug.
It was the sort of surreal, silly, joyful ride that makes adults feel like children again – and children feel like they’re on the best school trip ever.
London to Canterbury in one quick whoosh
If you’ve never taken the high-speed train from King’s Cross/St Pancras down to Canterbury: go. It’s barely an hour – just enough time to gossip with old friends, make new media mates over a round of Dobble, and lose sensation in your fingers from clutching a coffee for warmth.
Blink once and boom – you’re stepping off at Canterbury West, where the festive magic continues.
Picture: Andy Jones/South Eastern Railway
Canterbury Christmas Market: Cold Hands, Warm Hearts
The moment we arrived, the city wrapped us in that postcard-perfect charm only Canterbury seems to manage. Cobblestones, fairy lights, mulled wine scents floating through the air – and of course, the Christmas Market looking spectacularly twinkly.
Yes, we were freezing. Yes, we questioned every life choice that led us to stand outdoors in that temperature.
But also yes… our hearts were glowing.
Picture: Andy Jones/South Eastern Railway
Because every board game, toy train, cuddly bear and surprise gift was heading straight to children supported by Demelza – young people with serious or life-limiting conditions who deserve all the joy in the world.
Demelza’s Deputy CEO, Hayley Richardson, said it beautifully: the generosity behind these 200 donated toys will bring smiles to so many families this festive season. And honestly, being even a tiny part of that felt very special.
Southeastern staff were beaming too, knowing they weren’t just running a train service – they were delivering happiness by the carriage-load.
Between the games on board, the giggles on the platforms, the Christmas market explorations, and the shared mission of doing good… this press trip was an absolute blast.
Canterbury looked gorgeous, we were surrounded by brilliant humans, and the purpose behind the journey couldn’t have been more heart-warming.
Even with temperatures low enough to turn us into icicles, we returned to London feeling positively toasty.
Southeastern is offering advance fares from just £16.20 – and adding more high-speed services from 14 December. Perfect for a festive day trip, a market browse, or simply escaping London at lightning speed.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
