The air is crisp, the streets are twinkling, and the unmistakable scent of mulled wine and pine is drifting through Nottingham. It can only mean one thing: Winter Wonderland Nottingham is back!
For us, the Winter Wonderland event holds a special place, as it marks one of our longest-running and most exciting partnerships. It all began back in 2016 when we started working with the brilliant Mellors Group to create our very first Nottingham ice bar. Since then, we’ve challenged ourselves year after year to elevate the experience, making it colder, brighter, and more enchanting than the last.
Topping a Classic: The Narnia Challenge
Last year’s theme, an homage to the magical world of Narnia, was absolutely adored. Stepping through the frozen wardrobe and into the land of eternal winter felt truly special. We loved the majestic lion, the dominating ice queen, and the sheer sense of magic it evoked. As we started planning this year, the question weighed heavily on our minds: what could top Narnia?
The journey to the perfect theme began when Jocasta reached out to Day, the wonderful coordinator for the Nottingham Winter Wonderland, to brainstorm. Day mentioned that they were deliberating between a couple of fantastic concepts, and one immediately made our entire office buzz with excitement: The Polar Express!
After a quick but passionate discussion, we all wholeheartedly agreed. While some classic Christmas themes might only appeal to those who know the source material well, The Polar Express has transcended its origins. Even if you haven’t seen the film, the imagery—the magnificent train, the sense of a magical journey, the spirit of family and belief—has become a universally recognized visual shorthand for the true magic of Christmas. It was the perfect blend of nostalgia and universally understood festive wonder.
Making Magic Interactive: Designing the Experience
Our design process kicked off with a series of meetings with Day, focused on how to make the theme not just visible, but truly magical, interactive, and selfie-worthy. We also had a clear goal this year: to make the bar even more family-friendly, encouraging guests of all ages to step inside and share the experience.
The most iconic object in The Polar Express is, without a doubt, the train itself. We instantly knew this magnificent locomotive needed to be the absolute focal point of the entire bar. We brainstormed ways to make it interactive and fun for posing. We settled on a brilliant set-up that allowed guests to step into two different scenarios: one where they could pretend to drive the train, and another section where they could be passengers in a carriage, waving out the window as the world flies by.
There were exciting ideas that didn’t make the final cut—we even discussed a working light at the front of the train and a sound button to mimic the classic “all aboard!” whistle. While those features didn’t come to fruition this time, the spirit of interaction remained central to our plan. Our ultimate goal was simple: we wanted families and friends to walk in, feel a jolt of magic, have so much fun, and be so engrossed in the scene that they wouldn’t even notice they were cold—that wonderful, exhilarating feeling you get when you’re out sledging on a crisp winter day.
The Key Moments, Carved in Ice
To bring this theme to life, we also chose other key, recognisable parts and moments:
- The Conductor : A life size sculpture of the authoritative conductor reading his watch to make sure they are on time.
- The Conductors Watch: On a large scale with interactive movement of the clock hand.
- The Train Carriage: Seats and table entirely carved from ice for guests to sit in, complete with a fantastic wall decal of the window and curtains provided by The Mellors Group to add to the feel.
- The Hot Chocolate Machine: Because no journey on The Polar Express is complete without a rich, frothy cup of cocoa!
- Santa’s Town and The Elf House: A bar area encompassing the feel of the townscape and separately fun elf house that children (and adults!) could actually creep inside for a perfect photo opportunity.
- The Final Bell: The journey concludes with the man himself, Santa, presenting the magical Christmas bell, enclosed safely within an ice box.
The Install: Five Days of Frozen Dedication
Finally, the install date arrived. Leading the charge was our project manager, Dave, and his team of burly, talented carvers: Jamie, Peter, Jonathan, Dan, and the two James’s. It was a rigorous, full-on five-day installation process, converting a simple space into a glittering, frozen railway journey.
The train, our largest and most ambitious piece, was constructed from 50 blocks of ice and hand-carved by both James’s and Jamie. Peter worked his magic to hand-carve the detailed figures of Santa and the Train Conductor. Dan focused on the train carriage while Jonathan created the deliciously Hot Chocolate Machine. Dave handled the stag wall and the conductor’s pocket watch, and Jamie added to sculpting efforts by not only helping carve the train but also the interactive house. Not to be forgotten, Toby worked meticulously to clean up and carve the main bar area to bring the North Pole town scene to life.
As an extra touch for the children—and for the young at heart—we also carved hidden letters into and around various sculptures in the bar, creating a fun scavenger hunt for the word: ‘Believe’.
Despite the intense cold and the demanding, intricate work, the team kept spirits incredibly high. They sang along to the Christmas music piping through the bar and gathered back at their Air BnB each night, where Dave on several nights cooked them some much-appreciated, delicious vegan meals. They even managed a brilliant trip out to eat at the iconic Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, Englands oldest serving inn, and refuelled with some lovely lunches of Pho and also from a favourite local cafe they discovered last year Falafel.
The dedication, the teamwork, and the sheer creative effort have resulted in an Ice Bar that we are truly proud of and feel like hits the mark. So, this Christmas, we invite you to ‘Believe’ – step inside our frozen world, grab a drink, and experience the journey on The Polar Express!
