On the weekend of the 10th to the 12th of January Canary Wharf hosted the London Ice Sculpting Festival. There were 3 key competitions where ice sculptors from different countries showcased their talents out in the open.
It took us ages to find exactly where the Festival was but once we saw one sign we were greeted with people handing out flyers and forms for you to vote for your favourite sculpture. Outside the festival grounds there was an ice wall where you could leave your name.
Once inside the "grounds" of this free event you could see different areas where each team was working. Crowds circled around each area to stare at the people working away at the ice. I spent most of the time in awe of what they were doing, "how do they make sure the ice doesn't crack?" was a question I frequently asked myself. Sadly, the weather wasn't quite as cold as it should be this time of year, so the sculptures were melting a little, especially the elbows of the girl in Belgium's ice sculpture.
After getting a good look at each piece of work and looking at the techniques they used to form their sculptures perfectly we walked through a little pop-up food market they had set up for the event. Not only were the ice sculptors from all over the world but so was the food being served. I was hoping to get my hands on a waffle after seeing the Belgian team's ice sculpture but there weren't any to be found. I did however see a lot of people warming their hands with mulled wine though!
Overall, it was a fun, different day out. I got to see a skill I wasn't used to seeing in practice and spend the day out and about enjoying one of the few times it wasn't raining on a Sunday afternoon. The fact that the event was free was just the icing on the cake.
Here's their website: http://www.londonicesculptingfestival.co.uk/index.html
