PAUL SAVIDENT: Press Release for Kew Gardens Ice Rink

The association of PWR Events Ltd with the Kew Gardens returns this year bringing festive glidings to the magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens with the new real-ice rink situated directly in front of the majestic Temperate House in the grounds of Kew Gardens for a six week season from November.

Kew is the perfect place to visit at any time of the year but at Christmas even more so. Kew Gardens are always festive during the Christmas and New Year, and this year will be no exception as its Christmas Festival sees Kew’s landscape transformed with Christmas lights and decorations, bell ringing at weekends and Kew’s huge Christmas Tree - a 30 metre high heritage Cedar. Kew Gardens is also an ideal place to entertain the children during the holidays. Father Christmas will return to his Kew Winter Wonderland at White Peaks and there will be an opportunity to meet Santa’s reindeer.

The real-ice rink will measure approximately 1000 square metres with a capacity of 250 per hourly session. Café Ice alongside the ice rink (no additional entrance charge) will be serving warming drinks and festive snacks for those wanting to take it easy and relax after their skate or whilst watching others take to the ice.

Booking for the ice-skating sessions (hourly sessions accommodating 250 people) is open by phone and internet from Ticketmaster and at www.kewgardensicerink.com, www.londonicerinks.com or in person at Kew Gardens Victoria Gate Entrance (from 25 November for both advance tickets and on the day tickets). It is expected that sessions at weekends and immediately around Christmas and New Year will sell out extremely quickly so advance booking is strongly recommended.

Press Passes for the Ice Rink are available for the evening of Friday 24^th November 2006. For more information on Kew Gardens Ice Rink, Press Passes, imagery and information on PWR Events contact PAUL SAVIDENT on 020 8567 2089, or by e-mail to paul@savident.com. Imagery can be downloaded from www.savident.com – click on the Pres Images link on the left hand side of the page.

For further information on the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and its Christmas festivities please contact Lauren Bird, Oliver Basciano or Anna Quenby in the Kew Gardens press office on 020 8332 5607 or email pr@kew.org.

Note: PWR Events Limited also operate ice rinks at the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Greenwich at the Old Royal Naval College and Royal Windsor at Alexandra Gardens – further information and tickets can be found at www.londonicerinks.com.

NOTES TO EDITORS

KEW GARDENS ICE RINK

Saturday 25^th November 2006 to Sunday 7^th January 2007

(not Christmas Day)

TICKET PRICES per session including skate hire

Adult: £10.00 • Children (under 16): £7.50 • Concessions: £8.00

Family ticket (1 Adult and 3 children or 2 adults and 2 children): £30.00

Joint tickets for skating and entrance to the Gardens

Joint adult ticket for skating and entrance to the Gardens: £14.00

Joint concession ticket for skating and entrance to the Gardens: £12.00

Joint Family ticket (as above) for skating and entrance to the Gardens: £38.00

PLEASE NOTE:

There is a £1 entrance charge to Kew Gardens for those people who do not wish to skate but watch others do so. There is no additional entrance charge to the Ice Rink Café and the café is open for people who wish to view others skating and skaters alike. Skates are not allowed to be worn inside the café.

TICKETS AND ADVANCE BOOKING

On-line: www.kewgardensicerink.com or www.londonicerinks.com

In person: Kew Gardens Victoria Gate Entrance from 25 November 2006.

Telephone: Ticketmaster 0870 4000 797

Please note booking fees apply to all but In Person bookings.

For School Parties and Corporate bookings call PWR Events direct on 020 8241 9818 – please note there is no booking fee for group bookings.

TIMED SKATING SESSIONS

There will be 10 one hour skating session per day from 10.00am

10.00am – 11.00am • 11.00am – Noon • 12.15pm – 1.15pm • 1.30pm – 2.30pm

2.45pm – 3.45pm • 4.00pm – 5.00pm • 5.15pm – 6.15pm • 6.30pm – 7.30pm

7.45pm – 8.45pm • 9.00pm – 10.00pm

Minimum skate size: Children’s size 9 (nine) Maximum skate size: Adult size 13 (thirteen)

Web Address: www.kewgardensicerinks.com

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew Gardens is a major international visitor attraction and its 132 hectares of landscaped gardens attract over one million visitors per year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and represents over 250 years of historical landscape. The site houses over 40 listed buildings and other structures including the Palm House, Temperate House, Orangery and Pagoda as well as two ancient monuments, Queen Charlotte's Cottage and Kew Palace. RBG, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. www.kew.org.