Country Living Christmas Fair at the Harrogate Convention Centre

Celebrate a Country Living Christmas and enjoy the perfect festive day out in style at the must-attend Christmas event of the entire season. The Christmas Fair is returning to Harrogate, celebrating its 10th birthday at the Harrogate Convention Centre!

Why not shop for bespoke gifts, or you can even try your own hand at the crafting workshops, be inspired by engaging and knowledgeable guest speakers, enjoy a glass of bubbly in the champagne bar and, this is brand new for 2022, join the fabulous tailored tasting sessions.

Ticking off your Christmas gift list will never be easier. At the Country Living Christmas Fairs you'll be able to discover hundreds of small independent businesses, carefully and lovingly picked by the team to bring you handcrafted products to add that sparkle to your Christmas Day. 

There will be over 100 new faces and brands to shop from, plus you'll be able to meet up with many of your returning firm favourites who'll be eager to welcome you back. Be inspired by stylish decors and pick up some lovely soft furnishings that you won't find on the high street, to transform your home ready for the festive season. 

And you can top off your day by stocking up on delectable delicacies such as gourmet cheese, Christmas puddings, sweet and savoury treats, tasty tipples and some fine wines.

Live on stage they'll bring together some of the country’s finest food and drink producers and culinary experts to whip up their ultimate festive recipes and seasonal showstoppers. 

You’ll experience expert cooking and baking demonstrations with the chance to ask for tips, interact with the experts and even try a taster or two, all for free! You'll leave feeling ready to get creative with your cooking skills this festive season and wow your friends and family.

Why not roll up your sleeves and get creative in one of the many hands-on workshops they offer at the Christmas Fair?

The sessions are hosted by expert crafters who'll carefully lead you through interactive workshops. Why not learn a new skill? Or perhaps you'll be able to brush up on an existing skill, whilst crafting really unique gifts and decorations to take home with you.

Or, if you are feeling especially indulgent, why not join one of their tailored tasting sessions, brand new for 2022. Sample this seasons best mulled gins to get you in the Christmas spirit! Tickets are limited so book quickly. Prices from £12.

Dan Sewell, Country Living Fairs Event Director, said: “With its idyllic charm and close knit community, the town of Harrogate exudes country style. We are proud to bring together the local artisan producers and designer makers that make this place so unique, and it’s clear to see why thousands of visitors come to get inspired, leaving full of ideas and one-of-a-kind gifts to create the perfect festive celebration. This year is no exception, with an extra-celebratory feel given that it’s our 10th year here!”

Paula Lorimer, Director, Harrogate Convention Centre, commented : “Our congratulations to the Country Living Christmas Fair on achieving the 10-year milestone this year. 

"I'm delighted to seal the long-term relationship with the Christmas Fair and to welcome them back to Harrogate for this special occasion, as our beautiful Victorian spa town provides the perfect backdrop for this lovely festive event.”

For more information head to the Country Living Christmas Fair website: https://www.countrylivingfair.com/harrogate/

Ticket prices: https://www.countrylivingfair.com/ticket-prices/

Belfast Christmas Market at City Hall

This year’s Belfast Christmas time market offers an veritable feast of authentic high quality Christmas international cuisine alongside a carefully selected mixture of handcrafted goods and bespoke artisanal products.

Set against the spectacular backdrop of Belfast's iconic City Hall, Belfast Christmas Market, in the heart of the city, is the perfect place for coach parties, day-trippers and city shoppers, offering a unique, exciting festive experience.

If culinary delights are your passion, you'll be able to enjoy a warming mug of hot Glühwein, feast on a delicious hog roast or indulge in some mouth-watering Belgian chocolates, enjoy baklava and crêpes. Or sample specialty cheeses and savour the delicate flavours of meats from all over the continent, all in an atmosphere overflowing with Christmas good cheer.

Got little ones? Take them to visit Santa in his magic grotto whilst supporting local charity Pretty n Pink.

After meeting the big man, why not take a joyous ride on the vintage carousel, or get a bird’s eye view of the market from the top of the exciting helter-skelter?

The market's opening hours are:

Day Times

Saturday 19 November only 12 noon to 10pm (bars remain open until 11pm)

Monday to Wednesday 10am to 8pm (bars remain open until 10pm)

Thursday to Saturday 10am to 10pm (bars remain open until 11pm)

Sunday 12 noon to 6pm

The Christmas Market will close at 6pm on Thursday 22 December. 

Hertford Castle Christmas Market

Get yourself down to Hertford Castle this wintertime as it hosts its second Christmas market within its very spectacular grounds. 

The event will be free of charge to attend and will boast a wide array of Christmas market stalls. Offerings include homeware, crafts, jewellery, and much more besides! 

It's absolutely ideal for those of us who like to shop early and locally for Christmas. 

Also, there will be fairground rides, live entertainment for guests to enjoy, and food and drink stands providing seasonal treats. Come along to experience the magical atmosphere, as you won’t want to miss out. 

Event Information 

Dates and Times

Friday 25th November - 3.30pm - 8pm

Saturday 26th November - 11am - 6pm

Sunday 27th November - 11am - 5pm

Music Line-Up

Saturday 26th:

Sunday 27th: 

12.00 – 12.30: Dan Thomas

13.00 – 13.30: Rock Choir 

14.00 – 14.30: Chris Sims

15.00 – 15.30: Cedar Rose

16.00 – 16.30: George Croucher

17.00 – 17.30: Ukrainian Choir Group

12.00 – 12.30: Tamara Ibrahim 

13.00 – 13.30: Immi Davis 

14.00 – 14.30:  Paul Booth 

15.00 – 15.30: Summer Georgie 

16.00 – 16.30:  Nuala O'Halpin

Location 

Hertford Castle, Castle Street, SG14 1HR 

Although the event is totally free of charge to attend, you are however welcome to make a donation to the Mayor of Hertford’s Charity Appeal Fund. 

The Castle grounds are accessible by foot at any of the following pedestrian gateways, Castle Street, St Andrew Street Car Park, Main Castle Gate off The Wash, through the Moat Garden on Castle Street, or the gate off of Gascoyne Way. 

Parking 

There is no parking at Hertford Castle (including disabled) but there are a number of car parks close to the Castle which are free to use on Sundays. Please click this link for a parking map https://www.hertford.gov.uk/uploads/cms/document/165/hertford-car-parking2019-document.pdf.

Toilets are located to the side of the main lawn on the footpath by the Ashley Webb Shelter. 

Disabled toilets & baby changing facilities are available inside the castle, please speak to a volunteer on the door for access. 

First aid is located on the riverbank by the Ashley Webb shelter.

Have a Very Merry Flitwick Christmas

There are a wide range of events and activities to help celebrate the festive season happening across the town of Flitwick. Bedfordshire, this Christmas session.

There is something for everyone to get involved with from a festive wine tasting in aid of the Town Mayor's charities to a Family Party at The Rufus Centre.

The opportunity to win the chance to press the button to light up the town in the  'Turn on Flitwick Christmas Lights' competition has now closed and the organisers are thrilled to announce that six year old Connie Thomas from Templefield Lower School has been selected at random as the winner!

You can also write a message to be displayed on the Community Christmas Tree in the centre of town with our special 'Message Upon a Star' campaign.  We will be decorating the Christmas Tree with stars displaying individual Christmas messages. 

If you would like to take part please visit the Town Council offices at The Rufus Centre and purchase a star for £1.50.  You can then take your star home to write your personal message.  Stars must be returned by Friday 18th November and will be proudly on display at the Christmas Lights Switch On event on Sunday 27th November at Flitwick Town Square.

To learn more visit https://www.flitwick.gov.uk.

One third of parents worry about this Christmas, reveals Post Office

The Post Office research of 2,005 UK adults found a quarter say they plan to spend less money on close family and over a third will spend less on extended family and friends. With half saying Christmas will be a smaller occasion this year.

Nearly one in six plan on making homemade gifts; the main reason being to save money (63%). Whilst over half think it’s more thoughtful and over a third do so to be creative.

Four in ten plan to use cash to purchase Christmas gifts this year, and of these, two-thirds will do so to manage budgets and keep track of spending. A quarter plan to gift cash this year, instead of physical presents.

It comes as the Post Office announced it handled a record £3.45 billion in cash during August, with branches on track to further this record last month, October.

As Christmas edges closer, the Post Office is encouraging consumers to get ahead and post letters and parcels early.

Kristian Latham, Head of Letters & Parcels at the Post Office said: “Our research shows the cost of living will be impacting Christmas for many this year as households tighten their purse strings. This is set to affect how we shop, with more consumers planning on buying gifts earlier for financial reasons.

“Our branches will be open as usual in the pre-Christmas run up, helping consumers to post early, too. This is a great way to make the most of our cheaper posting rates, whilst leaving plenty of time for cards and gifts to arrive before the big day itself.

Despite half feeling excited, happy or optimistic about Christmas, the number of people feeling anxious and sad about the occasion has increased from just over one in six last year to almost one in four this year.

The Post Office study went on to find that half of us Brits shopping earlier this year are doing so to be more organised, with a third saying they make better decisions when they aren’t in a rush.

A fifth of those shopping earlier this year said they are doing so to ensure gifts arrive on time, with a quarter worrying a late gift might look like they hadn’t made any effort.

Four in ten admitted they enjoy Christmas shopping, with seven in ten planning on doing theirs in one of the sales.

Yet the majority of Christmas shoppers (74%), will be finishing up their Christmas shopping in December with one in three leaving it until just one week before the big day to pick up their final bits.

Struggling to know what gifts to purchase is the top reason people give for not getting their Christmas shopping completed early.

Latham went on to say: “As Brits gear up for the festive season, it’s vital to choose the best service for your precious gifts; the value of the item, speed of delivery needed and any tracking requirements are all important. If in doubt, our expert Postmasters can always recommend what’s best for your parcels.

“If you are posting goods or gifts abroad, being aware of what can and can’t be posted and getting customs forms right is very important to ensure parcels aren’t delayed or returned. Guidelines to filling in customs forms correctly are on our website and of course our Postmasters are always on hand to help.”

For more information this Christmas period, head to the Post Office’s Christmas hub, https://www.postoffice.co.uk/christmas.

Bath and North East Somerset prepares for the festive season

Work is underway to install Christmas lights and illuminations across Bath and North East Somerset with the first switch-on taking place next week.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has recently announced new four-year framework contracts for the provision of Christmas lighting throughout the area. This includes illuminations on streets and historic buildings in the City of Bath.

Traditional Christmas lights will be added to the illuminations during Bath’s Christmas Market, which opens to residents from the evening of 23 November. 

The council is also providing traditional lights to the Bath communities of Combe Down, Weston, Moorland Road and Larkhall as well as working in partnership with the three town councils on the provision of lights.

Keynsham's Winter Festival on 25 November includes an official switching on of the town’s Christmas lights. Radstock’s lights will be turned on from the Miners’ Wheel on 26 November.

Midsomer Norton’s lights, with the focal point on a new Christmas tree in the Hollies Garden will be lit from 24 November onwards.

Field & Lawn, one of the UK’s largest and leading independent providers of festive lighting, will be providing the traditional Christmas lights across Bath and North East Somerset and Fineline Lighting Ltd is supplying the projections and illuminations in Bath.

The new contracts allow the flexibility for partners like town and parish councils, local businesses and sponsors to contribute to enhance Christmas lights in future years.

Local residents and visitors to the area might have noticed that it is taking a little longer this year for some lights to be installed, this is due to longer manufacturing processes for some of the special, bespoke illuminations and the ongoing impact of driver shortages on the process.

Councillor Kevin Guy, who is council Leader, said: “The switch-on of Christmas lights and illuminations in city and town centres is an exciting moment when it really feels as if the festive season is under way, creating a special atmosphere in our local communities in the run up to Christmas. Thanks to our partners across the area who are working with us to provide some fantastic Christmas lighting.”

To learn more please visit https://bathchristmasmarket.co.uk.

(Image courtesy of MIH83 and Pixabay)

Annual Victorian Christmas Market returns to Bradford Industrial Museum

Bradford Industrial Museum is again hosting its popular annual Victorian Christmas Market after a break of two years due to the pandemic.

The event, on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November 2022, will see the Bradford City Council-run museum transformed into a veritable Victorian Christmas wonderland, with over 80 festive market stalls selling delicious food, toys, clothes, jewellery and accessories, plus there's the golden opportunity  to pick up a host of fabulous arts, crafts and festive gifts, galore. 

There will also be costumed characters, with Dickensian skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge expected to make an appearance.

Visiting Father Christmas on the specially decorated festive Bradford tram is always a firm favourite with children and it also makes a welcome return this year.

There will also be face painting, a concert band, Sandy Kidz Sand Art, plus other events running throughout the entire weekend.

The free event, which is always one of the most popular Christmas activities throughout the district, runs on Saturday November 26 and Sunday November 27 from 10am 'til 4pm on both days.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “The Victorian Christmas Market at Bradford Industrial Museum is always a very popular event and it is wonderful for children. There's plenty to see and do and it is certainly a great place to pick up early Christmas presents and to get in to the Christmas spirit.”

For more information visit www.bradfordmuseums.org.