Sparkle at Stourhead This Christmas

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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Dazzling new artworks are set to light up the trail in Wiltshire this festive season

Excitement is building as Christmas at Stourhead returns from 29th November to 1st January – promising to be bigger, brighter, and more magical than ever before.

This year’s illuminated after-dark trail, created by Culture Creative and produced in partnership with Sony Music and the National Trust, will feature an array of dazzling new light installations guaranteed to enchant visitors of all ages.

This year’s trail is set to sparkle with new artistic innovations from internationally renowned creators, ensuring a festive experience like no other.

Among the new must-see features are:

Sea of Light by ITHACA Studio: An awe-inspiring large-scale display, where thousands of individually controlled LED light balls animate in harmony with a bespoke soundtrack, creating a mesmerizing and immersive experience.

Light a Wish by OGE Design Group: Capturing the whimsy of dandelion seeds floating through the air, this piece symbolises wishes taking flight, adding a touch of wonder to the trail. This playful and emotion-evoking installation by artists Merav Eitan and Gaston Zahr has captivated audiences worldwide.

Snowflake Show by Scot Gianelli: Huge snowflakes, up to five metres tall, will light up in time with festive music, casting a magical glow across the grounds. Designed by Scot Gianelli, a Los-Angeles-based lighting designer known for his work across theatre, fine art, and architecture, this display is sure to wow visitors.

These dazzling new artworks will join Stourhead’s already beloved illuminated trail, featuring a spectacular array of twinkling lights, sparkling tunnels, and vibrant woodland and lakeside displays.

The historic landscape will be filled with the scents and sounds of Christmas, offering visitors the chance to step into a winter wonderland like no other.

Whether you’re exploring with family, friends, or loved ones, this festive trail promises to create new memories against the breathtaking backdrop of one of the UK’s most iconic gardens.

There’s even a chance to catch a magical glimpse of Father Christmas as you stroll through the sparkling grounds.

With over a million twinkling lights transforming Stourhead’s stunning grounds, this is an unmissable event for your festive calendar.

For more information and to book tickets online please visit Christmas at Stourhead 2024 | My Christmas Trails

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Bella Hardy’s gift for storytelling

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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“Folk music for the modern age” is how Bella Hardy’s work has been described as you can discover for yourself at Grayshott Folk Club on Friday, 29th November

Bella Hardy is a singer-songwriter with a gift for storytelling, who has earned a reputation as a boundary-pushing artist whose work continues to evolve while staying deeply rooted in the traditions that shaped her.

Fans can expect a show that spans her remarkable career, with new songs (two to be released this autumn) sitting comfortably alongside classics from her extensive back catalogue. This is folk music for the modern age- rooted in tradition but unafraid to venture into new, uncharted, and very personal territory.

Bella says: “There’s something magical about performing live, where the songs can grow and change each night depending on the energy in the room. I’ll be performing a collection of songs very close to my heart, and there’s nothing like the energy of a live show to bring them to life.”

For anyone who’s seen Bella live, it’s clear that she’s an artist who knows how to captivate an audience. Her voice – at once powerful and delicate – has a way of drawing listeners in, making each performance feel like a conversation between old friends. And with award-winning guitarist Jenn Butterworth by her side for the first time, this tour promises to be something truly special.

Hardy’s debut album Night Visiting (2007) established her reputation as a talented songwriter when her first original composition Three Black Feathers earned a BBC Folk Award nomination. Since then, Bella has sung unaccompanied ballads at a sold out Royal Albert Hall, and learnt the songs of Chinese farmers during her time as British Council Musician in Residence in Yunnan Province. She’s sat on the moors of her beloved Peak District with only her fiddle for company. She spent a year in Tennessee as a ranch hand, looking after horses, fiddle-singing in the diners, and immersing herself in the music culture of Nashville. And she’s released ten solo albums along the way.  

With the ability to conjure and twist stories that call straight to the heart, her themes of displacement and home, lost and found love, heartache and joy, are delivered with her unique, disarming honesty, and, of course, the acclaimed crystalline voice that won her BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Singer of the Year. 

Don’t miss Bella at Grayshott Folk Club on Friday, 29th November, 7.30pm. Tickets £18 in person form Grayshott Post Office, from Des O’Byrne on 01428 607096 and online at Bella Hardy Hindhead Tickets at Grayshott Village Hall on 29th November 2024 | Ents24

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Festive fashion tips from Sustainably Styled

Karen Neville

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With the festive season fast approaching, those invitations to lunches, office parties and Christmas drinks start rolling in. So – what are you going to wear?! Lucy Briggs has the answer

Festive wear is all about the sparkle and glitter but do we really need to buy a new outfit for each occasion? Or can we get creative with our festive-wears especially when we think of the environmental impact of our clothing.

The fashion trends this year are very similar to previous years which means that most of us will have something to wear already. This season’s biggest colours are burgundy, red, green and grey. Party staples, layering and luxurious textures – velvet, lace and faux fur – can be updated with tailoring and leopard print! So, you can still feel current in your old Christmas jumper simply by pairing it with tailored wide-leg trousers and heels or leopard print jeans and metallic trainers!

However, if your body has changed (it happens to us all) and you no longer fit your partywear – what should you do? Sustainably move it on – sell online, donate to charity shops or take it along to a Clothes Swap – then you can replace items with an equally sustainable, secondhand option where the resources to make it have already been used! Charity shops, preloved sellers (online and boutiques) and clothes swaps have an abundance of partywear just waiting to be re-loved.

Regardless of trends, to look and feel your best, my advice is always a 3-step approach:

1. Know your best colours
2. Understand your body-shape
3. Nail your personal style

Knowing these three things can help you shop anywhere – high street, vintage, charity shops & clothes swaps – and help you save money, feel confident and love your wardrobe!

If you would like to see preloved styling in action, Tory (Transform with Colour) and I, Lucy (Sustainably Styled) will be hosting our Festive Sustainable Style & Swap evening. You’ll learn about colour and style whilst enjoying a glass of bubbles and then take part in the Festive Clothes Swap! Bring along those items you no longer wear and swap them for something ‘new to you’! Sequin clothing are definitely ones to bring along to keep in circulation! Plus, some ticket holders will be able to book mini sessions with us for personalised advice – spaces are limited!

So, bring your friends and come along to Festive Sustainable Style & Swap on Friday 22nd November, 7pm at The Northcourt Centre. There’ll also be gift stalls to kick start your present shopping. We look forward to seeing you there! Book at Festive Sustainable Style & Swap! Tickets, Fri 22 Nov 2024 at 19:00 | Eventbrite

More from Lucy at Sustainably Styled | Planet-Conscious Personal Styling

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Abingdon Drama Club’s seasonal ghost story

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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A spell binding evening awaits at The Unicorn, November 27th-30th as ADC stage A Christmas Carol. Kevin Thomson tells us more

Abingdon Drama Club’s last production – in their 80th anniversary year – is the seasonal tale A Christmas Carol.

One ghostly Christmas night, cold-hearted businessman Ebenezer Scrooge (Adam Blake) gets the fright of his life, discovers the truth about himself, and learns to love his neighbour.

This adaptation by David Edgar of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol rediscovers the social conscience of this timeless tale and through time jumps, a realisation of how Scrooge’s life was in the past, how it is going on around him in the present and the shock of what it will be in the future.

All the well-known characters are here and the extra element added to the original gives us an insight into the various parliamentary reports of the 1840s on abolishing rotten boroughs, establishing workhouses etc and how Dickens brings that to our attention.

Edgar’s clever (and amazing) adaptation is brought to the Unicorn stage by Abingdon Drama Club directed by one of the club’s finest directors, Susi Dalton.

Edgar has reinvented this most Victorian of stories and his masterstroke is having the author, Dickens (Terry Atkinson), tell the story with his editor and friend John Forster (Kieran Madden). The show begins with Dickens trying to write another book on poverty and child labour. Forster suggests this may be too bleak and sad for a Christmas time readership. The two of them construct the story in front of us, with themselves watching as the tale unfolds. This play’s wonderful device shows us how Dickens decided on the various scene.

Explaining why she wanted to direct this adaptation, director Susi Dalton says: “I love different versions of well-known classics and I directed another different version of A Christmas Carol at the school where I work, a few years ago. I decided to go with David Edgar’s version, not only to give myself new challenges, but also because I felt this version added something extra to the original we all know and love.”

She continues: “I am really looking forward to directing and seeing this version of A Christmas Carol with our wonderful actors, as I know they will help me make my vision a great success for Abingdon Drama Club.”

Tickets are £12pp, £10 concessions (60+, under-12s, students, ADC members). They are available from The Bookstore at 15 Bury Street in Abingdon or at abingdon-drama-club – Abingdon Drama Club – Passionate about performance

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Woodland wonders at Windsor Illuminated

Karen Neville

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Image: Mike Will

Follow the all-new trail design at this year’s Windsor Illuminated for the perfect evening out with family and friends, making festive memories

Discover a forest trail full of music and light where woodland creatures come to life and a whole host of festive moments will get you in the seasonal spirit at this year’s Windsor Illuminated.

Windsor Great Park illuminated returns for the fourth year with another magical trail, bringing the woodland to life with dazzling lights, breath-taking projections and flood-lit fountain shows.

Image: Eric Aydin Barberini

Image: Giles Smith

With a generous sparkle of new installations and a sprinkling of favourites returning, this year’s illuminations promise to be more magical than ever.

Follow a path through woodland awash with colour as sparkles of fireflies, luminous beacons and dancing fairies blaze the way, the lake alive with flood-lit fountains and glimmering reflections.

At a cosy rest spot, enjoy mouth-watering good food, mulled wine and hot chocolate or toast marshmallows at one of the fire pits. Top your evening off with a traditional fairground ride, fun for kids of all ages in the Festive Village. Slide down the epic Helter Skelter, take a turn on the Super Carousel or younger guests will enjoy a spin on the Mini Carousel and how about going up and around on the Big Wheel. Enjoy each ride for one token per person, per ride. Book in advance to save.

Everyone is welcome, the trail is dog friendly and every effort has been made to make the trail as inclusive as possible. As the trail is presented in the natural landscape some of the terrain through natural woodland is not suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters or buggies. This terrain will be particularly challenging in wet weather. The Trail is 2.2km long and will take approximately 1½ – 2 hours to walk, accounting for stops and refreshments along the way. If you would like to shorten your walk, please speak to event staff in a Hi Vis jacket an they will advise the alternative route/s. Please note that if you take a shorter path, you will miss some of the light displays.

Windsor Great Park Illuminated runs from Friday, 15th November until Saturday, 4th January.

Book at windsorilluminated.com/tickets 

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Christmas magic at Blenheim Palace

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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The much-loved Christmas experience returns to Blenheim Palace, November 15th – January 1st, with the ever-popular illuminated trail, a magical adventure in the palace and the new Great Skate ice rink

Blenheim Palace will sparkle brighter than ever this winter, with a series of dazzling new illuminated artworks set to enchant visitors in the garden and Neverland® in the Palace.

The illuminated outdoor Christmas Trail in the grounds is one of the highlights of the festive calendar. Wander the picture-perfect gardens filled with Christmas cheer to discover a place where new memories are made as a multitude of glowing lights and Christmassy sounds fill the air with the festive fun.

These stunning installations, inspired by the natural world and festive themes, have been created by internationally renowned artists and are guaranteed to add extra magic to the festive season.

Created by Culture Creative and produced in partnership with Sony Music, Christmas at Blenheim is a magical, after-dark trail for visitors of all ages featuring thousands of twinkling lights, seasonal scents, sparkling baubles, shimmering tunnels of light and vibrant woodland lakeside displays. 

The illuminated trail has everything you need for an unforgettable time with friends and family, including a magical glimpse of Father Christmas along the way. 

Inside the house, embark on a swashbuckling adventure in Neverland, a place bursting with magic and make believe. Follow Tinkerbell through the State rooms as she sprinkles fairy dust over baubles and Christmas trees, wander through a moonlit London skyline and onto the Mermaid Lagoon. The enchanting new experience based on JM Barrie’s Peter Pan is in association with the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. 

Visit the Orangery Restaurant and delve into a world of delight with a Neverland themed afternoon tea. Tinkerbell Blackberry Ganache Tart anyone? 

Also new this Christmas is The Great Skate. Go along to skate with family and friends in the Palace’s stunning Great Court on a spectacular, covered ice rink. Surrounded by breathtaking beauty and festive decor, enjoy a luxurious hot chocolate or tasty treats at rink-side seats. Capture the perfect festive family photo in this unique setting. 

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the traditional wooden chalets showcasing a range of festive treats from designer-makers and artisan food and drink producers. Stock up on festive goodies, and if you’ve worked up an appetite indulge in the treats on offer at the street food stalls. This will run from Friday, 15th November to Sunday, 22nd December.   

For more details on all the Christmas magic at Blenheim Palace this year and to book tickets (essential), please visit Christmas at Blenheim | Festive Light Trail & Christmas Market

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Unearthing history in Haslemere

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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Shelley Jarret-Tomes invites us to the centennial celebration of Haslemere’s renowned geologist Sir Archibald Geikie at the museum this month

This year marks the centenary of the death of one of Haslemere’s most renowned residents, the Victorian geologist Sir Archibald Geikie. Haslemere Museum will be hosting a series of celebratory events until 12th November, including a major exhibition, a Scottish Ceilidh and a programme of talks and tours.

Geikie was a leading figure in the world of science and was Director General of the Geological Survey from 1882 to 1901. He received many academic honours and was awarded a knighthood on his retirement. He was president of the Geological Society in 1906, and President of the Royal Society from 1908 to 1913. He is known for his important geological research in Scotland and in America.

Sir Archibald retired to Haslemere around 1906 and was invited to become the first Chairman of Haslemere Museum’s Fundraising Committee in 1915, a post he held until his death at the age of 88 in 1924. He worked tirelessly to secure the Museum’s future, facilitating its move to its current location on the High Street.

Today, the Museum’s collection contains one of the largest collections of Geikie-related archival documents in Europe, if not the world. The collection consists of copy letter books, field notebooks, geological specimens, letter, manuscripts and photographs, as well as some of his personal awards, medals and hundreds of his own paintings and drawings.

The Centennial Celebration begins with an exhibition of objects from Haslemere Museum’s significant Geikie archive collection, as well as items from the Geikie family’s personal archive running till March next year.

A guided walk at 10am on Friday, 8th November will visit locations around Haslemere where Geikie lived and worked. Then at 2pm, artist Roger Dellar will perform a live demo, painting an original watercolour of Geikie to be donated to the Museum.

On the evening of 8th November, the Museum will hold a Scottish Ceilidh with a band and bar. Everyone is welcome to join in and try some Scottish dancing, and tickets are on sale now via the Museum’s website.

A programme of lectures is scheduled throughout 8th and 9th November, with speakers from the world of geoscience and the Geikie family.

Finally, on 12th November, a ‘tea & talk’ will explore the Geikie archive held behind the scenes at the Museum.

The full programme of events and ticket booking can be found on the What’s On page of Haslemere Museum’s website at Haslemere Museum

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FloLeB fusing art & design

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Florence Breeze has created a range of T-shirts and sweatshirts showcasing her art, combining style, comfort and quality with sustainability

How many times have you just ‘thrown on’ a T-shirt and thought nothing more about it but have you considered this: “A T-shirt becomes a canvas that brings art into everyday life.”

Florence Breeze is the founder of FloLeB, an innovative sustainable clothing brand in Farnham where art meets eco-friendly fashion. Her collection for men and women is crafted from sustainable, recycled fabrics, non-toxic dyes and features original artwork.

“Our brand is driven by the belief that fashion should be both an expression of individuality and a force for positive change,” says Florence. “By merging art with sustainability, we’re not just creating clothing; we’re creating a movement that empowers consumers to make mindful choices without sacrificing style.

“The person is not just buying a T-shirt but investing in a piece of creativity, making a statement and a choice to be seen for who they are. Not only because of the original photograph and design but by choosing to wear eco-friendly clothing too.”

Florence is a keen photographer, a passion developed when travelling, and the idea for her innovative business came when her husband asked to have his favourite photograph of hers printed on a T-shirt. She adds: “It looked really good and personal and combined all I wanted: promoting beauty, showcasing my art and advocating authenticity.”

Florence grew up in small villages in the South of France and is heavily influenced by her formative years there and by her father, an artist, who also restores houses, antiques and paintings.

She says: “I can see today that being surrounded by art, witnessing my father’s creative process, attention to detail, beautiful Mediterranean sunlight and being surrounded by splendid nature had a clear impact and nurtured my sense of style. Art was always more than a subject, it was a way of life, a different way of thinking and it still is.”

The FloLeB slogan ‘Be You Be Art’ echoes this, encouraging you as Florence explains “to be seen for who you are, to stand up for your values and inspire all to do the same with a love for yourself, people and our planet”.

She hopes FloLeB can become “an inspiration for everyone to be the best version of themselves” and hope to be able to donate a part of her profits to environmental causes or promoting art in social spaces. “There is so much to imagine in creating possibility around us!”

Find out more and shop at Home

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Get caught in The Housetrap

Karen Neville

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Join Guildford Shakespeare Company at West Horsley Place and immerse yourself in a festive murder mystery, quiz the suspects and solve the crime, December 2nd to 21st

This Christmas, Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) invite you to a 1920s murder mystery staged in a real country manor house, West Horsley Place.

Following the company’s sell out show last Christmas on a grounded Boeing 747, this time they are relocating to the Grade I listed medieval manor house.

It’s December 1922 and nestled at the foot of the tranquil Surrey Hills is the home of the recently married Sir Robert Montague, Duke of Surrey. Tragically, his new wife’s body is found at the foot of the stairs and a snowstorm cuts everyone off from the outside world, tensions come to the fore, secrets are revealed and suddenly everyone is caught in… The Housetrap.

Styled in the vein of the golden age of detective writing, audiences will begin their adventure in the elegant Drawing Room. In between scenes, they will be divided into groups and invited to explore different rooms of the manor to interrogate the suspects first-hand. Throughout the evening they will return to the Drawing Room to watch the next episode in the mystery.

Matt Pinches, GSC co-founder, pictured, said: “We are thrilled to be working with the wonderful team at West Horsley Place. It is an extraordinary venue; immensely rich in history and so many of the rooms retain the ‘lived-in’ atmosphere of its previous aristocratic owners, making it the perfect setting for a country house murder mystery.”

Perhaps most recognisable as Button House in the four series of the BBC sitcom Ghosts, and the location for numerous films and TV shows including Enola Holmes, My Cousin Rachel, Vanity Fair, and The Crown, this is the first time West Horsley Place has been used as a venue for an entire indoor theatre production,

By re-igniting people’s passion for theatre-going GSC seek to break down the boundaries that preclude participation, encouraging inclusivity and accessibility for everyone. Their site-responsive approach places audiences right at the heart of the action, immersing them in the world of the play.

Matt adds: “At GSC our mandate is to create exceptional theatre in extraordinary places, and The Housetrap seeks to continue that mission. This is not only an immersive theatre experience, but also a unique chance to explore an incredible part of our shared local heritage.”

With a strictly limited capacity of just 60 people per performance advance booking is essential. The murder mystery is approximately 80-minutes long and all tickets include a glass of prosecco (or non-alcoholic alternative).

Book at Guildford Shakespeare Company THE HOUSETRAP –

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Take a surreal journey through Eulogy

Karen Neville

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Have your senses deceived in the exhilarating Eulogy at The Shed Bordon

Step into a surreal, otherworldly journey through a dreamlike, labyrinthine hotel that exists entirely in your mind and discover Eulogy. How you arrived is a mystery and why you’re there remains unclear. Just make sure you read the pamphlet.

Darkfield, producers of innovative, immersive experiences at the forefront of technology and theatre, are bringing their critically-acclaimed shipping container show Eulogy to The Shed from Wednesday, 30th October to Sunday, 10th November.

Performed in complete darkness over 35 minutes, this intense and exhilarating ride uses binaural 360 degree sound and speech recognition technology to deceive the senses and transport audience members through rooms, down corridors and into the bowels of this strange and not altogether comfortable hotel. How your dream unfolds is, in part, up to you. However, make sure you follow the right path and don’t volunteer to become the subject of the eulogy every guest is preparing to deliver.

Eulogy is both an intense and exhilarating ride and deeper exploration of the relative merits of an embodied human conscious experience versus one that only exists in the imagination.

Eulogy premiered as part of the London BFI Film Festival 2021 and has since toured to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Latitude Festival, Nottingham Lakeside, Norwich Theatre and across Australia. Darkfield shows have launched to critical acclaim, featuring in major film festivals worldwide.

Book tickets at Whitehill & Bordon

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