Christopher Biggins, star of New Victoria Theatre’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty, will switch on Woking’s Christmas lights in Jubilee Square on Thursday, 21st November
Woking town centre is set to sparkle as the festive season officially “Biggins” with the much-loved Christmas tree lights switch-on on 21st November.
Special guest Christopher Biggins, star of New Victoria Theatre’s pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, has the honour of lighting up the borough’s biggest Christmas tree. Promising an evening filled with cheer and holiday magic, the festivities begin at 4.45pm, with the grand switch-on at 6pm.
Visitors can look forward to carol singing, live music, dance performances, and a traditional Christmas market offering seasonal gifts and festive refreshments.
This year’s Christmas tree has been generously donated by Woking Asian Business Forum, a gesture that unites communities and brings joy to all.
Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, Leader of Woking Borough Council, said: “Our Christmas lights switch-on brings together people of all ages to celebrate the joy of the season. I would like to thank Woking Asian Business Forum for their generous contribution. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Jubilee Square to mark the start of this festive time.”
Shahid Azeem, Chair of Woking Asian Business Forum, added: “Christmas is about community, family, celebration and togetherness. We’re proud to support the local community by donating this year’s Christmas tree. It’s a pleasure to contribute to a celebration that brings our communities together and spreads festive cheer.”
Sam Miller, Communications Manager at the New Victoria Theatre, added: “We are absolutely thrilled that the one-and-only Christopher Biggins, the star of our dazzling pantomime Sleeping Beauty, will have the honour of lighting up Woking’s Christmas tree this year. It’s the perfect way to kick off the festive season, bringing the magic of Christmas and panto together in one unforgettable moment!”
Visitors can enjoy the Christmas market, which will remain in town throughout the festive period, exploring a wide range of seasonal gifts, warming treats, and delicious refreshments.
Sleeping Beauty, starring Christopher Biggins, Faye Tozer, Richard Cadell, and Sooty, plays at New Victoria Theatre Woking, from Fri 6 Dec 2024 to Sun 5 Jan 2025.
You’re all invited to embark on a magical journey through the enchanted Swinley Forest in Bracknell on Sunday, 8th December, in aid of a wonderful cause
Attention Dashers! A sleigh of Santas and their herd of reindeer are taking time out of their busy festive schedule to help a very special charity.
You can choose between a 2k, 5k or 10k route, suitable for the dashers, prancers or steppers, there’s something for everyone.
Invite your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours to take part and help raise funds to ensure Thames Hospice can provide compassionate care to those who need it now and in the future.
You’re just asked to raise a minimum sponsorship of £50. By raising just £50 you could fund two Healthcare Assistants visiting a patient at home making sure they have everything they need to be comfortable in a familar environment, surrounded by their loved ones.
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.
Inside a jolly yellow building on Newbury High Street, Alara & Selina are on a mission to spread the joy of creativity with LoLA including some Christmas workshops coming up
Alara and Selina (mums and sisters-in-law) feel passionate about the arts and art education.
They are on a mission to spread the word about process-based, artist-inspired experiences which help children to develop problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, self-confidence and to have fun!
Unfortunately two-thirds of primary schools in England receive less art education now than they did a decade ago. Over the past five years Alara and Selina have built up LoLA (Lots of Lovely Art) into a successful company that creates magical educational art boxes, sketchbooks and art-activity booklets to support children of all ages to be creative at home. LoLA boxes and sketchbooks are sold in retail spaces such as Harrods, Molly Meg, Conscious Craft, the Science Museum and online.
Wanting to create a space for hands-on art children’s classes, they have now developed the LoLA Creative Space and Café in Newbury. As well as a warm welcoming café, the space offers a wide variety of classes for everyone. All ages are welcome, from Little Ones (ages two to four) to after-school classes, home-education options, workshops for young adults and weekend sessions for the whole family.
Upcoming Christmas workshops include a This is Me Art Journal session (scrapbooking & expressing emotions), 10.30am-12pm on Saturday, 23rd November and a Make Your Own Advent Calendar, 1.30-2pm on 23rd & 10.30a-12pm on Sunday 24th. 10.30am–12pm on Saturday, 30th November you can make a recycled reindeer head decoration inspired by Picasso and 1.30-3pm, tree decorations inspired by folk art. 10.30am-12pm on Sunday, 1st December, there’s Christmas gift-making. The same time on Saturday, 7th December, you can make an arty wreath inspired by Andy Warhol and, 1.30-3pm, Christmas cards, gift tags and wrapping paper. On Sunday, 8th December, 10:30am-12pm you can make painted giant stockings. On Saturday, 14th December, 10.30am- 12pm make angel tree toppers and 1.30-3pm make mini Christmas trees inspired by Ai Weiwei. And, 10.30-12pm on Sunday, 15th December you can make snowflakes, stars and garlands.
While teaching workshops are not being held, head along to the café for a coffee while your child gets freely creative! Open Studios are offered nearly every day at the studio where projects and materials are offered on the art table. One ticket includes a hot drink and one space for a child to create at the workshop table.
Pop in to LoLA in Newbury, near the clock tower, RG14 1DT, to say hi or, for more info please email [email protected]
This Christmas feelgood show brings all the magic of the season to life with all your favourite songs, so book your tickets for 28th November now!
Step Into Christmas is a festive, feel-good show that brings all the magic of the season to life, with all your favourite Christmas songs including All I Want for Christmas Is You, Last Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock, Stay Another Day, Let it Snow, White Christmas, Do They Know it’s Christmas, A Winter’s Tale, Merry Xmas Everybody, and many, many more!
The show is produced by entertainers, one of the UK’s leading entertainment producers. Entertainers is run by father and son team, Michael and James Taylor who were recently listed in The Stage Top 100, a list of the most influential people in the theatre industry. They have over 30 other productions in their portfolio including The Magic of Motown, Cirque: The Greatest Show, The Rocket Man, Fastlove, and The Makings of a Murderer all of which are touring the UK throughout the year.
On Thursday 21st November, The Crown at Bray is hosting a fabulous, five-course dinner to celebrate game season which is well and truly underway in Berkshire and its surrounding area.
The highlight, curated by head chef Scott Smith, champions locally sourced game, including venison from Chiltern Venison [ Read more ] and pheasant which has been shot by The Crown’s very own tournant James.
Scott’s perfect, five-course tasting menu
The evening will start with a buttermilk-fried rabbit leg served with a moreish tarragon and bacon mayonnaise, followed by tender pigeon breast served with warm and nutty freekah; liver parfait and tart preserved plums.
Next, indulge in beautiful venison carpaccio served with mouth-watering pickled vegetables and beetroot; followed by deliciously rich pheasant breast; hearty choux farcie (stuffed cabbage); jus gras and bacon.
The evening will wrap up with a delectable custard tart served with velvety butter poached raisins.
£60 per person and you can book between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Each course can be perfectly paired with a thoughtfully curated wine flight for an additional £40 per person and tickets are expected to sell quickly so book now before it’s too late.
The Crown at Bray, SL6 2AH. Call 01628 621936 or visit The Crown at Bray
Thanks to a dedicated team, the Bisham charity Accessible Boating Thames has launched a new ‘wheelyboat’ to help more people enjoy the river, regardless of ability or mobility
Old Father Thames has carved out much history in this part of the world, as well as the landscape.
But people who have some form of disability haven’t always found it easy to enjoy messing about on the river, which is why Accessible Boating Thames began its mission.
The charity based at Bisham Abbey has for many years provided water-based experiences for those who are not usually able to do so. By using specially adapted boats, trained and qualified volunteers and a hoist, the severity of disability has never been a barrier to participation.
After identifying a real need, the charity began working with national charity The Wheelyboat Trust and together embarked on a major fundraising initiative to secure the £68,000 required to fund a new ‘Wheelyboat’. As a result of these tremendous efforts, a Coulam V20 Wheelyboat was launched at the Bisham Abbey Sailing & Navigation School earlier this autumn.
Charity chairman Gavin Tisshaw said: “This is a momentous occasion for ABT – securing our own Wheelyboat will make such a difference and ensure we can continue to help those who need our services. We’re immensely grateful to all those who’ve helped us raise the funds. Our volunteers do a fantastic job and we offer opportunities from family picnics to full sailing opportunities, Bellboat sessions & Duke of Edinburgh trips.”
The Windsor Theatre Guild proudly present A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story at The Old Court, Windsor from 27th to 30th November
Let’s set the scene. It’s a cold, cold Christmas Eve and miserly money-lender Ebenezer Scrooge has an unexpected visitor: the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley. Having been bound in chains for years as punishment for his lifetime of greed, Marley explains to Scrooge that he too will suffer the same fate unless he changes his behaviour.
It’s not too late, but first he must face three more ghostly encounters – the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future – who show him the error of his ways and that redemption is still possible. In turn, they show him the mistakes of his past and present, and the future implications for both himself and those around him, including his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit, if he doesn’t change his ways. Can Ebenezer make amends? This much loved festive classic by Charles Dickens has been adapted by Mark Gatiss and promises an evening of spine-tingling suspense and joyful, musical delight.
Enjoy A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story at The Old Court, Windsor between 27th & 30th November, thanks to Windsor Theatre Guild, Windsor’s longest-established non-professional theatre company with an illustrious history with a commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and fun! Visit Windsor Theatre Guild | Community Theatre Company in Berkshire
To book your tickets please visit The Old Court | or call 01753 911333.
Reading’s leading homelessness prevention charity invite you to enjoy Carols by Candlelight on Tuesday, 3rd December
This fantastically festive evening will return to Reading Town Hall from 6pm, with Launchpad patron and BBC presenter Matt Allwright and long-term supporter Andy Briggs as the hosts for the evening.
Enjoy a magical night of music and carols with the Take Note Community choir and the Reading Phoenix Choir. As well as seasonal songs there will be readings and inspiring stories about how, with your help, Launchpad is changing lives in Reading.
Every ticket sale will help Launchpad continue to provide homes for Reading’s most vulnerable this winter. Launchpad’s supported housing offers warm, clean, and safe accommodation for over 100 people in need – which are a lifeline to the many individuals, couples, and families at risk of homelessness, or who have already lost their homes.
Fiona Keyte, fundraising manager at Launchpad, says: “Every year, people tell us that Carols by Candlelight marks the start of their Christmas celebrations. Our event is a beautiful reminder of the spirit of community and the joy of giving during the festive season. We’d love to see you there!”
Tickets start at £12 per person and under-threes can attend for free. For more information and to buy your ticket, visit Carols by Candlelight 2024 – Launchpad
For anyone who is unable to attend, you can still support Launchpad’s work with a donation so the charity can help ensure local people have a roof over their head and a place to call home, for Christmas and beyond. Simply visit Donate – Preventing Homelessness In Reading
A stunning shot of ‘near threatened’ bee has been crowned the winner of a wildlife photography contest
The extreme close-up of an armed nomad bee won first prize in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) 2024 Photography Competition. A winter lake scene and a hungry bank vole are among the other winners.
The contest launched in April with nine categories including taking action for nature and mobile phone photography, and nature lovers of all ages were challenged to take pictures at one of BBOWT’s nature reserves or in their community.
The winning shot was taken by Luke Chambers at BBOWT‘s Dry Sandford Pit reserve Abingdon.
Luke said: “During one of my 4am outings, I was checking some vegetation for any subjects. This is one of the challenges with macro, you often have no idea what you’ll find, and it’s pure luck. But there she was, a very rare species of nomad bee, fast asleep. With my left hand, I adjusted the position of a nearby scabious flower so it was behind the bee, and help onto the plant she was on to stabilise the scene.
The image is also a focus stack – I took around 10 frames, all at different points of focus across the bee, then merged them together to achieve the detail you see. It wasn’t an easy photograph, but it was worth and is one of my favourite images to date. To win this competition with it means a great deal.”
As overall winner, Luke received a high-tech bird feeder camera. Along with all other category winners, he also won a wildlife photography masterclass as well as the honour of having his photo appear in BBOWT‘s 2025 calendar.
New for this year, the vote was also thrown open to the public with a new ‘People’s Choice Award’. After nearly two thousand votes were cast across ten shortlisted images, Peter Hines was crowned the public favourite with his close-up portrait of the iconic robin, and won a Nexcam solar-powered trail camera.
Peter said: “I am absolutely thrilled to received this award. My late sister-in-law, Anne, inspired me to get into photography 12 years ago and I love it. I have learnt so much from mistakes and successes. Wildlife, sunsets, smoke art and macro are my passions, so to have this recognition for one of my photographs is wonderful. A huge thank you to all who voted for my robin. Also thank you to BBOWT for giving me the opportunity to share my photos.”
Nine-year-old Logan Brown won the children’s category with his capture of a red admiral butterfly perched on red valerian. In addition to the category prizes, Logan has won a bundle of nature books for his school.
Speaking on behalf of Logan Brown, Frankie Gillespie said: “Logan has recently been diagnosed with a rare genetic eye disease and unfortunately the outcome will be total blindness. He has always loved photography and nature, so for him to have become one of the winners is wonderful news and he’s so excited!”
Nearly 200 photographers were submitted entries for this year’s competition, and the winners were painstakingly chosen by our panel of judges: BBOWT’s Wild Magazine editor Ben Vanheems, BBOWT website & design officer Chris Deeney, BBOWT’s membership assistant Beth Milner and wildlife photographer Steve Gozdz of GG Wildlife Experiences.
Ben Vanheems said: “Being on the judging panel is such an honour. The photos demonstrate a real flair for detail and an eye for creativity, and being able to go through that is just a ‘wow’ moment! There’s been incredible deliberation because there’s been such strong photography this year. It’s a joy to be involved in this process.”
Steve Gozdz added: “We’ve seen a wonderful selection of photographs this year in all categories and from so many wide-ranging people, from the kids right the way up to the adults. My personal favourites have again been the insects – we get to see them at such great detail which is something you don’t get the chance at with the naked eye. Well done to all entrants and thank you for making it so hard to judge.”
The winners
• Butterflies and other insects, and overall winner: Luke Chambers (Armed nomad bee at Dry Sandford Pit). Runner-up: Andrew Bristow (Grasshopper).
• Children (ages 6-11): Logan Brown (Red admiral). Runner-up: Henry Webb (Glistening inkcap).
• Teens (Ages 12-17): Harry Huie (Brown hairstreak). Runner-up: James Lloyd (Red kite)
• Birds: John Kearns (Marsh Tit at Warburg Nature Reserve). Runner-up: Grace Miller (Mute swan at Loddon Nature Reserve).
• Mammals: Mark Lauri (Bank vole at Warburg Nature Reserve). Runner-up: David Byrne (Rabbit at Greenham Common)
• Our nature reserves: Martin Wheeler (Cholsey Marsh). Runner-up: Peter Smith (Round-leaved sundew at Snelsmore Common)
• Urban nature: David Thirlwall (Kingfisher). Runner-up: Eddie Leslie (Honey Bee)
• Taking action for nature: Graham Bonham (Hedgehog). Runner-up: Richard Hopkinson (Barn owl)
• Mobile phone photography: Jennifer Stevens (Thatcham Reedbeds). Runner-up: Emma Stone (College Lake)
