BBOWT Is asking people to do one ‘wild’ act for each of the 12 days of Christmas to connect with nature at the coldest time of year
Sharing some of your Christmas leftovers with the birds this year could make a real difference for local wildlife.
That is the message from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), which is asking people to join its 12 Days Wild challenge.
Recycling Christmas cards, creating nature-themed crafts and going for a walk in the park are among suggested ways people can take part.
Liz Shearer, Community Engagement Director for BBOWT, said:“Cold roast potatoes are a fantastic thing to give to birds at this time of year because they’ve got natural carbohydrates with a bit of extra fat which is great in the cold. You can also leave out Christmas pudding, fruit cake and mince pies which all have useful sugars and fats, and a little bit of mild low-salt cheese is good too!
“Doing things like leaving out leftovers is a really simple way to help local birds and mammals, and also helps us feel like we have a real connection to wildlife, especially at this time of year. Feeling more connected to wildlife is also the first step in taking action to help it.”
The 12 Days Wild challenge runs from 25th December to 5th January. Anyone who signs up online will receive daily inspirational emails with fun activity ideas.
Doing ‘wild’ things to connect with nature can also help us feel happier and healthier, as the Wildlife Trust’s summer challenge, 30 Days Wild, has shown. Whether you take a walk in the park, watch starling murmurations or create some natural art, this shorter winter challenge could offer real wellbeing benefits.
Signing up is also a chance to give something back to nature by making some small changes. You could:
· Do some detective work and spot animal tracks in the mud or snow
· Get crafty using natural materials and create some wild art
· Go wild in town or country and visit a nature reserve
· Beat the January blues by listening to our Wild about Wellbeing podcast
· Make a New Year’s resolution for nature to go plastic-free, cycle to work or volunteer
Or simply get out there and enjoy a walk on the wild side.
Sign up online here for free guides, activities, and inspiration. Share photos and videos of your nature inspired moments on social media using #12DaysWild and please tag @BBOWT in your pictures.
Hogs Back Brewery gears up for Christmas with new beer and parties at its Tap
Hogs Back Brewery is getting ready for Christmas! The Tongham brewery has a trio of festive beers, available from the Brewery Shop and Tap as well as local pubs. For anyone after some festive fun in the brewery, ‘Winter Wonderland’ nights in December offer delicious food, drink and a crowd-pleasing disco.
Newly brewed for this Christmas is Fairy Tale of New Pork, a 4% ABV amber ale available on draught. Brewed with authentic beechwood smoked German malt, English pale and crystal malts, it has flavours of cinder toffee, caramel, biscuit and warm smokiness.
Fairy Tale of New Pork joins two returning seasonal favourites: Mistletoe & Swine, a 4.2% ABV, full-bodied cask ale with subtle hints of sultana, peppery ginger, warm cinnamon and orange zest and Advent Ale, a 4.4% deep chestnut ale with notes of sweet liquorice and rich dark chocolate aftertaste, which is available in bottle as well as on draught – making the perfect stocking filler for a beer lover!
Fun on Tap
The brewery’s Tap has become a destination for great beer, food and regular performances from local bands when it becomes a party space every Friday and Saturday night, offering a range of menus – including vegan options – and drinks packages to suit every taste and budget. And with a DJ playing all the hits through til midnight, it’s a great way to celebrate the party season with friends or work colleagues. Book your table and dust off your dancing shoes now!
Other festive events at the Tap include a special family-friendly charity quiz on Thursday 21st December. Or just book a Tap table with friends for any night and enjoy a Snorter – a refillable glass flagon containing 31/2 pints of any of Hogs Back’s festive or year-round favourites, fresh from the brewery.
And for designated drivers or those wanting to take a break from drinking, Hogs Back’s Little Swine 0.5% is a full-bodied, flavourful pale ale. Brewed with speciality malts and three hop varieties including Cascade from Hogs Back’s hop garden, Little Swine allows offers all the taste of a full-strength beer, without the alcohol. Available in 330ml bottles from the Tap or Brewery Shop.
Managing director Rupert Thompson said: “The run up to Christmas is always a busy time for us: we’re brewing flat out to meet demand from pubs and customers in our Shop, and at the same time we’re hosting parties and other events in the Tap. There’s always a great atmosphere with many of our regular drinkers popping in to pick up supplies for their celebrations at home, or to meet friends for a drink.”
For more details on events at the Hogs Back Tap, go here. The Brewery Shop will be open for extended hours from December, for details go here.
It turns out everybody’s talking about Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and it’s easy to see why.
With energy levels flagging and skies gloomier than Sheffield smog everyone’s in need of a boost at this time of year.
So it’s a delight that the award-winning hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has landed at Oxford’s New Theatre.
The opening night shone brighter than a rave rainbow thanks to star performances and plenty of laughs from Ivano Turco (Get Up, Stand Up!, Cinderella) as Jamie New, the indomitable stage legend Darren Day as Hugo/Loco Chanelle and Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Brassic).
The ”musical for all” tells of Jamie New, who is 16 and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight with plenty of humour courtesy of drag queens and superb support from a star cast who are clearly having a ball. Their northern humour, accompanied by the live orchestra and fabulous costume and stage sets are sure to have you feeling brighter and full of hope as you strut out into the rainy streets.
Set to an original score of catchy pop tunes that will ‘blow the roof off the theatre’ (Mail on Sunday) by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae (Doctor Who). Choreographed by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince (Into The Woods, Some Like It Hip Hop, SYLVIA, Message In A Bottle). This ‘sparking coming-of-age musical’ (The Times) will have everybody talking about Jamie for years to come.
Darren Day said “It’s a wonderfully uplifting show filled with great music and humour and has a beautiful message at its heart. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
Following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, sold out UK & Ireland Tour and Amazon studios award-winning film, the show runs at New Theatre until 30th January. Watch the trailer here
This Christmas, families visiting the Official Residences of His Majesty The King in London, Windsor and Edinburgh can learn how the Tudors and the Victorians celebrated Christmas and enjoy festive carols beneath magnificent Christmas trees.
The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
This Christmas, children can enjoy a special storytelling performance bringing to life the tales and traditions of the festive season at the Tudor Court, while exploring the exhibition of Holbein’s works at The Queen’s Gallery. Two performers dressed as Tudor Londoners will give young visitors a glimpse into Tudor life as they prepare for the festive season. Children can find out what gifts were given and what food and drink was consumed at the Tudor Court, discovering how many Tudor Christmas celebrations form part of today’s traditional activities.
On selected dates, families can also join a Christmas activity day where they can make twinkling, miniature portrait decorations, inspired by the jewel-like miniatures in the exhibition; perfect as a gift or to hang on a Christmas tree.
A Tudor Christmas Storytelling experience takes place on a drop-in basis and lasts approximately 40 minutes.
(Saturday, 16 December, at 11:20, 12:20, 13:30, and 14:30). The Merry Miniatures: A Christmas activity day runs on a drop-in basis (Sunday, 17 December and Monday,18 December, 11:00 – 15:00).
Windsor Castle
Throughout the Christmas holidays, families can participate in craft activities and workshops exploring how the Victorians celebrated Christmas as well as enjoying the beautifully decorated Castle. This year’s displays include a magnificent 25-foot-high tree in St George’s Hall with sparkling Garter Star decorations.
Families can drop by the Castle’s Pug Yard Learning Centre where they can hear all about a Victorian Christmas and even make a special memento to take home, such as a tree decoration, a wreath or an angel, just as Victorian children may have made. They can also devise their own Christmas menu for Queen Victoria and her family to enjoy on Christmas Day or even dress up as an elegant Victorian stepping out on Christmas morning.
As they tour the Castle, children can take a Christmas family trail and then families can treat themselves to a festive menu at the Undercroft Café.
Throughout December, local school and community choirs will be performing a variety of festive songs and music under the impressive Christmas tree in St George’s Hall.
Activities run daily on a drop-in basis, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays
(Saturday, 16 December – Monday, 1 January, 10:00–15:00). The timings of choir performances vary from day to day.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
On a special Christmas activity day, families visiting The King’s official residence in Scotland can join special crafts activities and enjoy local choirs performing festive songs. Children can explore the Palace of Holyroodhouse and view the Christmas displays including a magnificently decorated Christmas tree in the wood-panelled Throne Room and a grand Christmas table display in the Royal Dining Room.
Taking inspiration from the decorations around the Palace and its beautiful 17th-century plaster ceilings, children can make their own clay decoration for their tree at home in the Palace’s Family Room. Many of the Christmas traditions that we know now were popularised by the Victorians and families can learn more as they try their hand at making a Victorian invention, the Christmas cracker.
By the light of the glittering Nordmann Fir Christmas tree, visitors can see the Great Gallery come to life as they enjoy festive performances by the Edinburgh University Renaissance Singers and the Colonies Choir.
Saturday, 16 December, 10:00–15:00. Choir performances at 11:00 and 14:00.
With 2023 coming to a close, it’s about time we started looking to next year and the fun we can have once the sun returns.
A surefire hit for music fans is Nocturne Festival with runs from 12th – 16th June at Blenheim Palace. The festival began in 2015 and has played host to music royalty over the years with the likes of Elton John, Kylie, Van Morrison, and Nile Rodgers gracing the stage over the years. With some of the headliners only recently announced we have to say we’re really excited about these shows..
Music legend and pop culture icon Chaka Khan will be performing on June 13th. The 10-time Grammy winner, who is touring in celebration of both her 70th birthday and 50th year in music, will be joined by disco legends Sister Sledge and party-starting funk group The Fatback Band.
Sugababes are one of the most successful British girl bands of all time with six number one singles, multiple platinum selling albums, and numerous awards to their name. Since reforming in 2022 with their original 1998 line up of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhan Donaghy, Sugababes have played at Glastonbury and performed live to over half a million fans.
Melanie C needs no introduction, surely. But just in case…she was in the Spice Girls and was known as the slightly less formal Sporty Spice, or Mel C. Melanie, is far fitting for the auspices of Blenheim Palace, isn’t it? As a solo artist she has over 3 million album sales, two number 1 singles, and six top 10 singles to her name.
Shaznay Lewis was in All Saints.
Sugababes are apparently jazzed to be taking part in this year’s festival, saying, “We are excited to be performing next year at the stunning setting of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. To get to play alongside our friends Mel and Shaznay is going to make the evening even more special.”
The third date to be announced features Crowded House, Sheryl Crow and Turin Brakes. This show, on 16th June, has all but sold out, with just a few VIP tickets remaining. So, if you have a quid knocking about and fancy a unique dining experience in the State Rooms of Blenheim Palace, followed by Crowded House, head to the Nocturne Live website. You may be required to rattle your jewellery during Weather With You.
The River & Rowing Museum in Henley has just celebrated its 25th anniversary and will be curating a host of events over the next 12 months. For now, it’s time to focus on more festive pursuits and there’s plenty of fun to be had over the next few weeks.
For those of you who fancy learning a new skill on 14th December there’s a Beaded Decorative Wreath Workshop – there will also be mulled wine, mince pies available.
*All days include a visit to Father Christmas and a gift!
All children must be accompanied by an adult (18+), free of charge. Activity charge is in addition to museum admission, but you do not need to visit the museum to access the activities.
Email: [email protected]to book your place. Spaces limited so don’t miss out!
Forget your cares and de-stress in the calm inviting studio space of the new Vayu Yoga in Guildford
December is a non-stop whirl of activity, going here and there, school and work functions to attend and all amid the joy/chaos that Christmas brings so never is there a greater need for some ‘time out’ to take a breather for yourself.
Step into Vayu Yoga above Black Sheep Coffee in North Street, Guildford, and you’ll be stepping into a haven of all that is tranquil. Peace exudes and you’ll feel a lifetime away from the crazy world outside.
The clean, warm, inviting interior will have you letting out an instant sigh of relief as you absorb the unique experience that awaits, inviting you to feel the benefits of moving your body and calming your mind.
The only independent yoga studio in Guildford, Vayu Yoga is run by Lucy Butler, a yoga teacher and Reiki master. Lucy wants to share her passion and love for yoga through her calm and welcoming studio space ‘where you can breathe deeply and energise your morning or release into your evening’.
Vayu Yoga embodies three core principles – philosophy, community and your wellbeing. The philosophy is to curate sessions in which you can experience the rich variety yoga has to offer. Community is at the heart of Vayu Yoga with the emphasis on offering an accessible approach to yoga for everyone from beginners to those more experienced. Your wellbeing and self awareness will increase through the practice with a calm mind and healthy body helping to add to the feeling of overall contentment.
Lucy says: “We’ve created a beautiful environment with the best teachers in the area, where you will receive individual attention and guidance. We offer an experience, a step away from the stresses and strains of daily life, where you can focus on an hour of ‘you’ time from beginners to advanced practitioners.
“We also offer a range of intimate workshops for a longer immersive experience. A luxurious experience like no other studio, a clean beautifully scented space where you can relax and enjoy our tranquil atmosphere.”
A range of classes is available including hot vinyasa, Hatha, mindful flow, and the popular candlelight restorative as well as the relaxing Yin. One-to-one private sessions and small groups sessions, can also be enjoyed, alongside Reiki.
Stacey Black, founder of Wandering Wild Yoga, East Meon, has tips for staying relaxed over the festive period and tells us more about her new yoga walks and classes
As a busy mum of three, I understand how making space for self-care is hard especially over the festive season. But spending just 10 minutes a day practising these three simple techniques could make all the difference.
Gratitude Journal: Start your day by jotting down three things you are grateful for.
Mindful Breathing: Sit in a comfortable position with your spine long, close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath. Start to observe your breath, watching the subtle movements as you inhale and exhale, notice the qualities of your breath, does your breath feel slow or quick, does it feel smooth or jagged, notice how the ribs expand on the inhale and contract back with the exhale.
After a few rounds, gently start to deepen and lengthen your breath, engaging your diaphragm and using your lungs more fully. Sit for a few minutes breathing this way, letting your exhale be slightly longer than your inhale, this helps calm the body and nervous system.
Yoga Pose: Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani): Lying with your legs up the wall makes a difference to your mental and physical health. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system by slowing the breath and letting the body know it is safe to relax. It also relieves aching muscles and joints whilst also supporting your lymphatic and glymphatic system.
Set a timer between 5 and 20 minutes. To go into the posture, sit sideways on to the wall, manoeuvre yourself around so that your back is on the floor and your legs are up the wall. Once in position focus on your breath, take slow deep breath (as detailed above). When you are ready to come out cuddle your knees to your chest and roll on to one side.
Please note: this posture is not suitable during pregnancy, if you suffer from glaucoma or have untreated high blood pressure.
Make yoga a New Year resolution
Yoga is a transformational practice and benefits the mind, body and spirit. My journey began with a local yoga class, it was then I decided that I wanted to share this ancient practice with others.
I have now been teaching for 12 years and offer a range of classes including hatha yoga, chair yoga, restorative yoga, Mindful Wanders (outdoor yoga combined with mindful walking) and sound baths. My plan for 2024 is to focus on Yoga for Cancer with holistic yoga programmes for individuals and groups.
For more information about my classes please click here.
Wandering Wild Yoga is offering a free taster session for two people in 2024. To win this experience click here.
Enjoy the magic of Christmas with friends and family this December in Bordon
Visit The Shed this December for a Shed load of festive fun! Bring your friends and family and enjoy the magic of Christmas and embrace the holiday spirit with our enchanting festivities. From seasonal arts and crafts to live music, a dazzling Christmas market, and cosy drive-in cinema screenings, The Shed has got it all!
Christmas markets
From Friday 15th to Sunday 17th December, The Shed’s seasonal Christmas Market is back for its third year, and this year it’s even bigger than ever. With traders opening for the Friday afternoon and across the weekend, there’ll be hot food and drinks as well as local crafts and gifts available for everyone.
Music will be from local choirs, entertainment from the Phoenix Players and Shed favourite Stephanie Belle, plus much more.
Friday 15th, 4 to 8pm – It’s a chilled evening with lots of grown up things to delight.
Saturday 16th, 12 to 8pm – A family-orientated day with loads of fun, a nativity farm with real animals including special donkey story-time sessions throughout the day.
Sunday 17th, 10 to 2pm – An ideal day out for all the family with lots of great stalls and festive music.
On Saturday 16th don’t miss the chance to ride the reindeer bucking bronco, don your Christmas hat, put down the mulled wine and see how long you can hold on for!
Festive films
‘Tis the Season for Magical Movie Nights at Ticket Cinema. Get ready to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with a heart-warming selection of Christmas classics including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, Polar Express and Home Alone 2 under the starry night sky. Join them throughout December for a cinematic celebration of the Christmas spirit, with screenings twice a day on the 20th, 21st and 22nd you’ll have lots of opportunities to catch your favourite holiday films. Don’t miss out on this chance to make enduring traditions and create unforgettable moments with the family.
Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company is looking forward to welcoming you to these Christmas events this December, as well as providing a central community hub where people of all ages can meet up to enjoy activities across the festive period.
1st December 7-9pm: Christmas Wreath Workshop
15th December 4-8pm: Christmas Market
16th December 12-8pm: Christmas Market
17th December 10am-2pm: Christmas Market
20th December 3:30-5:30pm: How the Grinch Stole Christmas @ Ticket Cinema
20th December 7-9pm: Elf @ Ticket Cinema
21st December 3:30-5:30pm: Home Alone 2 @ Ticket Cinema
21st December 7-9pm: Last Christmas @ Ticket Cinema
22nd December 3:30-5:30pm: The Polar Express @ Ticket Cinema
Liz Nicholls chats to Clarkson’s Farm star & dad Kaleb Cooper, 25, whose book Britain According To Kaleb is out now and whose UK theatre tour starts in January
Q. Nice to see you, Kaleb, where are you now? “Well, as you can see I’m currently in a field. I’ve just jumped off the tractor to speak with you because we’re muckspreading just over there, then you don’t have to heart the tractor buzzing away! I do apologise if you can hear a load of beeping. It’s a busy time of year; we’re doing about 114 hours a week – it’s pretty busy, and doing the other jobs that get missed out during the harvest time.”
Q. How do you keep your energy up? “I think I run on adrenaline. I love doing what I do so it’s never hard to stay out all night or all day, not having a lunch break. I have a dream and I’m going to get to that dream eventually. It’s pushing me to that place. In the back of my head I always say to myself: dreams don’t work unless you do. My dream is to own my own farm. I’d love to get to the point where I can wake up in the morning with my little kids and walk out on to my own farm and say: in that field over there, I’m going to plant wheat in it because I want to, not because anyone else told me to… And that’s the dream!”
Q. Would you like your kids to go into farming? “I’ve got a little boy and a little girl now and I would love them to take it ever but I would never push anyone to do anything they wouldn’t want to do. If they decide they don’t want to do farming but try their luck as a hot-shot lawyer in London, then great… I just hope they know that I’ll never, ever visit!”
Q. You love where you live don’t you? “I love it. Chipping Norton for me is the most amazing place in the world and I’ve always said that. I just hope everyone wakes up in the morning like I do & feels ‘I’m home’. This is my home, this is where I’m going to spend the rest of my life, I hope. If a farm comes up & it’s not too expensive and I can stay close to home, I’ll be happy.”
Q. You’re going to be on the road soon, though… are you nervous? “It’s been work hard, play hard all summer, and I’ve just sat down and thought **** me, I’m going on tour soon, I can’t wait for this. It starts on the 25th January and we’re going everywhere. I am a little bit nervous about it, though, yes, but I hope everyone will be really welcoming and if I get a nosebleed on stage just know it’s normal and it will go away. I don’t like crowds and I think everyone knows I don’t like being touched so I think everyone respects that. It’s a miracle I’ve got two kids!”
Q. What hairdo are you going to go for? “I think I’ve got to bring the perm back don’t you? I miss the curly. This year has been so stressful for me – look at my forehead [lifts fringe] – it’s just growing! I hope it will all be ok.”
Q. How’s Gerald? “Yeah Gerald’s really good – he’s got the mullet still! I would never ever get one, because I’ve got the king of mullets standing by my side. I can’t compete!”
Q. One of the things that endeared you to the nation was how blunt you have always been to Jeremy Clarkson and how you were unfussed by ‘celebrity’. Do you and Jeremy get on in real life? “Yeah. I’ve taught him a little bit of farming; it could me more but he doesn’t listen to me. He’s got a little knowledge and that’s dangerous! But I always say this for him: he’s taught me about the world of television and he’s the most amazing man for that because that man is a TV star, he knows what he’s doing in that world. We do quite a bit together – we go to the pub. If we’ve had an argument the day before we might not see each other for two days. We argue – I don’t think that’s ever going to change! But at the end of the day, I’m right and he’s wrong every time so…”
Q. Apart from the hair, have you changed? “People say I’m a celebrity now, well I’m not! I’m out here in the middle of a field, I don’t believe in celebrity format and I’m no different! People freeze up when they see someone famous but when I see a celebrity I just tell them the truth, which is how I was with Jeremy. I’m a chatty guy, I chat to everyone. I still drive my old beaten-up truck and people are lovely & chatty with me. Nothing’s changed!”
Q. You said you didn’t own any books, and that you hadn’t really read one, so how have you now written two?! “I don’t read books, own books… but I have got a book shelf now and it’s building up slowly – I’ve got The World According to Kaleb on it and now I’ve even got [new book] Britain According to Kaleb, and one of Jeremy’s too! I was a bit nervous about writing a book but I’ve got a recorder I keep in the tractor and as I’m going along doing my jobs, I record what I’ve got to say which is a win-win situation. Then, on a rainy day I can write it all up. There’s been a bit more googling for this book, Britain According To Kaleb, so I apologise if my tractor lines are a bit wonky next spring! I was finding out about different places across the country. Scotland, for example, is a phenomenal place. I thought, ooh, I can go on tour and see all these places and see what farming’s all about around Britain, not just here.”
“Dreams don’t work unless you do”
Kaleb Cooper
Q. Any local traditions you love? “Before I got too busy I used to go to the duck racing… Even though my duck lost I was still smiling at the end of the day and happy for the person who won. And that to me is how you sum up these events – it’s the community coming together and being really happy to all be there together. I’m a bit scared to try the wife-carrying – not because carrying my missus will be hard, but more because I know that if we lose, I’m going to get a b******ing when I get home! My other half is very competitive, you see. I can carry hay bales all day long but when you’re carrying someone precious to you it’s quite scary.”
Q. Can you tell us about your love of cider? “Yes, I don’t drink beer so I drink cider. I don’t yet own a farm but I know where loads and loads of apples are which go to waste every year so I thought why don’t I just pick them up and make my own cider? That’s what I do and I’m very grateful that Henry Weston takes the apples in and I can go with 50kg or 3kg in a bag and they still take it and we make some incredible cider. It’s a very dangerous drink!”
Q. You recently launched an agricultural bursary through the Royal Agricultural University which is great. What would you do to help young farmers? “Thank you, I’m trying to use my influence with young farmers’ groups, bursaries and help like that. But, I’m going to say it again: remember dreams don’t work unless you do. Young people who remember this will fly through the industry and do better than I am!”
Q. Do you still love to sing? “Haha! Stick me in a tractor and I just sing – I can’t help it. Jeremy took me to a concert the other day with The Who and I’ll always love The Wurzels!”
+ Britain According to Kaleb, The Wonderful World of Country Life, by Kaleb, is out now in hardback, ebook & audio. His theatre tour starts on 25th January and includes dates at Reading Hexagon on 25th February & G Live Guildford on 28th February. Book your tickets at Kaleblive.com
