Becky Unthank, left, Rachel Unthank and Niopha Keegan in harmony at All Saints Church, Pocklington. All pictures: Paul Rhodes
SHOWING no signs of slowing, this tour marks 20 years in showbusiness for the Unthanks. Mercifully, these North Easterners are the perfect antidote to the shallow and throwaway nature of much of what’s spun out for popular entertainment.
All Saints Church in Pocklington is an ideal intimate venue for them. All 200 seats sold out quickly, and the welcome and sound were both warm and inviting.
The Unthanks have been prolific, with a range of releases including lots of diversions to cover the works of others. It made for a really varied evening, with 19 tunes drawn from all corners of their repertoire.
The Unthanks’ musical director, Adrian McNally
The opening salvo of John Dead, On A Monday Morning and What Can A Song Do To You encapsulated this. The last of the three was a cover of Molly Drake’s home recordings (their last recorded diversion). Molly was the mother ofsinger-songwriter Nick Drake and an enormous musical influence on her son who took her inner journeys and piano tunings and made them darker, more abstract and universal.
With all its twists, the set was still steeped in the darkness that we have come to expect from the Unthanks. Their voices conjured a devastating account of The Trimdon Grange Explosion and it was a rare treat to hear Keen And Cry And Weep from the sisters’ musical score to the play Elmet (adapted and directed by Javaad Alipoor from York writer Fiona Mozley’s novel and performed at The Loading Bay, Bradford, as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture).
The Unthanks are one of many, many folk groups, so why are they so beloved? It’s partly their natural North Eastern authenticity (not weakened a jot by adding London Irish Niopha Keegan, who sang and played fiddle).
The Unthanks’ set list for their November 22 concert at All Saints Church, Pocklington
There’s definitely their canny knack of choosing and arranging songs, and their sharp ears for a good story that can last. Most of all, however, it really comes down to the voices and our love of siblings harmony. Becky and Rachel really know how to make the most of what nature has given them.
The goose bump moments also happen when, rarely, all four sing together, bringing in musical director Adrian McNally’s voice at the low end. A grand example was King Of Rome, majestic in its new brass-less arrangement, which brought the second set to life after a less than diverting start.
Twenty years not out, and comparative striplings still, we can hopefully look forward to many more evenings in the Unthanks’ fine company.
The Unthanks performing under the lights at All Saints Church, Pocklington
Jared More and Katie Coen in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
RIDING Lights Theatre Company launches its 2025 festive show, Christmas Inn Trouble, at St Peter’s Church, Malton, today at 5pm.
Billed as “a magical new twist on the Nativity”, the York Christian theatre practitioners’ follow-up to last winter’s A Christmas Cracker is written by Rachel Price and directed by artistic director Paul Birch.
Set to bring Yuletide joy to families in Yorkshire and beyond, Christmas Inn Trouble promises to “turn the traditional tale on its head”.
Bother aplenty is afflicting The Bethlehem Inn and Spa, where taps are leaking, the rats are squeaking and the rooms are fit to burst. So many guests have arrived that parking your camel is impossible and, if things were not bad enough already, a rascally Roman soldier has come to make sure everything is above board.
Management problems for Jared More in Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
“Join Riding Lights as we bring a Christmas comedy filled with silly shepherds, some very (un)wise men and a young family who have no idea what they have let themselves in for,” says says Oliver Brown, Riding Lights’ executive director and co-chief executive officer.
“Christmas Inn Trouble is a fast and friendly festive farce and the perfect way to start your holiday cheer! It’s a funny slapstick comedy perfect for telling the story of the Nativity to primary-school aged children and their families.”
Riding Lights is one of Great Britain’s most productive and long-established independent theatre companies. Founded in York in 1977, the company continues to take innovative, accessible theatre into all kinds of communities far and wide.
Katie Coen’s shepherd in Rachel Price’s play Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
“Our aim is to make theatre make a difference by creating unforgettable, entertaining theatre in response to current issues and the hopes and fears of the world we share,” says Oliver.
Christmas Inn Trouble will be performed by a cast of Jared More and Katie Coen, with set and costume design by Caitlin Mawhinney and compositions and sound design by Patrick Burbridge.
The tour will take in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria; Mold, North Wales; Bulwell, Nottinghamshire; Lliswerry, South Wales; Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Chiswick, West London; Hadleigh, Colchester and South Benfleet, all Essex; St Albans, Hertfordshire, and, closer to home, The Galtres Centre, Easingwold, concluding the travelling itinerary on December 13 at 2pm.
Behind you! Donkey brings a smile to Katie Coen’s (Un)wise Man in Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
On the home front, Christmas Inn Trouble will play Riding Lights’ headquarters, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, on December 20, 1.30pm and 4pm, then December 21 to 24, 11am, 1.30pm and 4pm.
“We are so excited to bring this fantastically fun and joyful show to the Friargate Theatre this festive season,” says Oliver. “It’s jam packed with puppets, magic, song and story, bringing you the Nativity like you’ve never seen it before!”
Riding Lights prides itself on offering “affordable and accessible arts experiences to everyone”, so tickets for Christmas Inn Trouble are priced accordingly at £12.50 each or £40 for four people.
Christmas at The Bar Convent. Illustration by Nick Ellwood
CHRISTMAS At The Convent is running at The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, Blossom Street, York, until December 22.
In the convent exhibition visitors can uncover fascinating festive traditions through the centuries in a family-friendly activity trail.
Sister Ann Stafford says: “This year we are excited to launch a brand-new Christmas activity trail through the exhibition, which combines the history of the convent and the season of Advent.
Bar Convent marketing manager Lauren Mableson in the Georgian Parlour. Picture: courtesy of The Bar Convent
“Families can enjoy finding clues, making decorations, dressing up, discovering traditions from Christmas past and much more! This will include a traditional crib scene in the chapel, and the opportunity to pause and reflect in this busy world.”
The Christmas season is a chance to be immersed in the beautiful surroundings of Great Britain’s oldest living convent and one of York’s most significant heritage houses.
Sister Ann says: “Christmas is a very special time where we celebrate the birth of Christ here at the convent and it fills us with joy to see our house aglow with festive decorations.
The Georgian Parlour at The Bar Convent. Picture: Kieran Paul
“It is a wonderful place for family and friends to gather; whether this is for a traditional lunch, a staff celebration, to explore our exhibition or simply to take in the warming atmosphere, for which we are renowned.”
Bar Convent visitors can enjoy a warming Christmas lunch in the cafe, discover the Georgian Parlour, dressed in seasonal splendour, and find a peaceful sanctuary in the hidden chapel.
The Christmas trail is included in the exhibition, open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, last admission at 4pm. Booking is required for Christmas lunches at https://barconvent.co.uk/cafe/. Visit the website for more details on Christmas At The Convent at barconvent.co.uk.
Having a ball at A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
FAIRFAX House’s much-loved Christmas display returns for 2025 with a new theme of A Christmas Mousequerade, combining more mousechief than ever before in the “ultimate 18th century house party”.
A multitude of mice is dressed in hand-crafted and exquisitely miniature Georgian finery, custom made by Fairfax House volunteers, as you step into the glittering world of Georgian York and join the Fairfax family as they prepare for the most spectacular ball of the season.
Wandering through the house, you will find all manner of Georgian amusements brought to life: the excitement of the boxing ring, the bustle of a gambling den, classic Christmas parlour games, and a ballroom dressed for a truly grand occasion. You will discover fabulous examples of Georgian fashion throughout, offering a glimpse into 18th-century style.
Enjoying the party at A Christmas Mousequerade at Castle Howard. Picture: Christopher John Photography
As Ann Fairfax and the Viscount prepare to welcome their distinguished guests, keep your eyes peeled for the Townmice, who are determined to not miss out on the celebrations and may even cause a little festive mayhem along the way.
Suited to all ages, A Christmas Mousequerade offers an enchanting experience for families this festive season. Children will delight in spotting the mice in their elegant ballgowns and playful poses, while adults can revel in the beauty of Georgian Christmas traditions brought vividly to life.
Curator Dr Sarah Burnage says: “We absolutely love this time of year when the house is dressed for a Georgian Christmas and over-run with our mischievous mice.
Masking up at A Christmas Mousequerade
“It’s always a pleasure to imagine how the Fairfaxes might have celebrated Christmas over 250 years ago, especially when hosting such a big party. We really hope visitors enjoy what we’ve created this year; we’ve certainly enjoyed creating it.”
In addition, as a special seasonal highlight, visitors can experience A Christmas Mousequerade by candlelight on three magical evenings, December 17, 19 and 22, 5pm to 7pm.
A tall order for a mouse jockey, taking a giraffe for a ride in A Christmas Mousequerade
Last Christmas, more than 1,000 hand-crafted mice were sold during the exhibition run; this time, 2,000 have been ordered for sale in the shop.
Fairfax House, run by York Civic Trust, has been awarded the 2025 Historic Houses Collections Award, a prestigious annual award introduced in 2022 to honour the owners, curators and conservators who preserve, restore and interpret the beautiful and significant objects on show inside historic houses, enabling the public to understand and enjoy them and the stories that they tell.
A mouse making off with the cheese at A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
A mouse working out on the weights in A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
“We are deeply honoured to receive this award and thrilled that the creativity and dedication of the Fairfax team has been recognised,” says Dr Burnage.
“This award will make a meaningful contribution to the development of our ongoing work, and we are immensely grateful to the judges, Historic Houses, and sponsors Dreweatts for this generous acknowledgement.”
Fairfax House came out on top of a competitive shortlist, including Burton Constable Hall & Parkland, in Yorkshire, Browsholme Hall, in Lancashire, Chawton House, in Hampshire, and Scone Palace in Perthshire, all featured in standalone episodes of the Country House Podcast, hosted by judging panel member Geoffrey Heath-Taylor.
Fairfax House: back story
Fairfax House, 2025 Historic Houses Collections Award winner, looking resplendent for A Christmas Mousequerade. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
ONE of England’s finest Georgian townhouses, located at No. 27, Castlegate, York, near Clifford’s Tower and York Castle Museum.
Restored beautifully to showcase its exceptional architecture, period interiors and world-class collection of 18th-century furniture and decorative arts.
Offers immersive experience of Georgian life through its exhibitions, events and carefully preserved historic rooms. Run by York Civic Trust, chaired by Dr Delma Tomlin.
CharlesHutchPress entering into the spirit of dressing up at A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
Jonny Owen and Vicky McClure: Two of the co-founders of the Day Fever daytime dancing phenomenon that hits York Barbican tomorrow
LET Line Of Duty and Trigger Point star Vicky McClure introduce Day Fever, tomorrow’s disco-dancing destination of choice at York Barbican from 3pm to 8pm. Yes, you read that right, 3pm to 8pm.
“It feels like a massive house party at your nan’s. No drama, no egos, just people acting daft, getting dressed up, and having the best time,” says Nottingham actress Vicky, who launched this daytime clubbing phenomenon with filmmaker and broadcaster husband Jonny Owen, Reverend & The Makers frontman Jon McClure (no relation), his brother Chris McClure and Sheffield businessman James O’Hara at Christmas 2023.
From its debut in the Sheffield City Hall Ballroom to a nationwide tour that sees thousands hit the dancefloor each month, the message remains the same: people everywhere are craving a space to let loose, laugh and dance, all before 8pm
“It started as a WhatsApp idea,” says Jon McClure. “Jonny [Owen] just said, ‘A daytime disco, how good would that be?’ We’re all a bit nuts, so we just said, ‘Come on then’!”
What began as a spark of an idea among friends has turned into a full-blown national movement, and after a record-breaking September, the good times are rolling into November before the team turns up the tinsel for a Christmas takeover when Day Fever will transform into Sleigh Fever.
Should you feel that your clubbing days are behind you, think again with Day Fever. No dress code, no pressure, and the hangover is optional; just wall-to-wall feel-good tunes and an open invitation to dance like nobody’s watching.
Looking forward to this weekend, Jonny says: “It’s our first one ever in York. It’s been a city that we’ve been looking to come to for quite a long time. Jim (O’Hara), our business partner on this, has worked hard to make it happen. He was a big fan of coming to York. He said it’s a great city to go for a day out and a night out.
“Obviously a famous tourist city too; I’ve been there myself, so the idea was to take it to York and the ticket sales have been fantastic, so it was the right decision.”
Jonny partly puts Day Fever’s popularity down to Vicky’s impact. “She has an amazing following, because of her acting and the work she does with the Dementia Choir, so Vicky’s brought a lot to it and people trust her. It’s just something that’s really connected,” he says.
“There are a myriad of reasons, I think, why people really enjoy it, from people wanting to go out earlier in the day, if they’re a bit older, to the fact that you’re going out dancing and socialising and listening to great music, but I do think at the very apex of it all is definitely Vicky and her connection with people. Her mantra is always that music is medicine.”
Vicky says: “When we started, it was addressed to people over 30 but we very quickly scrapped that. People came and they came with their families, mothers and daughters and aunties and nieces. The thing is, the hits are still the hits today. Motown or disco, those kind of tracks, they’re known across the world as songs that will never die.
“Then we’ve got a great Nineties’ section as well, which hits a slightly younger audience, so from my nephew, who’s 18, to people in their late-80s; it really is for everybody.”
From Nottingham to Newcastle, Glasgow to York today, every Day Fever event has its own flavour. Local DJs who know their crowds keep the energy high with a nostalgic mix of Northern Soul, disco, indie and Nineties’ classics. “If Vicky’s there, we have to play Whitney, it’s non-negotiable!” says Jon.
“With our DJs, it sounds like a football team,” says Jonny. “We’ve got a stable of people who are very good and they do tend to be more localised; often we use local presenters…people who are very experienced, who know how to speak to a crowd, play the right music.
“We encourage people to come up on stage and dance, a bit like the old days on Top Of The Pops used to be, right in the centre of it. We know that these events are going to go off brilliantly if people play the right stuff.”
What you wear is all part of the fun. “What I love about Day Fever is that some people will get absolutely dressed up to the nines,” says Vicky. “Some people will do fancy dress; somebody came to Day Fever in London not so long ago in an inflatable giraffe! They got in without any bother!
“Basically, it’s not really got a dress code, and I think people love having the option of not being forced into feeling you’ve got to be dressed up. I always wear trainers, and I wanna dance, and I can’t dance in heels. So it’s joggers, a T-shirt, some trainers. I’m super-comfy.
“I don’t care if I look silly or people are taking pictures. I get lost in the music – and it’s not just me, it’s everybody getting lost in it.”
From December, Day Fever will don its festive finery for its rebrand as Sleigh Fever, a run of special Christmas editions that promise all the usual joy, dancing and daftness, sprinkled with extra sparkle, singalongs and seasonal surprises.
Expect glitter, Santa hats, Mariah moments, and maybe even a mince pie or two on the dancefloor. As Jon puts it: “It’s like a wedding party where everyone actually wants to be there, only this time, Santa’s invited too.”
Day Fever, York Barbican, tomorrow (22/11/2025), 3pm to 8pm. Box office: https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/day-fever/
A Winter Adventure: Receiving a frosty reception, but in a good way at JORVIK Viking Centre
SNOW outside, and now snow inside too, as Norse god Skadi brings snow and ice to AD960 Coppergate at the JORVIK Viking Centre, where sub-zero temperatures are forecast to take up residence until February 22 2026, the official end of the Viking winter.
A Winter Adventure brings a new wintery experience to the underground York visitor attraction, where the 10th century Vikings are preparing to celebrate Yule with natural decorations hung on their houses, mirroring modern York’s preparations for the festive season.
JORVIK Viking Centre is run by York Archaeology, whose director of public engagement, Gareth Henry, has directed this year’s displays and technological innovations.
“We changed the season inside JORVIK for the very first time last winter, and the public’s reception was amazing. Everyone loved seeing the 10th century inhabitants of Viking-age York coping with a cold winter, so we’ve brought it back for this winter season – and added more changes too” says Gareth.
“This year, our Ljósálfar – Norse elves – have a few more tricks up their sleeves to make the whole JORVIK experience even more immersive as we introduce a brand-new ‘wow’ to the experience.
“For the first time ever, visitors will be able to peer through a time portal, into the blacksmith’s house that we excavated on this site in the 1970s, seeing what it would have been like to live there, even before they get on board a time sleigh to travel back in time for themselves.”
Festive chat at A Winter Wonderland at JORVIK Viking Centre
York company Bright White’s new interactive Time Portal now opens the visit to JORVIK, once visitors have descended to stand at 10th century street level. This introductory show, using the most up-to-date time vortex technology, provides a window to the city populated by Nordic settlers 1,000 years earlier.
The portal takes visitors to the Viking-age dwelling on display under the glass floor beneath their feet when it was still the home and workshop of a 10th century blacksmith.
Visitors then alight a Time Sleigh for a tour around the backstreets, transformed into a winter wonderland by Wetherby set dressers EPH Creative, who have covered streets and houses in a thick blanket of snow. Cold blue lighting adds an extra frisson of excitement, as mist rolls in off the river and onto the quayside.
The Viking-age residents are wearing their extra-warm woollen cloaks and knitted hats, while the produce on the market stalls on Coppergate now offers winter fare for the residents’ stew pots.
“Once off the ride, visitors can warm themselves by the fare in our storytelling Skald’s house, to hear about how the hardy Vikings survived in the winter months, and hear sagas and tales of Yuletides past,” says Gareth.
In the cutting-edge upgrade to JORVIK’s existing time travelling technology, “time engineers” Bright White have worked with the JORVIK team since March to create the virtual world to be seen behind the interactive temporal portal, making the buildings and interiors of Viking-age Coppergate as authentic as possible.
No end to winter conditions at JORVIK Viking Centre until February 22
Research and development was conducted in the R&D lab at the Guildhall, in tandem with York company XR Stories, inviting schools and families to give feedback, complemented by the training of the JORVIK actors by Gordon Meredith that enables each live interpreter to bring their own interpretation to the Skald storytelling.
“Everything you hear and see at the Time Portal comes through our collaboration with the JORVIK Viking Centre team and York Archaeology,” says Bright White founding director Chris Walker.
“This is the first time we have worked with the trust [York Archaeology], but we have created other very popular attractions, such as Yorkshire’s Jurassic World at the Yorkshire Museum, which also uses XR [Extended Reality], combining Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.”
Pre-booking is essential for all visits to JORVIK at jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk. Tickets cost £17.50 for adults, £14, students, £12, children or £49 for a family ticket (two adults and two children) or £56 (two adults and three children), with under–fives admitted free of charge.
Tickets are valid for unlimited repeat visits for a whole year, enabling visitors to enjoy A Winter Adventure as well as a more conventional visit when the JORVIK snow melts away in late-February.
“This is a brilliant add-on for anyone visiting York for the Christmas markets, providing a winter wonderland experience to boost the Christmas spirit – and, of course, we also have a great range of wines and spirits, as well as unusual jewellery and drinking horns, that make perfect gifts,” says York Archaeology head of operations, Mark Jackson. “It’s also a brilliant option for children celebrating birthdays – a great treat for them and a group of friends.”
Keep an eye on what will be happening at JORVIK Viking Festival 2026
As ever, the 2026 Jorvik Viking Festival will mark the traditional end of winter, running from February 16 to 22 in the latest Viking invasion 1160 years after they first arrived.
For seven days, Norse influence will be spread across the city centre as Viking enthusiasts from around the country and beyond descend on York for Europe’s largest Viking Festival. Around 500 Viking re-enactors are expected to help welcome as many as 50,000 residents and visitors for living history, crafts and combat within the city walls.
“Funded by York Archaeology, JORVIK Viking Festival has become one of the anchor events in York’s tourism calendar, bringing in the crowds during what would previously have been a very quiet time for the city,” says Mark Jackson.
“We will be celebrating the end of winter with our traditional blend of February feasting and fighting – and invite everyone to come along to join us.”
Mark continues: “We know that there is always high demand when we release tickets, especially for events like the Feast, which make brilliant Christmas presents, so we’ll be releasing tickets for different events at different times over the coming weeks.
“Of course, there are a host of events at the heart of the festival – including a large Viking encampment in Parliament Street and the traditional March to Coppergate – which are entirely free to attend with no tickets required. But be sure to mark the date in your diary!”
For more details of JORVIK Viking Festival 2026, visit jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk. Please note, A Winter Wonderland was sold out for the 2025 festival week, so festival visitors are advised to book early for A Winter Adventure to avoid disappointment.
COPPERGATE takes its name from being the Viking street of cup makers.
Green Father Christmas on the Victorian street of Kirkgate at York Castle Museum. Picture: History Riot
In Focus: A Very Yorkshire Christmas at York Castle Museum, York, until January 4
YORK Castle Museum is brimful of festivity after opening its festive season, A Very Yorkshire Christmas, on November 15 with an invitation to “embrace the .
Inspired by Yorkshire Christmases through the ages, this year the museum celebrates Christmas from the 17th century to the 1980s, with period decorations and a packed programme of live performances, music and cookery demonstrations in the Castle Kitchen for all to enjoy.
Snowy scenes and festive delights await on Kirkgate, the famous Victorian street now lined with sweet-scented fir trees. Take a photo in the Kirkgate sleigh and take home a memory of 19th century Christmas.
Experience a Victorian Christmas with authentic decorations and live performances of traditional carols every Monday. Browse the shop windows to find a range of Victorian Christmas objects from the York Castle Museum collection. Play Victorian parlour games, such as the Grandmother’s Trunk memory game.
Beautifully decorated trees and twinkling garlands accompany the layer of snow on the cobblestones, transporting visitors to a Christmas reminiscent of Dickensian England.
The poster for A Very Yorkshire Christmas at York Castle Museum
Championing the ancient winter festival of the “Riding of the Yules” and carrying a leg of lamb spiced with rosemary, a tambourine and a bell, Green Father Christmas will be wandering the street on Saturdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until Christmas Ever, topped up with an additional appearance on Tuesday, December 23.
Green Father Christmas will be delighting visitors with Victorian games, songs and tales of winter feasts and traditions, climaxing with the Dance of Spring.
“I’ve been through plenty of names,” says Green Father Christmas. “I started out as Nicholas, Bishop Nicholas in the 4th century, Saint Nicholas, Sir Christmas, now Father Christmas. In 1616, Ben Jonson called me Old Christmas. I consider the Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to be me!”
The Ran Tanners and Paul the Historical Musician return for the much-loved Sunday Sounds. Throughout November and December, Sundays feature festive tunes played on traditional instruments throughout the museum.
Peer into the period rooms to see how some homes in the 17th and 18th centuries were decorated for Christmas. You might see familiar seasonal favourites in the 1940s’ and 1980s’ kitchens.
Chris Cade’s Scrooge on Kirkgate. Picture: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions
Storycraft Theatre’s Jane Bruce, left, and Cassie Vallance: Performing interactive stories of Ralf the Robin at York Castle Museum
Visit the Castle Kitchen on Thursdays and Saturdays until December 20 for live baking demonstrations of historic Tudor and Georgian mince pie recipes, the former made with meat, mace and cloves, the latter with almonds, rosewater, apple, prunes and currants. There will often be samples to try and recipe cards to take home.
The Sixties Street features festive decor, most notably tinsel trees, toys and Christmas songs straight from the 1960s.
In Kirkgate, Chris Cade’s Scrooge returns for one-man performances of A Christmas Carol, running on Fridays from today to December 12. His much-loved nighttime performance, An Evening With Ebenezer Scrooge, returns on Wednesday, December 10, with mulled wine and mince pies, complemented by musical accompaniment from the Ran Tanners.
In a new event for 2025, Ghost Stories for Christmas, by Edwrydian Tales, takes place on Sunday, December 14 at 7pm. This event takes visitors back to traditional practices of passing long winter nights in front of the fire sharing stories of the supernatural.
A range of activities will be taking place throughout the winter, for adults and children alike. Storycraft Theatre’s Cassie Vallance and Jane Bruce will be at the museum on Tuesdays to present interactive stories featuring Ralf the Robin and his puppet friends.
Christmas on Kirkgate at York Castle Museum. Picture: Anthony Chappel Ross
This magical storytelling experience is suitable for little ones, with 20-minute performances running three times a day until Tuesday, December 16. On Saturday, December 20, Thin Ice Press will be hosting a drop-in card making session. Visit between 10.30am and 3.30pm to design and print your own Christmas cards, inspired by the Victorian cards on display.
For more luxurious seasonal crafting, guided workshops are available for adults. Join Mandy on Saturday, November 22 or Wednesday, December 10 for wreath making, either for your door or as a beautiful centrepiece for your table.
Try your hand at lino printing and create your own Christmas cards and decorations. Led by artist Becky Long-Smith, the Christmas card workshop will take place on the Saturday, November 29 and decorations on Friday, December 12.
Saturday, December 6 provides the chance to make your own Christmas crackers, complete with printed jokes and a small gift, ideal for adding a handmade touch to your holiday table.
Have a go at bauble marbling on Saturday, December 13. Create beautiful patterns and take home a set of colourful decorations for your tree.
Bespoke Green Father Christmas hanging decoration at York Castle Museum. Picture: Anthony Chappel Ross
Materials and refreshments will be provided for these craft workshops. Head to the website for more details and to book your place on these Christmas workshops.
In the gift shop, look out for the bespoke Green Father Christmas bauble, designed especially for York Castle Museum.
For a full list of activities, head to yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk. Times for individual workshops and performances will be advertised online or at the museum on the day.
As a charity, all general admission and workshop tickets help York Museums Trust to care for its significant and varied collections and buildings.
Christmas at York Castle Museum: A Very Yorkshire Christmas runs until January 4 2026. For a full list of daily activities, seasonal workshops and events, as well as opening times and tickets, visit www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk.Open Mondays, 11am to 5pm; Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm.
Edwyrdian Tales to present Ghost Stories for Christmas at York Castle Museum
Edwyrdian Tales storyteller Matthew Wood
MATTHEW Wood, Edwyrdian Tales’ purveyor of particularly Victorian/Edwardian gothic, ghostly, spooky horror tales in the flesh and online, presents Ghost Stories for Christmas at York Castle Museum on December 14 from 7pm.
Frances Marshall, who runs historical researchers and performers History Riot, says of Wood: “He’s one of our freelance actors, who started his online storytelling in the 2020 Covid lockdown and now operates his Edwyrdian Tales company.
“He came to Barley Hall last year and this year I encouraged him to try York Castle Museum. His show really is something people will love at this time of year and Matt’s style is brilliant. It’s a bit like M. R. James and indeed uses a lot of his material.”
Edwyrdian Tales’ evening of haunting ghost stories set during Christmastide will feature bone-chilling tales from classic authors of the age, not only by James but by Marjorie Bowen too in a 90-minute performance designed to conjure the spirits of Christmas.
“With the world of Victorian horror to go at, Matt’s round-the-country tours could be a part of his life for many years, so while there’s only one performance in York in 2025, I suspect he will be back,” says Frances.
History Riot to lead family-friendly Tales From The Trail at York Castle Museum
HISTORY Riot will return to York Castle Museum daily from December 27 to January 3, except New Year’s Day, with an array of family-friendly Tales From The Trail performances throughout each day.
Join two madcap Victorian characters for an urgent shopping trip on the Victorian street of Kirkgate this festive season. “Prepare for mystery, silliness and stories about the variety of items that they pick up along the way,” says company director Frances Marshall.
“History Riot’s team consists of historical researchers, musicians, writers, directors, videographers, performers and educators,” says York actress Frances.
“We exist to connect people with the UK’s past, to inspire audiences to feel a fresh sense of identity with the place in which they live and the historical sites they visit.
“Our events are ambitious, accessible and inclusive, pushing the boundaries of historical interpretation while remaining mindful of the sensitive sites we work in.”
Explaining History Riot’s modus operandi, Frances says: “We started as a result of Covid. We’d all worked in the heritage industry for a while – for me it was my ‘muggle job’ when not acting, but I really grew to care a lot about it.
“Basically, we wanted to do history better! And to make it more accessible to everyone, so that it isn’t elitist or somehow removed from the people of the UK in 2025.
“We tell female stories – as unsurprisingly these still aren’t told or taught as much as they should be! – and stories of diverse heritage in Britain, LGBTQ+ history, but often we work these into any story we are telling, rather than one sole focus!”
History Riot work primarily with Historic Royal Palaces (Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace) but also with English Heritage.
“We hold the contract for schools at Historic Royal Palaces, providing education sessions across three sites from Key Stage 1 all the way up to A-level.
“York is quite new to us, but it’s what I’ve wanted for a long while. We’ve worked with York Museum’s Trust for a couple of years now and most recently on the Viking North exhibition, where we’ve provided live performance worked into the exhibition.
“We’ve found them to be really forward thinking when it comes to what we do and happy to embrace theatre in the midst of heritage.”
Frances concludes: “I would personally love to expand more in York. I’ve been slightly delayed by small child, and then also my own acting career, predominantly the siren call of Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.
“I do commute down to run our work in the south. But even though heritage is big in York, I think there’s a lot of room for really great professional performance and performers in it!”
Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees support A Very Yorkshire Christmas at Castle Museum
Mikey Arnold, Debbie Tabart and Louis Downes of Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees
COPMANTHORPE company Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees are supporting York Museums Trust by supplying the trees for the Christmas display in the Victorian street of Kirkgate at York Castle Museum.
Taking pride of place is the magnificent 16ft Nordman Fir, decorated beautifully with a mixture of baubles and Victorian-inspired paper decorations. The smell of the trees evokes nostalgia and immerses visitors in a Dickensian-style Christmas.
The team at Moor Lane Farm, friends Mikey Arnold, Louis Downes and Debbie Tabart, oversaw the installation of the grand fir tree at ahead of opening on November 15.
This hands-on approach is at the heart of everything they do, with the trio taking on all aspects of the business themselves from organising and selling, to packing and delivery and beyond.
Mikey and agricultural engineer Louis started the business as teenagers in 2017, aged 17 and 15 respectively, “when we couldn’t even drive and each put in £500”, since when the business has grown year on year to provide trees to places such as York Castle Museum, Shambles market, York Theatre Royal, Moxy York hotel and the Fox and Roman pub in Dringhouses, as well as donating trees to St Catherine’s Dementia Care Home in Shipton by Beningbrough.
Carla Starkey, immersive interpretation producer at York Museums Trust, says: “Christmas on Kirkgate has become a much-loved tradition at York Castle Museum, and we are so grateful to have worked with Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees to create an even more magical experience with the most beautiful fir trees lining the street.
“We cannot thank them enough for their support and were honoured that they were willing to hang the last bauble on the large 16ft tree as part of the installation.”
Mikey, from Moor Lane Farm, says: “We are delighted to support York Castle Museum this year with stunning Christmas trees from our farm. The business has grown over the last nine years from just a few trees to what we hope will be an amazing festive season this year.
“Christmas is something we are all extremely passionate about and we put our all into providing a magical experience for everyone when they are choosing a tree. It’s a privilege to see our hard work paying off and to display our incredible trees in prominent locations in York.”
As a charity, York Museums Trust relies on ticket sales and donations to care for the buildings and collections, but also on the generosity of businesses such as Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees. Through the support of visitors and York businesses, the trust can continue to provide magical Christmas experiences year after year.
Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees is open daily for the festive season, from 8.30am to 6.30pm, offering complimentary hot chocolate while you browse for the ideal tree. For more information, visit www.moorlanefarmchristmastreesyork.co.uk.
Artist, writer and actor Joseph Gilgun with his Talk Small installation at SPARK: York
IN a world first for York, Brassic co-writer and star Joseph Gilgun’s inaugural public artwork will be unveiled at SPARK: York, in Piccadilly tomorrow (21/11/2025).
“York is set to host a landmark cultural moment as internationally acclaimed actor, writer and artist Joseph Gilgun has chosen our city for his first-ever public art installation,” says Craig Humble, curator of Walmgate gallery Art Of Protest, SPARK’s cohort in presenting Gulgin’s large-scale, free-to-view work, Talk Small.
Created in tandem with Art Of Protest Gallery, the installation can be viewed at SPARK and will be complemented by a new exhibition of Gilgun’s framed artwork at Humble’s gallery from tomorrow: one of three independent UK galleries to be opening an exhibition of his art on Friday.
“This world-first installation marks a significant step in Gilgun’s rapidly evolving fine art career,” says Craig. “Over the past year, he has made a striking debut in three independent UK galleries, each exhibition met with critical and public acclaim.”
Tom McKenzie, one of SPARK’s founders, says: “Joe’s affinity for the north of the UK is deeply rooted in his personal history and creative identity. His recent work, focusing on his own struggles with mental health and raising awareness of the issue, is sadly very pertinent for so many people right now.
“It’s our purpose as a creative space in York to champion this kind of powerful and expressive work, and to help raise awareness for a vital issue. We’re completely honoured to host this striking and important piece of public art.”
Much of Gilgun’s creative output, whether on canvas, screen or in immersive public form, is inseparable from his lived experience with bipolar disorder, anxiety, BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and periods of depression.
Joseph Gilgun’s original painting of Talk Small
Gilgun is recognised as one of the most honest, unfiltered and compassionate public voices on mental health, prompting Craig to say: “ Joe has often described art as a form of catharsis that attempts to process the realities, fears and frustrations that accompany managing mental health conditions.
“This is Joe’s first public installation, where he hopes to channel the turbulence, humour, shame, resilience and fierce defiance that have shaped his life and work. It stands as both an emotionally charged visual statement and a bold piece of outsider art; authentic, vulnerable and unmistakably his.”
The Art Of Protest Gallery, located only minutes from SPARK: York, holds a permanent collection of Gilgun’s work, including original paintings and signed limited-edition pieces.
Run by Humble for eight years, his gallery will host an exhibition from tomorrow offering visitors the rare opportunity to experience the breadth of Gilgun’s artistic practice in one city.
Gilgun has become known widely not only for his writing and acting – he played Woody in This Is England too – but also for his frank and fearless openness about mental health. In discussing the creation of Brassic, the hit series that he co-wrote and stars in, he has spoken of how closely the show mirrors his own experiences.
“Initially, the show was never going to be about mental health,” he said. “They knew I had bipolar and they’d seen me suffer with it. It’s difficult to hide when it gets bad. So the producer said, ‘why not give Vinnie bipolar?’.
“But initially I didn’t want to play him; I wanted someone else to do it. I was agoraphobic at the time, I was struggling to get out of the house and do simple tasks. I was frightened of everyone, constantly nervous and in fear. So I was writing it with someone else in mind because I just didn’t think I could.
Joseph Gilgun’s Talk Small installation in situ at SPARK:York
“Then it got to a stage where the production team was like, ‘You’re going to have to play him, because it’s you. It’s just you.’ We ended up writing about everything – the medicine I took, about my dad being an alcoholic – I drew from everything. Everything I am, all my worst fears, the shame I feel for this mental illness.”
Gilgun decided to “put it all on the TV and see what happens”. “It was terrifying,” he said. “Right up to the wire, even up to the month before filming, I doubted my ability. I rang everyone individually and said, ‘Honestly you must tell me, are we 100 per cent sure that I’m the right choice for this?’
“Honestly, dude, for me it was so real. I’m going to ***k this up and let everybody down. And fortunately I didn’t. It was quite life-changing. It’s been a massive deal.”
Gilgun’s visual art carries the same raw, humane and unfiltered honesty: part confession, part confrontation, part compassion. “His installation in York continues this trajectory, offering a powerful reflection of his inner world and an invitation for others to feel seen within it,” says Craig.
“Mr Gilgun himself is not available for interview or questions on this occasion,” he adds.
Did you know?
THE Art Of Protest Gallery Christmas party is in the diary for December 6. “At this event we will officially open the top two floors to become the largest independent contemporary gallery in the city,” says Craig Humble, founder and owner.
Katya Shikhova’s artwork for Loneliness in the Digital Age
THE topic of Loneliness in the Digital Age will be highlighted in next weekend’s independent exhibition at SPARK: York, Piccadilly, York.
Directed by Katya Shikhova, this public multimedia arts exhibition project explores “connection and isolation in today’s chronically online world”. Admission will be free.
The exhibition on November 29 and 30 is organised by University of York students and recent graduates. Taking part alongside Katya will be Anna Wilkinson; Anzhelika Nikolaeva; Boaz Parnas; Charlotte Jones; Fierce Fine Art; Harvey Ryan; Heather Jones (Fern and Heather Art); Lyra Robinson and Rohit Jayade.
“Our aim is to create a platform for artists, support York’s growing art community and ensure that proceeds from sales and donations go toward helping participating artists cover the costs of their practice, from transport to materials,” says creative director Katya, who is in the final year of her Business of the Creative Industries studies.
Anna Wilkinson’s artwork for Loneliness in the Digital Age
“I’m considering a career in art management, and together with my student friends, we’ve decided to organise this exhibition.”
Explaining the focus on Loneliness in the Digital Age, Katya says: “I’ve noticed that more and more people are raising concerns about communication in the contemporary world.
“With the increasing popularity of such TV shows as Adolescence (2025) and Severance (2022-2025), these concerns have become more visible. What is particularly interesting is that it seems not only older generations are concerned, but also people who grew up alongside rapid digital development.
Rohit Jayade’s artwork for Loneliness in the Digital Age
“More and more young people have begun noticing signs of depression, partially triggered by decreasing real-life communication and increasingly chronic online behaviour. Therefore, my team and I decided to reflect on this issue through the prism of contemporary art.”
Katya and her cohorts in the LitDA team created an open call for artists in the UK who wanted to engage with this topic, showcase and maybe sell their work and explore the themes of the exhibition together.
“We received around 40 submissions and selected ten works to be exhibited at SPARK Studios. Some of the selected works include photography, paintings, a digital painting and an abstract visualisation,” she says. Limited prints by exhibited artists and some who were not shortlisted will be on sale.
The poster for the Loneliness in the Digital Age exhibition
Don’t Dox Me, by Harvey Ryan
“I would like to highlight that submissions were free,” says Katya. “Artists will be financially supported, with each artist receiving an allowance for transportation and commuting costs, and the main source of funding for the exhibition is donations. We’re very keen on supporting the artists as much as we’re able to.”
Loneliness in the Digital Age will be on show on November 29, 1pm to 7pm, and November 30, 11am to 7pm. In addition, a limited-entry, invitation-only event for friends and family will be held at 7pm on November 29. “This will be a great chance to hear directly from the artists about their works and the theme of the exhibition,” says Katya. “The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions.”
Slava’s SnowShow clowns – and their puppet fish – on their sightseeing travels in York
VETERAN clown Slava Polunin is the founder of Slava’s Fools Unlimited, president of the International Academy of Fools, Ambassador of Hans Christian Andersen in Russia and Official Envoy of the Dolphin Embassy. In other words, he is no fool, just like Shakespeare’s fools.
Since 1993, Slava’s SnowShow has won 20 awards while playing 225 cities across 80 countries, re-writing the rules for clowning. No longer are clowns the cloying blockage in the flow of a circus show, filling gaps between more exciting acts. No longer are they strangely frightening or weird.
Still sad faced, painted in the traditional Hobo style, Slava’s clowns are a fusion of Max Wall, Vladimir and Estragon in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot, the loons of silent cinema’s golden age, the surrealism of Magritte’s paintings and the inventive joy of Aardman Animations’ Wallace & Gromit. You might even find yourself thinking of The Teletubbies. Slava prefers the term “Expressive Idiotism”.
And yet, Slava’s SnowShow is an immersive, whimsical, multi-sensory show like no other, in a league of wonder of its own, charming and enchanting audiences from London to Moscow, Paris to New York, Hong Kong to Los Angeles, and now, at long last, York, where November’s skies heralded its debut visit with the season’s first snowfall on Wednesday morning.
Later, manufactured flakes dusted coats when walking up to the Cumberland street theatre in suitably freezing conditions. Once inside, the stage is bedecked in what appear to be oversized mattresses, arranged as if at Stonehenge, with the stuffing falling out, accompanied by the disorientating pre-show soundscape of jungle wildlife and steam trains. One “mattress” has a hole at the top, adding to the intrigue of what lies in store.
Grown, in Slava’s words, out of dreams, fairytales and magical ritual, images and gesture, play and imagination, Slava’s SnowShow attempts to “wed all the facets of life” while leaving the everyday at the door. To quote in full: this show constructs “a theatre of hopes and dreams, suffused with solitude and longing, premonitions and disillusions…a theatre on the edge between art and life, tragedy and comedy, absurdity and naivety, cruelty and tenderness”.
A figure with a clown’s face atop a fancy-dress chicken’s bright yellow costume (Artem Zhimo) enters carrying a rope, a rope that he will place around his neck. He looks troubled: the tears and the fears of a clown wrapped into one, but thoughts of suicide are cast aside quickly by his playfulness with that rope, although he is always on the edge highlighted in Slava’s quote above. Slava, by the way, originated this role and still plays it on occasion at 75.
Forever blowing bubbles: Slava’s SnowShow, on tour at Grand Opera House, York
Enter Slava’s son Vanya, the first of a multitude of matching clown figures in full-length fleece coats (protecting themselves against the weather in John Motson style). Their dark feet seem to stretch forever, likewise the flaps of their hats, with the wingspan of a plane, forcing them to duck and dive to avoid contact mid-air.
The company of “fools on the loose” is completed by Francesco Bifano, Chris Lynam, Nikolai Terentiev, Yuri Musatov, Aelita West and Bradford West. Together with Zhimo and Polunin Jnr , they move with choreographic precision, yet with room for improvisation too, and they have a wonderful sense of timing, going against comedy’s usual rules for chaos and calamity by slowing everything down for maximum comedic effect.
Zhimo duly excels in a scene where he conducts phone calls on oversized yellow and red telephones that match his attire, another where he repeatedly crashes to the floor from a slanting chair and table, and above all when wrapped in a farewell embrace with a trench-coat on a coat stand at a railway platform. Charlie Chaplin would have loved it..
In this theatre of the absurd, Slava’s Snow Show takes the form of a work of art wherein each scene paints a picture that comes alive, whether for a shark fin to protrude from a misty sea or for clowns and audience alike to become entangled in a huge spider’s web spun the stage across the Stalls in the magical climax to the first half.
Zhimo’s journey becomes ever more prominent in Act Two, whose finale is a blizzard conducted by Zhimo’s chicken figure as if he were The Tempest’s Prospero, leaving the audience knee deep in (paper) snow and wreathed in smiles; their joy heightened by the release of giant balloons to bounce around the auditorium.
It takes four leaf blowers to clear up the mess after each SnowShow, which would make a show in itself, but as the snowfalls continue this week, make sure you find warmth and joy inside the Grand Opera House before clown-time is over. Children and the inner child in adults alike will have a (snow) ball.
Slava’s SnowShow, Grand Opera House, York, tonight and tomorrow, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm; Sunday, 2pm and 6pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york. Age guidance: eight upwards.
York actress Maria Gray puts on a dazzling display of green in Emerald City High Street in the Long Gallery at Castle Howard. Picture: Tom Arber
CLW Event Design began working on The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz as long ago as January, and now the Yellow Brick Road is stretching through the rooms and corridors of the transformed North Yorkshire country house to dazzling effect.
Headed up by Charlotte Lloyd Webber and York-based Adrian Lillie, working in tandem with Leeds theatre company Imitating The Dog, this immersive experience is on the grandest scale yet since Castle Howard first partnered with CLW Design in 2017.
Huge set pieces were fabricated and built on the Castle Howard Estate before being moved into the house in an installation process that took ten days to complete, requiring 30,000 baubles to be put on display, while the creative team has reused and recycled products where possible and favoured more sustainable materials such as paper and glass.
There really is no place like this home, now dressed in set pieces, decorations, floristry, projections, lighting and soundscapes that culminate in the show-stopping Emerald City High Street in the Long Gallery, with its life-size fabricated shop fronts inspired by York and Malton’s Shambles (or Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, if you insist).
The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz creative team in the Great Hall at Castle Howard, led by CLW Event Design’s Charlotte Lloyd Webber and Adrian Lillie. Picture: Tom Arber
Look out too for Castle Howard’s famous 28-foot Christmas tree that sparkles in the Great Hall, installed by a team of 30 using a specialist forklift and winch system.
Unique musical compositions accompany each room in the house, alongside the soundscapes that bring the narrative from the original book to life.
The momentum provided by Wicked and now this week’s opening of Wicked: For Good made The Wizard Of Oz the ideal choice for the 2025 show; momentum further buoyed by Castle Howard receiving the Historic House Restoration of the Year award at Sotheby’s for its 21st Century Renaissance project, topped off by the unveiling of the lost Tapestry Drawing Room.
The journey down the yellow brick road is all the more magnificent for this once-in-a-generation transformation as Castle Howard enters its busiest time of the year, when as many as 100,000 visitors will enter the building: one third of the year’s total, condensed into the Christmas season.
The Wicked Witch of the West in Christmas at Castle Howard with The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
“We’re very much thinking about the house whenever we decide what to do, and this time we’ve gone back to L Frank Baum’s original 1900 story, which seems to fit really well with the house, designed by playwright John Vanbrugh,” says Adrian.
“So some things will be new to you that differ from the 1939 film. Like the slippers being silver, not ruby, and we feature all four witches [whereas the film combined the Good Witch of the North and Glinda the Good Witch of the South into one character, Glinda].
“We’ve also played with colours, so each territory has a tone, such as blue for the Munchkins, yellow for the Winkies [as opposed to green in the Judy Garland film], red for the Quadlings, and white for Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.”
In the original story too, everything looked green in the Emerald City as everyone was equipped with green glasses to look through, another detail acknowledged amid The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz props.
The Wicked Witch Of The West in an Andy Warhol-style portrait in The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz at Castle Howard. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
CLW Event Design continues to set itself ever bigger challenges for the Christmas season, this year expanding its portfolio from three to six sites: Castle Howard, Bamburgh Castle; Kensington Palace, Polesden Lacey, Beaulieu, and Chiswick House.
Castle Howard remains the jewel in the crown. “We are always developing our team, and in the week leading up to Castle Howard, we had 18 people working here, and 23 on the night before we opened, including the Imitating The Dog team,” says Adrian. “What I’m most proud of is that our team has really delivered. I was nervous at the beginning as to whether we could do it, but we’ve pulled it off.”
Charlotte adds: “I have to say the most spectacular achievement is the Emerald City High Street that transforms the Long Gallery into The Wizard Of Oz’s Shambles.”
Detail is important and so is humour, typified by Imitating The Dog’s soundscape. “We do have our Dorothy with a North American accent, but just as we had a Yorkshire-voiced Peter Pan, we now have a Good Witch of the North with a Yorkshire accent,” says Charlotte.
There’s no place like home: Dorothy’s bedroom in The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz at Castle Howard. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz draws on source material aplenty. “There are more than 14, maybe 17 books in L Frank Baum’s series. I got through four books, then I stopped,” says Adrian. “You have to extrapolate and you have to make sure all the magic parts are in there, but it’s good to go back to the roots and look at how it would fit into the house.
“The thing that we were very clear about from the start was that we really wanted to embrace this year’s redecoration of the house to integrate it into our design and we have certainly done that.”
Summing up this year’s wizard show, and the creativity that went into it, Adrian says. “Out of the six Christmas shows that we’ve done this year, this would always be the project that we would be working on up to the last minute. It’s just the scale of this house and our ambition as artists that demands we do that.”
CLW Event Design’sThe Wonderful Wizard Of Oz dazzles at Castle Howard, near York, until January 4. Tickets: castlehoward.co.uk.
The poster for Christmas at Castle Howard with The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz
Christmas at Castle Howard events
Christmas at Castle Howard with the Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, in the House, until January 4
Father Christmas in the Castle, in the House, November 22 to December 24
Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse, December 6 to 24
Oz Twilight Tours, November 28, December 5, December 12 and December 19
Wreath Making Workshops, in the Garden Centre, available selected Thursdays and Fridays, November 20, 21 and 28; December 11 and 12
Christmas Afternoon Tea, in the House, until December 31
Accessible Events
CASTLE Howard is offering an expanded series of accessible events to open The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz immersive experience to even more people, including British Sign Language- interpreted shows and Calm Sessions.
Calm Sessions
Saturday, November 15, 9.30am to 10.30am
Tuesday, November 25, 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Friday, December 19, 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Thursday, January 1, 3.30pm to 4.30pm
BSL Interpreted Session
Saturday, December 13, 11am and 3pm
Follow the Yellow Brick Road through Castle Howard with The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Picture: Tom Arber
Touch Boxes
AVAILABLE in select rooms as part of the Christmas at Castle Howard with The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz experience. Touch boxes are sensory objects creatively designed to tell the story of the space and are available for anyone who would like to use them as part of their experience. Available to everyone on the day of their visit.
Father Christmas in the Castle
Relaxed performance: Friday, December 19, 6.30pm
Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse
Relaxed performance: Saturday, December 6, 4.40pm
BSL-interpreted performance: Saturday, December 13, 10am
Did you know?
CASTLE Howard has employed 100 additional Christmas staff from the area to facilitate its Christmas event, on top of their year-round staff. They are supported by a team of 200 volunteers too.
Did you know too?
CASTLE Howard is hosting a Bettys shop in the Stable Courtyard for the duration of the Christmas event, selling confectionery, chocolates, teas and coffees. alongside Castle Howard’s Farm Shop with Christmas food-to-order service, Courtyard Café with seasonal winter menu, Garden Centre selling British-grown Christmas trees and marshmallow fire pit are open too for Christmas shoppers.
And finally
A DOCUMENTARY film crew has followed the Christmas creative team, CLW Event Design, as they prepare Castle Howard’s Christmas experience. The documentary will be broadcast in the Christmas At… spotlight on Channel 4 this winter on December 9.
