An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer's House

December 3, 2025December 3, 2025

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 51, from Gazette & Herald

Deep in conversation: Snow goes underground in A Winter Wonderland at JORVIK Viking Centre

A SNOWY reboot, festive trail, treasured exhibition and pantomime launches spell out that winter staples aplenty are up and running, as Charles Hutchinson reports.

Time travel of the week: A Winter Adventure at JORVIK Viking Centre, York, until February 22 2026

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. For the first time, visitors can peer through Bright White’s time portal into the blacksmith’s house excavated on this site in the 1970s.

They will then board a time sleigh to travel back in time around the backstreets, transformed for winter by Wetherby set dressers EPH Creative, who have covered streets and houses in a thick blanket of snow, bathed in cold blue lighting. Pre-booking is essential for all visits to JORVIK at jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk.

Christmas at The Bar Convent in York. Illustration by Nick Ellwood

Activity trail of the week: Christmas At The Convent, The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, Blossom Street, York, until December 22, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, last admission 4pm

DECEMBER visitors to The Bar Convent can uncover fascinating festive traditions through the centuries in a family-friendly activity trail through the exhibition that combines the convent’s history with the Advent season.

Families can enjoy finding clues, making decorations, dressing up, discovering traditions from Christmas past and much more. Look out for the traditional crib scene in the chapel. Tickets: barconvent.co.uk.

Garlands galore at An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House, York. Picture: National Trust, Anthony Chappel-Ross

Festive exhibition of the week: An Inspired Christmas at Fairfax House, York, until December 21, open Saturday to Wednesday, 11am to 4pm, last entry 3.30pm

TREASURER’S House has undergone a winter transformation, where stories of its past residents come to life through handcrafted decoration as rooms are re-imagined by the National Trust with festive flair, inspired by the 17th-century house’s rich history.

Each room is styled to reflect the personalities and tales of those who once called Treasurer’s House home, from last occupant Frank Green, the visionary industrialist who gifted the property to the National Trust, to the Young family, Jane Squire, Ann Eliza Morritt, Elizabeth Montague, Sarah Scott, John Goodricke and Royal visitor Queen Alexandra. No booking is required, with free entry for National Trust members and under-fives.

The Jeremiahs: Irish folk band play York for the first time on December 3. Picture: Tony Gavin

York debut craic of the week: The Jeremiahs, National Centre for Early Music, York, December 3, 7.30pm

IRISH band The Jeremiahs have travelled extensively, including playing 26 states in the USA, performing rousing new songs and tunes in the folk genre, peppered with picks from the trad folk catalogue. Lead vocalist and occasional whistle player Joe Gibney, from County Dublin, is joined by his fellow founder, Dublin guitarist James Ryan, New York-born fiddler Matt Mancuso and County Clare flautist Conor Crimmins. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Malton White Star Band: Performing Brass and Voices At Christmas at Milton Rooms, Malton

Ryedale festive concert of the week: Brass and Voices At Christmas with Malton White Star Band, Milton Rooms, Malton, tomorrow, 7pm

MALTON White Star Band and Community Training Band team up with singers from Norton Primary School for the 2025 edition of Brass and Voices at Christmas. Doors open at 6.30pm. Tickets are on sale at https://donate.givetap.co.uk/f/malton-white-star-band/christmas-concert-2025 or by ringing Dave Creigh on 07766 237947.

The one and only Jesca Hoop: Playing NCEM in York tomorrow

Singer-songwriter of the week: Brudenell Presents and Please Please You present Jesca Hoop, National Centre for Early Music, York, December 4, 7.30pm

DISCOVERED by Tom Waits, invited on tour by Peter Gabriel and encouraged to relocate to the UK by Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Jesca Hoop left California for Manchester to carve out a singular path across six albums of original material. Collaborations with producers John Parish (PJ Harvey), Blake Mills (Feist), and Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers) have only sharpened the intricacy of her craft. Box office: thecrescentyork.com/events/jesca-hoop-at-the-ncem-york/.

Ryedale Christmas children’s show of the week: Esmerelda The Elf And Father Christmas, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 12 noon, 2pm and 3.30pm; Sunday, 10.30am, 12 noon, 2pm and 3.30pm

WHO thought it was a good idea to put Elf friend Esmeralda in charge of Christmas sweeties? Can you help her to have everything ready in time? Will any goodies be left by the time Christmas Day arrives?

Each family has its own space to sit in at this interactive show and can visit Father Christmas individually at the end. All children will receive a gift. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Bec Silk’s Robin Hood and writer Martin Vander Weyer’s Dame Daphne in 1812 Theatre Company’s pantomime Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure

Ryedale pantomime opening of the week: 1812 Theatre Company in Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm; Sunday, 2.30pm; December 9 to 12, 7.30pm; December 13, 2.30pm and 7.30pm; December 14, 2.30pm

HELMSLEY Arts Centre artistic director Natasha Jones directs company-in-residence 1812 Theatre Company in this traditional panto with a Knock Knock Joke Contest, scripted by Martin Vander Weyer.

Robin Hood will be rescuing the lovely Maid Marian from the wicked Sheriff of Pickering, while Black Swan landlady Dame Daphne will lead the merriment and mayhem. Knock Knock! Who’s there? Daphne! Daphne who? Daph-nitely book early to avoid disappointment on 01439 771700 or at helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Hannah King’s Peter Pan in Rowntree Players’ The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York

Putting ‘Pan’ into pantomime: Rowntree Players in The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Saturday, 2pm and 7.30pm, Sunday, 2pm and 6pm; December 9 to 12, 7.30pm; December 13, 2pm and 7.30pm

JOIN Wendy, John and Michael as they fly with Peter Pan to the fantastical world of Neverland in Howard Ella and Gemma McDonald’s pantomime for Rowntree Players. Cling on to your seats as Peter and the Lost Boys do battle with Jamie McKeller’s rather nasty Captain Hook and his even nastier bunch of pirates. Fear not as Nanny McFlea and her ever eager apprentice Barkly are on hand to assist in the most ridiculous of ways. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Michael Ball: Glowing at York Barbican next September

Concert announcement of the week: Michael Ball, Glow UK Tour, York Barbican, September 12 2026

MUSICAL star and radio presenter Michael Ball will promote his 23rd solo album, Glow, on next year’s 25-date tour. “There’s probably only one thing I enjoy more than being in the studio – writing, producing and singing songs with people I love – and that’s taking it all out on the road and performing those songs as well as all the old favourites to the audiences I love,” he says.

“It’s going to be an exciting year, and I can’t wait to see you all.’’ Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/michael-ball-2026/.

November 29, 2025December 8, 2025

More Things To Do in York and beyond as snow blanket covers JORVIK. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 51, from The York Press

The deep freeze: Snow goes underground in A Winter Wonderland at JORVIK Viking Centre

A FESTIVE trail, treasured exhibition and snow reboot, pantomime and A Christmas Carol spell out that winter staples aplenty are up and running, as Charles Hutchinson reports.

Time travel of the week: A Winter Adventure at JORVIK Viking Centre, York, until February 22 2026

Christmas at The Bar Convent. Illustration by Nick Ellwood

Activity trail of the week: Christmas At The Convent, The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, Blossom Street, York, until December 22, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, last admission 4pm

Garlands galore at An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House, York. Picture: National Trust, Anthony Chappel-Ross

Festive exhibition of the week: An Inspired Christmas at Fairfax House, York, until December 21, open Saturday to Wednesday, 11am to 4pm, last entry 3.30pm

Each room is styled to reflect the personalities and tales of those who once called Treasurer’s House home, from last occupant Frank Green, the visionary industrialist who gifted the property to the National Trust, to the Young family, Jane Squire, Ann Eliza Morritt, Elizabeth Montague, Sarah Scott, John Goodricke and Royal visitor Queen Alexandra, wife to King Edward VII. No booking is required, with free entry for National Trust members and under-fives.

Guy Masterson’s Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, on tour at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

Festive ghostly return of the week: Guy Masterson in A Christmas Carol, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, today, 2pm 7.30pm

HEADING back to Theatre@41 for the fourth time, Olivier Award winner Guy Masterson presents Charles Dickens’s Christmas fable anew, bringing multiple characters to vivid life as ever, from Scrooge and Marley to the Cratchits and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come.

Be dazzled, be enchanted by a performance destined to linger long in the memory. “It’s guaranteed to get you into the Christmas Spirit – in many more ways than one,” says Masters. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Ellie Gowers: Songs exploring distance, longing and identity at Rise@Bluebird Bakery

Ecological songs of the week: Ellie Gowers, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, Sunday, 8pm, doors 7.30pm

WARWICKSHIRE singer-songwriter – and Morris dancer to boot – Ellie Gowers blends contemporary acoustic sounds with the storytelling traditions of folk. Her 2022 debut album Dwelling By The Weir addressed ecological themes and her 2024 EP You The Passenger received airplay on Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s BBC 6Music show.

Her influences range from Mipso to Jeff Buckley is songs that explore distance, longing and identity. An extended version of the EP arrives this autumn 2025. Easingwold singer-songwriter Gary Stewart supports. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.

St Agnes Fountain: Promoting new Christmas album Flakes & Flurries at NCEM, York

Folk gig of the week: Black Swan Folk Club presents St Agnes Fountain, National Centre for Early Music, York, December 1, 7.30pm

AFFECTIONATELY known as “the Aggies”, Chris While, Julie Matthews and Chris Leslie bring their Christmas cheer to the NCEM, presenting carols with a curve. They celebrate 25 years together with material from new festive album Flakes & Flurries (Fat Cat Records), old Aggie classics and a doff of the fedora to founder member David Hughes, who died in 2021. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Name of the dame: Robin Simpson will be playing Nurse Nellie in Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal

Pantomime opening of the week: Sleeping Beauty, York Theatre Royal, December 2 to January 4 2026

THEATRE Royal creative director Juliet Forster directs returnee dame Robin Simpson’s Nurse Nellie, Jocasta Almgill’s Carabosse, Tommy Carmichael’s Jangles, CBeebies star Jennie Dale’s Fairy Moonbeam, Aoife Kenny’s Aurora and Harrogate actor Christian Mortimer’s Prince Michael in Sleeping Beauty.

Written once more by Paul Hendy, the Theatre Royal’s festive extravaganza is co-produced with award-winning Evolution Productions, the same team behind All New Adventures Of Peter Pan, Jack And The Beanstalk and last winter’s Aladdin. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Mark Thomas in Ed Edwards’s play Ordinary Decent Criminal at York Theatre Royal Studio. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography

Recommended but sold out already: Paines Plough presents Mark Thomas in Ordinary Decent Criminal, York Theatre Royal Studio, December 2 and 3, 7.30pm

MEET recovering addict Frankie, played by political comedian Mark Thomas in his second acting role for playwright Ed Edwards after England & Son in 2023. In Ordinary Decent Criminal’s tale of freedom, revolution and messy love, Frankie has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail for dealing drugs.

On his arrival, none of his fellow convicts are what they seem, but with his typewriter, activist soul and sore lack of a right hook, he somehow finds his way into their troubled hearts, and they into his. In the most unexpected of places, Frankie discovers that the revolution is not dead, only sleeping. Box office for returns only: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

The Jeremiahs: Irish folk band play York for the first time on December 3. Picture: Tony Gavin

York debut craic of the week: The Jeremiahs, National Centre for Early Music, York, December 3, 7.30pm

The one and only Jesca Hoop: Playing NCEM on December 4

Singer-songwriter of the week: Brudenell Presents and Please Please You present Jesca Hoop, National Centre for Early Music, York, December 4, 7.30pm

Now she has released Selective Memory, an unplugged reworking of 2017’s Memories Are Now, recorded live at home with bandmates Chloe Foy and Rachel Rimmer for Last Laugh Records. Box office: thecrescentyork.com/events/jesca-hoop-at-the-ncem-york/.

In Focus: York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust in A Nativity For York, on tour, November 29 to December 10

A Nativity For York director Paul Toy

YORK Mystery Plays Supporters Trust is touring A Nativity For York to Acomb, Fulford, Nether Poppleton and All Saints Church, North Street, bringing the Christmas story to York neighbourhoods from November 29 to December 10.

Directed by Paul Toy, this new and unique interpretation of the Nativity dramatises events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ from the York Cycle of Mystery Plays, presented by a community cast and production team with music in candlelight.

Using medieval scripts from the York Cycle of Mystery Plays and music both medieval and folk in style, A Nativity For York “tells a familiar story of a marvellous birth, threaded with humour, reverence and, sadly, hatred”.

The candlelight emphasises the constant struggle of the light against the darkness in Toy’s production, set in a time of threat when a homeless couple and their newborn baby are driven from home by oppressors.

“My vision is that of an underground, secret activity; clandestine performances of a play promoting banned religious doctrine in a time of oppression,” he says. “It mirrors both history and our current world situation, but it’s also a time of great hope.”

The York Mystery Plays were written in medieval times: 48 plays, once performed in the streets by the city’s Guilds, telling the Biblical story from Creation to Judgement Day, including the life of Jesus Christ.

York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust is a registered charity whose group of volunteers aims to keep the story of the York Mystery Plays alive at the forefront of York’s cultural heritage.

Performances will take place at St Hilda’s Church, Tang Hall Lane, York, on November 29 at 1pm and 4pm; St Mary Bishophill Junior, York, December 2 and 4, 7.30pm; St Mary’s Church, The Village, Haxby, December 6, 1pm and 4pm, and All Saints Church, North Street, York, December 10, 7.30pm

Tickets are on sale at https://ympst.co.uk/nativitytickets or on 0333 666 3366. The performance lasts 60 minutes with no interval. Festive refreshments will be available.

November 28, 2025

Festive exhibition of the week: An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House, until Dec 21

A bauble decoration in An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House, York. Picture: National Trust, Anthony Chappel-Ross

THE National Trust invites festive visitors to experience An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House, in Minster Yard, York, until December 21 – and look out for the kitchen’s trademark Christmas Pudding Scones returning to the cafe menu too.

Nestled beside York Minster, this early 17th-century house has undergone a winter transformation, where stories of its past residents come to life through handcrafted decoration as rooms are re-imagined with festive flair, inspired by the house’s rich history.

“Treasurer’s House has long been more than just bricks and mortar,” reads the National Trust’s Welcome to An Inspired Christmas. “It has been a home, a place of ideas and ambition. Over the centuries, its rooms have echoed with the lives of remarkable individuals who shaped society in ways both bold and quiet.

“This Christmas, we celebrate eight extraordinary former residents whose stories continue to inspire. From writers to thinkers, pioneers and reformers, each has left a legacy that reaches far beyond these walls.

“As you explore the house today, we invite you to walk in their footsteps, discover their impact, and reflect on how the past can illuminate the present.”

A Christmas stocking decoration in honour of Frank Green at An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House

Until 1648, the house was home to the Young family, who are responsible for much of how Treasurer’s House looks today. Thomas Young was Archbishop of York, whose role was to establish the insecure Protestant church in the north for Queen Elizabeth I’s government.

Christmas in the Youngs’ time would have looked very different to how the season is celebrated now, but they shared many similarities, such as games, greenery, jokes and cake.

From 1717 to 1725, Treasurer’s House was owned by Jane Squire at a time when it was unusual for women to own property. During her ownership, she leased the house to Matthew and Elizabeth Robinson, parents of future literary figures Elizabeth Montague and Sarah Scott.

Garlands galore on the stairwell for An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House. Picture: National Trust, Anthony Chappel-Ross

Squire was a pioneering mathematician and the only woman who is known to have submitted a formal proposal to measure longitude at sea accurately (crucial to the success of early 18^th century British naval power). Her proposal was “not very practical” but showed the active mind of a woman whose story was one of resilience, curiosity and determination to succeed.

Ann Eliza Morritt’s family owned part of the house from 1725 to 1813. While her parents and brother lived a few streets away, the five Morritt sisters resided here together. Ann Eliza was a talented embroidery artist, copying the artwork of great painters, and her work is still on display at Rokeby Park, near Barnard Castle.

Born at Treasurer’s House, Elizabeth Montague became known as the “Queen of Bluestockings”. She hosted lively gatherings where writers, thinkers and politicians exchanged ideas in an era when women’s voices were often silenced.

A successful businesswoman as well as a patron of the arts, she used her wealth to support literature and social reform. From her York beginnings to the salons of London, her life’s journey stands as a testament to the power of intellect, determination and the courage to defy convention.

The 18ft Christmas tree for An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House. Picture: National Trust, Anthony Chappel-Ross

Elizabeth’s sister, Sarah Scott, who lived at Treasurer’s House for a time, was a novelist, translator and member of the Bluestocking circle of intellectual women, using her writing to imagine a fairer, more compassionate society.

Her most celebrated work, A Description Of Millennium Hall (1762), told the story of a community where women lived independently, pooling their talents and wealth to support education, healthcare and charitable work.

Scott’s ideas were far ahead of her time. She believed that women could shape society, not only within the home, but also through learning, creativity and collective action. From her years in York, she carried forward a legacy that still informs debates over community, gender and social justice.

From 1781, John Goodricke took up residence at Treasurer’s House, where he would change the course of astronomy forever. Deaf from childhood, in tandem with his friend Edward Piggot, he measured the variation of light from stars that would enable 20^th century astronomers to determine distances to distant galaxies.

A decorative tribute to mathematician Jane Squire at An Inspired Christmas

He was awarded the Copley Medal, the oldest scientific prized in the world, also bestowed on Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

The stars in the room dedicated to him for this exhibition represent the star Algol, discovered by Goodricke at Treasurer’s House.

Queen Alexandra, King Edward VII’s wife, stayed at Treasurer’s House in 1900 when she was still Princess of Wales, on a visit to the Royal Agricultural Show, held in York. Alexandra, from Denmark, was hard of hearing, so she was accompanied by her daughter Victoria, known to be dignified and charming, affectionate and jolly, with a love of skating too, much to her mother-in-law Queen Victoria’s disapproval.

On her visit, she found Treasurer’s House uncomfortable, so there are comforting reminders in Queen Alexandra’s Room of a traditional Danish Christmas, such as the works of Hans Christian Andersen, who would read stories to Alexandra and her siblings in Copenhagen, Snow Queen among them.

Visitors can explore at their own pace, soaking in the ambience of period rooms adorned with bespoke festive décor, much of it created lovingly by National Trust volunteers, along with other rooms decorated by two community groups, MySight York knitting group and York Central Women’s Institute, whose founding meeting was held at Treasurer’s House.

Got it taped: An unusual Christmas tree decoration at Treasurer’s House

“Christmas at Treasurer’s House is always a special time, but this year we’ve gone even further to bring the stories of the house to life through the decorations,” says visitor experience officer Edward Walker.

“Each room tells a different tale thanks to the creativity of the volunteers, local community groups and artists. If you’re looking to get into the festive spirit, it’s the place for you; if you want to uncover pockets of history or something new alongside candles and trees, it’s also for you.”

Edward continues: “My personal favourite space is the Queen’s Room, where we’re representing Hans Christian Andersen. We’re celebrating a royal visit to Treasurer’s House, plus the author who used to be invited to the Danish palace to read to the young princesses.”

Back by popular demand are the Christmas Pudding Scones, among many seasonal treats. This scone was invented in the Treasurer’s House kitchen, following a competition for visitors to suggest new flavour ideas.

Freshly baked: Christmas Pudding Scones at Treasurer’s House. Picture: National Trust

The Scone Blogger voted it her top scone, and she should know as she travelled the country to sample from every National Trust café. For five weeks only, the team will be baking freshly each day; just follow your nose!

For younger visitors, a spotter trail features handcrafted stained-glass stars, created by artist Megan Barnett from York company Woodside Stained Glass.

On Tuesdays, you can watch the conservation team showcase their work caring for the Treasurer’s House collection. From 2pm on Wednesdays, lights will be switched on, music turned off and shutters opened for visitors who prefer a lighter and quieter Christmas.

The Minster Minstrels, young York musicians from the National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, will perform in the Great Hall on Sunday, December 7, adding a joyful sound throughout the house in 30-minute sets at 12.30pm and 2pm. Each will offer different songs from a changing group of musicians.

An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House, York, runs until December 21, open Saturday to Wednesday, 11am to 4pm, last entry 3.30pm. No booking is required, with free entry for National Trust members and under-fives. For further details visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/treasurershouse.

Tree decoration at An Inspired Christmas at Treasurer’s House, York

November 18, 2024May 22, 2025

More Things To SEE in York and beyond as dazzling Christmas delights galore open. Hutch’s List No 48, from The Press

*Alice becomes Queen Alice in the climax to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland at Castle Howard. Picture: Charlotte Graham*

CHRISTMAS Day is still more than a month away but the season of festive exhibitions, installations and trails is up and running, as Charles Hutchinson reports.

30,000 baubles and counting: Alice’s Christmas Wonderland, Castle Howard, near Malton, until January 5 2025

FALL down the rabbit hall into “an experience like no other”: Lewis Carroll’s Alice in her Christmas Wonderland at Castle Howard, where the CLW Event Design creative team, headed by Charlotte Lloyd Webber and Adrian Lillie, has worked on the spectacular project since January.

After a two-week installation, the stately home has been transformed into an immersive Christmas experience, dressed in set pieces, decorations and floristry, coupled with projections, lighting and sound by Leeds theatre company imitating the dog. Box office: castlehoward.co.uk.

*The Nunnington Hall staircase decorated for Christmas. Picture: Rebecca Hughes*

Christmas Through The Ages: Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, near York, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, November 22 to December 15, 10.30am to 4pm, last admission at 3.15pm

OGLE at a Tudor feast fit for a King, step into the opulence of the Georgian era, savour the splendour of the Victorian golden age or relive the exuberant parties of the 1980s. Envision Christmas as it might have been celebrated by the families who once called Nunnington Hall their home.

On Sundays, Ryedale choirs will sing Christmas carols in the Oak Hall. Normal admission applies, with free entry for National Trust members and under-fives. To book tickets, go to: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/christmas-at-nunnington-hall.

*York artist MarcoLooks working on one of his Nutcrackers for the Christmas Around The World Nutcracker Trail*

Christmas Around The World Nutcracker Trail with York artist MarcoLooks, York city centre, until January 1 2025

PRESENTED by York BID, this season’s Nutcracker Trail takes a festive journey with a global twist, created in collaboration with MarcoLooks, alias York illustrator, printmaker and erstwhile CBeebies animator Marc Godfrey-Murphy.

Christmas Around the World brings ten beautifully designed Nutcracker sculptures to life, each representing a different country with colours from the national flag and landmarks that reflect York’s diverse, vibrant communities.

To start this festive adventure, pick up a map at the Visit York Visitor Information Centre on Parliament Street. Use clues on each Nutcracker to match it to the correct country, recording answers on the map. Completed entries can be submitted at the Visitor Information Centre or Santa’s Post Box in Museum Gardens for a chance to win a £250 York Gift Card.

*Green Father Christmas and Ebenezer Scrooge: Tales to tell on the Kirkgate street at York Castle Museum. Picture: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions*

Father Christmas goes back to green: Christmas At York Castle Museum, Eye of York, York, until January 5 2025

THE cobbles of York Castle Museum’s Victorian street, Kirkgate, are covered in snow to herald the festive season featuring a traditional Green Father Christmas; Ebenezer Scrooge’s account of A Christmas Carol; Victorian carol singers; roving musical miscreants The Ran Tanners; Storycraft Theatre’s Christmas stories; Tales From The Trail’s fun stories and family drop-in Christmas decorations. Lino-printing Christmas card, Christmas wreath making and lino-printing Christmas wrapping paper workshops for adults carry an extra charge. Full details, including dates of events, can be found at yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk.

In addition to these immersive experiences, Kirkgate’s shops are wreathed in festive greenery, displaying seasonal objects from the museum’s collection.

*Part of the display in Princess Victoria’s Room, inspired by recently unearthed love letters penned by a valet at Treasurer’s House*

Green Christmas celebrations: An Inspired Christmas, Treasurer’s House, Minster Yard, York, open Saturday to Wednesday, until December 18

AN Inspired Christmas shares stories of Mr Frank Green, the last private owner of Treasurer’s House, and the people around him. As Christmas returns to the National Trust property, staff and volunteers have given rooms merry makeovers, with many of the decorations handcrafted by volunteers.

Look out for artist Megan Barnett’s bespoke glass ornaments in the Blue Drawing Room, inspired by ecclesiastical architect Temple Lushington Moore; an unusual tree in the Court Room, inspired by the changing fortunes of house maid Ivy Cliff, and a display in Princess Victoria’s Room, inspired by recently unearthed love letters penned by a valet. To plan a visit, go to: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/treasurers-house-york.

*Daylight robbery: The Highwayman mouse in the Fairfax House exhibition with a detective challenge, A Christmas Mousetery*

It’s Christmouse time: A Christmas Mousetery, The Case Of The Missing Ruby, Fairfax House, York, until January 5 2025

THE Fairfax Townmice are back and this time a crime must be solved in a festive family caper. These are the Fairfax facts: On Christmas morning, the family has awoken to discover the famous Fairfax Ruby has been stolen by the dastardly Highway Mouse, but he did not act alone.

Visitors must play detective to recover this precious jewel and work out who the accomplice was. Throughout the Georgian house they will meet myriad mousey suspects, whose dubious alibis will need forensic examination to nail the inside mouse. En route, they will encounter 400 whiskered guests, causing Christmas chaos as they swing from ceilings, burst out of drawers, even smoke a long pipe. Pre-booking is advised but walk-ins are welcome. Tickets: fairfaxhouse.co.uk/whats-on/a-christmas-mousetery; free admission for age 16 and under.

*Wrapping up for the York chill: A Winter Wonderland at Jorvik Viking Centre. Picture: Charlotte Graham*

First snowfall in 40 years for Viking-age Coppergate: A Winter Adventure, Jorvik Viking Centre, York, until February 22 2025

WINTER has set in at Jorvik Viking Centre for a new experience that explores what conditions 10th century York might have faced during the cold, dark months. Since opening in 1984, Jorvik has presented Coppergate as a moment frozen in time in the spring, but an archaeological find – ice skates made of bone – has inspired the deep mid-winter make-over with residents now wrapped up in hats, woollens and furs.

The Time Sleigh ride takes visitors on a trip to a winter morning in York in AD 96 and a Viking Skald tells winter-themed tales of gods and monsters and discusses the kit needed to counter elements. Pre-booking is essential as no tickets are available on the door. Timeslots can be booked at jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk.

*A cornucopia of animals and birds by York printmaker Gerard Hobson*

Nature’s gifts: Gerard Hobson Christmas Exhibition, 51 Water Lane, York, YO30 6PW, Friday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sunday, 2pm to 5pm

YORK printmaker Gerard Hobson has been busy in his garden studio preparing for his annual Open House Christmas Show. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” says the York Open Studios regular participant. “Can’t wait to see you there!”

Gerard, who specialises in animals, birds and latterly toadstools, will be exhibiting limited-edition hand-painted lino prints, cut-outs and one-off collages, all for sale along with festive cards.

*Lincoln Lightfoot’s poster for An Appetite For Destruction at 32 Stonegate, York*

In Focus: An Appetite For Destruction, A Lincoln Lightfoot Exhibition, 32 Stonegate, York, running scared until December 1

IF you have spotted stirrings of life in the dormant former Cath Kidston store in Stonegate, be afraid. Something terrifying this way comes: the latest pop-up show of B-movie paranoia re-writ large in York by retro-futurist artist Lincoln Lightfoot in his depiction of ridiculous and surreal encounters with beasts, aliens and UFOs in landmark locations.

“An Appetite For Destruction is a deep dive into my art practice with new and old pieces brought to life on a scale never seen before,” he forewarns before adding cryptically: “Warning: Sensationalism may be used to promote a hidden agenda.”

*Age Of Dinosaurs, by Lincoln Lightfoot*

How did this space invasion emerge? “This incredible opportunity was presented to me a couple of weeks ago,” says Lincoln. “I’m part of an amazing shop located on Coney Street called Fabrication that supports local artists and makers in selling their creations.

“They’ll be moving to the former Cath Kidston shop and the former home of the parents of Guy Fawkes 1570! However, the move won’t take place till January 2025 as it’s such a busy time of year with the run-up to Christmas.

*Monkgate Monster, spray paint, by Lincoln Lightfoot*

“I’m the first to take up the gauntlet in what will be a variety of different events taking place in the former store. Upon first inspection from the outside, you don’t realise how large the shops footprint actually is.”

How will you use the space and your time there, Lincoln? “An Appetite For Destruction will exhibit everything I have in my studio and artwork that’s been on loan. I’ll be adorning the space with all the artwork I can lay my hands on” he says.

*Birds Of Pray, Rowntree and Terry, by Lincoln Lightfoot*

“I’ll be filling the ground floor with large oil paintings, big street art-style paste-ups, illustrations, brand-new limited-edition prints and skateboard deck art. I’ll be debuting the completed illustration series of The Four Gates, depicting the four main gatehouses, or ‘Bars’ of York.”

Look out too for projected video footage from Lincoln’s collaboration with Mike from SkyShift. “He’s merged his incredible drone footage into a brand-new illustration of mine,” says Lincoln. Birds Of Pray, Rowntree and Terry, by L:incoln Lightfoot

*Don’t Look Up, SkyShift piece, by Lincoln Lightfoot*

“There’ll be limited-edition prints from this available with 20 per cent of the proceeds going toward the Menfulness charity, while a free limited-edition print will be available for the first 20 guests of the exclusive preview event on November 21 from 6pm to 8pm. Tickets are free on an Eventbrite.”

Throughout the exhibition, Lincoln will be doing several live paintings to give visitors a glimpse into his painting process. “The collection of work should increase and change throughout the event from the preview night to the end of play on December 1,” he says.