The Pass
Inspirational ideas for group days out and holidays
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Candy box of delights
Candy box of delights
From Christmas carols and magical ice rinks, to festive markets and shopping centres, there’s plenty of ways to enjoy the festive season with your group.
Get skate to it
Embrace winter at the Natural History Museum Ice Rink - the most popular outdoor ice rink in the country. It’s set within the gardens of the museum and is decorated with 76,000 glimmering lights in the surrounding trees, making it a truly magical way to spend a crisp winter’s day. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time skater, it’s the perfect place to take your group and experience a thrill on the ice. You could also combine your trip with a visit to the Christmas Fair to find the ideal Christmas present in one of the 25 chalets, which sell everything from original clothing, to jewellery, candles, ceramics and toys. The Christmas Fair is open from 25 November 2008 to 4 January 2009 (closed on Mondays except Christmas Eve), and the Natural History Museum Ice Rink is open from 6 November 2008 to 18 January 2009. Visit their website below for further details.
If you go into the woods this Christmas...
From 7 November 2008, Middleton Hall at thecentre:mk will be transformed into a magical woodland set to delight group visitors. The Christmas display will run until 4 January 2009 and will feature the return of Santa’s express train ride, the traditional carousel, a nativity scene and the ever-popular Santa’s Grotto, which will open on 17 November. This year, Santa will be sharing his grotto with customers for the train ride, as alongside the railway track you’ll find a meandering passageway of cute magical shops to walk through. Familiar branding of shop names will have a magical twist to keep things light hearted and everyone amused. There will also be several animatronic features on display, including an oak tree waking every half an hour, which will chat away and invite everyone to sing along. Visit their website for opening times or call the below for more information on their Christmas events.
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0870 890 2530
Festive feast
This Christmas, the American Museum in Britain is a candy box of delights filled with mouth-watering displays of Yule Time feasts. Frosted fruits, candy canes and sparkling sweets will decorate the halls of the museum, while a tour around period rooms reveals what early Americans feasted on during the winter to keep them warm and merry. A friendly welcome is given to groups who wish to visit at this festive time, and for any coaches visiting the Bath Christmas Market - from 27 November to 7 December 2008 - a joint visit to the American Museum would be the perfect opportunity to enjoy a discount on permit only parking in the city centre. Groups of 15 or more can organise a private tour in the morning before descending into Bath or plan a relaxing afternoon visit to the museum after an early spot of shopping in town.
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01225 460503
Carols and Christmas cheer
Groups might also like to experience a day in the life of a Victorian at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’s Victorian Festival of Christmas. The ninth annual festival runs from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 November 2008, and is one of the largest festive celebrations in the UK. The event gives groups the opportunity to step back over 150 years to experience the strict rules of a Victorian school, sample hearty Victorian food, and delight in traditional Christmas carols and fairground entertainment. Group visitors can also enjoy the atmospheric traditions of a white Christmas as they wander through a snow-covered Victorian street with market stalls, meeting a host of characters along the way. There’s a 15% discount for groups of 15 or more if you book by 30 September 2008. Visit the website below for more information.
The First Noel
The magic of Christmas will be casting its spell over Chatsworth House through an exciting collaboration with the award-winning children’s book illustrator Jan Pienkowski. ‘The First Noel’ will be magically brought to life through five life-size silhouette tableaux, based on the beautiful Christmas book. From 1 November to 23 December 2008, the rooms on the lower floors of the house will be decorated along the First Noel theme to create a memorable experience full of the sights, sounds and scents of Christmas. The stylish shops at the house will also offer an attractive range of Christmas gifts and festive decorations in a setting far removed from the stress of the high street. In the park below the stable courtyard there will also be two weekend Christmas Craft Markets, from 15 to 16, and 22 to 23 November. And no Christmas experience would be complete without food. Visitors can try the new Cavendish rooms, styled by the Duchess of Devonshire, or the Carriage House restaurant offering freshly made local and seasonal food, prepared by Chatsworth's team of chefs and bakers. Visit their website for more details.
Magical grotto
From 29 November to 14 December 2008, groups can enjoy a Christmas experience at Eastnor Castle. Groups will be taken on a guided candlelit tour of the Castle state-rooms, which will all be beautifully dressed for Christmas with fabulous trees and decorations. At the end of your tour you can gather around the piano for some Christmas music and then enjoy a mince pie and glass of mulled Herefordshire cider in the Castle Kitchen Tearoom. Father Christmas will also add a touch of festive fun in his magical grotto. Pre-booking for this event is essential as there will be no tickets available on the day. Call the number below to make sure you don’t miss out.
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01531 633160
Sleigh ride
Santa is also paying a visit to Sandown Park for the two day ‘Tingle Creek’ race meeting on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 December 2008. Traditional Horse and Sleigh rides will greet group visitors from the train station to transport them up to the racecourse to join in the festive fun and be welcomed by Father Christmas and his merry Sandown Park helpers. Racegoers can also squeeze in some early Christmas shopping with a variety of Christmas gift stands dotted around the racecourse. At the end of the day, racegoers will have the chance to listen and join in singing some festive Christmas Carols with the New London Singers - one of London’s premier vocal ensembles - conducted by the legendary Ivor Settlefield.
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0844 848 0171
Quirky and unique
From 2 to 16 December 2008, groups can enjoy the delights of Swansea Xmas Market on Oxford Street. Why not pick up something unique from one of their speciality crafts and trades people? They'll be offering a fantastic variety of quirky and novelty Christmas goods, so you can take your pick from Welsh fruit wines and liqueurs, leather goods, personalised wooden gifts, scenic photography and attractive garden ornaments. You’ll also find the ‘Waterfront Winterland’ returns to Swansea from 29 November 2008 to 11 January 2009. The grounds outside the National Waterfront Museum will be transformed into a fantastic Winterland complete with ice skating, traditional fairground rides and great festive catering.