Victorian festive flair for Brodsworth Hall & Gardens
A Christmas Carol, 1 & 2 December 2012
An Audience with Father Christmas, 8, 15 and 22 December
The weekends in the run up to Christmas can be a frantic time, with Christmas shopping to be done in hectic shops, but Brodsworth Hall & Gardens, near Doncaster, offers a relaxing escape every December weekend in the run-up to Christmas, with festive activities and events for the whole family.
The festive fun launches as children open the first window on their advent calendar on 1 December, with a one man performance of a classic seasonal story, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Celebrating the bicentenary of Dickens’ birth, this wonderful story of Ebenezer Scrooge and how he was changed following visits by the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future will be presented in the main hall of Brodsworth Hall by actor, Chris Cade.
“This story has been told and retold so many times in the 169 years since its publication, and yet is still perfectly captures the Christmas spirit – reminding us of what is important at this special time of year,” comments events manager, Jon Hogan. “The intimate setting of the hallway, built around 20 years after the story was written, provides a perfect backdrop for the play.”
The performances take place at 11.30am, 1.00pm and 2.30pm on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 December, each lasting around 40 minutes. The shows are free with admission to the gardens of Brodsworth Hall, although prebooking is essential as places are limited for each performance. For more details, please call 01302 722598.
The 19thcentury theme continues the following three Saturdays (8, 15 and 22 December) when Scrooge is replaced by Brodsworth Hall’s Victorian Father Christmas! Four audiences per day (11.00am, 12.30pm, 2.00pm and 3.30pm) are invited to join St Nicholas in the entrance hall, spending time as he tells them poems and answers any questions about life at the North Pole.
“This is completely different from the 21stcentury shopping mall experience – everyone in the room gets to share the storytelling experience with no long queues and waits, and then each child receives a special Christmas gift, reflecting what their great, great, great grandparents might have received when they were young,” explains Jon. “Our Father Christmas will be dressed in a red robe with a fur lined hood, reflecting the Victorian interpretation of Santa that can be seen on the earliest Christmas cards.”
Again, places for the Audience with Father Christmas are limited so prebooking is strongly advised. Normal garden admission prices apply, with an additional £4.00 charge per child.
Brodsworth Hall is also hosting its regular Christmas Choir concerts on Sundays in December. Sheffield choir, ‘Sunday Best’ perform on Sunday 9 December, followed by Sheffield Folk Chorale on 16 December and Doncaster Wheatsheaf Singers on Sunday 23 December. Tickets are £10.00 per person, or £9.00 for English Heritage members. Prebooking is essential; please call 01302 722598.
The gardens of Brodsworth Hall also remain open every weekend throughout the winter months from 10.00am to 4.00pm, showcasing Brodsworth’s extensive collection of evergreens and hollies. Admission prices are £5.70 for adults, £5.10 for concession or just £3.40 for children. The shop, tearoom and servants wing are also open.
For more information, or to book tickets for any of the events, please call 01302 722598 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/brodsworthhall
ENDS
For further media information, please contact:
Jay Commins – PRO English Heritage (Yorkshire)
Tel: 01904 500698
Mob: 07810 546567
Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk
