Household names to Rock Around the Christmas Tree

Household names to Rock Around the Christmas Tree to mark grand opening of BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park

Opening its gates to thousands of wrappedup-warm visitors on Friday 10th December for a jam-packed weekend of outdoor festive frivolity, BBC Countryfile at Christmas, sponsored by SsangYong, is now just around the corner – and the event’s entire Santa-laden schedule (including Christmas carol karaoke, the ‘SsangYong Carol-oke’…!) is now live. Offering up Christmas activities to delight the whole family across five acres of Wiltshire’s Charlton Park Estate’s stunning parkland – from woodland walks, seasonal crafting and Dec 25th-inspired cooking from celebrity chefs as well as local food heroes – the show’s iconic arboretum and special festive tented village are ready to welcome guests both naughty and nice. The grand opening will be led by 11 household names from BBC Countryfile, including presenters Matt Baker, Ellie Harrison and Adam Henson. Further familiar faces from the show – Sean Fletcher, Anita Rani, Steve Brown, John Craven, Joe Crowley, Tom Heap, Charlotte Smith and Margherita Taylor – will also join the line-up across the weekend. The famous faces will be dropping into feature areas across the show’s weekend run, including Ellie joining a walk with Woodland Trust experts – alongside meeting, greeting and selfie-ing the weekend away with show-goers. 10

Here’s the weekend at a glance…

The O2 Countryfile at Christmas Stage

Join the Countryfile presenters for a teeming programme of six live shows each day, featuring a whole host of special guests. From discussing thought-provoking environmental trends to life on the farm, Friday and Saturday will kick off with Countryfile farmers regaling show-goers with stories from their years on the farm, in a talk titled Winter on the Farm and how the industry adapts. Later on Friday and Saturday and first up on Sunday will see the presenters discuss filming Countryfile in the winter months and how the show battles the elements to continue to create award-winning content year after year. The stage will also play host to a good-old fashioned Christmas quiz, A Question of Christmas, where Countryfile presenters will challenge guests on their festive general knowledge!

The Christmas Kitchen for 2021

The party is always in the kitchen and it’s no different at Countryfile Christmas in the Park. The Christmas Kitchen, sponsored by NEFF and Bosch, is set to present a whole menu of TV culinary stars, local chefs and food heroes, hosted by one of the nation’s favourite celebrity chefs, Brian Turner.

Chef and presenter of BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen, Matt Tebbutt, will also be joining the extensive list of culinary talent cooking up a festive storm over the course of the weekend, alongside TV Chef & Food Writer, Ching He Huang MBE, Food writer, Xanthe Clay and BBC Masterchef Champion 2020, Thomas Frake. The Countryfile presenters will also be joining to help cook sustainable Christmas feasts.

The Christmas Shopping Village

Timed to coincide with the final two-week Christmas shopping dash, show-goers will be able to grab their 2021 Christmas shopping from over 200 of the best independent traders and brands in the Christmas Shopping Village, including Gloucestershire Chock Shop and Beckfords of Bath – with thousands of gift and decoration ideas for stocking fillers on offer.

NEFF and Bosch Merry Baking Tent

A baking demonstration tent hosted by Bristol-born, Hobbs House Bakery’s The Fabulous Baker Brothers, Tom and Henry, the NEFF and Bosch Merry Baking Tent will take guests on a festive baking journey of live stage demonstrations, including ‘How do you bake the perfect loaf?’ and ‘What can you do to get the kids involved at Christmas?’ The Baker Brothers will share their secret tips and ideas, as well as welcome guests including award-winning patisserie chef and chocolatier, Will Torrent to do the same.

Deck The Halls

Show-goers to Deck The Halls will be invited to watch modern and traditional craft makers at work, learn how to make their own Christmas wreaths and decorations using all natural materials as well as watch beautiful furniture being whittled by hand and the process of candles being made. The weekend will kick off with a demonstration on making a wire robin with Zack from Paper and Wood, followed by beeswax Christmas candle making by Wild Harvest School of Self-Reliance. Classes throughout the weekend will also highlight sustainable wrapping ideas while making the pictureperfect present for under the tree .

Carol-oke Live

Whether it’s ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ or ‘O Holy Night’, everyone loves belting out a carol! Guests can rest assured that they will get their chance, alongside the Malmesbury Community Choir and online choir, the Wiltshire Wailers, who will be treating visitors to festive carol performances throughout the weekend at the Carol-Oke Live Stage. Guests are encouraged to pick up a song sheet and join in!

Winter Woodland Walks

Outdoor lovers can also join The Woodland Trust on a series of expert-guided walks around Charlton Park’s stunning arboretum, where they can learn about the various flora and fauna, as well as how to tend their own gardens over the winter months. Kids can also get involved with Woodland Trust festive workshops, such as make your own reindeer from hazel sticks.

All of this fun will no doubt work up an appetite and thankfully there’s plenty of opportunity for delicious festive delicacies at The Park Food Market & Wine Bar - which will offer a delicious array of street food and of course warming mugs of mulled wine.

BBC Countryfile has been on air every week since 1988, with millions of viewers tuning in. BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park allows all the family to experience a magical day out in the stunning surroundings of Charlton Park Estate.

Tickets for BBC Countryfile Christmas in the Park start at £29.50 for adults and £15 for children aged 5-16 and can be purchased via: https://www.countryfilelive.com/christmas-inthe-park

The festive season is here and Bristol Beacon’s listings are packed full of live and virtual events to see out the end of 2021. From singing along to seasonal carols to a live film premiere, you can be as festive or not festive as you choose!

Concert: Bristol Choral Society, Bristol Cathedral, Sat 11 Dec, 17.30 & 20:00, £5 - £30 incl. booking fee Christmas would not be the same without Handel’s Messiah, and after all the online offerings in 2020, Bristol Choral Society is delighted to bring to life this wonderful and familiar music again. The choir is joined by a stellar line-up of soloists, and Bristol’s own orchestra, the Bristol Ensemble. This is a not-to-be missed date for your Christmas calendar.

Made in Bristol Gift Fairs, Bristol Beacon, Sat 11 & Sun 12 Dec, 10:00 – 17:00 (until 16:00 on Sunday), Free Entry Shining a light on local creativity, Made in Bristol returns to Bristol Beacon with pre-Christmas Gift Fairs.

Made in Bristol presents up to 200 designer-makers as they take over the foyer of Bristol Beacon this Christmas for one more bumper weekend packed full of local talent and gifts to give someone you love this Christmas. 12 The free family-friendly gift fairs offer the chance to support designer-makers, including wood-workers, potters, weavers, jewellers and printmakers. Shop local and find truly individual, handmade gifts!

Comedy: Live at Christmas: Phil Wang, David O’Doherty, Lou Sanders, John Robins, Bath Forum, Wed 15th Dec, 19:30, £24.53 incl. booking fee The country’s best comedians are coming to Bath for a spectacular double-headline festive show!

The astounding line-up features Live At The Apollo star Phil Wang, one of the fastest rising names in comedy right now & star of his own Netflix special alongside Edinburgh Comedy Award winner, hairy-Enya and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner David Doherty.

Joining the bill is Taskmaster champ, the sensational Lou Sanders, and podcast-hero and all-round ‘vibe magnet’ John Robins as host.

Another Christmas, Thu 16th Dec, 8:00pm, Free

For anyone looking to escape more traditional festivities, Bristol Beacon has worked with Music Beyond Mainstream – a consortium of some of the UK’s leading venues – to commission Another Christmas.

Another Christmas is an innovative, music-led film, with classic tracks completely reinterpreted alongside new and original material. Familiar, fresh and contemporary, this film weaves a story driven by love, compassion, thoughtfulness and peace and features music from Mercury-nominated vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer ESKA, singer-songwriter and composer Douglas Dare, multi-instrumentalist songwriter Duke Garwood and Irish musician, singer and actor Camille O’Sullivan. Available to watch online for free from 8pm on Thursday 16 December until Friday 31 December.

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