Christmas Guide 2018

Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, 15 November, 2018

Report by FIONA TOMAS email fiona.tomas@newburynews.co.uk twitter @fionatomas_nwn Singalong, fun run and workshops in Newbury

children can add some funfair magic to their evening. n West Berkshire Museum will be holding popular Christmas- themed painting workshops on Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8, from 10am – 1pm. The event will start with a brief talk about the history of the Christ- mas tree and its decorations, followed by hands-on painting of four ceramic Christmas decora- tions of participants’ choice from a vast collection of bisque shapes supplied by Roelofs and Rubens. The decorations will be taken away for firing, finished with beads and ribbon and delivered or posted to your house. Tickets: £40 and materials, beads and ribbon and postage are all included in the price. To book a place on these work- shops please call the museum (01635) 519562 or email museum@ westberks.gov.uk n At the Christmas lights switch-on , Santa will parade through Newbury on his sleigh before switching on the town’s Christmas lights, this Sunday. The festivities will begin at 3pm, with local band Uncovered taking the stage, followed by the Berk- shire Maestros’ Swing Band. The annual Santa Parade will set off from Market Street at approximately 4.45pm, to make its way around the town. The parade will finish at the Market Place, ready for the big Christmas lights switch-on at 5.15pm. The event has been organised by Visit Newbury in collaboration with the Lions Club of Newbury, You will be able to visit Santa’s grotto on Parkway, between noon

and 4pm. All donations go to The Lions Club of Newbury. The grotto will then re-open on Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2, and again from Friday, December 14, until Sunday, Decem- ber 23. All donations from these dates will go to Naomi House & Jacksplace hospice. For grotto opening times and details of all the Visit Newbury festive events, visit www.visitnew- bury.org.uk n After the success of their inau- gural Santa Fun Run in 2017, the Newbury Rotary Club have teamed up with Visit Newbury again to bring back the event for 2018. Registration closes at midday on Saturday, December 1 and the run will take place on Sunday, Decem- ber 2, starting at Market Place at 9.30am. Suitable for all ages and all levels of fitness. Register online at http://bit.ly/NRCSantaRun2018. n From December 3-9, busi- nesses from all around Newbury town centre will be showing off their festive window displays to battle it out for the Best Dressed Window prize. It will be decided by public vote. Members of the public are encour- aged to vote for their favourite window – with the chance to win £100 in vouchers which can be spent in Newbury. The BID will be running a Face- book poll from Monday, December 3, which will show all the window displays from participating shops and businesses. Full details of the competition can be found on the Visit Newbury website.

SHAW House will be staging several interactive workshops and musical events over the festive season to helpWest Berk- shire residents embrace the Christmas spirit. The historic building will once again be hosting its Christmas Fair on Sunday, December 2, from 11am-4pm, with more than 60 local crafters, bakers, artists and photographers offering products and goods that cannot be found on the high street. Visitors can also enjoy mulled wine, hot food and a Living Nativ- ity with Miller’s Ark Animals. Entry is £1 for adults, with free entry for children. On the same day there will be children’s Christmas parties, featuring Mr Muddles and a visit from Father Christmas, at 11.30am, 12.45pm, 2pm and 3.15pm. Tickets £5 per child and must be booked in advance, only one adult per child. Wreath-making workshops take place on Tuesday, December 4 and Wednesday, December 5, 10.30am- 12.30pm, 6.30pm-9pm. Materials will be provided, but bring any personal decorations for your wreath. No experience required. Tickets £40 each, includes a hot drink and mince pie. There is a 10 per cent discount for group book- ings of more than 10 people. Decopatch workshop onMonday, December 10, 10.30am-12.30pm. Tickets £20. On Friday, December 14, come along for an uplifting evening of festive music from Sing for Fun,

Thousands gathered in the Market Place for the Chrstmas lights switch on in 2 017

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from 6.30pm, performance, 7pm- 8pm. Tickets: adults £6, (£5 with WBC card), under-16’s £3 (£2.50 with WBC card). On Monday, December 17, Shaw House will be hosting A Brief History of Christmas , which will include a whistle-stop tour of the origins of midwinter festivities. Starting at 7.30pm, the show takes in 600 years of music. Tickets, adults £12 (£11 with WBC) and £5 for under-16s (£4 with WBC). No experience required for the Christmas table arrangement

workshop on Monday, December 19, from 10am-12.30pm. Tickets are £35, which includes a hot drink and a mince pie. To book a place at any of these events, call Shaw House (01635) 279279 or email shawhouse@west- berks.gov.uk n Greenham Trust is bringing festive musical cheer to Newbury this Christmas with the Newbury Christmas Sing-Along, which will feature the UK’s leading Michael Bublé tribute act, local choirs and Cold Ash Brass.

The event, which is being held in partnership with Visit Newbury in conjunction with Newbury Busi- ness Improvement District (BID), will take place in the Market Place on Friday, December 14, from 6pm to 9pm and is free . Local choirs will perform seasonal songs throughout the town centre and then come together for the traditional and powerful 1,000-voice rendition of 12 Days of Christmas . Festive refreshments will be available for all, while younger

New Year ’s Eve

Monday 31st December 2018

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Please call us on 01635 568137 to reserve your place.

Donnington Valley Hotel & Spa Old Oxford Road | Newbury | Berkshire | RG14 3AG www.donningtonvalley.co.uk