‘Tis the season to wrap up warm and celebrate the festive season through the ages.

Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

Find out how families pulled together during the war years to celebrate the festive season with this 1940s thrifty Christmas. The dining room, drawing room and bedrooms will be dressed as they would have been on a 1940s Christmas morning, with relevant music. Activities include make do and mend workshops. Christmas at Hardwick, 3 to 4 December, 11 to 3 pm.

Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire

The ruins of Kenilworth are best known as the home Elizabeth I’s great love Robert Dudley, who transformed the castle into a Renaissance palace to impress his queen. In true Elizabethan style, Kenilworth is hosting a Tudor Christmas with historical re-enactment group Heuristics, who will give interactive presentations about Tudor Christmas traditions, games, decorations and food. A Tudor Christmas, 17 to 18 December, 10 am to 4 pm.

Alfriston Clergy House, Sussex

For an authentic medieval Christmas, head to the 14th-century Alfriston Clergy House, the first house to be acquired by the National Trust. There won’t be a Christmas tree (that came later) but you’ll see how a country house was decorated in the Middle Ages, with lots of holly, ivy, mistletoe and garlands of apples and nuts festooning the walls. Medieval Christmas, 3 to 18 December, 11 am to 4pm.

Osborne House, Isle of Wight

Every year, the ground floor of the Osborne House on the Isle of Wight is decorated with the traditions of a Victorian Christmas.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought this Italianate palace in 1845, and the queen spent almost every Christmas there after Albert’s death in 1861, until her own death in 1900. So every year, in her honour, the ground floor is decorated with the traditions of a Victorian Christmas. Visitors can enjoy singing chimney sweeps, Victorian fairground stalls, street games and A Christmas Carol pantomime. A Victorian Christmas, 19 to 20 November, 10 am to 4 pm.

Upton House, Warwickshire

Witness how the “downstairs” inhabitants celebrated Christmas in the 1930s at the Servants Christmas Ball. Based on oral testimony and house records from the era, Upton House will be hosting a party traditionally held for its staff, and guests can marvel at the long gallery, decorated with paper chains, and take part in 1930s dancing demonstrations. Servants’ Christmas Ball, 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 December, 12 to 3:30 pm

Abigail Whyte

2 Dec 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20111202-english-country-houses-to-visit-this-christmas

Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5 based on 183 user reviews.

This article is written by JJJ. She is an avid Blogger & Traveller

As you know, communication has various forms.

I believe we live in an extremely visually motivated world today. While I am (sadly) consumed by the all hypnotic colossal ‘hep’, I am also humbly moved by that which is not blatant.

I am rather curious of all the books I have not read, of the plays I have not watched, of the movies I have not seen, of the paintings I have not known– am curious for my own selfishness.

I was in my bed that Saturday morning….the brochure of the Festival that was on my stand finally kicked me out of the bed and I left to see street theatre in Belfast. One of those many decisions am tremendously proud of.

The Festival of Fools is exactly what it is…a celebration of all that is creative and absurd at first but meant to make one happy.

The acts were local and international and meant to entertain anybody young or old. Physical strength and grace came together without hesitation. The quirky, the mystical, the sheer cheesy made the streets alive. I felt for one afternoon I was in performing art heaven.

The honesty of each performance and its proximity made it more than special to me.

This Festival is an effort to promote performing arts and sadly does not have funding. This only reminded me of the situation in India where theatre, classical dance and other non ‘main stream’ art is struggling. Alas.

JJJ

26 May 2010

http://myworldhasnoborders.blogspot.com/

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 based on 248 user reviews.

This article is written by Priyanka Bhat. When she is not traveling or daydreaming about her next trip, Priyanka enjoys reading, photography, running the Mumbai half-marathon & meeting new people. Her life’s purpose is to explore as many new places as she possibly can, during this lifetime.

Come August and you would find us packing our bags and heading out to revel in the magic of The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the biggest arts festival  held every August for three weeks in Scotland’s capital.

This year, block your dates, pack your bags and head out to – The Fringe (Aug 5 –  Aug 29).

Joie d’vivre…it’s a journey where music plays to your soul – sings to your core and draws you within its folds.

And if the arts scene is not enough – the journey to Edinburgh will take your breath away too. Whether by rail or road, via the Highlands or the Borders, the landscape is spectacularly breathtaking.

Behold the sight: Every year thousands of performers take to the stage at venues all over Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. The festival caters for everyone and includes theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, musicals, operas, music, exhibitions and events.

Tips for first-time visitors to The Fringe:

1.       First, pick up a free copy of the Fringe 2011 Programme. This 300+ pages guide to the festival is available at book stores, newsstands and main areas of the festival. You can also download the Fringe App for free (iPhone & Android phones)

2.       With over 2400 shows held at more than 250 venues, choosing what to see can be daunting. Start by going through those sections of the guide which interest you the most – be it comedy, dance, music or any of the other categories.

Other ways to decide could be the dates of the shows, location of venues and ticket prices.

3.       Free events: The Fringe hosts a number of free events – Watch as world class street shows, buskers and entertainers of every talent imaginable descend upon 12 performance spaces on the High Street section of the Royal Mile or catch free street theatre at the Mound Precinct.

4.       Visit the Half price hut (located at the Mound precinct) which is the place to grab a bargain. Thousands of tickets are available every day at half price. Open from 10 – 29 August, the Hut offers tickets only for the day of purchase. Information on what shows are on offer can be found at the Hut and through the Fringe App.

5.       For almost all Fringe events, seating is on first-come, first served basis – Reach the venue at least 30 min prior to the show as the audience will start queuing up for seats.

6.       Explore Edinburgh during the Fringe:  Experienced local guides show you historic places, from the castle to Holyrood Palace, including narrow closes and secret gardens and relate stories of famous people who lived and died there. Or simply head out on your own and discover the magic of the land.

7.       Wanderers unique Fringe experiences:  Learn the art of wine tasting & appreciation, have a couple of beers, enjoy a show and unique stunning views.

8. Open your mind… and your heart

Edinburgh’s population triples during the festival, so that means there will quite a few people around. The good news is that you can always rely on a good ol’ British spirit – and queue – in the most unlikely of places!

Queues are a great place to make friends and get festival recommendations, so make the most of your time in line.

Keep a sense of humour about it all as you move around town and an open mind: swap any emerging ‘crowd rage’ for a lovely dose of ‘festival fever’.

9.     Fringe not enough for you? Edinburgh also hosts 5 other summer festivals around the same time:

Edinburgh Art Festival

4 August-4 September

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

5-27 August

Edinburgh International Festival

12 August-4 September

Edinburgh International Book Festival

13-29 August

Edinburgh Mela Festival

2-4 September

10.        Most of all, just sit back, relax and enjoy the ambience – where else in the world would you find the whole city buzzing with festival spirit for 3 whole weeks?

Priyanka Bhat

22 Jun 2011

http://www.thewanderers.travel/blog/index.php/the-edinburgh-fringe-festival/

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 159 user reviews.