Christmas Like A King

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Windsor

This Christmas, families visiting the Official Residences of His Majesty The King in London, Windsor and Edinburgh can learn how the Tudors and the Victorians celebrated Christmas and enjoy festive carols beneath magnificent Christmas trees.

The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace

This Christmas, children can enjoy a special storytelling performance bringing to life the tales and traditions of the festive season at the Tudor Court, while exploring the exhibition of Holbein’s works at The Queen’s Gallery. Two performers dressed as Tudor Londoners will give young visitors a glimpse into Tudor life as they prepare for the festive season. Children can find out what gifts were given and what food and drink was consumed at the Tudor Court, discovering how many Tudor Christmas celebrations form part of today’s traditional activities. 

On selected dates, families can also join a Christmas activity day where they can make twinkling, miniature portrait decorations, inspired by the jewel-like miniatures in the exhibition; perfect as a gift or to hang on a Christmas tree.

A Tudor Christmas Storytelling experience takes place on a drop-in basis and lasts approximately 40 minutes.

(Saturday, 16 December, at 11:20, 12:20, 13:30, and 14:30). The Merry Miniatures: A Christmas activity day runs on a drop-in basis (Sunday, 17 December and Monday,18 December, 11:00 – 15:00).

Windsor Castle

Throughout the Christmas holidays, families can participate in craft activities and workshops exploring how the Victorians celebrated Christmas as well as enjoying the beautifully decorated Castle. This year’s displays include a magnificent 25-foot-high tree in St George’s Hall with sparkling Garter Star decorations.

Families can drop by the Castle’s Pug Yard Learning Centre where they can hear all about a Victorian Christmas and even make a special memento to take home, such as a tree decoration, a wreath or an angel, just as Victorian children may have made. They can also devise their own Christmas menu for Queen Victoria and her family to enjoy on Christmas Day or even dress up as an elegant Victorian stepping out on Christmas morning.

As they tour the Castle, children can take a Christmas family trail and then families can treat themselves to a festive menu at the Undercroft Café.

Throughout December, local school and community choirs will be performing a variety of festive songs and music under the impressive Christmas tree in St George’s Hall.

Activities run daily on a drop-in basis, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays

(Saturday, 16 December – Monday, 1 January, 10:00–15:00). The timings of choir performances vary from day to day.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

On a special Christmas activity day, families visiting The King’s official residence in Scotland can join special crafts activities and enjoy local choirs performing festive songs. Children can explore the Palace of Holyroodhouse and view the Christmas displays including a magnificently decorated Christmas tree in the wood-panelled Throne Room and a grand Christmas table display in the Royal Dining Room. 

Taking inspiration from the decorations around the Palace and its beautiful 17th-century plaster ceilings, children can make their own clay decoration for their tree at home in the Palace’s Family Room. Many of the Christmas traditions that we know now were popularised by the Victorians and families can learn more as they try their hand at making a Victorian invention, the Christmas cracker.

By the light of the glittering Nordmann Fir Christmas tree, visitors can see the Great Gallery come to life as they enjoy festive performances by the Edinburgh University Renaissance Singers and the Colonies Choir.

Saturday, 16 December, 10:00–15:00. Choir performances at 11:00 and 14:00.

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Family Day at Windsor Racecourse

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Enjoy a fantastic family day at Windsor Racecourse this Bank Holiday Monday, with 6 races to keep you on your toes

Racing is Everyone’s Turf. From thrilling sport action to spending time with the family, racing has something for everyone and Under 18s Race Free.

From thrilling sport action and the chance to dress up or down, racing has something for everyone and Under 18s Race Free. From June to September, Britain’s 59 racecourses hold more than 40 family days throughout the summer, with the aim of engaging younger audiences and introducing them to the world of racing with exciting and fun activities.

Enjoy a fantastic family day at Windsor Racecourse this Bank Holiday Monday, with 6 races to keep you on your toes. It will be the perfect day out with plenty of entertainment for the kids, including the chance to walk the racetrack and see horses up close, inflatable fun rides, Braniac’s live science experiments and the chance to meet the mad scientists.

WINDSOR RACECOURSE, MAIDENHEAD ROAD, WINDSOR, BERKSHIRE, SL4 5JJ

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Poignant performance from St George’s School

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Community concert raises £3,000 for DEC Ukraine Appeal

A community concert, organised by local preparatory school St George’s School Windsor Castle and hosted by Windsor Parish Church, raised over £3,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal.

Beginning with a champagne and canapé reception, more than 100 parents and members of the local community took their sets for the event on April 28th and enjoyed a stirring rendition of Fauré’s Requiem.

Led by the school’s director of music, James Wilkinson, the 40-minute piece of work was performed by the St George’s School Chamber Choir, accompanied by an ensemble of professional musicians. Four of the senior choristers of St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle, all Year 8 students at the school, joined the stage for the spine-tingling Pie Jesu.

“It was an exceptional and highly poignant performance, perfect for the occasion,” commented William Goldsmith, head of St George’s School Windsor Castle. “As a school with the values of kindness, honesty and courage, we felt rightly compelled to use some of the breadth of talent that exists across the school to support the plight of the people of Ukraine in a positive and meaningful way.”

The money raised, through advance ticket sales and donations on the night, will be given to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to help provide food, water, shelter, healthcare and protection for families fleeing conflict in the country.

“We are extremely grateful for all of the generous donations from those who attended, the musicians and performers for donating their time and the support from the school’s parent body and wider community to enable the event to go ahead,” added Goldsmith.

Windsor Parish Church, Brill Media, Run Print Run and Luxe Flowers were among those to support the event.

Further information about St George’s School Windsor Castle can be found at www.stgwindsor.org, or by attending the school’s upcoming open event on Saturday 21 May. Interested families are invited to register for the event via the website or by calling 01753 865553

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Journey into the Magical Forest

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Windsor

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is opening its newest attraction this Saturday, 30th April – step inside and explore

Take an enchanting new walk-through The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort’s newest attraction as The Magical Forest opens this weekend.

The immersive experience which marks a new realm in the story of its multi-million pound land, LEGO® MYTHICA: World of Mythical Creatures, is set to capture children’s hearts and imaginations when it opens this weekend.

Model Maker Will Saunders (28) puts the finishing touches to some of the mythical LEGO creatures that populate The Magical Forest, the new immersive walkthrough experience launching at the LEGOLAND ® Windsor Resort this Saturday. Will laid the final bricks to a snappy plant model and the vibrant baby Lava Dragon. All the LEGO ® Models were built using over 80,000 LEGO bricks

The finishing touches have been applied and the swirling vortex of dazzling lights offers a glimpse into how guests will start their adventure in this parallel universe, where LEGO creatures come to life using awesome Augmented Reality (AR) with surprises in store around every corner.

Fan-favourite, Bits & Bobs and the friendly baby Alicorn, will surprise guests as at the enchanted waterfall before they head deep in the heart of The Magical Forest. Guests can also expect to unearth secret LEGO habitats hidden beneath the undergrowth and foliage, but just beware for the giant Venus Fly Trap which can be a little snappy – especially when they first meet intrepid young explorers.

The adventure hots up as first look imagery reveals how the habitat shifts from an enchanted forest to a landscape of lava where guests will come eye to eye with a group of Crystal Claw Crabs and a super-sized LEGO dragon egg, before braving the grand finale by entering the magnificent Lava Dragon’s cave, who is stirring inside.

Activated exclusively via the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort app, families will set off on an intrepid adventure where an AR overlay takes users on a journey narrated by Bobs as he’s magically brought to life and transforms from LEGO to his real-life form in The Realm. Bobs guides guests along The Magical Forest pathway as you meet other creatures from the realm, including; Crystal Claw Crabs, Baby Lava Dragons, Venus Fly Trap and the incredible Lava Dragon herself.

Families will get to help Bobs find his missing wing, breathe fire like a Baby Lava Dragon, and play with the Crystal Claw Crabs; before witnessing and getting to capture a photo of the amazing mother Lava Dragon in full flight. With each creature, you discover you’ll also add a special virtual card to your digital collection with facts and stats about them.

To celebrate the launch of The Magical Forest there are also two exclusive AR Pop Badges featuring the Crystal Claw Crabs and baby Lava Dragons to collect.

LEGO MYTHICA: World of Mythical Creatures also features the UK’s first ever flying theatre ride, Flight of The Sky Lion, which takes guests on a mind-blowing 4D film adventure on board a flying gondola where they soar, swoop and dive with guardian Maximus on an amazing adventure through the epic world.

The land which is full of epic adventures waiting to be discovered also includes the Fire and Ice Freefall drop tower ride and the exhilarating water ride, Hydra’s Challenge.

To book visit www.legoland.co.uk

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Flying high with Legoland

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Families can book in to enjoy the UK’s first flying theatre ride at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort at the end of this month

Gates will open to the new multi-million-pound land, created by kids for kids, on Saturday, 29th May.

Standing at over 25 metres tall, the Flight of the Sky Lion ride is at the heart of LEGO® MYTHICA: World of Mythical Creatures, the hotly anticipated new land which marks the park’s single biggest investment since the resort opened 25 years ago.

Aboard the Flying Theatre ride, families will be taken under the Sky Lion’s wing and transported to the parallel universe of LEGO MYTHICA, where mythical creatures come to life. Standing at 13 metres tall, the equivalent of 325 LEGO Minifigures, are two drop towers and prepare to get wet on Hydra’s Challenge steering your own vessel.

Also not to be missed will be the 13 mythical creatures made from more than 1.7 million bricks by a team of 15 master builders over f 8,649 hours – almost a full year of building. Adorning the Flying Theatre building will be the model of the Sky Lion, Maximus, made of 685,530 bricks. Using the resort’s new augmented reality technology, watch the mythical creatures come to life before your eyes using the LEGOLAND App.

Helen Bull, divisional director at the resort, said: “The country has never needed escapism more than right now and we’ve worked closely with children and their families to make sure our new land delivers thrills for everyone.”

The Resort’s existing 4D Cinema will feature a new and exclusive LEGO MYTHICA film. To book tickets, visit www.legoland.co.uk

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LEGOLAND®’s World of Mythical Creatures

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The World of Mythical Creatures is coming to The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort in spring 2021 with the opening of a multi-million-pound new land where mythical LEGO® creatures come to life.

LEGO MYTHICA: World of Mythical Creatures will feature thrilling new attractions and experiences, including a never-before-seen UK ride.

Created for kids by kids, the parallel universe of LEGO MYTHICA marks the Resort’s single biggest investment since it opened 25 years ago and will see children’s imaginations and creativity run wild as mythical LEGO creatures come to life in front of their eyes.

Revealed in a video on LEGOLAND Windsor’s social media channels, you’ll be teased into a mythical portal to another world opening for the first time. In a hint to the creatures that families may find in this parallel universe, huge footprints shake the Resort, a winged shadow flies overhead and the 30 second film ends with an ice storm engulfing LEGOLAND Windsor’s entrance.

Working in partnership with Kids Industries, the LEGOLAND Windsor team behind the new the land spent a year discussing and testing ideas and concepts with seven to 11-year olds and their parents who influenced everything from the final ride experiences, names and characters.

Thomas Jellum, Divisional Director at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, said:

“What better way to celebrate our 25th birthday than by unveiling a completely unique experience like nothing else we have launched at the Resort since we opened.

“At the heart of LEGO MYTHICA: World of Mythical Creatures will be epic rides, including a UK first, and breath-taking mythical creatures designed to capture children’s imaginations and inspire them to build and play.

“Our new land has been two years in the making and co-created with families to make sure it delivers what children and their parents want from a theme park in 2021.”

 

LEGO MYTHICA World of Mythical Creatures is currently under construction at the Resort and is set to open in spring 2021. The new land will be found between Heartlake City and the Resort’s LEGO-themed hotels.

For more details and to book tickets to the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, visit www.legoland.co.uk/mythica

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Cat’s whiskers

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Windsor

Peter Anderson chats to Roy Marsden, producer of the classic thriller Cat and The Canary at The Theatre Royal, Windsor, 15th – 25th January

Staying sane seems so simple, until 20 years after the death of Mr West, his descendants have to gather at a remote mansion to learn who will inherit his vast wealth and the hidden family jewels. When the heir is revealed, the heritage hunters turn to prey and a chain of macabre events is set in motion. Will the heirs dare to face the haunting presence toying with them? When the cat prowls, the flock takes fright…

The Cat and The Canary, the original chilling country house thriller comes to the Theatre Royal Windsor next month. Peter Anderson caught up with the producer, Roy Marsden perhaps known to many as the PD James detective, Adam Dalgliesh.

What can we look forward to with this play?” We are looking forward ourselves as rehearsals start. This is a play written in 1920s America which has seen a number of versions including a silent movie and a comedy thriller written as a vehicle for Bob Hope. Sadly, some of the play adaptions have been lost. We have moved the setting of the play from the Louisiana swamps to perhaps our most chilling of locations – Bodmin Moor.”

When did you discover your love for the theatre? “I grew up in the East End of London, and I was about eight years old when I discovered at that age you could easily travel on the Underground and nobody asked for tickets. I also found I could sneak into the gallery at the Victoria Palace Theatre. I watched the Crazy Gang, Flanagan and Allen, and the rest of them every night I was hooked. When my parents realised where I was going and what my interest was, they sorted out a kids’ drama school for me. “

Does coming to the Theatre Royal bring back happy memories for you? “I remember asking my Dad why he preferred the Theatre Royal, in Stratford East near where I grew up, to the National Theatre. He said that when you walk into the National Theatre it is the same ambience as a library, everyone talking in hushed tones. But in the Theatre Royal, if someone recognised you in the bar, they would call out and welcome you from the other side of the room.

“I love coming to the Theatre Royal – there is such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. You always get the impression that all the staff who work there are all part of one big happy family, and it is that atmosphere that really makes an audience member feel welcome when they come in to watch something.”

More info

The Cat and The Canary runs from 15th to 25th January. For tickets & more information

Tickets

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Full of pride

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Windsor

There’s extra reason to take pride in the Royal Borough as The Lions of Windsor & Maidenhead 2019 sculptures go on display for the next three months.

The public art event will feature a giant pride of super-sized lions displayed from 10th August to 27th October to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria and raise funds for local charities.

The colourful individual lions are sponsored by a range of businesses and organisations and have been decorated by leading artists, designers and illustrators. There’s also a mini pride of lion cubs which have been decorated by schools across the area.

The display also has a serious message with the aim of highlighting the plight of lions, which have become endangered with only 15,000 left in the wild.

The pride will go on show on the streets of Windsor, Eton, Ascot, Datchet, Maidenhead and beyond for the duration before being auctioned off for charity.

You’ll be able to ‘go on safari’ and follow the lion trail with maps available from the start of August and take a tour of the borough visiting the noble beasts on the streets.

The lions were created by sculptor Alan Dun who had previously created the Lions of Bath in 2010 and last year’s Owls of Bath.

Having shaped and moulded the original lion, a fibreglass mould was made to create the prototype from which the pride was born.
He also sculpted the lion cub to be decorated by schools, charities and community groups to then display on the trail.

Once the lions are taken off display they will be restored by the artists and then gathered together for one last roar goodbye on 9th and 10th November before the charity auction on 21st November.

All proceeds from the auction will go to local charities – Thames Hospice which provides care for people with life-limiting illnesses in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire; Windsor Lions Club which helps a wide range of people and organisations in the community; Look Good Feel Better equips people to face cancer with confidence and wildlife charity Tusk.

Lions represent nobility, royalty, strength and stateliness so are the perfect choice for the Royal Borough and to raise awareness of their decline – over the past 50 years, the number of wild lions in Africa have fallen from 200,000 to less than 15,000. Tusk, which is working to highlight the decrease in numbers, has declared 2019 to be the Year of the Lion.

Find out more

Visit the Lions of Windsor site

Click here

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