With Christmas just around the corner you may be getting bogged down with the usual preparations – card writing, gift purchasing, meal planning – all to the background of festive radio tunes on endless repeat. Take some time out this December with CambridgePPF for yourself and the whole family to enjoy some of the more traditional treats that truly make Christmas a special time of year.
And don’t forget that Wandlebury is open over the whole Christmas period, including the ‘Day’ itself and Boxing Day for a walk, run or just some contemplation. You can visit anytime from dawn to dusk.
Theatre at the Leper Chapel: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Friday 7, Saturday 8 December: 7.30pm to 8.30pm
‘A Christmas Carol’, the way Dickens told it himself: one man, one stage. Playing over 20 characters, Martin Prest brings Charles Dickens’ timeless story of redemption to life in the atmospheric Leper Chapel. The miserly and unrepentant Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, one fateful Christmas Eve. Marley warns Scrooge that he will be haunted by three spirits and that, without their help, he will be condemned. Through the course of the night he is shown his past, his present and his future by these spirits. He learns how his actions affect those around him and, also, how they have been affecting his own life. As popular now as when it was first published in 1843, this captivating seasonal tale has the feel-good factor of a roast Christmas dinner with presents under the tree. The perfect start to any Christmas season!
Tickets £12 (£8 under-18s and students). Dress warmly. To book visit www.thatsmycueproductions.com
Directions: Barnwell Junction on Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8JJ – opposite Cambridge United. OS grid reference TL 471 594 GB Note that there is no parking or facilities at the chapel itself. Please park in nearby streets or come by bus or on foot.
Volunteer Work Party at Coton Reserve, Tuesday 11 December: 10am to 3pm
Help care for the green spaces and the wildlife that thrives in them – plus you can get active, meet new people and enjoy learning about your local environment. This December the volunteer work party will be assisting with vital woodland work at the Coton Countryside Reserve. If you can spare any time then please come along and lend a hand!
NB: Meet at the Coton Reserve car park notice board. All instruction, equipment and tools provided. Wear tough clothing and footwear, and bring a packed lunch. No need to book, just turn up.
Directions: Approach the reserve along Grantchester Road, just under a mile from the M11/Barton Road junction and you’ll see the car park on your right hand side. CB23 7PZ. OS grid reference TL 414 577 GB.
Christmas Holiday Bushcraft (5-12 years), Friday 21 December: 8.30am to 4pm
Holiday Bushcraft at Wandlebury is designed for children ages 5-12 and is run by experienced, qualified teachers from the outdoor learning experience group, Wild Thyme & Embers, who will inspire children and share their knowledge and skills of surviving in the wild. All basic bushcraft techniques suitable for this age range will be taught, including shelter building, knots, plant recognition, woodcrafts, fire lighting and wilderness cooking, use of cutting tools and whittling, and much more.
NB: Booking essential. The cost for each day is £38 per child. Children need to bring a packed lunch and large water bottle (which can be refilled throughout the day) and dress for the weather. Please send children with a change of clothes and ensure they wear suitable footwear, preferably closed-toe shoes such as hiking boots, wellies or trainers. Wild Thyme will take care of everything else, including providing all specialist equipment as well as delicious snacks cooked on the fire!
Booking: and further information visit wildthymeandembers.co.uk
Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. CB22 3AE. Parking is available on site and costs £3 per vehicle, members free.
A Calm, Creative Christmas at Wandlebury, Saturday 22 December: 10am to 11am and 11.30am to 12.30pm
If you and your children find the Christmas run-up all a bit much then do come and join Vital Spark for an outdoor release and some calm creativity with craft, storytelling and nature – all the magic of the season with a natural and mindful slant to the activities. It’s not at all ‘bah humbug’, just enjoy a little quality family time away from the more commercial side of Christmas!
NB: £6per child over 2 years (recommended ages 3-7). Dress for the outdoors and according to the weather. Children to remain accompanied throughout.
Booking: Booking essential. Email [email protected]
Directions: Wandlebury Country Park is on the A1307, 2.5km south of the Addenbrooke’s roundabout. CB22 3AE. Parking is available on site and costs £3 per vehicle, members free.
Midnight Communion at the Leper Chapel, Monday 24 December: 11.30pm to 12.30am
A simple celebration of Christmas: the Communion, by candlelight, with carols. The 12thcentury Leper Chapel is the oldest complete surviving building in Cambridge and provides a stunning historic setting in which to enjoy the service. All are welcome.
NB: A free event. All welcome. Donations towards the upkeep of the Chapel are always appreciated. Dress warmly.
Directions: Barnwell Junction on Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8JJ – opposite Cambridge United. OS grid reference TL 471 594 GB. Note that there is no parking or facilities at the chapel itself. Please park in nearby streets or come by bus or on foot.
New Year’s Day Walk at Coton Countryside Reserve, Tuesday 1 January: 11am to 1pm
As a perfect antidote to the festivities, why not welcome in the New Year and blow off the cobwebs by joining in for a revitalising, sociable stroll through Coton Reserve? You’ll enjoy the stunning winter landscapes at the same time as kick-starting that resolution to get more exercise in 2019!
NB: The walk is free but donations towards the upkeep of the reserve are always welcome. Meet outside the Coton village pub, The Plough, at 11am.
Directions: The Plough is a short walk north up Grantchester Road from the Reserve. If driving directly to the Reserve please park in Martin car park located just to the west of Cambridge on Grantchester Road, CB23 7PZ. OS grid reference TL414 577GB.
For more information on all events email [email protected], call 01223 243830 extension 207 or visit www.cambridgeppf.org/whats-on
