A magical Narnia Christmas wonderland has opened in Yorkshire, inviting guests to 'step through the wardrobe' this season and experience a taste of C. S. Lewis's iconic tale right here in God's own country.
Hosted at Castle Howard in north Yorkshire, just under an hour's drive from Leeds, the impressive building has been transformed into a spell-binding Christmas wonderland with icy twinkling lights and sparkling trees.
The Castle has been transformed into Narnia with the help of lavish decorations, 'dramatic installations, lighting and soundscapes' that help bring the famous story of Narnia to life.
Image: Castle Howard
Promising a full day of entertainment, there's much to see here - from a 25-foot high Christmas tree adorned with over 3,000 baubles in the Great Hall, to an array of indulgent winter treats on offer inside the cafe.
Guests are invited to 'warm yourself by roaring log fires', find a special present in the gift shop or garden centre, and explore the adjoining farm shop for locally-sourced ingredients to enjoy over the Christmas period.
And last but definitely not least, you'll also be able to visit Father Christmas himself - with the Castle assuring visitors that the big man himself will be 'making some very special visits to Castle Howard this year.'
Image: Castle Howard
A listing on the Castle's website reads:
"Step through the wardrobe into an enchanting adventure this festive season. An icy spell has been cast on this mystical land where it is always winter, but will Christmas spirits be restored and will warmth and joy return?
"Whilst Castle Howard is open from 10am daily, Twilight is one of the most magical times to visit. Icy twinkling lights at dusk, sparkling trees against the dark sky, and an indulgent winter warmer in our cafes, all make your Christmas visit that bit more special.
Image: Castle Howard
"See the lavishly decorated interiors of Castle Howard transformed. Enjoy breath-taking dramatic installations, lighting and soundscapes evoking everything we love about this special time of year. Marvel at the 25-foot Christmas tree adorned with over 3000 baubles providing a magnificent highlight in the Great Hall.
"The magical winter world of ‘Christmas in Narnia’ is waiting for you."
Tickets for the Narnia Christmas wonderland at Castle Howards on sale now, available to book via the stately home's website. Prices vary depending on whether you choose to book on a peak or off-peak date.
Britain's 20 biggest cities have been ranked, and Leeds has done pretty well.
Although, you wouldn't be able to tell judging by the overwhelmingly lacklustre description we've been given.
The listing comes from The Telegraph and ranks Britain's 20 biggest cities from worst to best, taking into account visitor appeal and where offers most to tourists.
Leeds comes in at a very respectable number 10, however judging from what they've said about our city you'd think we were much, much lower.
Kicking things off, the description reads: "There’s an untidy quality to Leeds, borne of a patchwork of periods in its built environment and the fact that a lot of regeneration is underway (cranes rise at every corner)."
Image: Unsplash
Yep, not off to a good start but it's only down hill from there as Leeds is then said to have a 'certain shapelessness'.
But perhaps the worst part is yet to come: "There are some ugly, run-down streets very close to the centre, and while the Headrow and other high streets have a fair number of shops, there’s no real boulevard or grand square.
"The most atmospheric spaces are Queens Arcade and perpendicular Cross Arcade, and Thornton’s Arcade; Grand Arcade is also Victorian but looks and feels less uplifting."
By the end it starts to get slightly more positive, emphases on 'slightly': "Leeds’ strongest points might be its small size and its north-central location; it’s easy to walk everywhere inside the city, and a short ride away are Ilkley, Skipton and the Dales."
Our visitor appeal gained a 6.5/10, beating Cardiff, Sheffield, Brighton and Nottingham.
Taking the top spot was Liverpool followed by Edinburgh, Belfast and Glasgow. Read the full ranking here.
The Boots recycling scheme where you can get £5 off every shop
Thomas Melia
UK high street retailer and healthcare shop Boots has launched an innovative recycling scheme that entitles customers to £5 off their future shopping trips.
If you're still struggling to come up with a New Year's resolution, why not try a spot of recycling and earn some money off your next cosmetics shop while you're at it?
Started in 2020, the Boots Recycling Scheme allows Advantage Card holders the opportunity to get money while also being more conscious about how we recycle our used health and beauty products.
Their third party app Recycle at Boots uses a Scan2Recycle system where users can upload items from various beauty brands by taking a picture of the empty packaging before identifying its form.
This scheme takes items that can't usually be recycled at home such as lotion pumps, toothpaste tubes, lipstick, mascaras, travel minis, make-up palettes and more.
Images: Publicity pictures (supplied)
Once you have five items approved, head over to your nearest participating Boots store, drop off your empties and scan the QR code on the deposit box.
After you've followed all these steps, a voucher will appear entitling you to 500 Advantage Points when you spend £10 in-store, and not only do you have £5 worth of points with your name on it, you're also an eco-warrior.
There's even a dedicated section of the app to recycling empty medicine and vitamin blister packs which gives customers 100 Advantage Points, when you spend £5 in-store - This is brill.
Items dropped into these deposit boxes are taken to MyGroup, a recycling and waste management service which works around the clock to help divert waste from landfill.
These empties will be washed and traditionally recycled into a material called MyBoard, a construction board material most similar to plywood with lots of different uses.
Nearest Boots locations in Manchester running the Recycle at Boots scheme:
Leeds Trinity - 1 Bond Street, LS1 5EY
Leeds Kirkstall - Savins Mill Way, LS5 3RP
White Rose Shopping Centre - Lower Level, Leeds, LS11 8LL
Thorpe Park - Unit 3 The Springs, LS15 8GG
Birstall Retail Park - Batley, West Yorkshire, WF7417 9DT
If you're up for getting money off your next Boots splurge while also helping recycle cosmetics containers and more, you can download the Recycle at Boots app and find your nearest HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
22nd December 2021 
