Indice dei contenuti per Nov/Dec 2024 in Britain

The Brontë sisters walked their beloved Yorkshire Moors in all seasons, but this spectacular landscape is perhaps at its most beautiful blanketed by pristine winter snow. We take a leaf out of the sisters’ book and wrap up warm to explore their favourite places, from the wild moors to the cobbled streets of their hometown, on p58. For more wintertime magic, we meet the choristers of Wells Cathedral, who raise the roof with the sound of festive carols every December, dramatically lit by the glow of 3,000 candles (p69). Ghost stories on dark winter nights are another tradition that goes back centuries; we visit Britain’s most atmospheric castles, manors and inns on p23. And one of our most cherished festive customs is the monarch’s Christmas speech – though behind the…

The ticking of an alarm clock, a medley of pirates, fairies, Lost Boys and an alligator herald the arrival of the English festive pantomime season, when traditional stories and fairytales become the basis for lively musical entertainment. Peter Pan, the timeless tale of the boy who wouldn’t grow up, made its stage debut in London’s Duke of York Theatre on 27 December 1904, and its popularity hasn’t waned since. There’s a festive feel-good factor to this children’s tale. In 1929, the writer and creator, James Matthew Barrie, signed over the rights of Peter Pan to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, with one proviso: that the income they received was never disclosed. To this day, the monies from Barrie’s creation constitute one of the greatest gifts the hospital receives.…

The Bayeux Tapestry describes the 1066 French Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. It was probably commissioned by William’s half-brother, but is ambiguous about a pivotal point: who did the childless King Edward the Confessor choose as successor to the English throne, English Harold or French William? The victor’s embroidered version of history has hidden the true identity of the heirdesignate in the mists of time. The Bayeux Tapestry resides in France, but the northern England market town of Kendal, gateway to the Lake District, is home to a plain three-storey building that contains a remarkable treasure: England’s very own tapestry of stitched historical events from 1652 to modern times. An astonishing breadth of vision by any standard, but who created such a record, and how truthful is…

Ah, those sweet, spicy smells tickling the nostrils, just as the wintry world outside is so grey and grim. Not everyone uses ‘Stir-up Sunday,’ the fifth Sunday before Christmas, to make their annual Christmas pudding. I had never heard of the custom until I was an adult, though apparently it goes back to Victorian times and the Collect in The Book of Common Prayer: “Stir up, we beseech thee, oh Lord…”. But it is certainly an excuse to think about the large quantities of mincemeat we’ll be consuming over the next few weeks. Mince pies are a must at every British Christmas gathering, though tasting some mass-produced supermarket efforts might leave the rest of the world wondering why. They are certainly not all created equally. Every cook has their own…

Charles Dickens’ bestselling novella A Christmas Carol, in which the miser Ebenezer Scrooge is led to mend his ways by a series of ghostly visitors, has been a popular fixture of festive storytelling ever since it was published in 1843. The author’s Christmas books often featured supernatural goings-on, and in this he was following a long tradition of ghostly midwinter tales. It is claimed that Britain has more recorded evidence of supernatural apparitions than any other country, and whether you are a believer, a sceptic, or open to persuasion, it is certainly the case that many stories of restless spirits re-playing their roles for all eternity reflect our rich, dramatic history – combined with a British penchant for ripping yarns. The Tower of London, site of imprisonments and executions over…

HORNED BEASTIES The famous Highland cattle are ruggedly beautiful beasties and an icon of Scotland. They are the oldest registered cattle breed in the world and are primarily found in our country, where the breed originated. I’ll never tire of seeing them, and I encounter them in every corner of the land, from quiet glens to bustling roadside farmland, pristine sandy beaches to scraggy forests. These magnificent beasts aren’t fond of the heat but aren’t bothered in the slightest by the cold and damp, so it’s no wonder they do well in Scotland! Their shaggy double coat is versatile for all seasons and gives them that characteristic windswept look, with their stylish fringe – known as a ‘dossan’ – helping to keep the sun, rain, snow and wind out of…

It was never intended to become a permanent fixture of the festive season, and in fact, one or two monarchs have devoutly wished it wasn’t. But in the nine decades since the very first was broadcast, the sovereign’s Christmas speech has become an institution. For many millions of Britons, turning on the TV at 3pm in the gathering gloom of Christmas afternoon to watch it has become as indispensable a part of the big day as the stuffed turkey or piles of presents under the tree. King George V was the trailblazer, making the first seasonal speech over the radio on 25 December 1932, 22 years into his reign. “Through one of the marvels of modern Science, I am enabled, this Christmas Day, to speak to all my peoples throughout…

As night falls on certain wintry evenings in December, there’s something magical about to begin inside Wells Cathedral in Somerset. Aglow with the soft light of no less than 3,000 candles positioned along the length and breadth of the nave, the expectant congregation watch the choir take a collective breath and sing. Harmonious voices combine into something more than the sum of their parts, the sound in all its crescendos and diminuendos resonating around this epic medieval chamber in a tradition unwithered by time. Carols by Candlelight concerts are considered a highlight of the cathedral’s lively calendar; a cornucopia of choral music, seasonal readings and poetry, plus a smattering of much-loved carols with which we can all join in. Hailed as the finest choir with children in the world, the…

EVENTS Poppies at the Tower Remembrance Day this year will be marked at the Tower of London with an immersive and moving sound and light show commemorating those that lived, fought and died in the First and Second World Wars. The 1000-year-old fortress will host Poppy Fields at the Tower (8-16 November), when visitors will be invited inside to experience the exhibition after dark. The Tower’s sturdy inner walls will be illuminated with historic photographs, documents and artwork reflecting on the two World Wars, accompanied by specially composed music and poetry recordings. Many of the images in the exhibition are from the archives of Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, showing visitors what life was like during wartime, when the Tower returned to its former role as…

The Stafford US visitors to this five-star hotel in Mayfair have been leaving mementoes at its American Bar since the 1930s. Stuffed with memorabilia, from stripy Ivy League ties and baseball caps to medals and nautical knick-knacks, it makes a wonderfully eccentric place for a drink. The Stafford’s ‘special relationship’ with the US goes way back: the hotel first attracted American visitors arriving on ocean liners in the 1930s, and during the Second World War it served as a club for American and Canadian officers stationed in London. This was one of the few places in the capital where you could drink a properly mixed Manhattan, and the cavernous wine cellars made a convivial spot during air raids. Today, the elegant rooms are arranged across three buildings, all different in…