Following on from More Christmas Season Events and Christmas Events, we have even more in 2018:
TOWER OF LONDON ICE SKATING
Christmas Events: The Tower of London Ice Rink is open to the public every day, except Christmas Day, until 6 January
2019. The 45-minute sessions run on the hour from 11am to 9pm. For more information and to book
Tickets, please visit www.toweroflondonicerink.co.uk.
Ice skate at the Tower of London with the most iconic historical landmark as a backdrop – you’re actually in it! Glide around the 1040m² rink, take in the magic and ambience of the castle beside the Thames in a unique and unforgettable setting.
The Tower of London Ice Rink is stunning in the evenings when the lights, set against the castle wall, adds to the dramatic jaw dropping views.
Santa Claus is coming to town for Bentalls festivities
Meet Santa and his elves this December at the Bentalls Christmas Events Grotto
From 1st December the grotto is on the third floor with five bookable slots per hour up until Christmas Eve. Fenwick’s festive grotto opens weekdays 12:00pm to 4:30pm, Saturdays 10:30am – 5:30pm and 11.30am-4:30pm on Sundays.
Tickets are free for children over 2, unless you would like to receive a present. Tickets including a present from Santa cost £5.95 (which includes a £1 donation to Momentum at Kingston Hospital) and can be booked in advance via www.fenwick.co.uk/grottokingston
www.fenwick.co.uk @FenwickOfficial #ChristmasAtFenwick
Penshurst Place magical new Christmas grotto
See Santa’s secret study and workshop for a festive experience from a bygone era
Penshurst’s new Christmas Events grotto shows the Season from a more innocent time.
Trees festooned with giant baubles line the pathway. They greet you on Lime Walk, leading up to Santa’s Toy Workshop in the Old Stable. Christmas crafts and activities, such as helping to decorate the tree; quizzes and colouring; having their face painted; and making decorations, signs and cards to take home.
Christmas fairies entertain children and guide families as they tour Santa’s favourite spots at Penshurst Place.
See the Reindeer Stables, The Toy Factory and The Elves Workshop and meet the man himself in his sleigh. He greets each child in an exclusive visit, handing out a candy cane and a small Christmas present.
Penshurst’s traditional adventure playground will also be open for youngsters to let off steam, subject to the weather conditions. The grotto is open 1st and 2nd December, and then from 8th to 22nd December inclusive, from 10.30am to 6pm. Ideally suited for preschool children, the tickets cost £14.50 per child, and up to two adults can accompany each child free of charge.
https://event.bookitbee.com/18229/penshurst-place
Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall
Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall Christmas Events has Rumpelstiltskin from 13 December – 6 January. It is a joyful, anarchic 
fairy tale, staring Australian cabaret star Paul Capsis, in the UK. The familiar tale reinvented for a new generation of families (for ages 8+) and filled with theatrical spectacles, energetic music and vibrant sets.
Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall also has Circus 1903, fresh from Las Vegas, featuring life-sized elephants created by the puppeteers of War Horse. It plays from 19 December – 5 January.
BATTERSEA POWER STATION LIGHTS UP WINTER WITH A FESTIVE PROGRAMME OF FUN
Photographer credit: JohnnyStephensPhotography
Christmas Events at Battersea Power Station with plenty on offer to keep the whole family happy. Eat, drink and be merry this Christmas at Battersea Power Station, with festive menus, live music, dance workshops and shows throughout December as well as an interactive light installation next to the River Thames.
Circus West Village, London’s newest neighbourhood at the foot of the Power Station, offers plenty to do for adults and children alike and will be kicking off the festivities in December, with carolling, workshops, delicious food and drinks and a Christmas tree with a difference, 7m in height allows visitors to trigger an animated light show brings a splash of light and colour.
Battersea Power Station’s Light Up Winter initiative
Mimi and the Mountain Dragon family theatre show is full of adventure, snow, dragons, lively songs and magical puppets. Performances take place in The Village Hall at Circus West Village on select dates between 22nd and 31st December from 11am – 4pm. To buy tickets and view the full winter programme visit batterseapowerstation.co.uk/winter.
Christmas Tales Chickenshed Theatre
Chase Side, Southgate, London N14 4PE
Wednesday 5 December – Sunday 30 December. Christmas Events has two shows each day at 9.30am and 11.15am or 10am and 2.30pm
Box Office 020 8292 9222, email: bookings@chickenshed.org.uk or book online at www.chickenshed.org.uk
A fun and festive show for children aged 0-7 years. A supersized, colourful, energetic and vibrant show being performed in on the biggest and brightest stage – the Rayne Theatre. With puppets, singing, dancing and some larger than-life characters, Christmas Tales is guaranteed to entertain the very youngest of audience (and grown-ups too), leaving everyone happy and joyful at this most wonderful time of the year!
Christmas Tales will also be performed at The Dugdale Centre in Enfield during December. Dates from 6 December – 30 December. Ticket price £8. See www.chickenshed.org.uk
CHRISTMAS IN ST ALBANS – CHRISTMAS MARKET AND FESTIVAL
Visit the stunning Cathedral city of St Albans with the Retail Quarter, the Cathedral Quarter and Verulamium Park offering different Christmas Events for all the family.
Retail Quarter – City Centre – ‘Games’ theme St Albans has a long and fascinating history of gaming and sport that goes back thousands of years. The city celebrates an incredible array of festive games, events and activities.
Retail Quarter – City Centre – The Living Advent Calendar 24 businesses in the centre make the Living Advent Calendar. They reveal a magnificent festive window display on a different day during December.
Verulamium Park – the Meraki Christmas Festival A Christmas Market with 40 stalls, family entertainment and festive food and drink. The Meraki Christmas Festival is free. November 30 to December 22.
FATHER CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCES: a 40-minute Christmas virtual reality experience which includes a letter-posting experience, story-telling session with Father Christmas and his elves and craft-making session in the elves workshop. For ages 5 and over. Under 5s have the Grotto Experience, and a gift to take away.
Cathedral Quarter: Carols on the Hour, every hour: Sat, 15 December 2018 11.00am – 4pm for 30 minutes in this beautiful, atmospheric Cathedral. No tickets required.
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH THE GRUFFALO AT CHESSINGTON
Christmas Events at Chessington World of Adventures Resort December 1 to January 2 for Winter’s 
Tail – now with twilight opening.
Winter’s Tail stars a special guest with ‘terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws’. The Gruffalo* leads the festivities at the Resort with plenty of Christmas activities for a full day of family fun. After dark, the lights begin to twinkle with the Christmas event open for the first time in twilight.
Visit Father Christmas in his magical grotto for an early Christmas gift, and meet Chessington’s animals, plus more rides than ever before,. Try The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure and Vampire. Join the Gruffalo’s Child on a treasure trail, before decorating festive treats in The Gruffalo Kitchen. Get on your dancing shoes for the new spectacular, The Gruffalo Christmas Groove.
Book Chessington.com/Christmas from £20 per person or stay overnight and enjoy two days at the Resort with a Father Christmas Sleepover at Chessington’s themed Hotels Chessington.com
King Henry’s Christmas Court at the Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth
Free with a Mary Rose ticket, the Yuletide traditions of the Tudor Court Christmas Events are alive with the help of Jesters, Courtiers, Musicians and Ladies in Waiting. You may explore the largest collection of Tudor artefacts in the world. King Henry VIII of England will be there to welcome visitors with his Royal hospitality, presenting music, dancing, merrymaking, and magic. Learn to dance, curtsy and bow like a Tudor Lord or Lady, discover what Tudor music sounded like and what food the King would eat at Christmas.
The weekends of:• 8th/9th December • 15th/16th December • 29th/30th December 2018
The Belfry Shopping Centre, Redhill
Christmas Events: FREE Santa’s Grotto from 11am every day from Saturday 1st December until Christmas Eve, with a free gift for every child! For Grotto opening times, see in-Centre or visit www.redhillbelfry.co.uk. The Belfry welcomes any donations to its 
Christmas charities, Stripey Stork, George and the Giant Pledge and the Born Free Foundation.
Festive cheer throughout December: Join in Carols in The Belfry on Sunday 9th December at 6.30pm. Local Churches Together welcome The Mayor, and is now in its 24th year. There are Carols and Christmas music to brighten your shopping every Saturday in December from The Salvation Army and local choirs.
Get your Christmas shopping wrapped up with the Belfry’s Charity Gift Wrapping Service every weekend in December.
£1,000 of prizes to be won! Enter the Belfry’s competition for the chance to be one of 50 shopping vouchers. The competition is open until Sunday 18th November.
Late night shopping. Open until 6pm from 10th December and until 7pm from Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd December.
Explore Bedruthan’s magical Sugar and Spice Grotto this December
Father Christmas and Mrs Christmas have crash-landed at Bedruthan, Cornwall, this year while doing a test flight. The 
Cornish Elves work very hard to get the sleigh up and running again. But all of the children’s gifts have fallen into the snow-covered trees, so they need some help to find them.
Little helpers meet Father Christmas’ Nordic friends Tomte and Astrid, who are a little bit naughty. They enjoy taking s’elfies and love nothing more than a bit of Tomte tomfoolery! Everyone continues the fun in the labyrinth of ice caverns. You play with snow, throw snowballs and make snow angels. Be creative with the Cornish elves (who love to reuse and recycle) to create a gift to take home. Little ones may even find a present that is meant for them. Make a special Christmas Events wish on Mawgan, Bedruthan’s magical wishing tree.
Bedruthan’s Sugar and Spice Christmas Grotto takes place December 1 to 23. Booking is advised.
Victorian Santa’s grotto at the Museum of London Docklands
Museum of London Docklands Sat 1 – Sun 2, Fri 7 – Sun 9 & Fri 14 – Sun 23 December 10.30am – 5pm £10
A Docklands Christmas Carol
Museum of London Docklands Sat 1 – Sun 2 & Sat 8 & Sun 9 December, 11am – 4pm Free drop in
Meet characters from Charles Dickens’s classic tale A Christmas Carol before booking in the interactive Sailortown gallery for the popular traditional Victorian grotto.
The beloved Victorian grotto is in Sailortown in the weeks approaching Christmas. An evocative full-sized reconstruction of Victorian Wapping, Sailortown is bedecked in holly and snow, with Christmas carols in the distance as you wait for Santa.
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklandschristmas
Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth
Tower Toymaker’s Workshop, Christmas Events
1st & 2nd, 8th & 9th, 15th & 16th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th December £15 per child with admission to the tower
023 9285 7520, www.spinnakertower.co.uk
Santa Claus sets up his toy making workshop at Emirates Spinnaker Tower!
Join Santa’s elves in the Tower’s workshop as they make the finishing touches to their latest batch of cuddly reindeer. Each child names their toy, fills it with stuffing and places a magic charm inside. No trip to Santa’s workshop is complete without a visit to see Father Christmas in his grotto!
£15 per child which includes a soft toy to take home and unlimited entry to Emirates Spinnaker Tower on the day of the visit. Accompanying adults pay the standard Tower admission. Advanced booking is highly recommended.
Open daily from 10.00am to 6.00pm (excluding Christmas Day).
See www.spinnakertower.co.uk or call 023 9285 7520 to book in advance or to find out more.
West Dean Gardens, Near Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 ORX
West Dean Gardens is the perfect destination for an enjoyable family day out during the lead-up to the Christmas Events Season.
On Saturday/ Sunday 8 – 9 & 15 – 16 December 2018, Father Christmas will be visiting! Each day, between 10am – 4.30pm (last time slot 4.00pm) children can visit Santa’s grotto in the historic Apple Store to share their Christmas wishes with Father Christmas and receive a small gift. There’s mulled wine and mince pies for the grown ups too.
The entry price for the children gets a variety of Christmas craft activities, including making Snowflake decorations; Christmas wreaths; Christmas cards and Tree decorations.
