Forget the
big city - Pembrokeshire is the place for Castles and Christmas Fairs!
While Christmas preparations seem to get earlier and earlier
each year, save some time for the last two weekends in November and enjoy the
magic of shopping for gifts, food and wine in Picton Castle and Pembroke
Castle.
Picton Castle, a
beautiful manor house set in gardens and woodland in rural Pembrokeshire, makes
a real effort to provide an inviting setting for a wide range of local crafts
and produce. Visitors start in the main hall, warm and inviting with a
crackling log fire, traditional ceiling-high Christmas tree stylishly decorated
and the delicious smell of a warming glass of mulled wine. A string quartet
plays classical carols, adding a soothing feel to the festive atmosphere. Now,
the visitor is led through brightly coloured stands that line the corridor,
down stairs to what was the wine cellar with low, stone arches that are no
problem if you are only three-foot tall, and out to the food marquee and more
stands in the main gallery.
You will soon be tempted by sweet, spicy smells of hot food
and drinks from vendors in the courtyard, and the Italian café-restaurant has
an excellent reputation for producing quality, fresh food.
All stands have a Christmas feel, lots of sparkle and
fantastic array of gifts to give or keep as a treat for yourself. Christmas
decorations can be personalised and there are original works of art for sale.
The most exotic are the hand-painted natural gourds from Jamaica – and no, they
are not made from papier mache as the artist’s daughter repeated endlessly
throughout the day! Feathers and sparkly organza make perfect fairy wands and,
of course, there is face painting too.
This is a family event, children searching out hidden
letters to make up the special Christmas-themed sentence plus a wonderful
Victorian fairground organ, painted in bright garish colours and worked by gas.
Whatever the weather, this is definitely worth a visit that lasts a full day.
Following the success of the first year of Pembroke Castle Christmas Fair in 2012,
every year is even more impressive – twice as many stands and a buzz of
excitement in the air. What a fantastic venue! Walk up through the castle gates
and into the central green now filled with three marquees, the delicious smell
of freshly-cooked meats and pastries, and wild hawks that that perfectly fit
the ambience of this ancient castle.
As the birthplace of Henry VIII, the castle itself is well
preserved and the towers perfectly designed for Santa’s arrival later. On the
first day of the show, Friday, you can feel the excitement building. At 4.30pm,
the castle walls are lit, towers standing out clearly against the clear night
sky, and crowds of visitors crush together trying to find the perfect viewing
point. Suddenly, the DJ urges the children to start the chant – Santa! Santa! A
roar of excitement – there he is! The spotlight follows Santa as he abseils
expertly down the tower walls, children and adults all screaming in delight as
he waves and smiles on his way to the podium. He switches on the town lights
and fireworks light up the sky - truly spectacular.
The craft fair stays open until 9pm, so there is still
plenty of time to shop. Don’t miss the samples of local Welsh cheese from Caws
Cenarth – their wonderful creamy-blue Perl Las is a real alternative to a
traditional stilton at Christmas. There are fascinating gifts from a wide range
of stalls. It is fascinating to watch people browse, asking questions about how
things are made which is clearly not the same as buying online or at a big
department store. A sign of the quality of stands was the number of people who
stopped and considered buying from the silver jewellery stand even though it
was closed and the display was only pieces of rock rather than any silver work!
There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy a cuppa and a
cake. Throughout the day, local people entertain visitors, from the WI ladies
bell-ringing, a brass band, a folk group to an up and coming boy-band. In
between the acts, there is the inevitable round of Christmas songs but hey,
this is a Christmas Fair!
As a visitor, it is an exciting experience that truly
represents the Christmas spirit. Even though they are three long days for stall
holders, it is the most efficient, friendly and well organised event of the
year so there is a great atmosphere throughout.
Make sure you book these two weekends on the calendar to celebrate
Christmas each year.
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