WITH only a fortnight to go until Christmas Day, cities, towns and villages are celebrating in shimmering style.
Amazing light trails, glistening ice rinks, magical markets and Santa specials have sprung up all over the UK.
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Treat yourself to a festive day out with the family to experience fabulous events and attractions until the New Year.
Trisha Harbord delivers a sack full of ideas.
SANTA SPECIALS
SEVERAL steam railways are running Santa Specials, including Great Central’s round trip from Loughborough to Leicester, where families can meet the big man on dates until Xmas Eve.
Tickets from £15. See gcrailway.co.uk.
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East Lancs railway offers a trip from Bury Bolton Street station, transformed into a winter wonderland complete with Mrs Claus, elves and an ice princess.
There’s a brass band and singing polar bears on the train, and Santa hands out gifts, mince pies, a tipple and chocolates too.
Tickets from £32. See eastlancsrailway.org.uk.
Drayton Manor Resort, Staffs, has a grotto where kids can write a letter to the North Pole, decorate gingerbread with elves and choose a toy with Mrs Claus.
Adults from £36, children under four from £22. See draytonmanor.co.uk.
Board the Elf Express to adventure through the Christmas tree forest before meeting Santa at Camel Creek theme park at Wadebridge, Cornwall.
Magical Christmas Wonderland until Dec 23, tickets £19.95. See camelcreek.co.uk.
Santa’s swapped the North Pole for the swamp at Shrek’s Adventure! London.
Board a magical flying bus to travel through an interactive story featuring Puss in Boots and Pinocchio before meeting and taking a selfie with Father Shrekmas!
Until Xmas Eve, adult from £24, child £19, under 3s free. See shreksadventure.com.
It saves those needles dropping – a 33ft tree made from 364,481 LEGO bricks.
Even the 80kg star used more than 5,000. Enjoy Legoland Windsor Resort’s winter wonderland as well as 24 rides and attractions until January 3.
Tickets from £32, see legoland.co.uk.
SUPER SKATE-OFFS
GET your skates on and spin around one of the ice rinks.
The Ice Factor at Yorkshire Winter Wonderland is the north of England’s largest rink, with a 30ft tree as a centrepiece.
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There are log cabins to snuggle in and a cafe for a warming hot chocolate.
The attraction, in York’s Designer Outlet until January 8, also has a funfair and grotto.
Skate from £13.50 for an adult, £12.50 per child. See yorkshireswinterwonderland.com.
A superb ice path is the new highlight of Nottingham’s Winter Wonderland.
The path, decorated with fairy lights, runs above and around the 70-stall Xmas market in the city’s Old Market Square.
There’s a skate-through bar and a life-size ice sculpture of Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.
If you don’t like heights, there’s a rink at ground level too.
Open until December 31, adult £14.40, child £11.50, see nottinghamwinterwonderland.co.uk.
Swansea’s Waterfront Winterland has a covered rink and, for the first time, a magical Ice Walk taking you through twinkling trees.
Adult £12.50, child £10, see visitswanseabay.com.
One of the most beautiful settings for a rink is the Queen’s House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with views of Greenwich Park, London.
Until January 8, adults skate from £16, children £10. See visitgreenwich.org.uk.
New to the capital is the Glide, on the riverside at London’s Battersea Power Station.
Spin around three interconnecting rinks until January 8. Enjoy fairground rides, live entertainment and bars and restaurants.
Adult from £12, child £8. See batterseapowerstation.co.uk.
DAZZLING DISPLAYS
IT’S the big switch-on across the nation, now sparkling with colourful light trails and displays.
Sony Music has 15 spectacular trails at castles, palaces and country houses.
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More than one million lights create glittering tunnels, dancing waterside reflections and shimmering trees at the spectacular sites, including at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, until January 2.
The trail features 200 candle flames, eight neon penguins, 3,000 spheres creating the Northern Lights, 5,000 baubles and 80 Christmas trees.
The palace also has an indoor trail featuring a silvery Snow Queen. Adult ticket £25, child £18, under 2s free.
Giant glowing lilies and fluffy dandelions floating in the night sky are highlights of Laser Garden and Light at National Trust’s Dunham Massey, Cheshire, until January 2.
There’s a Gladioli Tunnel with arches of multicoloured flowers and a 100ft-long Christmas cathedral to walk through. Adult £22.50, child £14.50, under 3s free.
One of the new light and laser shows is at Hatfield Park, Herts, where Queen Elizabeth I spent a lot of her childhood.
The 42 acres of gardens and parkland have been transformed into a winter wonderland with an array of amazing sculptures.
Adult £21.50, child £15, under 3s free.
To book a trail, see mychristmastrails.co.uk.
Birds of prey are getting in on the light extravaganzas with An Owls After Dark show to music at Groombridge Place in Kent.
A twilight ticket costs £30 for an adult and £15 for kids, and also includes a tour through an illuminated maze and canal boat ride. See groombridgeplace.com.
MAGICAL MARKETS
IN the shadow of Winchester Cathedral, Hants, until December 22, vendors offer hand-crafted decorations, gifts and festive treats. See winchester-cathedral.org.uk.
St Nicholas Fair in York – celebrating its 30th anniversary – has 70 chalets lining Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, selling everything from toys, baubles and Yorkshire pudding beer.
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Locals get up to 30 per cent discount. New is the Winter Hutte, a Swiss chalet with a bar and cuisine by Michelin-star chef Andrew Pern. See visityork.org.
The largest authentic German market outside Germany, in Birmingham city centre, is buzzing with visitors.
Listen to carol singers while tucking into Bratwursts (sausages) and pretzels, washed down with gluhwein (mulled wine).
You can buy stollen, Germany’s traditional Xmas cake, wooden decorations, crystal lamps, leatherwork and jewellery until December 23. See thebfcm.co.uk.
Edinburgh market, crowned the most popular in Europe by TikTok users, attracts more than 4,000 visitors.
Running until January 3 in Princes Street Gardens, 70 stalls are full of handmade products and treats.
Looming over the market is the Forth 1 Big Wheel, along with thrill rides. See visitscotland.com.
Chester has a trio of markets, including the new multi-million-pound indoor market with traders from fishmongers to vintage clothes.
There’s a large bar and live performances.
The traditional Xmas market, near the cathedral, runs until December 21, has 70 cabins and there’s a bazaar with carol singers, storytelling and craft-making this Thursday evening and next weekend.
See visitcheshire.com.
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