Thursford Christmas Spectacular 2018

Whilst it is only October, mentioning the ‘C’ word so early is with good reason. Tickets for the Thursford Christmas Spectacular sell like hot cakes, so if you want to see the 2018 show, you might want to purchase your tickets sooner rather than later.

To date, Thursford’s Christmas Spectacular has attracted over 5.4 million visitors and is the country’s biggest Christmas show. Located in Fakenham, Norfolk and set in the magical surroundings of mechanical organs and fairground carousels, the three hour performance combines much-loved chart toppers alongside traditional carols.

Visitors travel far and wide to experience this extravaganza with professional singers, beautifully choreographed dancing, eclectic music, comedy and variety. It’s a fast-paced show full of seasonal and all year-round favourites, with a cast of 130 professional singers, dancers and musicians.

The 2018 Thursford Christmas Spectacular runs from 6th November 2018 through to 23rd December 2018, with performances at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Bookings for the 2018 show can be made online and over the phone. The booking office is open Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 4:00pm on 01328 878477.

For further details about the Thursford Christmas Spectacular, visit their website:

www.thursford.com/christmas-spectacular

Thursford Collection

The Thursford Collection is open during the summer months as a working museum of mechanical organs, silent movies, Wurlitzer shows, old fashioned fairground carousels and displays of both road and fairground engines. It is a fascinating place and suitable for the whole family and will re-open on 7th April 2019.  Founded by George Cushing, the collection began as a hobby, but has since turned into one of the world’s most intriguing fairground and steam museums.

Originally the collection was housed in a dusty barn, but today there is a vast array of steam engines, organs and fairground memorabilia lovingly showcased for the whole family to enjoy. The collection at Thursford includes a Mighty Wurlitzer, the 4th largest in Europe, with its 1,339 pipes. Visitors can also marvel at the 2ft narrow gauge railway, a 19th century Gondola merry-go-round, the largest collection of traction engines in the world and a wealth of other interesting pieces of memorabilia.

George Thomas Henry Cushing was born in Thursford, Norfolk on 25th March 1904 and was the son of a farm labourer. He developed a fascination with steam engines as a child and this carried on throughout his life. By the end of the 1930s steam was being replaced by the internal combustion engine, and the old steam engines were being scrapped, much to Cushing’s horror. He began buying old redundant engines, lovingly restoring them at Laurel Farm, where he had worked as a child, and which he now owned.

Cushing was not the only one who loved these steam engines and soon steam enthusiasts started making their way to Thursford to view his collection. He decided to open it as a museum with a gift shop and tea room and today it is run by a charitable trust and attracts many thousands of visitors each year.

For more information, go to their website:

www.thursford.com/steam-museum

Santa’s Magical Journey

Visit Father Christmas in his very special house in the magical setting of Thursford between 24th November 2018 and 23rd December 2018.

A treat the whole family will remember; take a journey past polar bears and penguins and see all the giant-sized teddy bears and busy elves, hard at work in the toy factory.

Meet lots of fantasy characters including the snowman family and make your way through the magical forest to Santa’s house. Say hello and receive a gift from the big man himself.

On the 25th November 2018 there will be a fully relaxed day for children with additional needs. Queuing will be less, music will be quieter and harsh lighting effects will be turned off.

To find out more about Santa’s Magical Journey and to book tickets, go to their website:

www.thursford.com/santas-magical-journey