The best Christmas outing, and it cost £30
The circus, lots of lights, magic ropes and more
Readers, hello!
Apologies, this newsletter has been on hiatus for the past few weeks, but I’m back.
Writing this at my kitchen counter with Taylor Swift’s new album Midnights on (LOVE) after a major gingerbread baking session. Next up: hot chocolate on the couch watching Frozen. (Should probs specify here that the girls have been involved in both, it’s not just me doing this...)
This week’s adventure… Blackpool Tower Circus
I wanted to tell you about a really brilliant Christmas outing we went on last weekend. It was a bit impromptu (normally you have to book Christmas stuff in, like, August) and came about because I got grumpy with all the Christmas lights trails.
The last few years we’ve been to Dunham Massey Christmas lights, and it is a gorgeous trip out. But. You have to book waaaaay in advance, turn up within a 15 min time slot and potentially get really wet / cold / muddy as it’s outdoors. Plus when I looked at booking this year it would have cost the best part of £80 for the four of us.
So when my friend mentioned that Blackpool Illuminations are on till the new year it sparked an idea. The illuminations are free, you can stay in the car so no getting wet or cold, and as long as you turn up after dark (not difficult given it seemingly gets dark at lunchtime at the moment) there are no time restrictions.
I have fond memories of visiting the illuminations as a kid, my brother and I standing up in the backseat of the family Saab with our heads poking out of the sunroof as we crawled along the front, necks craned to take in all the lights and sparkle. (I shared this memory a while ago with the girls and they were like ‘what’s a sunroof?’ No need for those anymore in an era of air con in cars. Sigh.)
Anyway, I thought I’d do some research to see if there were any Christmas shows we could add on to our visit, and I came across Blackpool Tower Circus. They were hosting the High Jinx Christmas show, promising magic, illusions, acrobats, dancing and Christmas fun. The reviews were really good, so we decided to give it a try.
The circus is inside the Tower, and it’s incredible. Posters from decades before line the corridor as you go past, evoking bygone eras of ringmasters and tigers and lions.
There are also costumes on display from a century earlier, lined with silk and sequins. It all tells a story that this is a place with such a rich heritage, where a lot of people have visited and had a lot of fun and enjoyment.
Then you get to the room itself which is a Victorian masterpiece, pretty much untouched since it opened in 1894. Opulent tiling lines the walls and the ceiling, and faded, scuffed red velvet chairs flip down from metal stands. It's like stepping back in time and it's magical.
The show was excellent, and as promised it was full of illusions, magic tricks, dancing, acrobatics and jokes. Santa made a guest appearance at the end and we loved it. Plus it cost £30 for four of us, which in terms of a Christmas family trip out is a bargain.
The girls (and me!) were open mouthed by the quality of the tricks, and illusions were so professional and just impossible to explain. The audience was totally engaged and Michael, the host, was charming and funny. My eldest was also thrilled to get a fiver off her dad in the interval to buy a bright yellow ‘magic rope’ which she spent the entire car journey home showing off with.
If you’ve got kids to entertain between Christmas and New Year and you’re within striking distance of Blackpool then I’d highly recommend it.
Right then, congrats as always if you made it this far. You’re my festive favourites. Time now for finishing off the wrapping (jokes, I don’t do any wrapping, my husband does it all, I write the gift tags) and watching Frozen. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and I’ll see you in 2023.
Much love,
Jenna