Ten members visited Nostell Priory, a local National Trust property, to see the Christmas-themed decorations. The day was gloomy and damp, so we warmed up with hot drinks in the cafe first, before exploring the beautifully decorated rooms inside the house and trying to guess which of the Twelve Days of Christmas was depicted in each.
Some were easily identified, but others much less obvious, so we had to ask the room guides, who kindly let us retrace our steps and look again, as we didn’t want to miss any! Here, the hanging ballet shoes were an easy clue!
Hats off to the volunteer tree decorators, who’d created such beautiful, eye-catching displays – even Nostell’s stunning Georgian dolls’ house had a festive tree.
The finale was a large gingerbread village, with its decorated houses, complete with a miniature railway which was much admired by everyone and all created by Nostell’s volunteer crafters.
Prolonged drizzle put paid to a planned walk in Nostell’s beautiful grounds, but lunch and a chat at the café made a very enjoyable end to the visit. Thanks to Ruth B for organising such a lovely outing.
Words and pictures kindly provided by Ruth R.
