Category: Christmas

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Are you the UK’s biggest Christmas Scrooge?

Free holiday on offer for the UK’s biggest Scrooge

Are you the UK’s biggest Christmas Scrooge or does the thought of festive feelings bring you out in a rash? If so, you could be in for a treat with a twist this yuletide season!
We’re offering the nation’s biggest scrooge, and a friend of their choice, a free seat on one of our most popular Christmas Market tours in the hope of overcoming any Grinch-like ways they may have.
To enter yourself, or nominate a loved one, all you need to do is send us a 300 word explanation of what makes you (or the entrant) the UK’s biggest Scrooge along with a photo of the person nominated. Entries should be sent to losethescrooge@lucre.co.uk by the 25th of November 2013 at which point your entry will be put forward to the panel.
The lucky winner, who will be notified by the Leger team by the 27th November, must be available to travel on the 12th December 2013. Collected from one of a selection of pick up points, the winner and a companion of their choice will travel on a luxurious Silver Service coach to visit Brussels Christmas Markets and Valkenburg for a spectacular four day tour. Their Christmas spirit levels will of course be measured both before and after their return.
Huw Williams, Marketing Director for Leger Holidays said:
“The European markets offer unbeatable festive atmospheres which are sure to melt even in the frostiest of characters. Over the years, we’ve had so many customers come back from the tours claiming to have found a new sense of Christmas spirit that we just had to put this to the test and see how powerful the sights, sounds and smells of these markets can be!
“Of course, everyone is entitled to embrace their inner scrooge should they want to. However, through this competition, we wanted to provide an opportunity for those who are more curious about exploring their hidden Christmassy side. We look forward to reading through the entries and we wish everyone the best of luck!”
Looking to enter or nominate someone you know? Make sure you’ve read our terms and conditions…
Terms and Conditions:

  1. The promoter is Leger Holidays Ltd. Sunway House, Canklow Meadows, Rotherham S60 2XR.
  2. The ‘Lose The Scrooge’ competition is open to all UK residents over 21 years old (including Northern Ireland, Eire and the Channel Islands) except for employees of the promoter, their immediate family and anyone else connected to the creation or administration of the promotion.
  3. The prize offered is non-transferable and is for one adult (over 21) and a travelling companion of their choice.
  4. The entry materials must belong to, or have had approval from, the entrant.
  5. The entry period is from 12th November 2013 until midnight on 25th November 2013.
  6. The overall winner will be announced by the 27th November 2013.
  7. The overall winner will receive two free seats on Leger Holidays’ Silver Service, four day tour ‘Brussels Christmas Markets and Valkenburg’. The tour includes three nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast (with the two travelers sharing a room one of whom must be over 21).
  8. No cash alternative is available and the tour must be taken on the 12th December 2013 as started, unless Leger Holidays announce otherwise.
  9. Please check at time of booking exact dates and times of travel, as missed departure will void the prize.
  10. Travel insurance is excluded. Winner should take out their own insurance.
    1. Entrants will be given a choice of collection points for the tour from a limited selection of areas presented by Leger Holidays. Travel costs to these points will not be covered by Leger Holidays.
    2. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
    3. The judging panel’s decision is final and binding. No correspondence will be entered into.
    4. By entering this competition, entrants and any persons featured in the entry photograph agree that their nominations may be used by Leger Holidays as they wish, without prior notice to the entrant. Entrants will also have permission of all individuals in the photograph, as well as the permission of the copyright owner of the photograph, before entering the contest.
    5. Winners’ names and counties are available 28 days after the closing date. Send a SAE to Leger Holidays c/o Lucre, 30 Park Square West, Leeds, LS1 2PF.
    6. By entering the competition, entrants agree that their nominations and photographs/text/content will be posted on Leger’s social and media channels including the Leger Holidays website and blog.
    7. By entering the competition, the winner agrees to participate in any publicity involving print and broadcast media that is required.
    8. All text copy provided in this competition remains the copyright of Leger Holidays Ltd.
    9. By entering the competition, entrants agree to be bound by these rules and by any other requirements set out in the promotional material.
    10. Any inappropriate or offensive material will be reported to the police and removed from the competition.
    11. Leger Holidays may in its absolute discretion change these terms and conditions without notice or cancel the promotion without prior notice in the event of circumstances arising beyond its control that makes it necessary to do so. By entering this competition entrants are deemed to accept these rules.
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Yorkshire Christmas Markets

It’s that time of year again when towns and cities play host to the colourful Christmas markets, welcoming visitors from near and far to join in the festive celebrations and soak up the unique atmosphere. I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to Christmas Markets, so when a trip to the Yorkshire Christmas Markets – markets I’ve not visited before – came up, I had my bag packed and my Santa hat on faster than you could say ‘mulled wine’.

In a change to our usual working location in Leger’s Design Studio, my colleague, Tammy and I were joining the tour to get some new photographs for the brochures and the website, and to check the tour out – listening to what the customers thought of the trip and experiencing the Yorkshire Christmas markets first hand… After Grassington Dickensian Festival, our final stop was York.

Yule love York!

The medieval city of York is known for its impressive cathedral – the York Minster, its historic city walls, the famous Jorvik Viking centre and its various museums, but in the run up to Christmas, the markets – as we found – provide another great reason to visit. It was a clear crisp day with bright skies as we arrived and still quite early, so we decided to take a quick look around York’s historic parts before the Christmas shoppers descended on the city. We took a walk past Clifford’s Tower – the surviving keep of York’s main medieval castle – for a panoramic view of the city; walked down the famous, ancient street known as the ‘Shambles’, full of quaint shops in half-timbered, medieval buildings dating back to 1400s; and had a very short stroll down ‘Whip-ma-Whop-ma-gate’, the shortest street in York with the longest name – once the location of York’s pillory and whipping post. Some say this was the inspiration for the street’s name.

Cliffords Mount
York Minster

The centre of York has no shortage of shops, ranging from big named, high street stores to the unique little shops that can be found on The Shambles and among the maze of the city’s charming cobbled streets. We wandered along, listening to buskers and watching street entertainers who appeared on most corners. Parliament Street, in the centre of the city, was the location of this weekend’s Christmas market – the St. Nicholas Fayre.

St. Nicholas Fayre

The market stalls were once again a mix of handicrafts and food and drink, with one half of the stalls selling wooden ornaments, handmade silver jewellery and Christmas decorations; the other half, marked by the now-familiar smells of hot roast nuts, mulled wine and roasting meat, with stalls offering fudge, cupcakes, different flavoured toffees and gifts from Yorkshire brewery. We were never very far from something to sample, whether it be a locally-produced chutney or sloe gin jam, and now and then, little stalls selling hot chocolate with rum or brandy appeared.

Chewy delights

Tammy: “York was the highlight of the tour for me. The atmosphere on the coach was different by the third day, people were chatting, laughing and joking – there was a real sense of camaraderie. Even though I’ve worked at Leger for a number of years, I’ve not been on a coach holiday before but definitely understand the appeal of holidaying by coach – everything was done for us: no driving, no navigating our way through the country roads, nothing to think about… we just had to turn up and get on the coach. Then we just sat back and enjoyed the scenery.”

Tammy soaking up ‘all the fun of the St. Nicholas Fayre’ in York

So that was it. Three days and three different markets, all full of festive cheer and an atmosphere you only get at this time of year. And here’s one final observation: Christmas markets are not the place to be if you’re on a diet! There are so many wonderful smells coming at you from every direction that it would be hard for anyone with even the highest levels of willpower to walk past without a taste. We didn’t even try – afterall, that’s all part of the attraction of the Christmas markets! The diet will have to wait for another day!
For more information about the York St.Nicholas Fayre, Leeds Christkindelmarket, and the Grassington Dickensian Festival visit our Yorkshire Christmas Markets Tour page

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Light up your Christmas…

These cinnamon candles will bring a warm glow to any room this Christmas time, and they’re so quick and easy to make.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You’ll need:

  • One Large candle
  • Elastic band
  • String or ribbon
  • Candle holder/tray
  • Cinnamon sticks

 

Firstly, put the elastic band around your candle.
Then, one by one, slip the cinnamon sticks under the elastic band until you’ve covered all the way around.

 

Once the cinnamon sticks are secured, remove the elastic band.
Tie string, ribbon or raffia around the candle. You can even tie on some dried orange slices, holly or other festive decoration.

Place the candle on a candle holder, and there you have it – just remember never to leave a burning candle unattended at any time!

 
You can even make a few of these and place them together to make a table centre, adding in pine cones, offcuts from your Christmas tree (only if it’s a real one, of course!) or nuts and berries.
 
And, if you have any cinnamon sticks left over, why not make a few extra decorations to either add to your table centre or decorate your tree.

 
Happy decorating! Why not enjoy a warming mulled wine with a festive mince pie while you create your festive masterpieces!

 
 
 

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Get Crafty this Christmas with Handmade Tree Decorations.

If, like me, you’ve yet to ‘deck the halls’ – or put your tree up, at least – why not have a go at these easy-to-make tree decorations. They’re sure to add a touch of Christmas cheer to your place, and they smell pretty good too.

Let’s start with some wonderful, dried orange slice tree ornaments.
You’ll need:

  • Orange/s
  • String/garden twine or ribbon
  • Knife
  • Chopping board
  • Kitchen towel
  • Baking tray
  • Foil
  • Cooking oil
  • Oven

Preheat oven to about 150º – remember, we’re not cooking the oranges, we just want to dry them out.
Take an orange – make sure you place it on its side to get the desired look from the slices…

 
… and carefully slice it into 10mm (3/8ths of an inch) thick slices.

 
Lay the slices out on kitchen towel and pat with more towel to remove any excess juice.

 
Prepare baking tray with foil and spray with cooking oil to avoid the slices sticking, then lay the slices on the tray and put in the oven for a couple of hours.

 
Turn the slices every half an hour or so to prevent them curling up.
After about 1.5 hours, remove the slices from the oven and make a small hole through the segment to thread the string/ribbon through – as you can see, I used a pencil, but any pointed instrument will do!

 
Return to the oven for another half hour, then leave to cool.
Once the slices are cooled and dry, thread them with string, ribbon or raffia and hang them on your tree. That’s it!


 
Why not make a glass of tasty mulled wine and some mince pies to enjoy whilst decorating your tree?
 

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Yorkshire Christmas Markets

It’s that time of year again when towns and cities play host to the colourful Christmas markets, welcoming visitors from near and far to join in the festive celebrations and soak up the unique atmosphere. I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to Christmas Markets, so when a trip to the Yorkshire Christmas Markets – markets I’ve not visited before – came up, I had my bag packed and my Santa hat on faster than you could say ‘mulled wine’.

In a change to our usual working location in Leger’s Design Studio, my colleague, Tammy and I were joining the tour to get some new photographs for the brochures and the website, and to check the tour out – listening to what the customers thought of the trip and experiencing the Yorkshire Christmas markets first hand… After Leeds Christkindelmarkt, our second stop was Grassington.

Engrossed in Christmas Past

It was a clear, frosty morning, as we set off en route to the Yorkshire Dales village of Grassington. Travelling through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, passing long shadows stretching out across fields criss-crossed with dry stone walls, we drove through the lovely spa town of Ilkley, close to Ilkley Moor – inspiration for the folk song ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at’.
Along the way we made a short stop in Skipton, the ‘Gateway to the Dales’, with Skipton Castle standing at the top of the high street of this traditional, market town. The cobbled streets were full of friendly market traders setting up their Saturday stalls and plenty of tea rooms serving crumpets, scones and morning teas. The smell of hot pork pies was hard to ignore – no doubt a favourite here as quite a few people were walking the streets munching on the warm snack. The markets were popular with both locals and visitors, selling anything and everything from farm foods to pots and pans; dog food to woollen hats and gloves – a typical Saturday market.

Tammy: “We found a little gem in an old fashioned sweet shop called Sarsaparilla’s – it was just like stepping into the sweet shop in the film ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, with ‘Wonka Bars’ and ‘Everlasting Gobstoppers’, plus things I remember from my schooldays such as ‘Sherbet Dips Dabs’, candy cigarettes, Wham bars, Nerds and Push Pops. I really did feel like a child in a sweet shop!”

In Grassington the markets were different again, this time with a Dickensian theme. Grassington has everything that comes to mind when you imagine a typical village in the Yorkshire Dales: stunning views; beautiful stone buildings; quirky shops and friendly pubs, so visiting at Christmas time is extra special when the Grassington Dickensian Festival is on – this year, celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens. Walking up to the main cobbled square it felt as if we’d stepped back in time, with villagers and shopkeepers dressed in Victorian costume.

Keeping warm at the markets
More gift ideas!

The streets were bustling with musicians, a town crier, a stilt walker and chestnut sellers, and stalls were full of local produce including real Yorkshire ales, homemade chutneys, soups and pies (rabbit and cranberry must’ve been popular as it was sold out) and, of course, mulled wine.

Local produce
Town crier

The burger stall here had an impressive selection – the sign displaying ‘best beef, venison, kangaroo, wild boar and Welsh buffalo’ – and, for anyone wanting to take the weight off their feet for a while, the village had a good selection of cozy pubs where you could enjoy a hearty meal to warm you up on a cold winter’s day.
As the afternoon passed, the fire pits were lit, bringing welcome heat to the market-goers who gathered around eating and drinking, sharing the warmth and the charm of this olde-worlde town. As darkness fell, the lights from the quaint little shops began to twinkle and in the centre of the square, the Hebden Bridge band began playing traditional Christmas carols as people started to sing along.
Next stop: York St. Nicholas Fayre.
For more information about the Grassington Dickensian Festival, Leeds Christkindelmarket, or the York St. Nicholas Fayre please visit our Yorkshire Christmas Markets Tour page.

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Yorkshire Christmas Markets – Leeds Christkindelmarkt

It’s that time of year again when towns and cities play host to the colourful Christmas markets, welcoming visitors from near and far to join in the festive celebrations and soak up the unique atmosphere. I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to Christmas Markets, so when a trip to the Yorkshire Christmas Markets – markets I’ve not visited before – came up, I had my bag packed and my Santa hat on faster than you could say ‘mulled wine’.

In a change to our usual working location in Leger’s Design Studio, my colleague, Tammy and I were joining the tour to get some new photographs for the brochures and the website, and to check the tour out – listening to what the customers thought of the trip and experiencing the Yorkshire Christmas markets first hand… First stop: Leeds.

A very warm ‘Willkommen’ in Leeds

As we arrived at the Christkindelmarket in Millennium Square the markets were in full swing. Visiting each stall one by one to see what delights were on offer, we were lead along from stall to stall by one enticing smell after another. It was this mouth-watering mix of smells that hit us first as we arrived at the market – from the smoke of the giant barbecue cooking juicy frankfurters, sizzling schnitzel and huge burgers, to the sugary smell of candy floss and sweet popcorn being made, our senses went into overdrive… and if you visit a Christmas market, don’t miss the ‘Christmas in a glass’ taste of mulled wine – simply a must on a cold day in December! If you don’t collect the deposit you pay on your warm drink, you can even keep the special mug as a souvenir of your visit.

Tasty food
Sizzling sausages

The square in Leeds was full of wooden chalets selling all kinds of unusual gifts ranging from the ‘Honey House’, where a unique variety of candles, honey and jam were being sold, to hand-painted baubles and candle holders, knitted and sheepskin clothing, and salt crystal lamps which lit up with a warm orange glow.

Caroline: “The man at the ‘Honey House’ told me how this was his 6th year at the Leeds Christkindelmarkt, and so far, sales were good – probably, he guessed, because he’d managed to hold his prices from last year. It’s his daughter who makes the candles on his stall – beeswax candles in the shape of pine cones, roses, Christmas trees, angels and reindeer, all created by pouring liquid beeswax into moulds where it’s left to set for 24 hours. And what’s his role in this, other than being the stall holder? He’s the beekeeper, and he’s been looking after the bees for over 40 years – with quite a few stings along the way!”

At the ‘Honey House’

The traditional nutcrackers and wooden toys brought out the Bavarian theme to this market with other stalls selling brightly painted, old tin toys and unique Christmas decorations made from dried fruit and cinnamon sticks which smelled lovely. The glittering carousel was brought to life as it whizzed around with squeals of laughter from children and adults alike, whilst the sound of fairground music played, all adding to the market’s wonderful atmosphere.
In the centre of the stalls, we could hear live entertainment coming from the warm and cozy retreat of the ‘Alp Chalet Restaurant’, a huge, log cabin-style hut providing authentic German food and drink – obviously a popular place judging by the queue of people waiting to get in!

Caroline: “I’ve been to a few markets in Germany before – Cologne, Düsseldorf, Rüdesheim, Aachen etc – they’re my favourite, so it’s great to have one to visit a bit closer to home. It really gives you a taste – quite literally – of what’s on offer at the bigger markets in Germany.”

All day there was a great, festive atmosphere, but it’s after dark when the markets really come to life. After around 5 o’clock they became quite busy with the bustle of people gathering around the food and drink stalls, many of them clutching a warm drink and tasty snack and wearing an array of different woollen hats, probably bought at the market. The unique, magical Christmas feeling flowed through the market as the brass band started to play classic Christmas tunes, all adding to the festive atmosphere. We even spotted the big man himself ­– who would’ve thought we’d get to see Father Christmas at Leeds Christkindelmarkets – he even stopped for a photo!

Naughty or nice? Caroline’s chance meeting with Santa!

Next stop: Grassington’s Dickensian Festival.
For more information about the Leeds Christkindelmarket, York St.Nicholas Fayre and the Grassington Dickensian Festival visit our Yorkshire Christmas Markets Tour page.