Information on Loughborough

Celebrate Christmas at Snibston!

Posted on 30/11/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

27 November 2009

Celebrate Christmas at Snibston!

Snibston is awaiting the festive season with great excitement and has something in store to entertain everyone this December. We’re offering a visit to Santa for our younger vistors, a ‘Robots at Christmas’ experience for technology enthusiasts, plus a talk on the many Christmas traditions for history lovers and those passionate about the trimmings and décor which is associated with this magical time of year.

Some of our key events...

Lapland Express

The Lapland Express is running this Saturday, 28th November, from 12pm – 3.30pm to start Snibston’s journey into this year’s Christmas celebrations.

The decorated carriage will take you from Margaret Street to Snibston station and then back to the heart of the festivities and fun in Coalville Town Centre. The museum will be open as usual for those wanting to visit, and standard charges apply,

There will be lots to see and do in the town centre with the Christmas Light Switch on taking place at 5.00pm with X-Factor duo, Same Difference.

There will be further opportunities to ride the colliery railway over the Christmas period on Monday 28th, Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th December during daylight hours, and when it starts to get dark at 3pm you can see Pitt the colliery engine being put to bed in his shed to keep warm for the night.

Santa at Snibston

Snibston is proud to be part of the National Forest; so much so, we have asked Santa to make his annual visit a green-fingered theme this year. Knowing how children are intrigued by nature, and even more so by Christmas tradition, each little visitor to Snibston will receive his or her very own Christmas tree sapling....a gift your child can plant, watch grow and enjoy for years to come.

So, come and explore Snibston, inside and out, and pop in to see Santa in his potting shed on the 12th and 13th and 19th to the 24th December. Each child will receive a plantable sapling, an ‘adoption’ certificate from Santa with the history of the Christmas tree, and most valuable of all....the opportunity to tell Santa what is eagerly awaited this Christmas eve. And, who knows, maybe one day your child can decorate their little tree for their family!

Cinderella Pantomime, 8th December

Christmas would not be complete without a pantomime and Snibston’s Century Theatre is proud to present Cinderella by Fame Factory Spotlight Ltd. Tickets are £6 each and the performance starts at 6.30pm on Tuesday 8th December. Spectacular, spell binding and magical, Cinderella is truly a heart stopping, romantic, rags-to-riches story with all your favourite characters.

Holly Wreath Workshops, 5th and 6th December

Get creative with the rangers and make a fantastic holly wreath, personalised to your taste, whilst drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies. A truly festive activity to get you in the mood for Christmas.

Mad Science, 5th December

On Saturday 5th December, 3-4pm, Mad Science’s Christmas Stage Show will certainly get you and your children into the festive spirit.

Mad Science is the world’s leader in fun science for children between the ages of 5 – 11 and conducts educational, entertaining and hands-on science activities.

Their unique brand of exciting, interactive activities instills a clearer understanding of how science affects the world around us.

To book, please contact Mad Science directly on 0115 922 1113

Tickets are £5 each.

The Traditions of Christmas Talk by Fiona Ure, 22nd December

Join Fiona to hear about the origin of our Christmas rituals and see some of the trimmings used in the past. Learn about what the Victorians did on Christmas Day and see how Christmas traditions have evolved. 2pm.

To visit Santa as a group on the 15th and 16th December 11am -2pm, see Cinderella at the Century Theatre on Tuesday 8th December at 6.30pm or make a Holly Wreath on the 5th and 6th December 11am-1pm and 2pm -4pm, call the sales and enquiries team now on 01530 278 444 to book your place and avoid disappointment.

For further information, please contact the sales and enquiries team on 01530 278444, email Snibston@leics.gov.uk or visit www.snibston.com

**Ends**

Notes to Editor

About Snibston

Snibston is set on the site of a former colliery and consists of a multi-award-winning interactive museum, colliery buildings of national significance, the Century Theatre, a country park and nature reserve.

The museum displays a rich and diverse collection of objects, telling the story of technology and design and how it has affected everyday life from the past to the present and into the future.

Visitor Figures

In 2008/9 Snibston achieved 98,043 paying visitors, and almost 30,000 visitors to the country park and free exhibitions, and this year to date has seen a 4% increase in visitors. Year on year, since 2005 there has been a 37.6% increase in paid admissions.