Victorian Christmas festival returns to dockyard in fortnight

IT DRAWS thousands of families with its fake snow, 150 gift stalls and a traditional Father Christmas.
Last year's Victorian Festival of ChristmasLast year's Victorian Festival of Christmas
Last year's Victorian Festival of Christmas

And there are now just two weeks until the Victorian Festival of Christmas returns to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The three-day event takes visitors back more than 100 years with a cast of colourful characters, cobbled streets and musicians.

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The festival, which is between December 1 and December 3, is always popular with families from Portsmouth and the surrounding areas.

A spokeswoman said: ‘Visitors can encounter the ever-popular traditional Father Christmas dressed in green, see Scrooge in his carriage, bump into young chimney sweeps, and enjoy street performances from Victorian magicians and musicians.

‘To top off proceedings, there will be a 35ft Christmas tree alongside HMS Victory.

‘Historic parts of the dockyard will be transformed into a Victorian-style street, complete with coffin measurers, ladies of the night, street urchins, market sellers and many more.

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‘This year there is a brand new family trail with Admiral Lord Nelson’s favourite jewel at the centre of an intriguing Sherlock Holmes-inspired whodunnit.’

And the festival will see the return of the lively real-ale Fagin’s Tavern with plenty of merriment this year as performances by The Edelweiss Bavarian Oompah Band, Old Sea Dogs, and Shep Woolley & the Ansome Sea Buoys, light up the stage.

Tickets are still available online for the Victorian Festival of Christmas.

Adult tickets are £16, children (ages five to 15) are £14 and under fives go free.

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Senior and student tickets are £15.50 and family tickets, of two adults and up to three children) are £46.

Event tickets include entry to all the attractions within the historic dockyard including the new-look Mary Rose Museum, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, HMS M.33, The National Museum of the Royal Navy, Boathouse 4 and Action Stations.

For tickets visit christmasfestival.co.uk.