Blog

We Love Santa Claus and we hope you do too! Come and see the big red fella, his jolly little elves and their magical, musical sleigh as we come to a street near you.  Across ten nights in November and December!  As well as all our usual routes around Little Clacton, Great Clacton and Holland on Sea, this year we’re also going to be paying a special visit to our busy elves at Morrisons to spread some festive joy while you’re shopping for your turkey, cheeseboard and yule logs. Helping raise some funds for their charitable partner, Together for Short Lives.

We’re really looking forward to seeing all our amazing supporters again very soon, so don’t forget to save those pennies, dust off the Christmas pyjamas and enjoy.

27th Nov – 9th Dec. 

Switching on of Christmas Lights and opening of Orwell Place. Late night Shopping, Attractions, Rides, Live Performers, Singers and Dancers, Street Food and drink stalls, craft stalls and much more.

3.30pm – 8.30pm

This exhibition of work by all female, or female identifying Essex based artists, curated by Jane Stewart, looks at the idea of what an ‘Essex Bird’ actually is. Is it a rather derogatory and outdated term for a woman from Essex or does it have more to do with the abundance and variety of birdlife that lives in Essex? Using a vast array of media including print, paint, photography, digital media, sculpture, fabric and even old books, these women have created an eclectic mix of representations of the Essex Bird.

The Tower is currently only open weekends 10 til 4 in November and December. If you are driving to the tower access is currently via Seawick, whilst seawall improvement works take place.

Open to all

10am – 4pm  

A Musical Theatre adventure from the fabulous Mad About Theatre Team. A Christmas adventure with fairies, gingerbread, a fiesty snow queen, mother Christmas, Prada the Christmas cat all with their own quirks and a truly modern Christmas Tale. Prepare to battle Eglantine Troll who is battling to bring down the spirit of Christmas and destroy the ecological balance of the universe, can The Snow Queen save the day, however she has over hibernated! Bring the entire family along to enjoy this modern Christmas show with something for everyone and some hilarious festive surprises! 

12 noon & 3pm

Everyone welcome –  A Family Theatre Event

The Red Lion Christmas Market 1pm- 5pm

In this talk at Clacton Library, author, Nancy Stevenson, will share stories from her book ‘Beach Hut People’ about the beach hut culture in Walton-on-the-Naze and Frinton-on-Sea. Through interviews with 60 people, she discovered fascinating insights into the communities of people who inhabit these ‘sheds by the sea’ and the pleasures of a day at the beach hut. Copies of ‘Beach Hut People’ will be for sale after the event and are also available at Caxton Books and The Nose bookshop.

Free event but booking required at Clacton Library.

Finish at 4pm

Join Homestead Caravan Centre with our Winter Fair 2023 on Saturday 18th November 2023 10am – 3pm at Thorpe Road, Clacton-on-Sea, CO16 9JN, Weeley.

With loads of festive entertainment:

Craft & gift stalls Tombola & games.  Meet Santa.  Refreshments.  Raising money for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance

Come and join local charities to help raise
thousands of pounds at the ever popular Charity Victorian Christmas Market.
Entry for adults is just 50p and includes a free tea or coffee. Children under 16 can enter for
free!
Father Christmas will be there along with Queen Victoria and her entourage, Charles
Dickens, Singalongapen Choir and the MAD About Theatre group who will be performing
songs from their new show “Supanova Santa The Rise of The Gingerbread”.
There will be stalls selling a variety of seasonal goods including Christmas gifts, cakes, decorations and cards, preserves, jewellery, toys, books and handmade items.
This event provides an opportunity for voluntary and community groups from around the
Tendring district to promote their cause, network with other charities and raise much
needed funds for their organisation.
Organisations attending this year include: Age Well East, Build a School in the Gambia,
Clacton on Sea Sands, Click Clack Craft, Colchester Chinese Culture Society, Creative
Expression, CVST HILL Team, CVST Resilience Team, Dickens, Grassroots, Great Bentley
Good Neighbours, Jaywick Friendship Cafe, Mad About Theatre, MS Society, Parkinson’s
Society, Princes Theatre, RNLI, Royal British Legion, Stadte Partner, The Rotary Club of
Clacton on Sea, West Cliff Theatre & World Food Aid.

On arrival at 10am, you will be guided to your table by Santa’s Helpers and presented with our famous Breakfast Platter – a selection of your breakfast favourites, including bacon, sausages, fried egg, hash browns, baked beans, mushrooms, grilled tomato and toast. The Children’s platter comes with bacon, sausage, fried egg, baked beans and toast. At approximately 11am Santa will arrive and make his way around all our guests, talking to everyone and giving each (paying) child a gift, he will even stop for a few photos! Ticket prices: £12 per child – this includes our Children’s Breakfast Platter, unlimited squash and a personalised gift from Santa £6 per adult – this includes our Breakfast Platter. Drinks are not included and can be purchased separately. To get tickets for one of our Santa events, either give us a call on 01255 688655 or pop in and speak to a member of the team. Please note when purchasing tickets we will require the names and ages of children attending. Please also make us aware of any dietary requirements when booking. For more details, including the set menu choices and T&Cs – https://charnallies.co.uk/christmas/santa-at-charnallies/

On arrival at 10am, you will be guided to your table by Santa’s Helpers and presented with our famous Breakfast Platter – a selection of your breakfast favourites, including bacon, sausages, fried egg, hash browns, baked beans, mushrooms, grilled tomato and toast. The Children’s platter comes with bacon, sausage, fried egg, baked beans and toast. At approximately 11am Santa will arrive and make his way around all our guests, talking to everyone and giving each (paying) child a gift, he will even stop for a few photos! Ticket prices: £12 per child – this includes our Children’s Breakfast Platter, unlimited squash and a personalised gift from Santa £6 per adult – this includes our Breakfast Platter. Drinks are not included and can be purchased separately. To get tickets for one of our Santa events, either give us a call on 01255 688655 or pop in and speak to a member of the team. Please note when purchasing tickets we will require the names and ages of children attending. Please also make us aware of any dietary requirements when booking. For more details, including the set menu choices and T&Cs – https://charnallies.co.uk/christmas/santa-at-charnallies/