Ledbury Town Council and Ledbury Traders are celebrating the Poet Laureate John Masefield this year and his fabulous story A Box of Delights.
Masefield was Poet Laureate, the highest honour in the UK for a poet, for thirty years and he grew up in Ledbury. You can find out all about him on Ledbury Poetry website which features a film of a Ledbury Poetry lecture on Masefield made in 2023: John Masefield – Ledbury Poetry
A Box of Delights has been called ‘the greatest children’s book ever written’ by The Times and is packed with adventure. It’s a magical tale of wolves, scrobbling and a box that can travel through time which Kay will have to fight to keep!
The Royal Shakespeare Company have created a magical show of The Box of Delights which runs through winter 2023. You can find out more here.
In Ledbury all the shops will be decorating their Christmas windows with ‘A Box of Delights’ themes celebrating this beautiful winter children’s book!
Ledbury Poetry is running get creative art workshops on Saturday 18 and Saturday 25 creating A Box of Delights art work for window displays. Everyone is welcome! Book here
On the afternoon of Sunday 26 November Ledbury Town Council turn on the Christmas Lights. Visit Father Christmas and enjoy the performers and music and market stalls. Full timetable of events is here.
On Friday 1 December Ledbury Traders host their annual Late Night Opening Event from 6pm – 8pm with music, dance, stalls, food and all the shops sparkling.
Ledbury Poetry House will be open too as Sally Crabtree sprinkles magic and delight with her Sweetshop of Words at Ledbury Poetry House on Thursday 30, Friday 1 and Saturday 2 December. Drop in for FREE activities plus jamboree bags for children with fun activities such as edible poems and ‘pop a poem’. On a light hearted level the Sweetshop of Words is a nostalgic reminder of the agonizing choice we had as children when we couldn’t decide what to spend our pocket money on! On a deeper level it raises the question of choice. Voltaire said that “The most important choice you can make is to be in a good mood ” and the Sweetshop of Words aims to help people to do this!
The Ledbury Traders are donating all funds raised by the Bumper Christmas Hamper Raffle, packed with goods from all the traders, and the sale of local mistletoe, to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. You can find out more here
Ledbury will be packed with delights to celebrate Christmas. Everyone is welcome. Please come and visit our delightful town and all the beautiful independent shops packed with treasures.