The Christmas lights have been switched. Black Friday is behind us and so, now, it’s officially time for Plymouth to get in the festive spirit!
What’s more; there’s no need to stick to daytime shop opening hours either! You can now catch up on essential retail therapy in Plymouth with late night shopping every Thursday.
A wide range of large and small retailers in the city centre and Drake Circus are changing their opening hours. Shoppers can now make sure they’re fully stocked and ready for Christmas Day outside of the typical 9am-5pm.
Shopping is just a stones throw away from Strathmore House Apartments, taking just 10 minutes to stroll to either the City Centre or Barbican.
Late night Shopping…
Many of Plymouths stores will be open later on Thursdays; and with so many amazing retail hubs, you can be sure to get inspired whilst feeling festive! There are plenty of shops keeping their doors open after 5.30pm, with Drakes Circus and many others open until 9pm on a Thursday.
With more than 70 stores all under cover at Drakes Circus, there are shops and eateries open until 9pm and the car park (if you have too much to carry back to the apartments!) open until midnight for a flat fee.
As well as all the amazing shops, there are log cabins too! The Christmas Market is now well underway and not to be missed! There are themed stalls decorated with fairy lights and Christmas decorations and home to both local and national traders selling a wide variety of items. There is handmade jewellery and clothing, artwork, homewares, gifts and so much more.
Visit Plymouth this season for some fabulous shopping in our city by the sea.
This time of year is traditionally characterised by tinsel-decorated trees; mince pies; present-giving; a turkey dinner (or two) and of course carols.
This year you can once again delight in the sounds of a fabulous selection of sing along classics at the Dementia Friendly Carol Service; it’s being held on Wednesday 11th December.
You can listen to your favourite carols and hear some lovely readings from some very special guests.
St Pauls Church in Stonehouse will be the host of this very special concert. Although everyone is welcome, it’s also perfect for people living with, or caring for those with Dementia.
The event starts at 3pm, and just as the songs used to bring people together many hundreds of years ago, the magic will be clear to see when you attend this amazing service.
Singing carols at Christmas with those that you love, brings families and friends together over Christmas time. But for some with Dementia, the music makes them feel connected to a time period or a memory that they can associate with that song. This then creates a magic with every note.
To find out more you can email: transformingplymouthtogether.org.uk or call: 07710096210
Sometimes, one of the hardest questions you have to answer is that big annual one:
‘… so, what do YOU want for Christmas?’
We of course all answer ‘Oh nothing, just good health and happiness for my family’. Perhaps then followed by: ‘and the children to stop fighting!’ Yet here at Strathmore House Apartments we think we have come up with the perfect gift, that keeps on giving!
Travel Size Gift Sets!
There really is nothing quite like the treat of opening the perfect makeup gift set, face masks or serums to perfect your holiday! It may be a family week in the sun, or a romantic weekend for two at Strathmore House Apartments. Opening up a brand new little cosmetic treat is the perfect addition to any break away.
This time of year is perfect for them too. Beauty brands bring together their best products – and occasionally some limited edition versions, too.
Whether it’s a friend, family member – or you just fancy treating yourself; Travel Size Treats are perfect to pop away and bring out when you’re packing your overnight bag or suitcase.
So, we suggest that you add your favourite brand to your Christmas list this year, pronto! Get some Travel Gift Sets and then get travelling!
We all know that no Christmas is complete without a trip to the pantomime for a helping of high camp festive cheer! So, when the Theatre Royal Plymouth announced a sensational Musical would be donning The Lyric stage in November, our winter Cockles started warming instantly!
Tuesday 26th – 30th November 2019…
There is nothing quite like an evening at the theatre. Weather it’s a small 100 seated auditorium or in one of the 1,300-seats in The Lyric. An evening of entertainment and escapism is what we all crave’ and that’s just what’s on offer!
This November there really is the perfect treat. From just £16 a ticket you can be sure of a night of laughs with Nativity! The Musical.
A Very Special cast…
This is not just a show on the stage, this is now part of Plymouth too!
Every child in every school has one Christmas wish, to star in a Nativity. And, following hugely successful open auditions, children from Plymouth will star as the students of ‘Oakmoor School’.
Back …
It’s not just us that sings the Musical praises of this amazing show. This highly acclaimed show wouldn’t be here for a third year if it wasn’t a smash-hit show!
The show is also bringing Dani Dyer to Plymouth! The actress, author, TV personality, designer and everyone’s favourite girl next door will play ‘Polly Parker’. At just 23 years old, Dani Dyer has already established herself as one of the UK’s brightest young stars, and this will be the perfect opportunity for her to shine even more brightly as Polly!
There are Matinee Performances, Access Performances and all will be Terrific Performances! So if you are in Plymouth for the last week of November go and check availability NOW!
You will not regret purchasing a ticket to share in the wonder of this sensational story on a stage at the Premier Arts Organisation in the South West.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas…In Plymouth!
Plymouth is a remarkable city, so it’s unsurprising that Christmas in Plymouth is extra special.
With just EIGHT Friday’s left before Christmas, we are all getting excited, especially the little ones! To make things even MORE exciting this Festive season is full of family fun in Plymouth’s city centre.
Stay with us here in Plymouth this Christmas 2019 and see the return of three sensational family-friendly events from Plymouth City Centre Company…
Christmas Lights Switch-on, Thursday 14 November
The Christmas Lights Switch-on marks the start of the festive season. This year, the evening will be hosted by Radio Plymouth.There will be performers and groups, including local schools, choirs and Plymouth Party Princesses. The stage on the Piazza will be full of Christmas cheer!
The lights will be switched on at 6.30pm by Santa himself! The Mayflower 400 Town Crier will also be there to assist! Once the city centre is illuminated, there will be a local four-piece indie, rock and pop band, The Sound. They will be performing popular tracks from bands such as The Killers, Kings of Leon and Oasis!
Thursday 14 November also marks the start of late-night shopping in the city centre. Many of the shops open later on Thursday evenings in the run-up to Christmas.
Plymouth Christmas Market, Thursday 28 November to Thursday 19 December
From Thursday 28 November, Plymouth Christmas Market will return to the city centre for three weeks (until Thursday 19 December). More than 50 traditional wooden cabins will fill the Piazza, with stallholders from across the South West. Here you can find a great range of products from handmade jewellery and homewares to artwork and clothing.
Some of the region’s favourite food and drink producers will also be in attendance too. Including the English Spirit Distillery, South Devon Chilli Farm, Roly’s Fudge Pantry, Retro Shotz, Ventons Devon Cyder and Loco About Cocoa.
What’s more the Bavarian Bar will return! There will also be a number of street food stands offering delicious treats such as traditional hotdogs and melting cheese raclette. The giant illuminated bauble will also be located at the entrance to the market, acting as the perfect background prop for festive photos.
Every Thursday to Sunday, there will be entertainment to enjoy in the heart of the market too, including local choirs and bands.
Penguins: A LEGO® brick trail, Saturday 30 November to Sunday 5 January
Back by popular demand, Penguins: A LEGO brick trail is returning to the city centre this Christmas. The trail will run from 30 November to 5 January, with 19 Rockhopper penguins and one Emperor penguin! They are all life size and made out of LEGO bricks!! The penguins will be hiding all over the city, and if you find all the penguins you can be in with the chance to win incredible prizes! These prizes include a weekend family trip to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort courtesy of Plymouth Citycoach, or a penguin feeding experience at Living Coasts in Torquay for four people.
Steve Hughes, Chief Executive of Plymouth City Centre Company, said:
“There is so much for everyone to enjoy in the city centre this festive season. Not only is there brilliant shopping, with everything from big brand names to unique independents in the West End and Plymouth Market, but there’s so much to keep the entire family entertained.
“Enjoy one of our brilliant festive events, hunt for LEGO brick penguins, take in a show at the Theatre Royal Plymouth or head to Drake Circus The Barcode to enjoy the new restaurants, adventure golf and cinema.”
For more information about Christmas in Plymouth, including full event details and travel information, keep an eye on our News, Views & Reviews Page or head to Visit Plymouth for more information!
With our strong sense of purpose, passion and pride for Plymouth; we truly appreciate the width and breadth on offer for our visitors all year through.
Summer In The City gives thousands of guests the opportunity to explore the riches on offer. Britain’s Ocean City takes a unique shape in comparison to other city destinations in the UK. It has a wealth of history and heritage. Its cultural heartbeat creates a rhythm that is rich and varied; and offers a plethora of opportunities and activities for everyone.
With so much to see and do; Strathmore House Apartments know it’s essential that guests visiting Plymouth have somewhere so stay. Somewhere that matches the creativity and innovation on offer. With the Winter season almost upon us, the fun and laughter doesn’t end just because the sunnier days are behind us!
Winter Wonderland…
Our city will soon be awash with beautiful sparkling Christmas lights and of course the ever popular Christmas Markets. There really is something so magical about Christmas in Plymouth. No matter how old you are! The magic never seems to fade; even with the stress of finding the right gifts!
Join Us …
Battling the crowds in a city-centre precinct can make Christmas shopping a grim endurance test. That’s why we love the Christmas Market approach – especially when you use it as an excuse for a short break away!
A tradition claimed by the Germans, the first of which is believed to have been held in Munich in the year 1310. It was once called a Winter market, then eventually became known as Christmas markets. From stopping for coffee breaks and warm pastries, visiting the markets and enjoying scenic boat rides. There are countless things to do in Plymouth during the winter season.
With wooden stalls and beautiful sights, as well as sensational, unique gifts to inspire; there is everything you could possibly desire. Of course no festive season is complete without a grand platter of amazing street food, as vendors fill the air with their tantalising delights! Then, as night descends the smell of homemade mulled wine; as its rustic spice entices your senses and tastes better than anything else!
Every city looks the most beautiful when the people there are happy and content. With Christmas being the most joyous time of the year, and Plymouth so seasoned in putting on the most magical time, the streets are full of laughter, good experiences, and the opportunity for you to not only buy the best gifts, but make the most beautiful memories.
More than 300 unique individual stalls are spread across 10 sites in the northwestern city, offering food, drinks, crafts and gifts in a winding trail that takes in a lot of the city’s main streets. A melting pot of nationalities, the Christmas markets in Manchester are famous for traditional bratwurst but you can also treat yourself to Hungarian goulash, Spanish paella or a good old-fashioned hog roast. Manchester is the third largest city in the UK with plenty of things to do all year round, but Christmas is perhaps when it shines brightest.
Small Bites …
When: Nov 28-Dec 19 2019
Where: In the heart of the city
Why:Log cabins and other seasonal stalls, festooned with fairy lights, will house traders from the South West and beyond, selling everything from handmade jewellery and clothing, to artwork and homewares.
Festive markets are a fixture in many of our reasons for loving Christmas time!
They have been a calendar event for years. But recently they really do dominated our November and December schedules.
Almost every town and city now hold a Festive Market. Some big, some small. All offering the same atmospheric riches that can only be found during this picturesque time of year.
Here at Strathmore House Apartments, we LOVE Christmas and we LOVE the Plymouth Christmas Market too!
Each year, we are welcoming more and more guests. Returning to soak in the atmosphere and purchase some unique hand-made gifts for loved ones.
So for all those early birds who love to plan ahead, here are our top THREE reasons why:
We LOVE our Christmas Market by the sea...
That Festive Feeling…
With the sparkling lights, the smell of cinnamon filling the air, the festive tunes jingling in the background and the mulled wine flowing…the atmosphere of a Christmas Market, especially our Christmas Market, is the stuff of Little Women and Enid Blyton tales!
Carol singers, Christmas treats and traders sharing their crafts; it’s the perfect way of treating yourself to a less stressful Christmas Shopping excursion! A shopping trip fuelled with niceness and smiles, not elbows and frowns!
For much of the year, when we shop, we mostly choose convenience. Be that online, in Malls and out of town for parking ease or in supermarkets while we buy our bread and milk. Christmas Markets are an amazing time of year to support local crafts and independent traders and retailers, as well as high-streets. Independent retailers are facing their toughest battles, not only as they are now competing with an army of online providers, but also the ever changing landscape of Britain’s high streets.
If you haven’t been to the Plymouth Christmas Market, make this year the first year you do. Not only will the atmosphere blow you away and feel sensational, the feeling you get when you make a purchase from someone with passion about their product or craft (or both) is the stuff that Christmas is really made of!
If this is to be your first year; we are certain it won’t be your last!
The FOOD…
Words will NEVER do the food scene in Plymouth justice at any time of the year – but especially at Christmas!
Never could you ever describe the taste, the smell and the satisfaction of the hearty, winter warming delights!
It’s not just the street food either that will blow your mind and fill your belly! It’s not just the tasty German bratwursts, the roasted chestnuts or the homemade pastries from the market itself; oh no! The local restaurants, cafes and bakeries pull out all the stops to ensure you are fully sated for your shopping experience.
What’s more, if you are staying at Strathmore House Apartments you don’t have to worry about the drive home! You are just a short stroll away from the action. So, you can wash all the amazing food down and warm your cockles with a mug of mulled wine whilst you continue shopping, for a truly sumptuous additional Christmas experience.
There’s nothing more enjoyable than walking around the market sampling the delicious Christmas offerings, whilst buying some extras for your Christmas Day treats.
The Joy Of Giving The Perfect Gift…
Christmas is the time for giving; it’s a time for thinking about the very best item for that very dear someone. It could be £1 or £100 – gifts are not about the price tag but about the thought.
What better way to say ‘ I saw this and thought of you’ than with a local gift, from a talented and passionate person, selling not only their product, but giving you a little piece of themselves while they do.
The great thing about any market is that when you wander around, seeing the amazing creations, you naturally feel inspired to ask questions. Then you get to hear all about the where, the when and the whys. So not only do you then take home the present, you also take home the narrative. When you share this with the gift, you have the perfect pair!
A handmade gift from a Christmas Market; whether that’s traditional crafts, scented soaps, candy and chocolate, unusual Christmas cards, to your favourite person’s favourite tipple, there really is something special for every special someone.
Whilst you are here, why not think about a little gift to yourself? Add a special something to your Christmas list, for your Christmas tree!
A gift or perhaps a new tradition; a little Christmas decoration for decorating your tree, then you will always be reminded of your special trip by the sea.
For many of us though, the thought of doing Christmas away from home feels somewhat underwhelming. After all, for many of us the best part of Christmas is not leaving the house, just being altogether in your family home.
But for others, Christmas away from home makes perfect sense. Whether it’s spending the festive season cosying up in a cottage in the country, or staying with us in our seaside apartments; jetting off to spend Christmas away from the ‘normal routines’ is what can make.
Trudi and Mike and their two children do just that, and we ask them what it is that they love about…
‘Being away For Christmas’
“It’s a well earned break away after a long year. We both have jobs that mean throughout the year we get very little time off altogether. Throughout the year we have to take alternate holidays to cover child care, so Christmas really is the only ‘real’ time all four of us have as one.
We never go to the ends of the earth, it’s always an hour or two away in the car, but for us it makes all the difference. We aim to be away for a day or two before Christmas Eve and then return home a day or two after Boxing Day.
Once there, we still have a tree, great food, songs and Christmas films; we FaceTime or Skype family scattered around the world on Christmas Day and we explore wherever we are on Christmas Eve. We wander around and look at the Christmas Lights and try and find Carol Services and a Panto.
When you are away from Christmas you are more focused on the people you are with, rather than things. For us it’s just how we like it and our very own, unique tradition.”
Our Tips For Having A Magical Christmas Away From Home…
Stay Connected:
When staying away from home, make sure you remember your chargers!! It may sound basic, but packing for a Christmas Road Trip can make you forget the most basic of things, write a list and check it twice!
Check that wherever you are staying has reliable Wi-Fi. It may be freezing outside; but you want to avoid screen freeze inside on Christmas Day when you are trying to Skype Aunt Mable!
Dec The Halls:
Check that the accommodation are happy with you putting up a tree and decorations. We are, but we have heard that some places prefer you not to decorate. They may suggest that you sign a waiver or give a larger deposit. That would be in case you caused any tinsel damage!
Local charity shops are great for decoration bargains, that you can then donate back – this saves lots of room in the car, perhaps just take a few items that are sentimental to take. Choosing them, filling up the basket together is great fun, what’s more, you can kit you home away from home up for less than £10!
Being Local:
You can find a lot out about the city/town you are visiting by following your accommodation provider on social media. Like us, many will share news and events. But also things like where and when local chemists are open over Christmas. Useful, local information.
Father Christmas:
If you have young children, a really nice idea is to send ahead a letter from Santa. The staff can have waiting on the pillow of their bed. It’s a magical way of them knowing straight away that he has the right address. We love getting involved and helping to make memories and often do these kinds of touches.
You could go one step further and wrap everyone matching pyjamas! It could be a welcome present or Christmas Eve gift. Why not post that ahead too. It could be there waiting for you when you arrive!
From Us To YOU:
Whatever you do, be you at home or away, we all wish you the most magical of Christmases. And a VERY Happy New Year.
Unite in song this Christmas at a truly amazing carol concert…
We are part of the New Continental Group. Included in this is our sister company, the New Continental Hotel. The New Continental Hotel was the first Dementia Friendly Hotel in Plymouth.
Something we are all very proud of.
Sadly; there are very few people now that have not had, seen or felt the impact of dementia. And we want to help, even if just in a small way.
So; join us and delight in the sounds of sensational choirs. Sing along to your favourite carols. Or simply be uplifted by our amazing community coming together this Christmas time.
Everyone is invited to attend; friends and family who wish to bring a loved one with Dementia; or simply to unite in song against dementia.
This brings us on to our proud announcement!
Plymouth’s annual Carol Concert will be held in the stunning St Paul’s church in Stonehouse on Wednesday the 12th of December between 3-4pm.
