For many Christmas loving Brits it’s time to start considering when the Christmas decorations will go up, but when is the correct time to start the festivities?

Here’s everything you need to know about turning your home into a winter wonderland this December (or November).

When did Christmas decorations go up in the past?

Historically, Christmas decorations weren’t put up until much later in December. For example the Victorian period would see decorations come out no earlier than the 22nd or 23rd December -- any earlier was thought of as bad luck. The Roman Catholics also traditionally aimed to avoid any bad luck by waiting until Christmas Eve to decorate their homes.

When do other countries put their decorations up?

The First Sunday of Advent in the Christian Church falls on the 3rd December (ends on 24th) this year and like the Norwegians and the Swedes, is seen by some as the right time to get the festivities started.

The USA is also eager to get the Christmas party started and many American families get their tree and decorations up as early as the fourth Thursday of November -- a week before Thanksgiving.

Australians are also keen to get their decorations up early as Christmas trees are normally put up on 01 December.

But not every country is in such a rush to get the decorations up. German households often don’t put up their trees and decorations until Christmas Eve which means fewer brown needles to clean up.

When is the right date to put up the decorations?

Because of commercialisation Christmas decorations are going up earlier and earlier every year in the UK. Historical traditions are now commonly thrown out the window and the festivities tend to begin whenever each household decides to, so you can decide when to turn your home into a Santa’s Grotto.

So when should I buy a tree?

Buying your tree too early will result in the tree’s needles dropping before you’ve even had a glass of mulled wine, so follow the advice of The British Christmas Tree Grower’s Association who recommend buying a tree from 01 December onwards, however, a good compromise is buying a tree 12 days before Christmas to keep it looking fresh.

If you use this brand or know someone who does take note.

Benefit Cosmetics has voluntarily recalled their Gimme Brow product after discovering that recent batches did not meet the manufacturer’s quality standards.

Describing the decision to voluntarily recall the gel “out of an abundance of caution”, the company say that there’s no risk if applied under “normal usage”.

However, if it comes into contact with the eyes, it could lead to eye irritation.

The manufacturer have recommended that customers stop using the product, and return it to the place of purchase.

Any further customer queries can be directed to the company by email: GimmeBrowInfo@benefitcosmetics.com, or by phone on 0800 086 8204

Matt Adcock reviews Murder on the Orient Express (12A), starring Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp

Foul deeds are afoot on the most famous train in the world (other than perhaps The Hogworts Express). Here we have an all star update of Agatha Christie’s famous whodunit which sees the ridiculously moustachioed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) pondering the killing of a Mr Edward Ratchett (Johnny Depp) which happens en route to Paris from Istanbul.

Murder on the Orient Express is blessed with an impressive cast which should in theory make this an incredible watch. The 12 suspects include young Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley), flirty American Mrs. Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer), outspoken Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz) and haughty Princess Dragomiroff (Judi Dench) as well as Hilgarde Schmidt (Olivia Colman) and Countess Elena Andrenyi (Lucy Boynton) as the potential killer women. Also aboard are the potentially murderous male suspects such as Gerhard Hardman (Willem Dafoe), Hector MacQueen (Josh Gad), Edwards Masterman (Derek Jacobi) and more.

Alas, even with so many A-grade talents vying for screen time, the end result is a thrill-free snooze fest (I clocked several people gently snoring their way through this in the screening I was in). It’s a shame because it all looks lovely and has occasional bursts of stunning cinematography but nothing here rivals the classic and much more sinister 1974 version in terms of anything other than production values.

It seems to take forever to get going, and lacks a consistent style which means that rather than an edge-of–your-seat mystery, Branagh delivers a ponderous mystery culminating in a weirdly underwhelming finale which sees Poirot and his crazy 'tache explaining the killer’s motivation whilst the suspects are gathered at long table framed to look like the last supper.

Director Branagh is also guilty of giving himself the lion's share of screen time which feels a little self indulgent when there is so much other acting talent on hand. Oh and if his prosthetic moustache isn’t up for a ‘best supporting actor’ award it will also be a crime.

There is surprisingly little nastiness, violence, cussing or gore – so you can take your granny with you without fear. But a horrendous murder in a claustrophobic setting like a train should really be more unnerving and involving.

In the end, this is a murderous cinematic train-ride that manages to not be a complete train-wreck but never feels like it hits full steam.

The Rotary Club of Leighton Linslade organised another sparkling night of entertainment as thousands flocked to Brooklands School for the town’s annual fireworks display.

After a grim morning in pouring rain when Rotarians were building their giant bonfire, club members were relieved to see the rain ease off and the skies brighten up.

The bonfire was lit by Danielle Harding from Mencap, one or Rotary’s main partners in the ‘Yes We Can’ project launched recently to bring disability sport to Leighton-Linslade.

Spokesman Dave Edwards said: “We had a good turn out – our car park only just coped with the numbers of cars. We hope in future years the free bus, provided by Marshalls, from Bideford Green and Sandhills will be used by more people.

“The bonfire blazed, the colourful rides were popular and the burgers were in high demand. Then the big moment when the first of our fireworks were sent skywards and on and on they went soaring high to the oohs! and aahs! of the crowd.

“We did have a minor glitch because it seemed there was a phantom website that said that the display was free. The club would really be delighted to put the display on for the town without charge but our costs are quite enormous.

“Just to give readers an idea of how much we spend , we blow more than £4000 in fireworks. Our insurance goes up each year as the numbers who come increases.

“We hire in first aid and an ambulance and we naturally like to make a donation to Brooklands School for allowing us the use of their field.

“We rely a lot on the free time given us by both the army and fire cadets, so a big thank you goes to them as well as the police, also to Jewsons for giving us the loan of three lighting towers for the safety of the crowds.

“The fireworks are a lot of work for a lot of people for a relatively short time so our thanks go to the people of Leighton for coming along. We hope they had a good evening.”

The evening raised more than £8,000, which will go towards the ‘Yes We Can’ project as well as other Rotary charities.

> See more photos in tomorrow’s LBO.

> What did you think of the event? Email news@lbobserver.co.uk

Owners of Waterborne Walk have revealed that Caffè Nero will opening in Leighton Buzzard next year.

There had been rumours in the town that the coffee shop would be moving to the now vacant units (6 and 6a) on Waterborne Walk.

Westbrook Properties, owners of the shopping centre, have now confirmed the news to the LBO.

A spokesman for company said: “We are pleased to welcome Caffè Nero to the town centre, it will be moving to Waterborne Walk, where the card shop and Baileys Travel used to be.

“Baileys Travel recently moved to a new site on Waterborne Walk, more in to the centre, where Claire’s Accessories used to be.

“The development of Caffè Nero should be finished in December, it will be extended and made bigger, it should be open to customers in May.

“This is great news for the town, they are a fantastic retailer and we are happy to have them here. It is really positive news for the centre, which is doing really well.”

A spokesperson for Caffè Nero said: “We are currently looking at possibilities for a store in Leighton Buzzard.”

LB First chairman Gennaro Borrelli said the arrival of Caffè Nero was a big boost for the town centre.

He said: “What makes this interesting is that it’s another big chain going into the shopping precinct who would’ve done its market research and that can sometimes pull in other chains who become alerted or take note when certain chains open new premises. This will help footfall flow through the Waterborne Walk and increase dwell time in town.”

A team of occupational therapists from Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) and Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) are out and about to raise the profile of the profession for Occupational Therapist Week this week.

The theme for this year is “I am an Occupational Therapist”, building on the Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ (RCOT) call for its members to be “loud and proud” of the value they add.

During the week of celebrations, CBC and EPUT will host a number of stands at council offices for people to come along and find out more about the profession, see what jobs are available, get advice about how to get become an Occupational Therapist and learn about the positive contributions the profession makes to people’s lives.

A stand will be set up at Priory House in Chicksands from 10am to 3.30pm on 6-10 November and everyone is welcome to pop along and learn more.

Cllr Carole Hegley, Executive Member for Social Care and Housing, said: “I’m glad that we are celebrating such an important profession here in Central Bedfordshire and helping people recognise the value and impact occupational therapy makes to people’s lives.

“I encourage everyone to pop along and learn more.”

Stuart Mitchelmore, Associate Director of Integrated Operations for CBC and EPUT said: “Occupational Therapists have a key role to play in maintaining and improving people’s independence and this role will increase across the social care and health sectors moving forward.

“Central Bedfordshire values what Occupational Therapists can bring in terms of their approach and I’m delighted that the events see Occupational therapists across social care and community health services coming together to raise the profile of the profession.”

>To view OT jobs at Central Bedfordshire Council please visit https://career2.successfactors.eu/career?company=centralbed

Leighton Town took their winning streak to seven on Saturday when they beat top five rivals Wembley at Bell Close.

The pair went into the game separated by just a point, but Dom Marsala’s brace ensured Town picked up the three points with a 2-1 win to continue their brilliant streak of late.

Scott Reynold’s side have only lost once in the last two months - a 3-1 home defeat to Enfield - a rise that has seen them reach fifth in the SSML Premier Division, while remaining in the FA Vase and Premier Division Cup too.

Without leading scorer Lorrell Smith and Lewis McBride, Reynolds needed to reshuffle the pack.

And it appeared to have given Wembley an early incentive as they took the lead after 15 minutes.

Danielson Vicente had only been on the field a matter of minutes, replacing injured Ethan Taylor, but he won a penalty for the visitors, which Zaied Sabti duly slotted past keeper Tom Wyant.

Wembley perhaps could have added another were it not for Wyant after Vicente squared it to Adrian Dinham, but some brave keeping denied him at the crucial moment.

After their early setbacks though, Town began to grow into the game.

Leighton then won a penalty of their own in the 38th minute as Alex Condon played a lovely cross into Hatch who was fouled in the air by Wembley ‘Keeper Grigoli Zulmatashvilli.

Marsala stepped up to take it and blasted it down the middle to equalise, simple yet effective.

The Reds were unlucky not to go ahead just before the break after Zulmatashvilli made a lovely diving save from a powerful Hatch header that looked certain to nestle in the top corner.

As the second half got underway the game looked to be heading back in Wembley’s favour as the visitors broke and Vicente controlled the ball well to shape to shoot just wide.

Kai Ashley had to be alert to put his body on the line and make some superb blocks to deny the visitors and clear off the line.

While Leighton’s chances were not as clear cut as the first half, Silford made another cutting run into the Wembley backline, but the finish didn’t match the run and was well wide.

Dinham again went close for Wembley striking narrowly wide of the post as Town switched off, but the hosts had held off the pressure and started applying some of their own. Both Silford and Marsala both had potential chances to score but again Zulmatashvilli saved well.

Town then got their second penalty of the game as Silford was fouled in the box resulting in a booking for Wembley defender Toby Webb. Marsala stepped up again and bamboozled Zulmatashvilli by striking his effort true into the bottom left corner this time round to give Town the lead.

Wembley were sent down to 10 men after Webb made another foul this time on O’Brien and this meant Leighton had enough in the tank to professionally see out the rest of the game in relative comfort.

Town remain fifth after the win but have started to make a gap above the teams below them.

Next up for Town is the visit of London Lions next Saturday in the FA Vase second round before visiting Unite MK in the Bucks Charity Cup next Tuesday. Town return to league action on November 18 when they visit Harpenden.

Leighton Buzzard picked up a much-needed victory over Wellingborough to get their Midlands 2 East (South) campaign back on track on Saturday.

The 39-26 win could not have come at a more apt time, with more than 100 former players in attendance.

But the home side left it late to take the vital bonus point win, scoring three tries in the last 13 minutes to down Wellingborough.

Following a minute’s silence in memory for Club stalwart Chris Pearson, who passed away during the week, Leighton kicked off, and immediately fashioned a break through centres Arran

Perry and Mike Robert to force a penalty, converted by Jordan Marshall to give Buzzards a 3-0 lead after three minutes.

However, whether it was the emotion of the day or the expectation of the crowd, Leighton appeared lacklustre and unable to put together a number of phases of play.

It was of little surprise that Wellingborough took the lead, courtesy of an excellent individual try by their left winger, after 15 minutes to lead 7-3.

Buzzards were now conceding too many penalties, particular at the breakdown allowing Wellingborough to add to their score in the 22nd and 31st minutes to lead 13-3.

However Leighton received a timely boost immediately prior to half-time, when captain Mike Lynch secured turnover ball on half-way and released speedy full back Ben Beaumont to score under the posts to leave the half-time score 13-10.

Coach Tom Mowbray’s half-time plan was to engage less at the breakdown to reduce the penalty count and to back the speed of the Buzzard running game.

Despite these wise words, the second half could not have started worse. Initially securing the ball from the kick-off , the ball was spread into midfield but lost, allowing Wellingborough to kick through and score under the posts. Less than a minute of the second half had been played and Buzzards now trailed 20-10.

However, it only took Leighton four minutes to reduce the deficit. Kicking a penalty to the visitors’ twenty-two, the resulting line-out was won and the forwards drove the maul over from 20 metres with Mike Lynch touching down. Marshall’s conversion pulled the score back to 20-17.

A long but straight penalty allowed Wellingborough to extend their lead (17-23) but again Buzzards responded quickly. The kick off was expertly taken on the run by Reece Harris-Smith and possession recycled through the phases for Mike Lynch to score his second try. The conversion was missed to leave Buzzards just a point behind at 23-22.

With eighteen minutes of the half gone, Buzzard prop Ashley Walsh high-tackled a Wellingborough player – the referee called penalty, with many expecting a yellow card to follow.

However a Wellingborough second row rained punches on Walsh as he was stuck on the ground and was rightly sent off.

But when a further assailant came forward, Walsh was unluckily adjudged to have retaliated and was also sent off.

Buzzards mobile pack and fast backs were now beginning to dominate- from a lineout the ball was spread wide for right winger Raef Braithwaite to score Leighton’s fourth and bonus point try. Marshall’s conversion gave Buzzards the lead at 29-26.

Two further tries after good phases of play, for Ben Beaumont and Mike Robert gave Buzzards a final victory by 39-26.

Next week Leighton entertain Lincolnshire side Market Rasen and Louth at Wright’s Meadow,

Linslade Childcare has been rated as Inadequate by Ofsted, but the owner has complained about the report.

The facility is a separate business situated at Linslade Lower School, providing breakfast, after school and holiday care for families.

The childcare provider was visited by Ofsted in September. The subsequent report stated: “Staff are not vigilant in their supervision of children. This poses a significant risk to children’s safety and well-being.

“Although the manager monitors the work of staff, she has been unsuccessful in tackling staff under-performance and the quality of teaching.

“Staff do not identify children’s starting points in learning and do not make effective use of ongoing observation to accurately monitor children’s progress. Children do not receive enough challenge and are not making sufficient progress in their learning and development. The organisation of the early part of the session is not effective in meeting young children’s needs.”

Zoe Yarker, owner and manager of Linslade Childcare, which was previously ‘Good’ in 2014, has complained to Ofsted about the report.

She said: “We agree with the Inadequate rating because of what happened [a child was left alone in the playground for a short time] but we do not agree with the way the report was written. The officer who inspected us came in from 7.30am till 1pm and only spent about half an hour observing the facility and the staff, the rest of the time she was in the office.

“The report mentions the quality of teaching, but she told my staff she was happy with the teaching, and she did not even look at the plans we had to put in place. Since the inspection we have had meetings with parents and staff and those plans have been put in place. Our staff are doing head counts throughout the day and we are constantly talking to parents and keeping them up to date. One of the points that I agree with was the tracking of progress, although we could see it there was no recordable evidence, so now we have reports and are tracking all of it.”

The report stated that the following points must be met by October 13: “Ensure that children are adequately supervised at all times and that staff deployment is appropriate to meet children’s needs. Take all reasonable steps to ensure that children are not exposed to risks and that safety procedures are followed consistently. Implement effective arrangements for supervision of staff, that provide support, coaching and training, to improve staff practice and promote the interests of children.”

Zoe added: “We have met all the points. We had an officer from Ofsted come out the next day, she was happy that they had been met. She was positive about the way we are moving forward. I have got a new management team in place, the staff were already there but have moved up.

“I am positive about future and the changes we are making, we are moving forward and making improvements. Everything was in place when the officer came but she just did not look at it.”

A spokesman for Ofsted said: “We can confirm that we received a complaint from Linslade Childcare about their recent inspection report. We take all complaints seriously and consider them carefully. We are unable to comment further at this stage.”

After organising the golfing activities of young girl golfers for the past 12 years, Gill Ladd today hands over the task to Paula Cox and Barbara Bradley, who have both completed PGA training programmes in preparation for the handover.

And Ladies Captain Avril Simpson will tell club colleagues at this afternoon’s ladies annual general meeting that over £17,000 raised during her term of office is to be donated to the Chiltern Multiple Sclerosis centre and the Leighton Otters swimming club which focuses on encouraging young people with special needs to take up the sport.

Says Avril, whose successor Patti Marriott will formally be installed as Ladies Captain at a “drive in” next Tuesday: “I’ve had an eventful year and am very grateful for the help from past club Captains Kevin O’Donoghue, Steve Leng and Adrian Stephenson, club vice captain Jeremy Taylor, our caterers Andy and Diane Shaw, golf club members and the Ladies Section. It has been a great experience with memories I will treasure for years to come.”

Gill completes a 12-year stint with the biggest contingent of young female golfers for many years receiving tuition and competitive golf at the Plantation Road club.

“All the girls are so keen; it’s quite amazing” said Gill, who was deluged with flowers and other tokens of appreciation after a final Texas Scramble competition with the young enthusiasts.

Neil Jarvis beat 107 golfers to win Leighton’s Henley Cup, getting the verdict on countback after he and Oliver Mortimer finished with scores of +5. Peter Burgoyne took third place with +4, two holes clear of Trevor Stone, Peter Townley and Andrew Vale.

Simon Thornton and Peter Sheridan teamed up to win Leighton’s Daily Mail Foursomes qualifier with a nett 66, with Phil Coumbe and Andy Ashall beating Robbie John and David Kingham on countback for the runners-up spot after both finished with nett 69s.

Former Captain Lesley Brazier won Leighton Ladies October medal with a nett 69 and had her handicap cut by a shot just days after husband Keith had two shots slashed from his handicap after tieing for top spot with Daniel Latimer, Colin Mcleod and Peter Burgoyne , all netting scores of 67 in the October club Medal. Lesley also won the Ladies Past Captains’ competition, beating her successor Lynn Oliver by one hole.

Leighton’s Mixed team finished the season in style, beating Mid Herts 7-1 with wins by Avril Simpson and Ada Stephenson, Jeremy Taylor and Patti Marriott, Brian and Sandra Carter, Chris Chehade and Sandra Bellis, Gillian Chehade and Anton Bednarek, Phil Rickard and Lesley Bednarek and Tony Simpson and Barbara Rickard.

Calls are being made to relocate travellers from Greenacres to a site outside of Little Billington as Central Bedfordshire Council continues its public consultation.

According to Billington Parish Council, residents have recommended Thorn Turn – a large piece of land off the A5 where a Tidy Tip is also being built – in the absence of any alternative site being put forward by CBC yet.

CBC is currently carrying out a public consultation on proposals to acquire Greenacres and nearby The Stables for £9m and replace them with a council-managed gypsy and traveller site.

During an open forum at a Billington Parish Council meeting, it was confirmed that CBC had yet to publicise an alternative site for Greenacres and that land ownership is not clear, with plots transferred over a handshake without being registered.

Moving travellers from Little Billington to Thorn Turn was also discussed as residents had urged the council to support the idea.

Billington Parish Council chairman Helen Thompson said: “There are a lot of options available, but I think ultimately it’s going to be in Little Billington, hopefully not in such numbers.

“Thorn is a big piece of open land. And the A5 is their traditional, historic route.”

Government plans currently stipulate that traveller sites should not be near running water or electricity sub stations, or railway lines.

At last month’s police and crime panel attended by councillors from all three Bedfordshire local authorities, calls were made to toughen up the police’s stance on tackling traveller crime.

At the meeting, Leighton Linslade Town Cllr Tony Morris said: “Leighton Linslade has been suffering with continual problems caused by travellers and gypsies.

“It appears these problems are widespread across the country. Why are the Police failing to use legislation that is available to them under Sections 61 and 62?”

Mr Morris said police commissioner Kathryn Holloway was notably absent from the meeting, but a representative from her office responded that the concerns would be passed over to the chief constable.

Cllr Morris told the LBO that Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton Borough Councils all have individual processes for dealing with travellers and he recommended a county-wide approach in order to assist police.

The public consultation over Greenacres ends on Tuesday, November 14.

To view the council’s proposals in full and submit comments, visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council/consultations/billington/overview.aspx

Central Beds Council will review feedback and make a decision about the next steps at an Executive meeting on December 5.

Two of the most popular professional dancers from Strictly Come Dancing will be taking a new dance show to Milton Keynes Theatre.

Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace perform Tango Moderno from Tuesday to Saturday, November 14 to 18.

Tango is the rhythm of the city, the heat of the streets and the pulse of life.

Tango Moderno is the irresistible hot new stage spectacular from Vincent and Flavia, – dance partners for over two decades, world champions, Strictly favourites and acclaimed West End stage stars, whose previous productions Midnight Tango, Dance Til Dawn and The Last Tango have all been acclaimed, sell-out hits.

Having originally intended The Last Tango to be their farewell tour, Flavia said: “As we were creating our last show, we developed a number of new routines with so much raw choreography.

“It was thrilling to still be discovering new numbers for Vincent and I to dance, but we just couldn’t accommodate them in the production.

“We toured the country with the show and were overwhelmed by the support from our audiences and from people asking us to continue.

“Vincent and I spoke at the end of the tour and we decided that we wanted to continue; we love dancing together, we are having so much fun and a year after our last UK tour, we are more excited than ever to share this new work and show with our audiences.”

The new production fuses together Ballroom, Latin and Argentine tango to give you a performance that smoulders with desire. With classic steps, they create a Tango for today.

Performances start at 7.30pm each evening with matinees on Wednesday, November 15 and Saturday, November 18 starting at 2.30pm.

Tickets cost from £20. For further details or to book tickets in advance visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes or call the box office on 0844 871 7652.

Following the huge popularity of Treehouse accommodation at Sherwood Forest, Elveden Forest and Longleat Forest, Center Parcs has announced that three brand new Treehouses are being built at nearby Woburn Forest.

The Treehouse accomodation will be ready for families this time next year and one will be specially adapted for wheelchair access.

Set amongst 400 acres of Bedfordshire woodland, the Treehouses will be designed to ‘embrace the forest’ and feature a spiral staircase winding round a faux tree trunk and floor to ceiling retractable doors.

They also have a large outdoor terrace, smoked oak timber walls and oak planked floor all help to incorporate the surroundings and create a true forest experience for families.

Suitable for up to eight guests each Treehouse has three large stylish bedrooms situated on the lower level; one double room with en-suite bathroom and two twin rooms with en-suite shower-rooms. On the upper level of the Treehouse, the master suite will offer a secluded escape for relaxation and all four bedrooms will have their own private balconies, accessible through full height, sliding glass doors.

Each Treehouse will be decked out with the latest technology including a plasma TV mounted above the fireplace in the central living area and iPod docks throughout. The open kitchen will be fully equipped with an integrated microwave, dishwasher, fridge freezer, oven and wine cooler.

That’s not all, though, Treehouse guests will have a large hot tub and sauna on the outside terrace to enjoy, and the surrounding trees provide natural cover. A dedicated entertainment room called a ‘Games Den’ is to be situated in a separate section of the structure, which can be reached by a bridge from the main terrace.

Those paying out the £2,599 price for a stay in a Treehouse will even get their own host, on call if you need anything during your stay.

For more information visit the Center Parcs website.

Trinity Toddlers at Trinity Methodist Church has been cancelled today because of flooding in the basement.

The church had to cancel the session after a pump overflowed causing the basement to flood.

Karen Purton, toddler leader, said: “There has been a small flood in the basement, nothing serious but because of health and safety reasons we had to cancel the toddler class today.

“We should be back open as normal for the next toddler session on Friday.”

Christmas is always a very special time to visit Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, and 2017 is no exception after the popular visitor attraction revealed its festivities for the next two months.

The theme for this year’s decorations, Enchanted Menagerie, celebrates the weird and wonderful animals that can be seen throughout Waddesdon’s collections, from an elephant parade inspired by the 18th-century musical automaton to a life-sized zebra and trees decked with colourful birds and mythical beasts!

From dusk, an extraordinary new light and sound show Waddesdon Imaginarium, created by video design students from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, will be projected onto the Manor’s ornate façade. Inspired by the architecture, gardens and history of Waddesdon, objects in the collections have been 3D scanned and transformed into detailed animations.

Visitors will be dazzled by roaming porcelain animals, dancing musical clocks, fluttering clouds of butterflies and moths and

18th-century portraits creating a fantastical visual story of Waddesdon.

Wrap up warm, head outside and discover light art by American artist Lauren Booth. Electric Menagerie winds from the Aviary to the Stables, illuminating the Rothschilds’ passion for natural history with neon goats, parrots and even a flea circus.

The Christmas festivities start this Saturday (November 11) and run until January 2 2018 open from Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm (closed 24, 25 & 26 December).

Waddesdon’s Christmas Fair, which runs from November 15 to December 10, is a firm favourite in the festive calendar and returns bigger and better than ever, with 80 decorated wooden chalets set against the enchanting backdrop of the floodlit Manor.

In a new location on the North Front, there will be high quality, unique gifts, decorations, crafts and delicious food from local artisan producers and national independent traders.

More festive gifts and beautiful decorations will be found in the Christmas shop at the Stables, incorporating Glow@Waddesdon, a pop-up neon shop with glowing gifts and stocking fillers galore.

The Wigwam Café returns with more undercover seating once again located near the top of the woodland playground. Chef Barney Wrobel will be serving tasty street food, homemade cakes, and festive hot chocolate and mulled wine.

Admission Grounds

Adult: £10, Child: £5, Family: £25

Free for National Trust and Art Fund members and under 5s

House & Grounds

Adult: £25, Child: £12.50 Family: £62.50

National Trust and Art Fund members: Adult: £5, Child: £2.50, Family: £12.50

Free for under 5s

Bookings: 01296 820414 or www.waddesdon.org.uk/christmas

More info: https://waddesdon.org.uk/your-visit/plan-your-day/christmas-2017/

Local independent pub operator receives prestigious award from Princess Anne at St James’s Palace ceremony.

Tring-born pub restaurant chain Oakman Inns & Restaurants - operators of 20 contemporary pubs across Herts, Bucks, Beds, Northants, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire - is celebrating after receiving Royal recognition.

Oakman, which all started with the Akeman in Tring under Peter Borg-Neal, was commended for its commitment to training and skills excellence by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at a ceremony at St James’s Palace in London.

Oakman Inns is one of 40 organisations - and the only pub group - honoured with this year’s Princess Royal Training Award for creating lasting impact by successfully linking their skills development needs to business performance.

All 40 recipients demonstrated that training has a significant impact on productivity and business success. They were drawn from across the public and private sector, from a broad range of areas including hospitality, healthcare, finance and manufacturing.

The award recognises the success of Oakman Inns’ online training academy, Oakmanology, which was developed to support and retain their growing number of staff. Using a blend of on-the-job training, role-playing and online interactivity, the programme has produced tangible results in career path development and has improved staff retention by 43%. The ability to develop multi-skills linked to career development and training achievement incentive schemes has also proved a winner for Oakman’s staff.

The Princess Royal Training Awards are delivered by the City & Guilds Group to highlight the value of training and employee development and celebrate examples of best practice. In total, 116 applications were submitted in 2017, with the longlist assessed against three Hallmarks of Excellence by the Princess Royal Training Awards Commission, which comprised of HRH The Princess Royal and seven leading figures in the business and training community. A shortlist of 40 businesses of different sizes and from different industries was then drawn up, with winners including Mercedes-Benz Cars UK, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Waitrose.

Jill Scatchard, Oakman Inns’ HR director, said: “It is a huge honour to be recognised for one’s work, but like everything at Oakman Inns, it’s a team effort driven and inspired by our simple ethos, “To Be The Best We Can Be”. It has been our focus for 10 years now, since our CEO, Peter Borg-Neal opened his first site in Tring; and it is in every aspect of every Oakman activity from community engagement and caring for our environment to sourcing the best ingredients for our dishes created by our talented chefs, to presenting them to our customers by our brilliant staff who are passionate about ensuring our guests are given the best experience they can be.”

Peter Borg-Neal, CEO, Oakman Inns & Restaurants added: “Jill has driven our training and career development programme and I’m so proud of her and all her team for the hard work they’ve put into it. We are a people business and employ an average of 40 at each of our sites. We want them to be passionate and proud of what they do and with three new openings early next year, we are committed to continuing the development of our range of skills and training schemes so that we not only produce the managers of the future but give each one of our team members an opportunity to ‘learn a living’. What better way to celebrate our 10th year.”

Commenting on this year’s recipients, Chris Jones, chief executive of the City & Guilds Group said Oakman were ‘truly worthy recipients of this rigorously assessed royal award’.

The Oakman Collection includes:

Bedfordshire:

White Hart, Ampthill

Buckinghamshire:

Beech House, Beaconsfield;

Dog & Badger, Medmenham;

The Akeman Inn, Kingswood;

Betsey Wynne, Swanbourne;

Hertfordshire:

King’s Arms, Berkhamsted;

Banyers House, Royston;

Beech House, St Albans;

The Red Lion, Water End;

The Akeman, Tring

Northamptonshire:

The Navigation at Thrupp Wharf, Cosgrove

Oxfordshire:

The Crown & Thistle, Abingdon;

The Old Post Office, Wallingford;

Blue Boar, Witney

Warwickshire:

The Globe, Warwick;

Four Alls, Welford on Avon

West Midlands:

Beech House, Solihull

OPENING SOON:

Beech House, Amersham (Opening Spring 2018)

Cherry Tree, Olney (Opening Spring 2018)

He might currently have the hump to play Igor in the West End revivial of Young Frankenstein, but comedian Ross Noble returns to his roots with a new tour next year.

His new tour, his 16th, entitled El Hablador, he brings his shows to venues in Oxford, High Wycombe, Northampton, Coventry, St Albans Leicester and Cambridge during October and November.

Tickets for the show go on sale on Thursday November 9 at 10am.

On his new show, El Hablador, Ross Noble said: “Expect the unexpected. Unless you’ve seen me before. Then you know what to expect. But I might not do that. But then again, I might. I expect it will be one of those two options.”

Ross Noble is currently performing as Igor in Mel Brooks’ critically acclaimed West End revival of monster hit musical Young Frankenstein, at London’s Garrick Theatre until February 2018. Ross is also fronting a new series for award winning entertainment channel Dave, Ross Noble: Off Road (3x60’ episodes), which follows the comedian as he takes part in the Scottish Six Days Trial, a legendary motorbiking challenge and one of the most difficult motorsport challenges in the world, which will air exclusively on the channel in December 2017.

Ross Noble is a Geordie comic who has been performing stand-up since the age of 15 when he was smuggled into his local comedy club. Since then he has never looked back. Noble has undertaken 15 sell out tours, 9 top selling stand-up DVD releases, and ranked 10th in Channel 4’s poll of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups. He is a former Time Out Award winner for ‘Best Live Stand-Up’, Barry Award winner (Australia) and Perrier Award nominee, with a shedload of other prestigious awards and nominations to boot. As well as performing on stage, Ross is a regular on panel shows such as QI, Have I Got News for You as well as appearances on The Graham Norton Show, Room 101 and Just a Minute.

Visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.rossnoble.co.uk for more details.

Police have issued a warning about a new scam currently doing the rounds on WhatsApp involving ‘money off vouchers’.

he scam appears to offer users a money off voucher sent from a trusted contact - but DO NOT open the links:

A person has been hit by a train at Bletchley, according to reports.

Rail services are currently affected by major delays on the London Euston to Northampton line, and emergency services have been called to the scene.

The disruption is affecting all London Midland and Virgin Train services and is expected to last until the end of the day.

London Midland tickets will be accepted on the following services:

* Chiltern Railways between London Marylebone and Birmingham/Aylesbury;

* CrossCountry between Reading and Birmingham New Street;

* East Midlands Trains between London St Pancras International and Wellingborough;

* Great Western Railway between London Paddington and Worcester/Hereford;

* London Overground on all reasonable routes;

* London Underground on all reasonable routes;

* Southern between London and Milton Keynes Central;

* Thameslink between London St Pancras International and Bedford;

* Virgin Trains on all reasonable routes, including London Euston to Rugby / Milton Keynes Central;

* Road transport that has been requested to operate between Northampton and Wellingborough; Milton Keynes Central and Luton; Tring and Milton Keynes Central; and also between Northampton and Rugby.

A new leisure activity which tests the bravery of those daring to take the challenge has opened at Woburn Forst Center Parcs.

The Drop is the latest leisure activity to open to guests on a short break at Center Parcs Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire this autumn, following its popularity at Center Parcs Elveden Forest in Suffolk.

The adrenaline-fuelled activity takes guests one way up a 10 metre outdoor tower, then gives four choices for their descent back down to ground, with different levels to test their bravery.

On one side of The Drop tower is a double drop zip wire, where guests clip into a safety system and zoom across a clearing. Another option is the quick jump, where guests step off the wooden platform and experience a zero gravity freefall before their harness takes their weight and lowers them gently to the ground.

For those who like an extra challenge, the Leap of Faith requires guests to jump from the platform towards a suspended punch bag, dangling in mid-air and try to hang on for a moment before letting go and being lowered back down to earth. Participants can tailor the difficulty of this level, by choosing the distance between the punch bag and the platform, making the leap shorter or longer.

The pinnacle of The Drop, located at Action Challenge, is the Air Bag jump. Here guests leap from a platform, with no harness or rope, and freefall until landing safely on a giant inflated cushion. Nerves can be tested with jumps from the warm-up 4.5 metre platform, then the intermediate 7 metre platform, before taking on the ultimate challenge: jumping off the 10 metre platform*.

Suitable for adults and children aged 8 years and over, The Drop is described as an activity that families can enjoy together, allowing the adventurous ones to soar whilst enabling more tentative family members to take part at a level they’re comfortable with, building their confidence along the way.