Stir-up Sunday marks the arrival of Christmas at Blists Hill Victorian Town
On Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November, Blists Hill Victorian Town will host its Stir-up Sunday event, kicking off a month of festive fun.
Traditionally, Victorian families gathered on Stir-up Sunday to prepare their Christmas pudding, with everyone taking a turn to stir the mixture and make a wish. Visitors at Blists Hill Victorian Town this weekend will get the chance to stir the town’s Christmas pudding and make their own Christmas wish.
This is the first in a series of festive events throughout December at which visitors to the museum will have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas Victorian-style.
On 7, 8, 14 and 15 December, Blists Hill Victorian Town will host its annual Victorian Christmas weekend celebrations. For this special ticketed event, the town’s streets and buildings will be filled with traditional decorations, while festive music from a band and choir ring out through the air. There will be four Christmas Grottos where children will be able to meet Father Christmas in unique settings like the Victorian mine and sawmill.
Elsewhere, in the Victorian schoolroom children will be able to take lessons to learn how to be a Christmas Elf. There will be the chance to learn about Christmas past from the town’s costumed demonstrators and to enjoy live entertainment during a panto-style show. Last-minute shoppers will be able to take advantage of the Christmas Emporium to buy unique gifts and stocking-fillers including delicious foods and local-made crafts.
On the evenings of 11, 18 and 19 December, Blists Hill will host its Christmas Lates, an opportunity to experience the festive cheer of a Dickensian Christmas after dark. Characters from Dickens’ Christmas favourite A Christmas Carol will make an appearance on the streets of the Victorian town as visitors sip on mulled wine or hot chocolate and listen to carol singers or a live band. The town’s shops, adorned in festive decorations, will sell unique Christmas gifts.
From Wednesday 18 to Sunday 22 December, one of Blists Hill Victorian Town’s Christmas Grottos will host sessions dedicated to families with children or young people with SEND and dementia-friendly sessions dedicated to the 'young at heart'. This will be the first time the museum has hosted this special grotto where sessions will be adapted to suit children’s and adults’ specific needs.
Lauren Collier, Head of Interpretation at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “Many of the Christmas traditions we know and love today have their roots in the Victorian era, from Christmas trees and their decorations to Christmas cards and crackers. At Blists Hill Victorian Town we can bring the fun and joy of these traditions to life in an authentic setting for an extra special experience.”
Kay Whitehouse, Events Officer at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “We are excited to be putting up the decorations and preparing for our annual Christmas events, and are especially delighted this year to be introducing our first grotto adapted for children with SEND and adults with dementia. Our aim is to bring the joy and spirit of Victorian Christmas traditions to life to ensure all our visitors make their own special Christmas memories.”
Nick Ralls, Chief Executive Officer of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “As a heritage and conservation charity, the income from our Christmas events funds our work year-round preserving historic buildings, providing educational school trips for children and telling the stories of the rich history of the Ironbridge Gorge in our museums and displays. When they attend an event, visitors are helping ensure we can continue to do this vital work.”
