Dunster by Candlelight was permanently cancelled in December 2023 because the event grew too large, complex, and expensive for the volunteer committee to manage, with costs exceeding £25,000. It was replaced by the new Dunster Winter Festival.
"It's always been swings and roundabouts, we've always managed to have just about the right number of people but the cost now is about £25,000," said Ms Bradshaw. "It doesn't matter how much we've tried to budget, it's always a bit more. That is why its come to an end."
In 2024, just two days before she was supposed to co-host the live Christmas Eve event Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight, Abo was taken to hospital with appendicitis.
READ MORE: Why Sarah Abo never talks about her marriage
'My beautiful co-host Sarah Abo has been struck down by appendicitis. 'She's had an appendectomy and she's under doctor's orders to take it easy,' he continued, before joking, 'Apparently hosting a three-hour national TV show is not taking it easy.
Performers include David Hobson, Marina Prior, Silvie Paladino, Denis Walter, Dami Im, Sammy J, Samantha Jade, stars of MJ the Musical and Anastasia. Nine has now confirmed the final line-up for Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight, hosted by David Campbell and Sarah Abo.
Dunster Show, Friday 21st August 2026 provides a unique opportunity to see the best of Somerset farming and livestock alongside entertainment for a fun day out for all the family.
Lincoln Christmas Market was axed in 2023 by the city's Labour-led council due to concerns about overcrowding. The Conservative opposition proposed a £190,000 increase to City of Council's budget to fund the market's return.
Carols by Candlelight will be broadcast live on Channel 9 and 9Now from 8:00pm local time on 24 December, as well as two replays on Christmas Day: 1pm on Channel 9 and 7pm on 9Gem.
If you're wondering how to dress for a Candlelight concert, there's no dress code! We want you to come as you are and shine as brightly as our candles. 🕯️✨ Fashionista .
“Silent Night,” which Mohr wrote the lyrics for (in German) in 1816 and Gruber put to music two years later, is the most recorded Christmas song in the modern era of the holiday's substantial oeuvre.
When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid the country of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. After Cromwell's death, Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday.
The UK's oldest Christmas market has been axed for 2024 and replaced with an ice adventure. The Lincoln Christmas Market has been mothballed by the City of Lincoln Council and has been replaced with an ice sculpture trail.
Episodes of tv shows such as like The Famous Five, Mud, as well as George Clarke's National Trust Unlocked and BBC'S Flog It have been filmed at Dunster Castle.
The Great Yorkshire Show is an iconic four-day event and one of the biggest agricultural events in the English calendar. Every year, 140,000 visitors and over 8,500 animals converge on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate to compete, socialise and celebrate.
The Crown Estate bought the estate from Ashdale and sold the castle back to Geoffrey in 1954. His son Colonel Sir Walter Luttrell lived away from Dunster, and following the death of his mother – the last Luttrell to live in the property – gave the castle and most of its contents to the National Trust in 1976.
Some opponents have denounced the generic term "holidays" and avoidance of using the term "Christmas" as being politically correct. This often involves objections to government or corporate efforts to acknowledge Christmas in a way that is multiculturally sensitive.
Following the English Civil War, Cromwell and his government officially banned Christmas in England in 1647, viewing it as wasteful, frivolous, and contrary to true Christian values. Cromwell's influence extended into Scotland during this period of union and military occupation.
There's no single "most beautiful," as it depends on preference, but top contenders for beauty often include Gdańsk, Poland (voted best in Europe for its unique charm), Cologne, Germany (iconic cathedral backdrop), Prague (historic Old Town Square), Vienna (Rathausplatz magic), and Bruges, Belgium (fairy-tale canals and light trails). Other favorites feature stunning settings like Winchester, UK (Cathedral close) and Strasbourg, France (oldest market).
What is the most played Christmas song of all time?
While older classics like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" hold records for physical sales, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is widely considered the most played and commercially successful modern Christmas song due to its massive streaming numbers and consistent annual chart dominance, holding multiple Guinness World Records and generating significant royalties. Other perennial favorites frequently topping "most played" lists include The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York," Wham!'s "Last Christmas," and Andy Williams' "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year".
"O Holy Night" was banned by French church leaders in the 1850s due to its controversial origins: the lyrics were written by an atheist poet (Placide Cappeau) and the music by a Jewish composer (Adolphe-Charles Adam), leading some to deem it too secular and politically radical, especially the lines about liberation from oppression. Despite the ban, the French people continued to sing it, and American abolitionists later embraced its powerful message of freedom, eventually making it a beloved classic worldwide.
