Winter Wonderland At The Bakewell Show Ground
I have always been one of those people who like to see and experience things for themselves, rather than just be swayed by the thoughts and opinions of others. Given the reviews that the Winter Wonderland on the Bakewell showground had been mixed, I was curious to see things firsthand for myself.
The first of these wonderlands was held on the 18th, 19th and 20th November 2016 and received less than stellar reviews as you may have read elsewhere. The Man Bird and I couldn’t make it on that weekend, but were lucky enough to be invited to the second weekend, 9th, 10th and 11th December 2016 and as luck would have it our Chickadee was able to come with us too.
A lot of the previous criticism had to do with the condition of the ground underfoot and indeed there was a sensationalist photo of what can only be described as a swamp. On this I can only say two things; firstly, today the ground was soft but ok and secondly, if you have ever been to the Bakewell Show in August you will know that the ground can be soft even then!
So for the criticism about the ground to be levelled at this event’s organisers is completely unfair as it is a permanent problem. I can say this as I have gone to every single Bakewell Show since I was 5 years old and experienced the whole gamut of weather conditions. Next year will see my 40th visit to this event, just in case you were wondering how I could make such a bold statement.
Another viewpoint was that there weren’t many attractions at this event and in comparison to many long established events I can see where this opinion would be justified. However, this is the first year that this event has been put on and so it is only natural that a steep learning curve will be experienced.
Two huge marquees with Food and Craft stalls flanked either side of the main thoroughfare and I must say that there was a good variety to peruse; everything from pet fleeces to wooden Rudolphs and snowmen, to cakes and bath bombs.
The main walkway itself was lined with a whole host of food and drink stalls and my little Flock took full advantage to sample a Hot Chocolate with cream, marshmallows and sprinkles (!), a cup of Mulled wine for yours truly and a cheeky Gin and Tonic for His Nibs. If we hadn’t planned to eat afterwards then the huge wok of Chinese noodles was definitely on the Chicks, and mine, radar. As it was, we contented ourselves with a scrummy morsel from Simply Cakes :)
We had a wander over to the area where Santa’s Grotto was located. It was absolutely chocker with children excitedly waiting to tell the Main Man how good they had been all year and what their little hearts desires were. At the entrance to this magical grotto was the snow machine! I really tried to resist but it was no good, I just had to release my inner fledgling and go into the make believe snowflakes :)
Adjacent to this was an enclosure with the cutest baby reindeer on the planet, aptly named Baby Prancer, Baby Dancer, and Baby Comet. Honestly, they were just so cute!
There was also an Ice Rink there for people to skate on; not on the same scale as the one in Nottingham (and with a plastic surface rather than actual ice), but a decent size nonetheless to go waltzing around (or clutching desperately to the sides in my case). The childrens fun fair area had a nice range of rides for all ages, but the piece de resistance for me was the presence of the Dodgems. All the cars were getting filled and much laughter could be heard from the cars as Mums and Dads span and bumped their way around the track with their children.
As we were leaving there was a marvellous stilt walker resplendent in floaty fairy costume, who very obligingly opened her wings for The Man Bird to take a photo of her. The look on the arriving little girls faces as they saw her just summed up the wonder of Christmas to me.
To all the naysayers I want to say this; could it be bigger? Yes, could it be better? Of course it could. But you know what? It is in its first year and unless you try these things you never learn how to improve them. At least someone has the gumption to give it a try, and as they say “the only way is up”.
Personally, I want to say thank you to the organisers for bringing something new to the area, and I very much look forward to seeing next year’s incarnation of the Winter Wonderland at Bakewell showground.
Don’t forget that tomorrow, 11th December 2016, is the last day to experience this event for yourselves and it is a great way to pass the time and pick up some stocking fillers and last minute Christmas gifts.
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