Ben Miller
“December is going to be fun, mainly because I’ll be promoting my new children’s book, Secrets of a Christmas Elf. It’s the diary of Father Christmas’s daughter, Holly, in the run-up to Christmas. Long story short, her Dad gets kidnapped by a Christmas-hating Luxembourgian villain, as you do, and Holly has to run the Big Day all by herself, with hilarious and heart-warming consequences.
I’ve always loved Christmas. My parents were committed atheists, but when Christmas came, they always pushed the boat out. It felt like a burst of colour in a world of black-and-white. This year, we’ll be making our family pilgrimage to Winter Wonderland, as usual, and bothering every Christmas market in our home county of Gloucestershire.
I’m a sucker for a carol service, too. I’ll be kicking off the season at St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, one of my favourite London churches, on 1 December with the Rainbow Trust, with fellow readers Sebastian Faulks and Rupert Young, which I’m looking forward to immensely. Not least because I’m hoping Rupert will catch me up on the gossip from Bridgerton...”
Ben Miller - British actor and comedian.
Restaurant: Maresco
Maresco on Soho’s Berwick Street is the latest venture from the gang behind Bar Esteban in Crouch End and Escocesa in Stoke Newington and is an inviting continuation of their passion for Spanish dishes with a focus on Scottish seafood. The name itself is a blend of the two with a conjunction of mar (sea) and esco which is short for Escocia (Scotland). Founder Stephen first fell in love with Spain following the annual pilgrimage of his family by car from Scotland to Spain on their holidays. He read a piece about how so much Scottish seafood was exported to "countries where it would be really appreciated" so he decided to bring that appreciation closer to home. The Maresco menu is short and succinct, because when you create such incredible dishes, why the need for so many options right? Some of those on our list to try include Scottish oysters with green gazpacho, Fideuá with langoustines and their Txistorra del mar - sausage made with mackerel and monkfish. Of course the wine list is exclusively Spanish with several wines discovered on their travels. With space for 48 diners it’s a generous but still intimate space and we would suggest heading in as a pair and taking a seat at the kitchen counter to enjoy the artistry happening in there with the backdrop of Soho to add to the entertainment.
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Christmas: St Pauls Carol Concert
You cannot beat a carol concert in the legendary St Paul's Cathedral. What you may not know is they host a series of mostly free and unticketed carol concerts each year, alongside a couple of ticketed charity gigs raising money for charity, which this year include WaterAid and Guide Dogs. For the charity specials, soak up the atmosphere as you listen to the world-famous St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Carly Paoli and Classical Reflection, enjoy inspiring stories and festive readings from celebrity guests including David Walliams, David Bradley, Ruth Jones, Joanna Scanlan and Lucy Edwards, and sing your favourite carols. All while helping raise vital funds. A Celebration of Christmas is free of charge but you will need to book tickets in advance. These will be released online in the coming weeks, so please check the website for further announcements soon. The other big event to look out for is THE Christmas Carol Services on the 23rd and 24th December. Each of these are free and always hugely popular, so get down there early and be prepared to queue.
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Experience: The Great Christmas Feast
If the sparkly Christmas lights are a little too vanilla for you then how about entering the enchanted Home Of Charles Dickens and enjoying a bewitching immersive world filled with Victorian Feasting, Yuletide Mixology, and breathtaking Performance? Lose yourself in the magic of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, transformed into a spellbinding live experience by music and theatre. The Great Christmas Feast is an immersive experience where you will be set at the heart of the action, surrounded by the world of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. However, you will not be expected to act or improvise – this is a night of world-class performance. Imagine going to the West End, but sitting inside the set, not the auditorium. Being surrounded by extraordinary live theatre and music from feet away. On top of all this, The Great Christmas Feast features three mouthwatering dishes woven into the heart of the story. A Victorian Market starter, the Dickens’s lavish Christmas Feast for main, a spice-laden, booze-laced dessert. Created by legendary London Chef Ash Clarke. Accompanied by a menu of transportive Victorian cocktails. Dining tickets are from £129.50 or if you are happy to miss out on the food then experience-only tickets are available from £49.50. This magic all takes place just 2 minutes from West Kensington at The Lost Estate.
Activity: The Curling Club | Winter Light
It wouldn’t be December without some winter sports so head to The Curling Club at the Southbank for an exciting, alpine themed, curling pop-up. Combining casual curling with wintery cocktails, delicious food and festive music; The Curling Club is the perfect way to experience après ski vibes in a fun filled, competitive environment. Great for every occasion from work winter parties to catching up with friends and date night. Serving incredible cocktails and authentic, moreish food dishes The Curling Club really is the only venue you’ll need this Winter. Don’t miss out!
While you are on the Southbank - Everyone’s favourite riverside culture hotspot Southbank Centre will be aglow again with festive illuminations. Winter Light is a free, open-air exhibition from super-talented artists from around the world. All of them make mind-bending use of light, colour and even boundary-pushing film to deal with issues and topics surrounding nature, technology, urban life and spirituality.
Film: Festive Pyjama Party
Christmas movies are one of the best bits of the festive break. Some decent food, a nice drink and curling up to watch cinematic spectaculars. So how about an all nighter at the Prince Charles Cinema, in your pyjamas, watching back-to-back screenings of ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’, ‘Elf’, ‘Home Alone’, ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Gremlins’. Um yes please! The Annual Christmas Pyjama Party takes place on the 10th and 17th December from 9.30pm until 7.15am. You can take your open snacks and (non alcoholic) drinks with you although they do sell all the usual wonders you would expect from a cinema. Pyjamas also aren’t compulsory although frankly why you wouldn’t use the excuse to wear them and be as comfortable as possible is beyond us. There are full FAQ’s on the set up on their website for any other queries you may have. Tickets are £22.50-£25 which frankly is a bargain for this many films on the trot. Settle in and enjoy!
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Festive: Horse Drawn Carriage Ride
We are feeling mega festive this year and want to get all cosy in the cold air so we are going to be experiencing Richmond Park like never before with a ride around the park in a six-person Park Brake drawn by majestic Shire Horses. Enjoy the sounds of hoofs and bells, revel in the crisp air and watch the wildlife up close while you snuggle under a blanket...and have some sloe gin and a mince pie to truly get into the festive spirit! The 75-minute experience begins at Holly Lodge, Richmond Park, where you'll be met with refreshments. You will take your place in the carriage embarking on an hour long ride through the park in all its winter beauty! You'll also be treated to a unique behind-the-scenes visit of the working stables. The rides take place on various dates throughout the festive season, starting from now until the beginning of January. Proceeds from the horse drawn rides will help fund sustainable conservation initiatives with the working Shire horses in The Royal Parks. The purchase of one £450 (+booking fee) ticket seats six people in an exclusive carriage. Children are welcome and they will operate in all-weather unless the Park issues a safety warning so please check the weather before you go and dress appropriately…
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New Years Eve: Southbank Centre New Year’s Eve Spectacular
Now in its 10th year, the Southbank Centre’s New Year’s Eve party transforms the world-famous Royal Festival Hall into a set-dressed spectacular for one night only, with five floors of festivities featuring music from the 20s through to the present day. What better way to welcome in 2023 than with themed club nights, six bars, a range of dining options, live acts, continuous dance lessons and outdoor spaces offering the perfect view of the UK’s largest annual fireworks display as it is beamed around the world. Pick your decade, dress to impress and join everyone for a night of entertainment and elegance. This is a celebration like no other. The six themed pop-up nightclubs are interspersed with live orchestras, specialist DJs and photo studios to capture some of the memories forever. Once the countdown to midnight has begun, head outside to the exclusive terraces to watch London’s skyline explode into sparkling technicolour from a truly unbeatable spot beside the Thames. Different ticketing options are available from the website and are priced from £130.
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Charity of the Month: Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity
This Christmas some very poorly children won't get to spend the day at home with their family but instead will be in hospital over the festive season receiving treatment and trying to get better. But every child should have the chance to be at home with their families for Christmas Day. By donating to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity this Christmas, you’ll be helping fund vital resources and support that Great Ormond Street Hospital needs to get seriously ill children one step closer to home. You’ll also help bring Christmas to the hospital for those children whose treatment needs to continue over the festive season, and fund important services for GOSH staff. Your donation could help towards:
Child and family support services such as parent accommodation close to the hospital, so parents can stay close to their children over Christmas.
Pioneering research into kinder treatments and cures for rare conditions.
New child-focused environments that help children feel safe and calm during their appointments, treatments and recovery.
State-of-the-art medical technology to deliver world-class care to seriously ill children every day.
So dig deep and buy that one extra gift by donating to GOSH and making a child’s Christmas that little bit more special.
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App of the month: How we Feel
How We Feel is a free app created by scientists, designers, engineers, and therapists to help people better understand their emotions and find strategies to help them navigate their emotions in the moment. Conceived in conjunction with Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence and based on the work of Dr Marc Brackett, How We Feel helps people find the right word to describe how they feel while tracking their sleep, exercise, and health trends using HealthKit in order to spot patterns over time. This app can help to build better relationships, make your emotions work for you, not against you, improve how you handle stress and anxiety or simply to feel better, How We Feel will help you identify patterns through daily HealthKit tracking and find emotional regulation strategies that will work for you.
Filled with step-by-step video strategies you can do in as little as one minute on themes like "Change Your Thinking" to help you address negative thought patterns with cognitive strategies; "Move Your Body" to express and release emotions through movement strategies;"Be Mindful" to gain perspective and minimise the negative impact of misunderstood emotions with mindfulness strategies; "Reach Out" to build intimacy and trust, two important tools for emotional wellbeing, with social strategies. A tiny little therapist in your pocket.