Clued up families should head to the South Lakes for Christmas

Clued up Christmas fans need to head to the South Lakes, in Cumbria over the coming weeks, to test out their skills of detection, meet up with Santa and enjoy some traditional Yuletide experiences, ranging from clog dancing, to crafts.

POTTER ABOUT AND WIN A £3000 SCULPTURE
Visitors to The World of Beatrix Potter, in Bowness-on-Windermere, have until December 31 to crack a code and win a fabulous, limited edition, hallmarked, sterling silver version of the Enchanting World of Beatrix Potter sculpture, unveiled by Renee Zellweger during the filming of the Miss Potter movie.

The sculpture is worth £3000 and, to be in with a chance of winning it, visitors need to look for six spyglasses hidden among the charming displays that bring to life the world of Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher, Tom Kitten and many more childhood favourites.
Using these spyglasses can reveal tiny characters from a secret code invented by Beatrix Potter for use in her diary. This is the start of the challenge to crack a code that wasn’t deciphered until after Beatrix’s death.

Entrance to The World of Beatrix Potter costs £6 for an adult and £3 for children. The attraction is open from 10-4pm in winter.

For more information on the delightful attraction at The World of Beatrix Potter, visit Hop-skip-jump.com.

FISH FOR CLUES TO WIN A LAKELAND WEEKEND
On the southern shore of Windermere, at Lakeside, there is another great prize-winning mystery to be solved, at the award-winning Aquarium of the Lakes, where the mysterious case of the missing mermaid’s purse is puzzling the detective in charge, Officer Otter.

Visitors need to examine a list of suspect statements and match them against the evidence contained within the Aquarium, assessing if they have been telling the truth, or otherwise! Five suspects are currently in the frame – Reverend Ray, Sir Spiny Spider Crab, Baroness Boa Constrictor, Miss Harvest Mouse and Professor Pike, all of whom can be visited in the Aquarium.

A family weekend at the lovely White Water Hotel, on the banks of the River Levens, complete with luxury touches, can be won by someone who helps Officer Otter solve the crime and name the culprit. The Fishing for Clues competition runs until February 22, so there’s lots of time to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The Aquarium also has a packed Christmas schedule, with Saturday Kids Club (ages 5-15) on December 8, 15 and 22 and Tuesday Tots (under 5s) on December 11 and 18.

Activities include Christmas card and paper chain making, from 10-4pm and story time at 11am and 2pm.

Included free in the kids' entrance fee is a sticker, a crispy cake and squash, all served in the Aquarium's café which boasts a wonderful view of Windermere. Adults can also enjoy filter coffee or tea and Christmas cake for just 99p with their admission.
Entrance to the Aquarium costs £7.50 for adults, £6.00 for concessions and £5.00 for a child. Family tickets are priced from £22.00. There is half price entry with proof of an LA postcode throughout December 2007.

STEAM AHEAD WITH SANTA
Father Christmas and his helpers will be embarking on magical journeys, leaving Haverthwaite Station, for Lakeside, on the southern shores of Windermere, at 10.30, 12.30 and 2.30, December 8, 9, 15 and 16, on a 90-minute round trip.

The experience starts with lots of cheer to welcome Santa aboard, before Chief Elf, JoJo, and her helpers make each carriage a hive of activity.

There’s carol singing to the music of the Railway Volunteer Society Band and Christmas cake and a seasonal drink for adults, whilst Santa visits all children, in their seat.

The Santa experiences cost £12 per person. Be sure to have ages, names of children and all credit card details to hand when booking.

SAIL AWAY WITH SANTA OR SAXOPHONES
Windermere Lake Cruises is organising Santa Special, 90 minute cruises on December 15 and 16, providing tons of fun for youngsters and absolutely idyllic scenery for the adults to enjoy whilst on England’s biggest lake.

Kids receive a wrapped chocolate selection box, whilst adults can tuck in to mince pies and sherry and enjoy party games and sing songs with Santa, with their little ones.

The Santa Cruises cost £9.45 for an adult and children aged 3-15 and £4.45 for those aged under three. Sailings are at 12.30pm, on December 15 and 16, from Lakeside Pier.

Those who prefer to swing their way into the festive season can book for a Christmas lunch and cruise, to the accompaniment of jazz from the New Hall Jazz Band. The cruise lasts for 2.5 hours and includes a traditional Christmas meal and some great foot-tapping numbers.

The MV Swan/Teal departs Bowness Pier for these Christmas cruise specials at 12.30pm on December 7, 9, 14. 16 and 21. Tickets cost £27.95 per adult.

For more information on these seasonal Windermere Lake Cruises visit Windermere-lakecruises.co.uk.

SANTA, SINGING AND STORIES AT SIZERGH
Santa has been making his presence felt at historic Sizergh Castle for centuries and children can visit him in his woodland grotto on December 8, 9, 15 and 16. A visit to the grotto costs £5 and includes a present for each child.

Wonderful, festive fayre can be enjoyed in the new café, along with delicious cakes and treats. A three-course lunch is available for £15.95, between 12-2pm, for which booking is advisable. There’s also a great range of giftware in the National Trust shop, for those wishing to browse for presents.

On Friday December 14, those coming along for an early evening Christmas event will be able to gather around the Christmas tree to enjoy the melodies and beautiful voice of the Amblesingers, joining in as they wish. The event begins at 6.30pm for refreshments, with singing at 7.15pm and is free of charge. There will also be a chance to get some Christmas pressies in the National Trust shop and some warming drinks from the new café.

Saturday December 22 offers the chance to enjoy tales around the tree, from 1-4pm. Festive tales will be told in abundance by the wonderful story-teller, keeping kids and their parents enthralled for hours. Last minute Christmas shopping can be done in the National Trust shop, whilst those preferring to relax over a coffee and cake can visit the modern new café.

The shop and café will be open on Boxing Day and through to January 2, for anyone wishing to take the opportunity to use Sizergh as the starting point for a festive walk to Levens, Helsington Barrows or Brigsteer.

For more information about these events at Sizergh, visit Nationaltrust.org.uk.

CLOGGING INTO CHRISTMAS
Wordsworth’s former home at Dove Cottage, Grasmere is inviting visitors to clog their way into Christmas, by taking part in the traditional custom of dancing in these wooden shoes in the poet’s former kitchen.

Live music and dancing with a local step-dancing tutor will help everyone get in the swing of this type of dance, described by Dorothy Wordsworth in a letter of 1805. In it she wrote: "According to annual custom, Grasmere Fiddler is doing rounds and children of neighbouring houses are assembled in the kitchen to dance."

To help keep this tradition alive, visit Dove Cottage at a cost of £6.50 for an adult and £4.10 for a child. The clogging event is free.

CHILDREN'S NATURAL FESTIVE FUN
For an eco-friendly Christmas, Children can learn how to make their decorations using natural and recycled materials by dropping in to The Footprint Building, in Windermere, on Friday December 21.

Two sessions will be held, from 10am-12pm and from 1.00pm-3pm and both will enable the kids to enjoy an exploration in the woods, to inspire them to create their own fairies and baubles for the family tree.

All children will need adult supervision and booking is essential. The cost is £4 per child.

COMEDY & COSTUMES
Kids have until December 20 to pester their parents to take them to see Little Howard -The Magic Pencil of Life and Death, by Little Howard, at The Brewery Arts Centre, in Kendal, South Cumbria.

Original, bizarre, silly or fun, call it what you will, kids love it, following introductions to this show on CBBC’s ‘The Slammer’ and ITV’s Comedy Cuts.

Tickets cost £7.50, with concessions priced at £6 and family tickets available at a cost of £22. Shows are at 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

From December 22, (shows at 1.30pm and 3.30pm) Rumpelstiltskin is a show combining wonderful costumes, sets, magical puppetry and powerful performances in a musical adaptation of Grimm’s fairytale. Children will be enthralled by the tale of the miller’s daughter who had to weave gold from straw, with a little help from the man with the funny name.

Tickets cost £7.50 for an adult, £6.00 for concessions and £22 for a family.

More details about the shows are available at Breweryarts.co.uk.

CRAFTY CHRISTMAS
Those wishing to have a crafty Christmas can head to Lane Farm, at Crooklands, near Kendal, on Saturday, December 15, to take part in a felting workshop organised by the South Lakeland Lacemakers. Participation costs between £1-£5.