The castle is the main attraction for the 12 Days of Christmas but to ensure you have a memento of your visit the Leeds Castle shops have gone all out for Christmas this year. At the entrance shop there are many child inspired Christmas goodies and year round gifts including children’s costumes.
I spoke to Bob Needham, Leeds Castles Buyer and Retail Manager, at the Castle gift shop. The shop looks spotless and inviting and as you walk through the door you are greeted with the most spectacular Christmas display it make you feel like Christmas day has arrived.
Bob explained their take on Christmas this year “We wanted tradition with a twist and I wanted to be wowed. We chose the products carefully as quality is very important. Retail is the icing on the cake – people should be able to take home something to remember Leeds Castle from”. The gift shop is a little haven of affordable luxury with Christmas decorations starting at £3 “I’ve always been aware of price range I don’t want people to think of this as expensive” Bob points out, “We also have our new Fair Trade range of products which are hand painted with bespoke designs for Leeds Castle and they are £4” The shop has a selection for the tourist, local and children and they like to keep the Christmas selection traditional but modern. There is a craft feel to the decorations this year and a children’s range. They even have tree decorations which tie into the ‘Christmas Jumper’ trend. The red and gold decorations are always popular and the swans and crowns are a must – best sellers for the shop. This year they have a separate white and silver range to tie in with one of the themes within the castle and have some modern Nutcracker Dolls which any little girl will want to adorn her dressing table. The Christmas range went out after their fireworks celebrations and has sold well since. “We started buying and planning for Christmas in January as we do every year” Bob points out that Christmas is always a year in the making – no wonder it looks spectacular. It is good that business is brisk Bob explains “We need to raise money for the foundation [a private charitable trust whose aim is to preserve the castle and its grounds]. That’s my number 1 focus.”
There are so many elements to Christmas at Leeds Castle and seeing behind the scenes shows just how much work goes into ensuring everything goes smoothly. Bob compared the work and effort that goes into Leeds Castle to the swans that swim on the moat “They glide along majestically but underneath their feet are paddling away”. I couldn’t of put it better myself.
The Twelve Days of Christmas in the Castle rooms runs from 7th – 24th December and other attractions include their ever popular Christmas market – this year with German style chalets – which runs every day from 7th – 22nd December, an enchanted forest grotto where children can meet Father Christmas and take a gift home with them is a pre-book event running on 7, 8, 14, 15, 19 and 24 December and Father Christmas’ reindeers will be at the Castle from 7th – 24th December too. For the children there are also Huskie sleigh rides on 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 - 24 December and for a little extra you can have a photograph ‘Hugging a Huskie’ – now that is something for the photo album!
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