ENTERTAINMENT TH ROU G H TH E G A R D E N G ATE


THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE A GLI T T ER ING GARDEN BAS ED FES T IV E FINALE


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The end of the year is here and Television Horticulturist, Camilla Bassett-Smith, shares news of a glittering garden based festive finale, perfect for all.


I expect by now, as sure as you’ve stir red the Chr istmas pudding and iced the cake, you’ve also no doubt put aside a couple of hours to join Glinda and Elpheba at The Tivoli, Cheltenham, for a night of cinematic wonder with ‘Wicked: For Good’. Time to get your boots on now though, red and spark ly of course, and head to local garden centre, Webbs of Wychbold, where you can visit Oz for real!


But first, it’s fair to say that Chr istmas lights have come on in leaps and bounds over the years. Time was when a few illuminated stars on buildings in Chel tenham’s Promenade was a much-anticipated sight and my Father was considered a pretty bright spark when coloured bulbs lit a lone outdoor tree in my parents’ 1970s Compton Abdale garden. In fact, I have always loved


lights and growing up in the 1990s in


Cheltenham, my Father, again, wired a circuit of white spots across the garden, up-lighting our Douglas Fi r, Blue Cedar, Prunus and var ious apple trees, many years before garden lighting became the height of fashion which it is today.


I , of course, never missed the switch on of the Cheltenham lights and will never forget the f ireman’s snorkel which used to be sent up into the clouds to collect Father Chr istmas, whose white gloved hand was picked out in a searchlight, waving to us all below as he


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was brought back down to ear th. Pure Gloucestershire magic.


The term ‘fairy lights’ is believed to have its roots in my beloved Gilber t and Sullivan, a term coined following thei r Savoy Theatre production of Iolanthe in 1882. Electric lights had just been installed in the theatre and it was suggested that the fairies could have little battery lights attached to their costumes, which they did, hence ‘fairy lights’ ! A far cry f rom LEDS, drones and lasers!


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