Holkham Candlelight Tour

Every year I go to the Candlelight Tour at Holkham which is just magical. Preparations start in January when they visit a large Christmas fair in Germany to buy new decorations. Then the rooms are designed during the year and commissions for special pieces are made such as for the amazing paper dress in this room. There are 43 trees throughout the house, the biggest one being a 19ft real tree from the estate (a close up of owls in the Extra is from this tree). They start putting the decorations up as soon at the Halloween events are over. It takes an hour to set up each day in lighting candles etc, then another hour to close down at the end of the day. Throughout the event they get through an amazing 50,000 tea-lights. I'd definitely recommend a visit if you're in the area, they're opening the house between xmas and new year this year and you can make your way round at your own pace - I might try that next year. And you get a glass of Prosecco (or elderflower presse in my case) and a mince pie too!