National Army Museum - National Army Museum December 🎄

 

Season’s greetings from the National Army Museum We'd like to wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year, and to thank you for all your support throughout 2023. Though the year is rapidly coming to an end, we still have plenty of events and festive activities for you to join this month. Read on to book your tickets to attend some of the highlight events in December. A reminder that, during festive period, the Museum will be closed on 24 -  26 December, as well as the 1 January. The Museum will be open as normal on 27 - 31 December. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year of 2024.

Jingle Bell Jive 10 December 2023, 6.30pm, £20.00 Swing and jive the night away at this special Christmas-themed 1940s dance event.  Whether you’re an absolute beginner or already know your way around the dance floor, Swing Dance UK will be there to help show how it’s done.  Dance the night away with live music of the South London Jazz Orchestra and enjoy a cabaret show from the Diamond Girls. Hair and makeup artists Pretty Me Vintage will be on hand to keep you feeling and looking the part.

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Featured Events

Behind the Scenes: Caricature and Cartoon 7 December 2023, 6.30pm, £9.00 Since its formation, the British Army has been depicted in cartoons and other means of artistic satire. In this special event, the Museum’s art curators will take you on a journey through our collection of cartoons and satirical artworks, reflecting on what they can tell us about military life. Dr Amy Lidster, curator of our Shakespeare and War exhibition, will discuss how the work of Shakespeare has inspired the way that people depict soldiers. BOOK NOW

Embroidery Course: Christmas Cards 9 - 10 December 2023, £85.00 Elevate your embroidery skills in this exclusive two-day festive-themed course led by experts from Hand & Lock, London’s premier embroidery house. You will start the course by reviewing the fine examples of embroidery we have within our collection, before taking part in an embroidery class where you will create a unique piece to take home with you. BOOK NOW

Talks and Tours

Dogs of the First World War 1 December 2023, 12.00pm, FREE To mark the 80th anniversary of the PDSA Dickin Medal, Emma Worrall will examine the role of the British Army’s messenger dogs in the First World War. BOOK NOW Making the British Army Officer 8 December 2023, 12.00pm, FREE Dr Kevin Linch explores the personal and professional lives of British Army officers during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. BOOK NOW

Sir John Ligonier’s Martyred Road to Rocoux 15 December 2023, 12.00pm, FREE Join Dr Alastair Massie as he examines one of the pivotal moments in Britain’s defence of the Low Countries during the War of the Austrian Succession. BOOK NOW Curator Tour: Art of the Army at Home 9 December 2023, 12.00pm, £5.00 Join art curator Anna Lavelle on this guided tour of our Army at Home gallery and discover a range of works that depict the Army’s home service from its earliest origins in the Civil Wars through to today. BOOK NOW

Programme Highlights

Christmas Carols: The Chelsea Pensioner Singers 10 December 2023, 11.00am, FREE Join us for this special Christmas event as the Chelsea Pensioner Singers perform a selection of their favourite Christmas carols live at the museum. The Chelsea Pensioner Singers have been performing together since 2014, initially simply for enjoyment and well-being within the Royal Hospital. Come and listen to their festive repertoire, featuring a range of carols and Christmas classics.

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Christmas at Windsor Castle

 

Windsor Castle

Walk in a Windsor Wonderland Get in the festive mood this winter with our enchanting Christmas activities and events at Windsor Castle. Starting today, see the State Apartments come alive with spectacular Christmas decorations. Make it a family affair and bring the kids for some festive crafting fun or enjoy some Christmas carols under the impressive Christmas tree in St George Hall.   BOOK YOUR FESTIVE DAY OUT

Deck the Halls We're decking the halls, the galleries and the State Apartments. See the Castle transformed with our Christmas display including a magnificent 25-foot-high tree in St George's Hall.  Until 1 January 2024 BOOK NOW Festive family fun Join us through the school holidays in December for festive fun for all the family at the Castle.  Drop by the Castle's Learning Centre to hear all about a Victorian Christmas and make a memento to take home.  16 December 2023 - 1 January 2024 FIND OUT MORE

Online: A Royal Christmas Feast Join our online lecture as we delve into some of the delicious treats served at Royal Christmases throughout history. Senior Curator, Kathryn Jones will be joined by Food Historian, Marc Meltonville. 5 December 19:00 GMT BOOK YOUR TICKET Great Kitchen Tour for Families Are you ready for a royal feast? Take your little ones on our interactive tour of the oldest working kitchen in the country. Discover captivating stories of elaborate feasts prepared for kings and queens throughout the centuries. 1- 7 January 2024 FIND OUT MORE

Museum of Brands - Adopt an Object this Christmas🎄plus TWO FREE gift tickets with any scrapbook purchase until 23 Dec📚

 

Brandtastic Family Christmas Activities   Kids go free from 22 December 2023 until 7 January 2024 with a paying visitor for general admission.  Use the code KIDSGOFREE when purchasing your ticket online through Art Tickets.  Visit us for a Brandtastic Family Christmas with the whole family this December. From 1 December until 7 January, the kids can explore the Time Tunnel with our ‘Fill a Stocking’ Scavenger Hunt. Draw or colour in the gifts to put into Santa’s stocking, while you enjoy a nostalgic journey through 200 years of social change, culture and lifestyle.  Plus, visit us between Christmas and New Year and make your own Brandtastic thank you cards.  Find out more and book tickets here. Can’t make it to the Museum? Have a look at our online family activities, available to download for FREE. You can also join the conversation by following us on social media.

"Came to this museum with little expectation and was really blown away... It talks about how historical events have influenced/created products, which was fascinating. You’re also able to see how common household brands have evolved over time."  TripAdvisor Review, October 2023 "This museum is a true wonder! The exhibits are remarkable, and I had a fantastic time." Google Review, October 2023 Enjoyed your visit? Let us know on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter or leave us a review on Tripadvisor or Google Reviews.

Book Your Tickets

Give the Gift of Nostalgia  Are you looking for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas present? Make the memories last with 'Adopt an Object'! Gift your friends or family a piece of history from our curated collection of some of our most beloved artefacts. From the iconic Hornby Train Set, through to Spice Girl or Star Wars figures, there is sure to be something to appeal to everyone. Find out more here.

FREE Gift Tickets with Any Scrapbook Double up your giving this Christmas.  We are giving away two free gift tickets with any Robert Opie Collection Scrapbook until 23 December.  Covering decades from the Victorian Era to the 1970s, these are a deep dive into our history.  Purchase online here or on site at the Museum shop, and we will include two FREE gift tickets.

NEW DISPLAY - Reuse, Refill, Rethink We have partnered with The University of Sheffield’s ‘Many Happy Returns' project to develop a new display using the past to inform the future of sustainability in packaging. It explores how current developments in packaging have historical significance and how we might learn from the past when envisioning new models of reuse for the future.  Find out more here.

Brand Boxes through your Letterbox In collaboration with DS Smith, we have developed a special Brand Box designed to help carers and those living with dementia from the comfort of their own home. This free letterbox-sized multi-sensory resource has been carefully designed to encourage memories through smell, touch, and taste as well as sight.  We have 1000 to share, email Sara to request yours

Back in the Boardroom This January, reconnect with the whole team with a change of scenery in our exciting venue. Our 2024 calendar is already filling up with “regrouping sessions” and strategy days. The Museum of Brands’ event spaces offer the perfect setting to enable you to get everyone up to speed on the new year’s targets and goals. Contact Francesca to check availability and book a site visit.

FREE Subject-Specific Trails  Explore the Time Tunnel at your own pace with our range of FREE self-guided trails tailored to 39 subjects, from Early Years to Higher Education. We have also translated 17 into Mandarin, French, German, Italian and Spanish. We offer discounts to groups of over 10, email Connie for more info.