The Plough Arts Centre in Great Torrington has launched an ambitious programme of Christmas events in a bid to draw more people to the historic North Devon town, and support local artists and performers.
The Plough's traditional Christmas Craft Fair returns on 15-17 December with loads of handmade gifts, cards and decorations, beautifully hand-made by local artists and makers.
Live events have also resumed at The Plough, with Devon-based folk music legends Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman being the stars on opening night last Thursday. Torrington's favourite band, The Wild Strawberries, play on Friday 19 December; and local author Liz Shakespeare teams up with Torrington musicians Nick Wyke and Becki Driscoll to explore the work of Edward Capern, Devon's 19th century Postman Poet, on 20 December. The Plough's Barnstaple venue, the historic St Anne's building, has already hosted Barnstaple-born jazz guitarist Jacob Houghton; and Devon-based folk singer Rosa Rebecka will round out the year with a show on 30 December.
The Christmas entertainment continues with a season of festive films. It includes classic films, from the remastered re-release of the great Ealing comedy, The Ladykillers, to the ultimate Christmas classic It's A Wonderful Life. Meanwhile, kids can get an introduction to a hit Christmas comedy on the big screen: they've got Elf, Home Alone, and Home Alone 2. Oh, and not forgetting Frozen 2 (they just couldn't let it go).
They also have some new releases to unwrap and discover. A Christmas Gift from Bob is the heartwarming sequel to A Street Cat Named Bob, and brings a festive update to the feline story. And Christmas isn't complete without a new version of A Christmas Carol - this one combines theatre and dance with the voices of Simon Russell Beale, Carey Mulligan, Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman, among others.
And for the younger kids, they have a theatrical treat to enjoy at home as the Slot Machine Theatre company presents online screenings of Kipper's Snowy Day.
"Culture and entertainment are key to helping town centres revive as we gradually emerge from the covid crisis," said Plough Director Richard Wolfenden-Brown. "We've always tried to support local artists and craftspeople and our annual Christmas Craft Fair is a much loved fixture in the calendar. And Torrington has so many small independent shops, filled with festive goodies, that you don't really need to go anywhere else. We hope people will be tempted out to see a film, and combine it with a trip to the local shops and support local business owners."