Slowly but surely we are getting closer and closer to Christmas (yikes!). Our current group are returning home on the 21st December, so we felt it was an absolute must to inject some festive cheer into them before they go :)
Plymouth Barbicanis an area of great historical value. Hosting some of the city's eldest buildings it also has one of the largest congregations of cobbled streets in Britain. The historical Mayflower steps , from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail from to America in 1620 are one of Plymouth's most popular tourist attractions.
On Thursday the 28th of December we invited our students to enjoy some Christmas celebrations on the Barbican. We started by meeting outside of the famous Plymouth Gin Distillery. We took a slow stroll towards the Mayflower Steps where we waited for the Lantern Parade to begin. The plaza was filled with people, many children were holding lanterns, which I must admit looked beautiful. The great Uncle Sam and his American flag were towering over the crowds, reminding us all of the Thanksgiving celebrations that took place on the Barbican earlier that day.
After the Lord Mayer greeted the crowds it was time for the Father Christmas to arrive by RNLI Lifeboat. The choir was singing as Santa and his elves made their way to the Mayflower Steps, stopping and chatting to all the children along the way. It was truly a "picture perfect" sight, and we all felt like we were kids again for a moment.
Soon after, it was time for the official Barbican Christmas lights switch-on followed by the Lantern Parade. It was a real feast for the eyes and the great magic of Christmas was in the air. We all followed the parade and were in great awe of the delicate structure and beautiful finish of the lanterns. The large Mayflower ship lantern, giant snowman and even an elf shaped lantern were part of this great festival of light. All of our students complimented on the idea and were enjoying the festive atmosphere.
Slightly cold and most definitely hungry, we finished off our evening with a delicious dinner on the Barbican. It was a great chance for all of us to catch up, spend some time together, practice English and learn more about Christmas traditions in England and Italy
To find out more about events on the Barbican please visit: www.barbicanwaterfront.com
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