Your Festive Finds lifestyle

Jim’s Spectacular Christmas by Emma Thompson

Set to be a new Christmas classic, Academy Award winner Emma Thompson magically weaves the real-life tale of Jim: a very special, very grubby dog, who lives at the Victoria & Albert Museum – and was the beloved dog of Sir Henry Cole who created the first Christmas card. Brought to life with heartwarming illustrations from Axel Scheffle, the hardback is filled with emotion, festive mischief, unexpected presents and a life-changing brush with royalty. This book will take the whole family on a festive adventure and is the perfect bedtime read in the lead up to Christmas.

Fig & Goat’s Cheese Filo Parcels

Makes 6

An easy but sophisticated canapé to make if you’re hosting over the festive season, these vegetarian savoury bites are guaranteed crowd pleaser – and only take about 40 minutes to make with a handful of ingredients. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6, before slicing the stem off six figs and scoring a deep cross shape two thirds of the way through – opening them up a bit by squeezing the base. In a bowl, mix together 125g of soft goat’s cheese with 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper, and divide equally with a generous amount in the middle of each fig. Next, take 6 sheets of filo pastry and slice them into quarters. Stack four of these quarters on top of each other, and lightly brush it with melted butter, before placing in your goat’s cheese topped fig. Repeat this until you have 6 parcels, and bake them for 12-15 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crispy. Allow your parcels to cool before serving up with some chopped chives.

The Fir Tree at The Globe

This re-imagining of Hans Christians Anderson’s festive fairytale returns for a second year. Enter a hand crafted forest, meet friendly puppets, and keep cosy under a starry night as a curious fir tree undertakes an adventure beyond the forest. On the south bank of the Thames, Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the famed Elizabethean open-air theatre, and a notable London landmark. With tickets starting at just £6, book on now for a day of storytelling and carol singing that’s suitable for kids of all ages.

Whether you’re coming from near or far, make a day of it by taking a riverside walk up to Between the Bridges – where they’re putting on a host of festive events with free entry. Grab a pre-theatre mulled wine at their Winter Garden Bar to get you into the spirit!