Covid: Norfolk's 'start of Christmas' missing without Thursford Spectacular

Thursford Christmas Spectacular has been held since Christmas 1977

For more than 40 years, the Thursford Christmas Spectacular has helped mark the start of Christmas for tens of thousands, but this year's annual variety show is one of many events cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. What does it mean to those for whom it has been a huge part of their festive season?

Thursford is a tiny little village in north Norfolk, with a population of just 205.

But every year, festive fun-seekers - sometimes including members of the Royal Family from nearby Sandringham - descend on the parish, near Fakenham.

The Spectacular sees a huge shed come alive with razzmatazz as it provides what organisers describe as a "feast for the eyes and ears in music, song and dance".

Some 100,000 tickets had been sold for 2020 - the six-week run was due to have got under way this month - and about 50 coaches were due to arrive each day.

This year's show was due to open in November and run for seven weeks, usually with twice-daily performances

One of the many disappointed punters is Marianne Gluhosky, who has been making the trip to Thursford for 30 years.

Originally from Norwich, she first went she was about 24 and "fell in love with it".

Now 54 and living in Cambridge, she says the Spectacular is "still part of my festival routine".

For the last 10 years she has gone on the last Saturday afternoon in November with a group of friends and family.

She says they "love the planning of it, who is driving, where are we going for lunch, who is ordering the mulled wine and making mince pies for the interval".

"We love the costumes, the music, the dance routines... the lights and the decorations and going around the Christmas shops on site. We even love looking at the coaches to see how far everyone has travelled to be there," she said.

"Christmas starts when we have been to Thursford."

The first show was held on Christmas Eve 1977 and organisers said it has entertained more than six million visitors of all ages from across the globe over the years.

Prince William and Kate Middleton (as she then was) made their first public appearance at Thursford after their engagement in 2010

Founder John Cushing says it has been "difficult to cope" without the show

The founder, producer and director of the Thursford Christmas Spectacular John Cushing acknowledges it has been "difficult to cope with" not having the show this year.

He said: "I've been doing this for 43 years, my calendar is worked out at the beginning of the year, it's a year's work to do it, and it consumes most of my life.

"To be at home in November is something that I've not been for 25 or 30 years, you get so used to the routine."

Thousands of visitors flock annually to Thursford, near Fakenham, to watch the Christmas Spectacular

The show normally employs 360 people a year, consisting of dancers, singers, musicians, variety acts, technicians, wardrobe teams, ushers, caterers and production staff.

It would normally attract about 120,000 people a year for the twice-daily show in the 1,400-seat venue.

Organisers say up to 13,000 normally come from Yorkshire alone, along with coaches from Scotland and Wales.

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Mr Cushing, who was appointed OBE this year, said it was "exhausting but so satisfying to have standing ovations and full houses".

And while he was missing the "camaraderie" and "energy" of the show, he felt for the freelance performers who are out of work and all of the businesses that normally benefit.

He said all of the local accommodation providers would normally get their "winter boost", many show-goers would tie in a visit to places including Norwich, Holt and Burnham Market, and the coach operators would be fully booked.

The venue houses steam engines for the rest of the year and it is turned into a 1,400-seat auditorium for the show

One of those coach companies is Eastons, based in Stratton Strawless, near Norwich, which described the Spectacular as the "backbone" of its festive excursions programme.

It said it had been visiting since 1979 and has seen year-on-year growth, with last year being the largest amount of trips undertaken with 24 separate departures and 1,211 passengers.

The company said it had moved all of its 2020 Christmas Spectacular bookings on to 2021.

Claire Smith, Eastons' finance and marketing manager, says: "Most of the passengers are using their existing booking as something to look forward to during 2021, but understandably they are all disappointed that they cannot go this year.

"That element of social inclusion it provides is so important.

"The loss of revenue from this one attraction alone would run into millions for businesses across Norfolk."

The Enchanted Journey of Light had been due to start on Thursday but will now run after lockdown restrictions in England are lifted

While the show may be cancelled, organisers hope they can still spread some festive cheer with a festival of light trail as an alternative - which had been due to run from Thursday, but that has been postponed until the current lockdown restrictions end.

Mr Cushing said 27,000 tickets for the Enchanted Journey of Light had been sold and it was hoped Covid-19 restrictions will be eased for it to open on 3 December.

Instead of an auditorium, the site - primarily a steam and organ museum - has been transformed into an indoor "wonderland trail" with a maze of steam engines, fairytale characters and "one of the UK's biggest kinetic light displays".

A variety of acts are usually part of the Thursford Christmas Spectacular

Mr Cushing, 81, whose sons Charlie and George are involved in the production, said even though it would not "replace the energy" of the Spectacular, it was "very important" to still make Thursford a "go-to" destination for Christmas.

"We've just got to hope and pray that things will get back to normal for next year and that we will be able to pick up from where we left off," he said.