In our experience
Meet the women whose plans for the season started way back in January
‘I’M NEVER SHORT OF INSPIRATION’
Sharon Dean, 58, visitor experience officer at Powis Castle & Gardens, transforms the National Trust property into a festive wonderland every Christmas. Sharon has four grown-up children and lives in Shropshire with her husband Tim, three dogs and a chicken.
As we grow up, Christmas loses a bit of its magic. I like to think that experiences such as Christmas at Powis help to bring back that lovely, festive feeling. It’s one of the best bits of working in the visitor experience team, being able to bring the castle’s 700-year-old history to life for guests of all ages.
I joined the National Trust as a guide in 2015, having previously been a florist. Christmas at Powis is a huge part of my job and takes about six months to plan. I’ll start getting ideas in January and we begin making things in the summer. A small team starts dressing the rooms in early November to get the castle ready for 1 December. The gardeners help carry in the 18-foot trees, and our wonderful handyman builds us frames and installations. It really is a team effort.
The theme changes yearly. The depth of history in every room means I can always find something exciting. This year the idea is ‘A Treasured Christmas’. We have taken inspiration from unique treasures in each of the rooms.
In our Blue Room, for example, I’ve focused on the stunning 17th-century black, red and gold lacquered Chinese screen. We have a gold dragon wrapped around the tree, the mantelpiece is covered in red silks, there are parasols and fans, and music too.
I use up all my big extravagant vibes at Powis, so when it comes to decorating my house, I keep things low-key: green foliage, candles and just plain lights.
Having spent so many special times with my family in National Trust properties over the years, I feel lucky that my job enables me to give some of that joy back, especially at Christmas.
‘WE START DESIGNING THE BLENHEIM PALACE LIGHT SHOW IN FEBRUARY’
Zoë Bottrell, 49, MD of Culture Creative, designs and installs festive light trails, including the worldfamous Blenheim Palace Christmas spectacular. Zoë lives with h
