A HISTORIC York house has come up with a new take on Christmas - with a festive makeover intended to showcase the stories of those who came before.
Treasurer's House in York is preparing to open the doors to An Inspired Christmas – a new Christmas event, which sees the Victorian home transformed for the Christmas period with décor dedicated to industrialist Frank Green and his staff.
In this year’s festive makeover, the house intends to show the story of his legacy through a different lens – celebrating his life, that of his staff, and the team of volunteers who show the house for what it is today.
RECOMMENDED READING:
The new show took visitor experience officer Rebecca Allott and her team of volunteers just over two weeks to prepare, bringing together various different stories of Green and his servants and seeing more than 600 visitors on the first day last year.
She said: “With its gorgeous setting in the heart of historic York, Treasurer’s House is already the perfect place to visit, these additional decorative displays at this time of year will truly make it sparkle.
“Treasurer’s House has a rich history and is full of fascinating stories as well as some remarkable influences from its art and furniture. The passionate team of volunteers have much to be inspired by when crafting the beautiful decorations.
"Frank Green was kind of like the anti-Scrooge. In some research, he’s been described as meticulous, but we’ve discovered he was generous and kind to his staff, so it’s really nice to celebrate him in this way.”
This close relationship with staff is one of the key points of this year's experience, shown through various rooms of the home – notably the Court Room, Queens’ Room, and Blue Drawing Room – where the stories of his relationship with his secretary, his head groom, and architect are explored further.
The work of local artist Megan Barnett is also showcased through stained glass decorations in the Blue Drawing Room, showing off the work of ecclesiastical architect Temple Lushington Moore.
In addition to this, each of the 14 house servants are featured in the mouse trial – which sees 14 different posed fabric mice tell the story of each member of staff who worked in Mr Green’s household.
One highlight of this is the ‘handymouse’ - who has become tangled in Christmas lights whilst changing a bulb.
Current volunteers are also celebrated through the decorations in the Dining Room tree which showcases each of their favourite things in Treasure’s House – with choices ranging from a portrait of Frank Green’s beloved dog, Ruff, to a simple ‘I love volunteering’ declaration.
This is Rebecca’s favourite room as she explained: “There’s nothing more joyful than the chaos of Christmas Day morning, with torn wrapping paper all over the living room, and this allows you to pause in that moment for just a minute.”
There is no set route for exploring the house during An Inspired Christmas, letting visitors take their time to soak in the atmosphere and spend time admiring their favourite rooms.
There is no need to book before visiting, the house is open from Saturday to Wednesday from November 16 to December 18. Plan your visit on the website https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/treasurers-house-york
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here