Light Houses Galore

Christmas Lighthouses villages
What is the best (and easiest) way to create water in my miniature Christmas village?

Each year I struggle with how to represent rivers, streams and even an ocean or bay in the Department 56 Dickens' Village display under my tree. I've gone without any water before, but it makes the bridges, lighthouse and lock keeper look rather odd and out of place...
Everything so far sounds great, but I'm looking for something quick and not-so-permanent because I disassemble my village after each Christmas, and when I re-assemble it the next year it's always slightly different.

I've tried the blue plastic wrap in the past, but I find the color isn't quit right... it's a bit too pastel.

Yours is a question that has been a long part of model railroading. My suggestion would be to go to your local model train store, or a hobby shop that focuses on model trains and/or dioramas. A company called Woodland Scenics makes two types of "water" for use in model railroad layouts. One is "Realistic Water" that you can pour straight from the bottle. The other is "E-Z Water" that is actually pellets that you heat in a saucepan and then pour.

Woodland Scenics website is http://www.woodlandscenics.com - click on "landscaping" and then "water".

http://www.aglasshalffull.org/article-model-water.html is a website that compares 10 different ways to model water, including the E-Z water mentioned above.

If you do go to the train store, you might also end up with a train set to run around your village....

6 Things to Do on the Wirral Whilst on a Business Trip

 

If you would like a change of scenery after a Christmas Lunch, Chester is close to many other options that are available just a quick few minutes drive from your country house hotel Cheshire along the M53 into the Wirral.

 

Leasowe Lighthouse is located on Leasowe Common, in the town of Moreton. It has the notoriety of being Britain's oldest surviving brick-built lighthouse it is very conveniently located in the central coastal region of the Wirral at the North Wirral Coastal Park close to the Dee and Hilbre Island.

 

From Seacombe and Woodside you can take the world famous Ferry across the Mersey as part of the Big Mersey Adventure, taking in the 850 years over river history with interesting running commentary on the sights as you pass them by on an entertaining river cruise that leaves every hour.

 

You can combine your river trip with a visit to Spaceport located not far from your country house hotel Cheshire at Seacombe. They have a range of exhibitions that run year round including their Art of Dr Who exhibit running until 2009. There are also six space themed galleries and the planetarium, a typical visit will last around two hours.

 

If your Christmas Lunch Chester still hasn’t gone down you could take in the delights of Birkenhead Priory and St Mary's Tower, a Benedictine Monastery dating back to 1150 which is the oldest building on Merseyside. There are museum displays as well as concerts and a special chapel that was dedicated to HMS Conway. You can climb to the top of the tower to enjoy the views along the river Mersey.

 

Another location near to any country house hotel Cheshire is the attraction of the Village of living History, Port Sunlight with many stunning old buildings and gardens including the late Victorian Christ Church and the sunlight Vision Museum. There is possible no more pleasant place on the Wirral to spend an afternoon.

 

Birkenhead tramway is another great spot with Birkenhead laying claim as the European town to run street trams. Although they stopped running in 1937, they were brought back to life in 1995 and so you can now travel these historic trams. Some of these vehicles date back over 100 years and you can take a tram to the Wirral Transport Museum to take a look at more of these historic and still useful vehicles.

 

There are many other attractions just a few miles down the road from your country house hotel. Cheshire and in particular Chester and the Wirral have a lot to offer in terms of a few hours sightseeing or visiting the local attractions that are on offer to business and pleasure visitors to the region. If you are visiting at the festive season, don’t forget to book in advance for your Christmas Lunch. Chester and the surrounding areas are very busy accommodating hoards of visitors at this time of year.

 

About the Author

Darrell F writing about the great stuff to do on the Wirral. Check out Wirral’s country house hotels in Cheshire and the filling Christmas Lunch they offer in the build up to Christmas.