A PUB in Hurstbourne Tarrant is preparing for the Christmas holidays with a pair of exciting events.

The George & Dragon pub is preparing to celebrate the festive season by decorating its exterior to resemble a giant gingerbread house.

Landlord Billy Callaway said: “I am making giant gingerbread men, that are like eight feet tall, they are being made out of MDF.

“We are using expanding foam to create icing around all the windows, we’re making giant lolly pops out of pool noodles, we’re going full craft station giant gingerbread feel.”

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She continued: “We used to own The Pheasant in Highclere, and I’ve always wanted to and planned every year to do a big Christmas, and there has always been some sort of issue for the past few years whether it would be Covid or lockdowns or whatever.

“So, I just figured it’s been a terrible year anyway, everything is a bit terrible, so let’s have a bit of a laugh and try and make a bit of a spectacle for people”.

The festive creation will be unveiled at a Christmas craft market that the pub is hosting on Tuesday, November 28 from 4pm to 8pm.

The market will feature different craftspeople selling gifts, with bratwursts available to order from the kitchen, while carol singers will perform at the bar from 6pm until 7pm.

The special festive decorations will stay up throughout December and will be taken down at the beginning of January.

The pub has also teamed up with Andover Santa Cruises to organise a charity “booze cruise” to raise money for the Countess of Brecknock Hospice.

The cruise will see Santa visit pubs up and down the Bourne Valley on Thursday, December 15.

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Billy said: “It’s something that myself and my partner have always done with our kids every year; we’ve followed Santa around Andover.

“And we thought it would be really cool if he could come and do something like that through the valley, whilst also bringing a bit of business to all of the local pubs.

“We’ve contacted all the other landlords and arranged for them; they’re all going to be doing their own little events and things at their pubs.

“But Santa will be driving past, and for anybody who lives on the route they can give him a wave and put some money in the bucket for the hospice."