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It’s Christmas time, and up and down the country, towns and villages are transforming for Christmas; nowhere more so than a little village in the heart of the Peak District. Matt Baker is up in Castleton to help with the final festive preparations. Matt meets farmers Gary and Janet Glennerster at Dunscar Farm, to help with the sheep and try his hand at some festive baking.

Tom Heap meets up with Rob Mercer, a farmer with a difference. Rob started looking into food poverty and realised one of the problems for those in need is getting their hands on fresh food. So Rob started Farm fresh revolution, Tom joins him on his rounds as Rob goes to different farms and buys fresh food, he then bags it all up and hands it out for free to those who need it the most.

Adam Henson and Ellie Harrison are in Norfolk to meet the two families responsible for providing the nation with our most treasured festive birds. To find out what it takes to get these birds ready for the festive period Adam meets the Peele family and their Black turkey’s, while Ellie meets the Hegarty’s at their Goose farm, but while Adam learns about of the traditional art of droving, he comes up with a challenge Ellie.

Anita Rani is also in the festive village of Castleton, to find out about one of the highlights of the season, the Castleton Christmas tree festival. But before she can explore the festival, she needs to make her own Christmas tree decoration. Anita meets miner Gary Ridley at Treak Cliff Cavern to mine some Blue John, and make the most sparkly decoration possible! 

Christmas is a time to decorate and over indulge, to spend time with the family and maybe enjoy a walk or two in the great outdoors. John Craven is meeting with Mark Bull at the National Trust Longshaw Estate in the Peak District National Park to find out about what makes the perfect Christmas tree and how popular their walking trails are with those looking to walk off a food-filled Christmas!  

Who doesn’t love singing along to a Christmas carol at this time of year? But scrap the classics, Matt Baker is finding out about the local carols that used to be sung by candlelight in the caves of Castleton. Matt meets with local carol enthusiasts Brian Woodall and Professor Ian Russell to find out about these local carols and the traditional ways the miners used to sing them on Christmas eve. 

Anita Rani is on the edge of the Peak District National Park, on a farm with a very special form of festive diversification… live nativity plays. Anita meets farmer Chris Pocock and his tiny baby lambs, along with the other animals that make up the nativity cast. Now all she needs are some budding young children to play Mary and Joseph.

Matt Baker is meeting with Peak Cavern director, John Harrison, for some Christmas tree decorating of mammoth proportions! If you thought putting up your tree at home was difficult, you haven’t seen anything yet! All of these preparations are for a very festive carol concert which should see all of the presenters singing along.