February\u2019s Light Up Cheltenham festival celebrates the town\u2019s classical Regency heritage by throwing a rainbow at it when darkness falls. You can book a guided tour of over 30 lit up buildings, ride an illuminated big wheel, or just wander, and wonder what famous visitors like King George lll would have made of it all. Looking for some fun, accessible and uniquely Cheltenham things to do at half term? This sponsored post should add a splash of colour to your plans \u2026.<\/em> <\/p>\n February in the UK isn\u2019t traditionally known for its sense of fun. Half term provides families with a short break in the bleakness; then like Moomins, we all go back to hibernating till spring. But the Gloucestershire town of Cheltenham refuses to be curtailed by winter. For the last three years it has reinvented the dark night as a place to show off its Regency heritage. And not in a way you\u2019d expect. Gone are the demure colours of this famous spa town; instead there are purples and pinks and luminous greens, as gels and bulbs work together to make Cheltenham zing.<\/p>\n For the rest of the year, the town centre is all about white facades and understated classical elegance. Take, for example, Montpellier Walk; its upmarket boutiques are seemingly held up by columns of \u2018armless ladies,\u2019 that date from the 1800\u2019s and mirror the models at The Acropolis. <\/p>\n However Light Up Cheltenham, run by Cheltenham BID, is designed to bring out the fun side of a town famed for having the most complete Regency architectural heritage in England. And liven up a quiet month in the gap between Christmas and the hugely popular Cheltenham Festival in March. <\/p>\n Light Up Cheltenham<\/a> provides an excuse to get outside at dusk on a walk that costs nothing. Although if you are feeling generous there are strategically placed buckets raising money for nominated charities \u2013 on the night of our visit Queens Hotel is raising cash for MND Association and is decked out in the charity\u2019s colours. The recommended route is an easy stroll, best enjoyed during the slow bleed of dusk into darkness. <\/p>\n There\u2019s a simple map to follow, available from different places on the route, or you can book a Blue Badge tour guide, who will flesh out the history of the town for you while leading you around the main landmarks \u2013 like the ornate fountain of Neptune, now painted a vibrant purple. <\/p>\n Your guide will explain why each building is special, (Neptune allegedly nods to the Trevi Fountain in Rome,) and will give you the facts behind the ornate facades. You\u2019ll learn how Cheltenham became the go-to spa town for the well-heeled after it was endorsed by royalty in the 1800\u2019s, and how the town punches well above its weight in industry. The clothing brand Superdry began here after its owner Julian Dunkerton<\/a> rented a stall on the market, and GCHQ employees collect intelligence from the iconic silver doughnut just out of town. And then, of course, there is the roar and excitement of the racecourse \u2013 I can\u2019t begin to imagine how many stories the Cheltenham Festival<\/a> has generated over the years. <\/p>\n We are planning a self guided tour of Light Up Chetenham after rolling into town on the coat-tails of storm Ciara. On this blustery Sunday afternoon, the shopping centre is lightly populated; only the Hare and Minotaur are sticking around to hear the lone busker playing Singing in the Rain on his trumpet. <\/p>\n As night is still a little while off, we warm up in a cafe called The Find,<\/a> where members of the Orme family greet us with a massive selection of vegan cakes. We fuel up on biscotti loaf and halloumi fries before taking another rain check in the nearby Coffee Dispensary. Then dusk starts to fall and the weather calms. There\u2019s a rumour that the giant observation wheel has started turning so we head for Queens Hotel, our base for the night and the start of guided Light Up Cheltenham tours. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It would be hard to find\u00a0a more appropriate building to kick off a tour of Regency architecture than Queens Hotel Cheltenham-MGallery<\/a>, which faces directly onto Imperial Gardens<\/a>. One of the first purpose-built hotels in Europe, Queens Hotel Cheltenham opened in 1838, on the site of the old Sherbourne Spa. Its neoclassical architecture boasts Corinthian columns, Georgian windows and carved cornices, and it\u2019s believed it was modelled on the Temple of Jupiter in Rome. Impressively white against a grey skyline by day, the columns look almost unreal in the bright colours at night. <\/p>\n Leaving the Queens Hotel behind us, we stroll through Imperial Gardens where even composer Gustav Holst\u2019s statue presides over the wind symphony. The sky gently turns to gold, then pink, then black, while the wheel becomes more luminous as the day closes down. <\/p>\n As weather has temporarily stopped it turning we head down to the Brewery Quarter, passing a green, orange and amber lit Boots store and a crimson HSBC. <\/p>\n The Brewery Quarter is where the festival launched with a performance from the day-glo drumming band Sparks! We stop for a drink before winding our way to Neptune\u2019s Fountain, resplendent in purple. The Promenade is really going for it, from no 131\u2019s neon gin and juice to the town\u2019s Municipal Offices \u2013 which logic tells me cannot be as exciting inside as they look from the green and gold floodlit exterior. <\/p>\n We rock up again to the giant observation wheel, now brightly lit in white against the night sky and slowly circling around. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a chilly ride but it gives us a bird\u2019s eye view of the lights; bright strips of colour lining the town like a glowing airport runway. And I wonder what the kings and queens and poets who visited would have made of this modern colour splash. <\/p>\n Next morning a cold sun greets me in the square, flooding pale light onto the Regency white. Over at the shops of Montpellier, the columns of ladies continue to be unfazed by the high winds still battering the county. Meanwhile armies of window cleaners are out scrubbing the grit of last night\u2019s storm from the Georgian windows. Cheltenham resumes its spa town elegance once more. But locals know she will reappear this evening in her full-on disco colours. Bright and bold and as fun and welcoming as a UK town can look on a wintry February evening. <\/p>\n Light Up Cheltenham runs from 1st-23rd Feb 2020. It\u2019s just one of many festivals that this festival town puts on each year. Other family friendly festivals include science, jazz and literature. And course the races, with the world famous Ladies Day. <\/p>\n We spent a night at Queens Hotel Cheltenham-MGallery. Its proximity to the town centre makes it a great base for festivals. And it\u2019s not just a pretty face. Inside the building, original features come thick and fast. The wallpaper on the stairs is from an original design by Pugin. (The design can also be found on the walls of the Houses of Parliament.) The Georgian staircase really has the wow factor; upper floors look down onto a glass roof complete with a crown. Following the stairs as they curl around floors is one of the highlights of our stay and we barely consider using the lift. <\/p>\n The decor delights in the rooms too; artworks pick out elements of the hotel\u2019s design \u2013 we particularly love the wallpaper above the bath that features the hotel\u2019s exterior. Our twin room is comfortable and atospherically lit, and there\u2019s a cocktail waiting for us on arrival. <\/p>\n Disclosure:<\/strong> Our trip was hosted by Visit Cheltenham and Queens Hotel who provided us with bed and breakfast and tickets for the observation wheel in order to bring you this review. All wandering, wondering, and rainy photography is all our own, as are the words. <\/p>\n Further reading:<\/strong> Enjoy a tour? Read about our self guided street art tour of Manchester<\/a> or Bristol.<\/a> Or if you are in the Gloucestershire area you might enjoy some active family adventures in the Forest of Dean. <\/a><\/p>\n \n\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" February\u2019s Light Up Cheltenham festival celebrates the town\u2019s classical Regency heritage by throwing a rainbow at it when darkness falls. You can book a guided tour of over 30 lit up buildings, ride an illuminated big wheel, or just wander, and wonder what famous visitors like King George lll would have made of it all. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7048016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[210697,176747,102378,210698],"tags":[7892,556,210699,1935],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7048015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cheltenham","category-days-out","category-england","category-light-up-cheltenham","tag-cheltenham","tag-light","tag-light-up-cheltenham","tag-tour"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Light](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cheltenham-Promenade.jpg\")
Escaping the February-ness of winter <\/h2>\n
![\"No](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/no-131.jpg\")
A short break from elegance<\/h2>\n
![\"Observation](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/big-wheel.jpg\")
An easy walk at dusk <\/h2>\n
![\"Cheltenham](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cheltenham-ferris-wheel.jpg\")
Following the Light Up Cheltenham map<\/h2>\n
![\"Statue](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cheltenham-neptune-statue.jpg\")
Cheltenham things to do in a storm<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Hare-and-The-Minotaur.jpg\")
Cake fuelled shelter<\/h2>\n
![\"Coffee](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/chelt-coffee-dispensary.jpg\")
Kicking off at Queens Hotel Cheltenham <\/h2>\n
![\"Light](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Queens-hotel.jpg\")
From Imperial Gardens to Brewery Quarter <\/h2>\n
![\"Light](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/boots-light-up-cheltenham.jpg\")
Sparks and light in the dark <\/h2>\n
![\"No](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/cheltenham-gin-and-juice.jpg\")
View from the big wheel <\/h2>\n
![\"Cheltenham's](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/chelmsford-big-wheel.jpg\")
Bird\u2019s Eye view of the action<\/h2>\n
![\"Queens](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Queens-hotel-ariel-shot.jpg\")
A return to Regency white <\/h2>\n
![\"Cheltenham](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/cheltenham-queens-hotel-by-day.jpg\")
More Information <\/h2>\n
![\"Queens](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/queens-staircase-768x1024.jpg\")
![\"Cocktails](\"https:\/\/www.familyadventureproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/cocktail-at-queens-hotel-cheltenham.jpg\")