Merry Christmas from Rest Less Events!
As a gift from Rest Less to all our wonderful members, we have compiled some pre-recorded content for you to enjoy over the festive period while our team and hosts at Rest Less Events have a break from running our full programme of live events. The Christmas Library can be accessed whenever you want, as often as you like, from 10th December until 2nd January.
Health & Fitness
Festive Pilates with Helen Tudge
Join our popular Pilates instructor Helen for a seated or standing festive Pilates class!
Helen usually hosts 4 different types of Pilates classes each week for Rest Less including a seated and standing session, as well as Pilates with hand weights, morning stretches and a monthly mat-based class! Find Helen's upcoming classes in the Fitness section of our Event Calendar
Christmas Dance for Life with Janice Fraser
Let's stretch, loosen up and boogie to some festive tunes with TWO special Christmas Dance for Life classes Janice Fraser! This class is suitable for all, please join in at your own pace.
Janice hosts weekly Dance for Life classes which can be booked here.
All Ability Chair Yoga with Julie Jones
Join Chair Yoga instructor, Julie Jones in this transformative journey where everyone is welcome, regardless of their physical limitations.
Julie will guide you through gentle seated yoga poses designed to enhance flexibility, boost mindfulness, and promote relaxation.
This beginner-friendly session equips you with powerful techniques that can be practiced in the comfort of your home or community. Perfect for those with mobility challenges, or anyone seeking a calm focus through yoga.
Tai Chi with J.T. Turner
Join J.T. for some Tai Chi over the festive period! Tai Chi is a mindful movement system from China. It has been used around the world for thousands of years to help reduce stress, prevent falls, and improve focus, balance, circulation, & mobility. This session will focus on simple Tai Chi exercises.
We recommend that you wear comfortable clothing.
Music, Performances & Talks
Sixties Christmas Music with Clive Hook
Join Clive for a fun and festive journey through the music of the sixties! Enjoy a delightful mix of nostalgic tunes, memorable moments, and fascinating trivia.
The Kilted Tommy's Christmas with Simon Waterfield
This is a story about The Kilted Tommy, and his first Christmas in the trenches of WW1. The Kilted Tommy is Simon's maternal grandfather and he has written and performed several stories about him.
A Brass Christmas Carol with Queen Victoria's Consort
Queen Victoria's Consort is made up of some of the country’s leading early brass musicians and brings to life a stunning collection of museum quality original 19th Century brass instruments. These are one of the finest playing collections in private hands; it is a pleasure to introduce audiences to these antique musical treasures.
The ensemble is delighted to share with the Rest Less community this bespoke version of A Christmas Carol, in collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe actor Dickon Tyrrell. The video has a beautiful narration of the story set in stunning Victorian surroundings and is brought together with traditional 19th century music as well as Christmas carols. Queen Victoria’s Consort and Dickon wish you a merry Christmas and hope you enjoy this timeless tale.
Intertwined: art, poetry, and the meaning of ivy with Sarah and Becky from Nettle Cottage Prints
As well as hosting The Soothing Season on Restless, Sarah is also one half of Nettle Cottage Prints, along with her partner, Becky. In this talk you’ll find out more about Becky’s Poems Imprinted series where she develops poems and lino prints alongside each other. You’ll get to hear about her process and her inspirations as well as more about the symbolism of the ivy plant. For more on plant symbolism, sign up for Sarah’s talk on Floriography: the secret language of flowers on Tuesday 7 January at 11.30am.
A Christmas Entertainment with Sun Jester
Graham and Bronwen Harrison of 'Sun Jester' present this feast of anecdotes and music on a seasonal theme. Christmas songs from the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals combine with humorous tales about the artistes. A combination of lecture and entertainment, this programme will also explore the origins of some of our Christmas traditions and how one of them was (and still could be) illegal.
Christmas Ideas and Activities
AI Holiday Hacks: from Gifts to Games, Recipes, and Relaxation with Vicky Carne
Ready to make this holiday season your easiest yet? In this video, discover how AI can transform your holiday planning with simple yet brilliant hacks! From choosing the perfect gifts (even the tricky ones), meal planning for varied dietary needs, family games that all ages will enjoy, to relaxation tips that keep you calm and festive—it’s all here!
Whether you’re a seasoned AI user or brand new to tools like ChatGPT, this guide will show you how to save time, reduce stress, and add a little magic to your holidays. Stay until the end for some quick relaxation techniques to recharge between the festivities!
Let AI help make this holiday season one to remember!
Festive Traditions around Europe with Ian and Sally-Jayne Braisby
When you sit down for turkey and stuffing on December 25th, after unwrapping the presents left by Father Christmas, and when you sing Auld Lang Syne at midnight on New Year's Eve, it's easy to imagine that the rest of the world is doing the same thing. But in actual fact, even our closest neighbours have very different traditions.
For this special festive event, two regular Rest Less hosts join together, combining their interests in languages, culture and history. We'll look at some of the celebrations that take place in December and January, explore some very strange traditions, and teach you how to wish someone a Merry Christmas in lots of different languages.
Christmas Quiz, compiled by Tony Davis
Think you know a lot about Christmas? Well have a go at Tony's Christmas Quiz, and why not share how you did over on our Facebook group?!
To make the slides move along automatically, click the 3 dots menu, and then 'autoplay'. Each slide will show for 5 seconds, so choose your answer before the time runs out!