Christmas is on the horizon, and this week Great Escapes heads to Cheltenham to meet the people who make the season feel magical.

In this special Christmas episode, Isy Suttie and Dan Skinner explore Cheltenham at its most festive, from glowing Regency streets to countryside grottoes and backstage theatre bustle.

Just outside town at Cotswold Farm Park, Dan meets a real-life Santa Claus – and when we say real, we mean it. Their conversation dives deep into the details of the role: how elves operate, the rules of the job and the practicalities of delivering presents to the entire world in one night.

Meanwhile, Isy heads backstage at Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre to meet the cast of this year’s pantomime, Robin Hood and his Merry Men. She discovers the graft behind the glitter, the stamina required to keep the energy up night after night, and why panto remains one of Christmas’s great shared traditions. There’s even time for her to attempt a musical number, with some very interesting percussion.

Later, Isy and Dan regroup on Cheltenham High Street over coffee and doughnuts, swapping stories and soaking up the town’s festive atmosphere. Along the way, they share listener Christmas travel tales – from a strange encounter with Santa in Aberdeen to a moment of unexpected kindness that turned a breakdown into a Christmas memory to treasure.

Warm, funny and reflective, this episode celebrates Christmas not just as a season, but as something people choose to believe in – whether on a farm, on a stage or on a quiet street lit with fairy lights.

We’re pleased to be supported by Great Western Railway. Adventures start here.