We’ve got restaurants every 10 miles in North Norfolk, there are so many. I go to No Twenty9 in Burnham Market, where they cook over flames in an open kitchen (www.number-29.com) and I also like The Old Store at Snettisham (www.theoldstorenorfolk.co.uk), the Dun Cow in Salthouse (www.salthouseduncow.com) and Sculthorpe Mill (www.sculthorpemill.uk). And though I live in Kettlestone, every summer we go to Brancaster for a few weeks’ holiday, where my regular is The White Horse – it’s lovely sitting out by the marsh (www.whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk). 

In winter, I’ll have a Guinness or a whisky in a pub where there’s a roaring fire. The Brisley Bell has a lovely feel to it (www.thebrisleybell.co.uk) and the Kings Head in Letheringsett is cosy (www.kingsheadnorfolk.co.uk). 

Salthouse Store has great fresh bread and pastries (www.salthouse.co.uk), and they do outstanding coffee at Stiffkey Stores (@stiffkeystores). I’m not keen on supermarkets, I like Picnic Fayre deli (www.picnic-fayre.co.uk) and Cley Smokehouse (01263 740282). When it comes to Christmas shopping, my wife Barbara likes Anna (www.shopatanna.com) and I’ll get the boys [George and Charlie] something from Gun Hill Clothing (www.gunhill.co.uk). 

Every Christmas at Thursford we get through around 60,000 mince pies and gallons of mulled wine. There are two Christmas Spectacular shows a day, from November until 23 December. This is my 47th year [directing and producing; John’s sons are also part of the creative team]. The energy is incredible – you see 1400 people coming in, the excitement on their faces. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that you’ve made people happy. 

The atmosphere at Thursford on Christmas Eve is amazing. The Enchanted Journey of Light is open, and people come for the fair. We go home at 6pm. Barbara lights every candle in the house and we’ll have dinner with Christmas pudding – we do everything people normally do on Christmas Day. It’s a special evening. On actual Christmas Day, we have lunch at The Hoste Arms in Burnham Market (www.thehostearms.com). We’ve been going for about 25 years.  

There are several local artists I like. Colin Miller is a sculptor in Blakeney – he’s done a bust of me which is in our house (www.colin-miller.co.uk). Also Crispin Robjent, an outstanding portrait artist who has done drawings of all my family (www.crispinrobjent.co.uk), and Colin Burns, a landscape artist who’s produced the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Christmas cards for years. For the frames, Walsingham Gallery & Framing is a great family business (www.walsinghamgalleryandframing.co.uk). 

My favourite walk is along the bank from Brancaster to Burnham Overy – I’ll do it every day when I am there. You’ve got Scolt Head on your left and it has this bleak beauty. Afterwards, I have coffee at The White Horse and read all the papers. I’ll also walk in my woods with my dog – it’s where I completely unwind. 

For a lasting impression of Norfolk, Holkham beach with the pine woods and dunes is breathtaking (www.holkham.co.uk). It’s a unique stretch of coastline. All those trees were individually planted and, like most of the wonderful estates around here, now we’re enjoying the beauty of what people created a couple of hundred years ago. 

When the boys were younger, we’d take them to the beach – Holkham, Wells or Brancaster, near where the beach huts are. We’d find a place where we could sit and watch them get rid of their energy. Temple Seal Trips are fun (www.sealtrips.co.uk) and we’d also go to the dinosaur park Roarr! (www.roarr.co.uk).

If I was to describe North Norfolk in three words… Spoilt for choice. It’s got beaches, big skies, flint cottages, stately homes, restaurants, pubs, glamping, festivals, sailing, swimming, golf, tennis, wildlife. It’s got everything.  

The Christmas Spectacular at Thursford runs until 23 December; to book this, as well as the Enchanted Journey of Light and Santa’s Magical Journey, visit www.thursford.com and you can read our review of this year’s show here

If you like this…

Read Lady Leicester’s guide to North Norfolk (including Christmas at Holkham), here