Thank you to the carol singers

Thu 1 Jan, 11:05

I'm one of the singers and I'm so glad people enjoyed it - we love doing it and it always feels like the start of Christmas-proper for me. I didn't realise we were "tickets only" at the Bull and that's a shame if so - but I will say I believe it was very lucrative in terms of donations for the school!

Mon 29 Dec 2025, 22:14 (last edited on Mon 29 Dec 2025, 22:18)

We'd originally planned to go to the Community Centre to see the carols, too but they didn't start till 7.30pm. When I saw they were at the Bull at 6pm, we decided to go there  as I was with a friend with two young children and I thought that'd be a better time for them. They were excited to see their friends from school sing, which they eventually got to do when we moved on to the Rose and Crown. 

We'll try to get to the Community Centre ones instead next year, too. I imagine the timing might have put people off as it clashes with dinner for some and bedtime for those with kids. Its difficult to get things right to suit eveyone. It's a pity it wasn't well attended as it's a better venue for all age groups and more accessible.

Mon 29 Dec 2025, 19:22

For the first time since moving to Charlbury 18 years ago I was free to attend the Carol Singing at the Community Centre. (they visit after the pub) It was a lovely evening, but I was sad not well attended.  Thank you singers & community centre staff.

Sat 27 Dec 2025, 20:47

Thanks for your response, Kamil. In that case, there must have been a miscommunication with your staff. 

I arrived with friends just before 6pm. We bought drinks in the bar, then we tried to access the garden in time for the carols starting. We were stopped by a member of staff and told we needed prepaid wristbands to attend. I did express my surprise to her that prepaid wristbands would be required to see the local school choir sing and she confirmed it was the case. We had to return inside to finish our drinks. 

If that wasn't the intention, I'll take your response in good faith. 

Sat 27 Dec 2025, 11:11 (last edited on Sun 28 Dec 2025, 15:10)

Just to clarify the facts. We hosted the children’s carols at 6pm this year, exactly as we have done for the last three years. This part of the evening was free to attend and open, with no tickets or wristbands required.

The ticketed element applied only to the separate Carols & Cabaret event starting at 7pm (with proceeds going to charity).

Sat 20 Dec 2025, 21:50

Maybe you had to be there, Steve. It just felt wrong when they said we had to have a prepaid wristband to go into their garden to listen to kids from the local school sing carols the weekend before Christmas. 

I agree we wouldn't be able to sustain multiple businesses as a town without them attracting customers from elsewhere. I also wouldn't want to live in a town that isn't welcoming to people from outside. I just don't think it's right for the people who live here to feel unwelcome either, especially in a 'public' house. 

Sat 20 Dec 2025, 14:37 (last edited on Sat 20 Dec 2025, 20:46)

I can't say I can get too excited about this one. The Bull caters to a rather different customer base than the Rose & Crown, and the days when the population of Charlbury could support several "locals" has gone. Thus it has a rather different business model, and if they want to have a tickets only event, then that seems fine by me. They do, after all, provide local employment and if people wish to spend money at that sort of event, then that is there choice.

I can't speak for the children's choir of course, but there are plenty of opportunities at various events around Charlbury to hear them sing for free. We are, of course, lucky that we have them in our midst, and I'm going to guess that the Bull has been able to help the choir in some material way. From my perspective, the Bull has been supportive of the Street Fair activities, along with several other local businesses of course, and I personally don't think that because the choir happened to sing at a ticket only event this time it takes anything away from the rest of us.  

I should add that if the Bull was the only pub in town, then I might feel a bit different, but it's not and I think we are very lucky in this town in that respect.

Sat 20 Dec 2025, 14:33 (last edited on Sat 20 Dec 2025, 21:28)

Edit

Fri 19 Dec 2025, 23:42 (last edited on Fri 19 Dec 2025, 23:44)

Thank you to the Charlbury carol singers who made a call at our true local, the Rose and Crown tonight, to sing and fundraise, after the Bull decided to put our Primary choir behind a paywall, demanding prepaid tickets to hear local kids sing carols. I can see how presenting a rustic idyll of cherub-faced locals and their parents singing carols would feed in to the image they're trying to project of Charlbury, I'm just getting tired of all the pretentious nonsense. If nothing else, I hope the choir managed to raise a decent amount of money.  You sounded delightful!