Christmas lights

Plymouth transforms come December, and the Christmas lights strung across the city centre are genuinely worth timing a visit around. The Hoe gets particularly festive - there's proper sparkle along the waterfront, and the whole place glows once darkness falls around 4pm. You'll find the main displays clustered around Royal Parade and the shopping areas, with the usual mix of oversized baubles, illuminated arches, and enough twinkling to keep children entertained for an hour or so.

It's free to walk round and gawp, which is the main draw. The lights go up mid-November usually and stay up through early January, though dates shift year to year so check ahead. Best visited on an evening - the afternoon crowds are brutal, and frankly the lights don't really sing until proper dark. If you're staying at Hidden Hill Devon, the glamping site three miles out, you're well-positioned for a quick trip in without the full drive into the city centre.

Families with young kids will get a kick out of it, walkers might find it a bit of a change of pace from Devon's countryside. The seafront setting makes it less tacky than some town displays - there's breathing room, and you can grab a mulled wine from one of the pop-up stalls if the December chill gets to you. Don't expect anything elaborate or unique, though. It's pleasant, well-lit, and genuinely improves the city's winter mood. Worth the trip if you're in the area, less so if you're driving in especially for it.