Have you ever experienced that particular kind of quiet that comes with Christmas Day when you would rather have some company? It's rubbish.
The ordinary distractions fall away. Work stops. Familiar routines disappear. A day that much of the country spends preparing for can become one you just want to get through.
Meanwhile, the advertisements offer their annual reassurance that everyone else is gathered around an improbably accommodating table. Sam Fender and John Lewis have knocked it out of the park. Someone has cooked six vegetables. Nobody's mentioned politics (why?). Even the dog appears emotionally fulfilled.
For plenty of people, Christmas is joyful. For others, it brings an uncomfortable distance between the day they're expected to have and the one they're actually facing.
A bereavement. A separation. Family a long way away - even if they're just around the corner. Kids spending the day with the ex (and his new OnlyFans creator/girlfriend). Or simply circumstances that have left us without plans. There doesn't need to be a dramatic story. Sometimes the calendar reaches 25 December and there's nobody to spend it with. (But if someone has said 'you're dead to me' this year, trust me; it's a win to leave them with their anger. And hopefully Chlamydia.)
And being surrounded by people doesn't necessarily mean feeling at home.
This Christmas, we would like to offer YOU another possibility.
On 25 December 2026, we're heading to Malham National Park Visitor Centre at 10am, putting our boots on and heading out together into the Dales.
There will be a walk. There will be hot chocolate, with an optional boozy addition and alcohol-free alternatives. There will too much festive cake and stuff to eat. There will almost certainly be opinions about the weather.
Above all, there will be people who have chosen to spend some of their Christmas with others.
Five years ago, my sons and I organised a series of festive walks under the name NOT Lonely This Christmas. It was supposed to be one day. It grew into walks across the North across the 'festive' period.
On our Malham walk that Christmas Day in 2021, we met Jacquie and Dave. The married couple told us they walked the route every Christmas Day. Their festive outfits, captured in the photograph accompanying this piece, suggested a level of commitment that made a Christmas jumper look distinctly half-hearted.
They were enjoying a tradition of their own choosing. Walking boots, elf tights and Yorkshire limestone: a perfectly perfect Christmas arrangement.
That's something worth holding on to. There are many ways to spend the day, and room to make a different plan.
Our invitation is open to anyone and everyone who'd enjoy it. Come alone, with a partner, with a friend or with family. You don't need to be a MagNorth regular (but why aren't you?) You don't need to know somebody who is going.
And you definitely will not be asked to explain why you are there.
This walk is set to be the first MagNorth Live event, ahead of our 2027 programme.
Much of what we publish concerns the places, people and organisations that make life across the North richer. We write about belonging, public space, culture and the relationships that hold communities together. MagNorth Live gives us the chance to make some room for those relationships ourselves: to meet readers and bring people together through fab shared experiences.
We know a Christmas Day trek is a modest start. It won't resolve the circumstances that make the festive period difficult, and nobody should be expected to arrive cheerful or leave transformed.
But an invitation matters. And this one is for you. Knowing that there's something on the calendar, that someone's expecting you, and that you can turn up without having to put a brave face on your Christmas arrangements is what we're about.
We want this to be a happy occasion, with space for people to feel however they feel. Conversation's welcome. So is walking quietly. Festive clothing is optional, although Jacquie and Dave have set a formidable precedent.
Our planned route is the 4.5-mile Malham Landscape Trail, taking in Janet’s Foss, Gordale Scar and Malham Cove, before returning to the visitor centre. There'll be ample opportunity for refreshments and chat rather than treating it as a race around the route.
Places will cost £25 per person, including hot chocolate and festive cake and treats. £10 from every booking will be donated to Samaritans.
There are a number of subsidised places. If the cost would prevent you from coming, please drop us a line.
Dogs and under-18s are welcome; dogs must be accompanied by a responsible adult, and children should be kept on leads. This is a winter countryside walk, so walking boots, warm layers and waterproofs are essential. But you don't need to look like a model on the Cotswold Outdoor website. Full practical information, including arrangements if weather requires a change of plan, will follow before booking.
For now, we just want to hear from you. Send MagNorth a direct message on Instagram with “CHRISTMAS WALK” and the number of people you plan to bring (one is ideal). We'll follow up with booking details.
If you know someone who might appreciate the invitation, please pass it on. Better still, ask whether they would like to come with you.
If Christmas Day alone is the prospect in front of you, there is room for a different plan.
We'll be in Malham. You're very welcome to join us.
