A very good evening to you all, and hello - this is my very first post here (I finally became tired of 'lurking'!)
I though I should mention that a few years ago the Botanical Gardens held a Victorian Evening in the run-up to Christmas, and encouraged people to dress accordingly. Unfortunately, we were some of the very few who did enter into the spirit of things, but despite this it was an excellent event, with plenty of Victorian-themed activities to keep both adults and children engaged. It always though it was a shame they didn't repeat the event, but I can vouch it makes for an excellent period 'backdrop'.