AT this time of year everyone's thoughts turn to Christmas and the New Year; presents are bought and wrapped, cards have been sent and decorations are put up.

AT this time of year everyone's thoughts turn to Christmas and the New Year; presents are bought and wrapped, cards have been sent and decorations are put up.

The mammoth task of shopping is nearing its end, but there's still one or two bits and bobs needed to ensure your nearest and dearest have their fill over the festive period.

Now imagine having to do this all for over 7,000 guests!

Because at Potters Leisure Resort that's precisely what they do as they welcome guests who see the Resort as their home from home over the Christmas and New Year period! They will also welcome an additional 1,000 festive party goers in their new conference and events venue, Zest.

But at Potters Leisure Resort the festivities don't stop when the new year begins, because that is when the world comes to Potters in the shape of the most prestigious bowls event on the planet - The Potters Holidays World Indoor Bowls Championships.

So, in addition to their resident guests, they welcome an additional 5,500 avid bowls fans who see Potters as the place to be during January and who not only come to support the championships but to also enjoy lunch and/or dinner over the three week period.

Potters' central purchasing department, headed up by David Ramsden, source all the food and drink from hundreds of local and national suppliers - leaving the executive head chef, Richard Cooper, head chefs, James Etherington and Paul Jackson and their team to cook up 140 10kg turkeys, 35,000 sausages, which would stretch for 2.2 miles if laid end to end, and the weight of 78 grown men in potatoes.

They'll be cracking 28,000 eggs, pouring 33,000 pints of milk, lighting 2,300 Christmas puds and serving over 5,000 mincepies.

In addition, the bars will serve over 41,000 pints of beer, 6,500 litres of wine and nearly 3,000 bottles of their guest's favourite Christmas spirits!

Preparing for our own family's festivities suddenly doesn't seem so arduous after all!

For further information on Potters Leisure Resort, visit www.pottersholidays.com or call Marc Jones on 01502 734807.