Tag Archives: Christmas

Hot on the Highstreet Week 133

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For me the little details at Christmas lunch matter immensely… enough roast potatoes, my dad’s delicious creamy cheesy leeks and plenty of crackers to add excitement round the table. We’ve tried ‘make your own’ crackers before, but knowing all the gifts inside slightly taints the surprise. For Christmas 2012 I was delighted to discover my favourite jewellery designers Tatty Devine have brought out a set of ‘make your own jewellery’ deluxe crackers.

The Tatty Devine pack includes six luxury Christmas crackers with everything you need for the ultimate crafty Christmas. Each cracker features a different perspex shape. Pull the crackers to discover chains, jump rings and instructions to make the shapes into six necklaces. Included are jewellery-making pliers to share and jewellery boxes, and of course the traditional party hat and joke!

These handmade crackers will add colour and excitement to any Christmas meal and will bring family and friends together. Although they are pricey (£75 for six), considering the worth of the gifts inside it is well worth the cost. These crackers would be perfect for a girly Christmas dinner… forget the presents and instead pull the Tatty Devine crackers to reveal six easy to make, fun designs to make your very own necklaces.

Buy here: https://www.tattydevine.com/tatty-devine-deluxe-christmas-crackers.html

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: Dick! Leicester Square Theatre

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Full of appropriate (and inappropriate) references to “current affairs’ (Daily Mail gossip) and, rather curiously, Clare from Steps, “Dick!” gets you into the Christmas spirit in a similar way that bellowing the expletive lyrics to The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” does.  The Leicester Square Theatre is playing host to this salacious romp until January 20 2013 .  You may find that such an intimate space is slightly unsuitable for the no-holds-barred toilet humour, however, avoid the front row and you are guaranteed a night of relentless laughter and open-mouthed disbelief at the unapologetic crudity.  On the other hand, if you really want in on the action, make sure you get there early and nab one of those front row seats.

Writer and Director Stuart Saint has done a great job with this comically talented cast, and there is even a vague plotline that can be followed – an achievement for any pantomime performance in my opinion!  Stand-out performances come from Lucyelle Cliffe as Queen Runt, the compulsory villain and Gary Albert Hughes as the eponymous ‘Dick!’.  Cliffe does not hesitate in hamming up the panto factor, getting the audience fully involved with booing and hissing, and her singing is also of a high standard, especially in the midst of some ‘diva-offs’ with ‘Fairy Bell-End’ (Laura Hyde).  Hughes equally submits himself fully to the circus that is this production, keeping the punters constantly entertained with his persistent innuendo and strong vocal performance.  I must also give a special mention to Rae Brogan as Alice who kept me constantly entertained with her white-girl, London gangster ‘swagger’.

The riotous humour is such that the cast struggled to keep it together at times, but I can forgive this at such an early stage in production and if anything it made the audience feel all the more part of the spectacle.

London’s number one Adult Panto plays at the Leicester Square Theatre until Sunday 20 January.  If you are looking for a good festive night out, I suggest you book tickets here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Mark McCloskey.

Skate at Somerset House

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Certain things for me signify the start of the Christmas season and Somerset House‘s famous ice rink is one of my favourite festive facilities.

This year I went along to the opening day on November 11th, a good six weeks before the big day, but not too soon for celebrations. The huge Christmas tree is up as usual, the first I’ve seen this year and the place feels joyful and merry; you can’t help but be affected by the mood.

It was a bright, blue-skied and crisp Sunday morning, the perfect conditions for skating. By 12 noon the place was buzzing with excitable children with glowing faces. Before taking to the ice we wandered into the Skate Lounge for hot chocolate and pastries, a well selected playlist of the Puppini Sisters and Stevie Wonder ringing loudly from the speakers. As we munched on breakfast, we watched the smiling group skating round the rink. I was tempted by the pop-up Christmas Arcade where you can pick up the perfect present.

For most people it is likely to be a year since they last skated and so the beginning of the session begins cautiously, with children and adults alike clinging to the edges. Some continue to cling throughout though most gain confidence and stride out into the centre proudly gathering momentum and speed. I was pleased to find I had remembered better than normal how to do this quirky seasonal sport – unfortunately my guest also had and was annoyingly better than me. As he showed off twirling round the rink I enjoyed my slower, steadier style of skating.

With the glorious winter sunshine and the magnificent Somerset House facade looking down on you, this ice-rink is still the most magical place to skate at Christmas time.

16 November 2012 – 6 January 2013, book online here.

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Somerset-House-Ice-Rink-Ice-Skating-tickets/artist/26663?camefrom=CFC_UK_SH_WEBSITE