Member Article

What’s on: Christmas week

This week’s top pick

Woodlawn Christmas Pudding Fun Run 2011 - The Links, Whitley Bay. Boxing Day Monday December 26. Registration 9am. £6 adults; £3 under 16s.

Take part in the annual 3.5 mile pudding fun run along Whitley Bay seafront. Tynemouth MP Alan Campbell, who starts the race every year says “I am delighted to have been asked once again to start the annual Xmas Pudding Fun Run and to be able to support Woodlawn School. It is a great community event, an opportunity to run off the excesses of the day before and all in a
good cause. I would encourage as many people as possible to take part and to come to the Links to watch and support the event.” Every competitor who finishes the course will receive a Christmas pudding and a certificate. Woodlawn school, in West Monkseaton, is a special school for children from 2 to 18 years old with physical, medical and sensory needs.

Family

English Heritage Christmas events at Belsay Hall and Carlisle Castle. Tuesday December 27 - Thursday December 29.

A great series of events to occupy the time between Christmas and New Year. At Belsay, the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future will come together for performances of festive classics, such as A Christmas Carol (11am & 2pm each day), and the Storytellers Theatre Company will bring ‘rap’, song and mirth to Dickens’ novel in performances that will entertain everyone. Over in Cumbria, Carlisle Castle will be warming visitors to its Christmas tours with a drop of mulled wine. Take an intimate ‘Characters of the Castle’ tour (Wednesday 28 - Friday 30), with tales of murder, mystery and mayhem.

Music

The Snowman, performed by the Northern Sinfonia - The Sage Gateshead. Christmas Eve Saturday December 24, 11am and 2pm. Tickets: £15; £7.50.

The annual screening of the classic Raymond Briggs film, The Snowman, with music accompaniment from the Northern Sinfonia. The orchestra perform Howard Blake’s score live, and a chorister will sing ‘Walking In The Air.’ A Christmas tradition at The Sage, and a magical experience for all.

Film

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Wednesday December 28, 2pm; 3.15pm and 8.10pm. Tickets: £8; £6.95.

Based on the first book of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a Hollywood remake that does not detract from the original. David Fincher, the man behind the likes of Se7en and Fight Club, directs the ‘feel-bad movie of Christmas.’ Lisbeth Salander is a cyber goth hacker with a troubled past who joins forces with Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to investigate the decades-old case of a disappeared girl. The story twists and turns itself through murder and deceit.

Theatre

Christmas Pantomime: Dick Whittington - The Tyne Journal Theatre, Newcastle. Tickets: £10.

Join Dick Whittington and his cat as they journey to London to find their fortune in a brand new show full of colourful characters, live music, much mayhem, and the very evil Queen Rat.
Award winning comedians Maxie & Mitch deliver the very best of traditional panto entertainment to the families of the North East this Christmas. Look forward to gags to suit the children, and some to tickle the grown-ups.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .