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Join the festive season!


Article as it appears on Portsmouth View, 9 December 2016.



It is December and places are getting festive. A Christmas tree is up in my office, ready for us to take our decorations out of the box and put them on display.

Putting up Christmas decorations, can be a lovely family occasion. It is my favourite time of the year even though I only have a very small artificial tree at home.

I buy decorations from places I visit on holiday so that my tree is like a memory tree. It is a good way to remember happy times.

Holiday season is also party season. I am looking forward to see friends and family over the festive period.

Urbond, a Portsmouth community organisation which aims to promote togetherness is holding a Community Christmas Celebration on Saturday 10th December at the Charles Dickens Centre from 8pm.

The Santa Claus show at the New Theatre Royal promises some dancing penguins, and that is enough for me to want to head there and bring the family for a festive season. The show is on until 31st December.


King’s Theatre has always put on a very good traditional panto and this year it is Jack and the Beanstalk. You have until January 1st to catch the show.

Team Locals featured Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls as one of their top music events this season. The ‘Get Better Tour’ will take in 20 cities and on 14th December they will be in Portsmouth Guildhall.

In the spirit of giving, Turner has partnered with Plus 1 so that £1 from every ticket sale goes to War Child, a charity supporting children and families affected by conflict and striving for a world where no child’s life is torn apart by war. You can enjoy a concert and know that you have contributed to a worthy cause.

On 17th and 18th December head down to Guildhall Square for Portsmouth's newest Christmas event. There will be live music, family entertainment, street performers, an arts and crafts tent, film screenings and snow cannons, as well as market stalls selling everything from food and drink to Christmas gifts, vintage clothing and jewellery. That is like our very own Christmas Market!

The most coveted ticket in town right now is the Guildhall’s New Year’s Eve Party on Saturday 31st December. With the masquerade theme, it is a really fancy way to usher in 2017.




Have a happy and safe holiday season!












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