christmas
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Reviewed: Alice In Wonderland At The Old Rep
A press day on a Saturday afternoon – it must be nearly Christmas. Today we were very excited to attend the press event for the opening of Alice in Wonderland at Birmingham’s Old Rep Theatre. As well as getting to see the show, we also enjoyed a Mad Hatter’s tea party and craft session before the show, making this a very special and memorable afternoon. Alice in Wonderland is a classic tale, and this is a production that more than does it justice, being funny, magical and charming in equal measure. There is a clever mix of action, songs and puppetry, and the songs in particular, are memorable and catchy,…
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Birmingham’s Most Beautiful Grotto Opens At House Of Fraser
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and, if you have small people in your home, then a trip to see Santa in his grotto is a must. On Tuesday I was invited to the launch of this year’s grotto at Birmingham’s iconic House of Fraser store (forever known as Rackhams to a certain generation). The grotto is well renowned for being the most beautiful in the city, and for supporting worthwhile causes. This year, its chosen charity is the UK wide Action for Children which helps disadvantaged children across the UK through fostering or adoption, by intervening early to stop neglect and abuse, by influencing policy, and by…
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A Printable Snowman Activity
One more day! Just one more day and we officially land in December, and then even the grumpiest of Bah! Humbugs have to acknowledge that it is very nearly Christmas. The tree can be put up without the chance of disapproving looks, the advent calendar can start to be opened, and you can get out all those strange drinks that you only ever drink at Christmas (Snowball, Advocat, Babycham – you know the ones.) This year you can get into the Christmas spirit with some old-fashioned dice and card games provided by Betfair Slots. The printable game featured below is called roll a snowman and is a fun and simple…
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Christmas Gift Idea:Hofmeister Is Back!
It was one of the most iconic bear brands of the 1980s, with an instantly recognisable advert and slogan, and now it is back, and not just back, but back and winning awards. I am talking about Hofmeister, the lager that encouraged us all to ‘Follow the Bear’ the bear in question being the cool and loveable Bavarian ‘George The Bear’. Hofmeister first became an iconic brand when it first hit the UK back in the 80’s. It was then a 3.2% ABV pale lager produced by Scottish Courage. But the beer was axed as a brand in 2003 by then owners Heineken. But now it is back and better…
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Countdown to Cruella Pt 2 – A Chat With The Cast
Following on from my chat with the director of 101 Dalmatians, Tessa Walker, and puppetry designer Jimmy Grimes, this post is, as promised, a chat with some of the cast who will be bringing Dodie Smith’s much loved classic tale to life at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre next month. Emma Thornett and Oliver Wellington We start with a chat with Emma Thornett and Oliver Wellington, who play Missus and Pongo in the new adaptation. If you are unfamiliar with the book, you may be wondering who Missus is, but, as Emma explained, Missus is actually the mother of the puppies, rather than Perdita. Disney merged Missus and Perdita into one…
