5 things to do
5
thingsthistomonth do
Tour Anglesey Abbey Take a breather from Christmas and go behind the scenes at Cambridge’s favourite stately home. Downton Abbey may have ended, but here’s a chance to go below stairs at the enchanting Anglesey Abbey, as the house opens up for a month of unique conservation tours. Find out how the National Trust look after 40 rooms packed with precious artifacts, how they keep woodworm from nibbling the 16th century dining table and what goes on once all the visitors have gone home. Tours run Tuesday-Friday until 31 December, at 12pm and 1.30pm. Tickets are £3.50 (NT members go free). www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Leave a gift at the Giving Tree
Take a moment to remember those less fortunate than us this festive season and put a gift under the Giving Tree. Located in the Grafton Centre, by BHS, it’s now in its seventh year and supports local children’s charities including Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and EACH. Just collect a tag with a child’s name and age, choose a gift for them and place it under the tree. Lance Stanbury, centre manager at The Grafton says: “Over 40,000 gifts have been donated to children’s charities over the last six years and this wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of The Grafton shoppers. Everyone is so busy buying Christmas presents for their family and friends, so it is fantastic that people still stop and take the time to think of others who are less fortunate.” The Giving Tree will be standing in The Grafton Centre until 20 December. www.graftoncentre.co.uk
Christmas is THE time to see a show, and there are some fabulous concerts, pantos, comedy nights and children’s theatre to choose from this year (oh yes there are!). In our Festive Theatre Guide, we talk fake bosoms with the Arts Theatre panto dame and delved into the miniature world of Thumbelina to bring you a comprehensive, entertaining round-up of the best shows this Christmas. See page 29 for some of our choices.
Ghost Stories at the Leper Chapel Mill Road Winter Fair Don’t forget to visit Mill Road on 7 December, when the whole area will come alive with performers, music and street food for a celebration of local life – complete with a huge carnival procession. The Romsey Town Rollerbillies will be dishing out cakes on skates, there’ll be hundreds of stalls and we’ll be there too, so come and say hi! (More on page 34). www.millroadwinterfair.org
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See a festive show
The ancient Leper Chapel is to become the atmospheric setting for a four-night run of ghost stories. Each performance is based on a tale written by M R James – one of the greatest writers of English supernatural tales – and performed by Robert Lloyd Parry. Catch A Pleasing Terror on 5 December, Oh Whistle… (6 Dec), A Warning to the Curious (7 Dec) and Count Magnus (8 Dec). Tickets are £10/£12, performances at 8pm. Contact roblloydparry@hotmail.com to book. www.cambridgeppf.org
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