… my true love sent to me,

the LMP brass band playing…

OK, I’m shoehorning metaphors again. I’m actually talking about the sixth day of December, so read on.

We are only at the halfway point of November, I hear you cry. But with only 40 days to go, even Christmas non-enthusiasts (like me) are turning their attention to the festive season.

How to get in the Crimbo mood? Well on the first full weekend of December (Friday 6th to Sunday 8th) there is a festive programme planned, taking place around the Clocktower and Town Centre, with a variety of activities and events, from music and performance, to craft, outdoor arts and workshops (some free, some ticketed), to get even the most bah-humbug amongst us singing some festive tunes.

Called ‘A Very Croydon Christmas’, the festivities kick off on the Friday evening with two carol concerts by the London Mozart Players (yes with a brass quintet) in the Braithwaite Hall, Croydon Clocktower. Firstly at 5pm there is a 45-minute kid-friendly version with soft drinks and festive biscuits, then at 6.30-7.30pm, the mulled wine will be poured for an after-work concert for adults. There will obviously be opportunities to sing along at both.  These concerts will be popular, so look out for when the tickets go live (very reasonably priced at £2 each for the kids’ concert or a family of 4 for £6 with tickets for the adult concert £7.50 for one, or £12 for a pair).

On both the Friday and Saturday evenings (between 4.30 and 8.30pm) Queen’s Gardens will be transformed with neon illuminations by five artists, celebrating home, belonging and migration brought to Croydon by Emergency Exit Arts.

An excellent excuse to stroll home via the park after the carol concerts on the Friday methinks.

Throughout the afternoon on the Saturday and the Sunday in and around North End and Croydon Clocktower, you may very well bump into some extraordinary creatures in the form of majestic reindeer (or Ghost Caribou) – look out for their performances (from ​​Thingumajig Theatre) around 5pm on the Saturday and 4.30pm on the Sunday.

On the Sunday at 3pm, in the Braithwaite Hall, there will be an afternoon of multilingual poetry on the themes of peace, togetherness and the spirit of Christmas, by Faiths Together, Poets Anonymous Croydon, and the Muslim Association Croydon. With languages ranging from Farsi to Urdu, Bengali to English, the event will bring together many different Croydon communities for a reflective celebration of the festive season.

In addition to all of the above there will of course be a variety of crafts and face painting across the weekend to occupy the kids, as well as a Ukrainian Choir on the Sunday.

We’re very much looking forward to the sixth day of Christmas (no partridges or pears involved).

Keep an eye on the Culture Croydon website and their Instagram for updates.

Images from top: Ghost Caribou courtesy of Thingumajig Theatre; Trumpet player courtesy of London Mozart Players by Nick Rutter; Baba Yaga performance by Kirsten Mcternan; Kids’ crafts images courtesy of Croydon Council Culture Team, by Glenn Foster. 

Posted by Julia