The What, Where, When: 4 January
WHAT: London Short Film Festival Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, this ten day gala of British short film making is spread far and wide across the capital as 12 films compete for a British Council Award.
See: 'Leftfield and Luscious'- a matinee performance of the best and latest in experimental filmmaking at the ICA on Sunday.
Don't miss: Short film Femmes Fantastique in which actresses Romola Garai (Atonement) and Kate Hardie (Casualty) try their hands at directing.
WHERE: Various locations around London including Institute of Contemporary Arts, Hackney Picturehouse, Ritzy Picturehouse Brixton and BFI Southbank.
WHEN: 4-13 January www.shortfilms.org.uk/
WHAT: The Tatton Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair Taking place in the Tenant's Hall of beautiful Tatton Park, this is the first major prestige antiques fair of 2013. 45 specialist antique dealers from across the country present a wide range of high quality fine art, period furnishings, sculptures, antiques and accessories.
See: The collection of fine art paintings that will appeal to connoisseur and first time collector alike. Specialist galleries include Jo Bennett, Phoenix Fine Art and Callaghan Fine Paintings.
Eat and Drink: There is a licensed bar on site as well as The Stables Restaurant within Tatton Park which serves light lunches and homemade cakes made exclusively from local produce.
Don't miss: Bond Street jewellers Shapiro & Co. will be offering a wide selection of classic and vintage pieces.
WHERE: The Tenants Hall, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire TA16 6QN
WHEN: 4 – 6 January www.cooperevents.com/tatton_park
WHAT: Cirque du Soleil KOOZA The world famous circus show returns to London this Saturday with KOOZA, a tale about The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.
See: The show! Combining the circus traditions of acrobatic performance and the art of clowning and described as a return to the roots of Cirque du Soleil, KOOZA is a sensational and electrifying show.
Eat and Drink: If you need a New Years treat, book yourself a VIP Rouge package at the Royal Albert Hall which offers excellent seats, a drinks reception and a three-course meal which is served throughout the show. Otherwise, grab a pre-show glass of wine and a sharing board at the new Berry Bros. & Rudd No.3 bar on the basement level of the hall.
Don't miss: Make sure that you are sitting comfortably for the terrifying Wheel of Death act in which a 1600lb wheel rotates at heart-stopping speeds, powered by two circus artists who leap and counter-rotate in a death-defying display of fearless acrobatics.
WHERE: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP
WHEN: Until February 10 www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/cirque-du-soleil/default.aspx
WHAT: Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 LAST CHANCE Take a trip down memory lane or experience the glamour for the first time, as this weekend is your final chance to go and see this spectacular collection of beautiful vintage ballgowns at the V&A Museum.
See: The exquisite selection of royal ballgowns including a Norman Hartnell dressed made for the Queen Mother and Princess Diana's famous 'Elvis Dress' designed by Catherine Walker. Now that the red carpet serves as the most important showcase of fashionable splendour, see dresses worn by celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Elizabeth Hurley and Bianca Jagger.
Eat and Drink: The glorious V&A Café, the first museum restaurant in the world, serves hot dishes, salads and sandwiches as well as sumptuous pastries and cakes if you feel peckish during your trip to the museum.
Don't miss: The stunning metallic leather dress that designer Gareth Pugh has created especially for the exhibition.
WHERE: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
WHEN: The exhibition closes on the 6 January www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/ballgowns/
WHAT: Sparkle at Alnwick Garden Visit the exquisite Northumberland gardens after dark this weekend and admire the first phase of 'Sparkle', a new permanent lighting installation which will transform the gardens into a spectrum of light and colour.
See: The 60 colour lighting programme designed by the Duchess of Northumberland and a team of specialists from Marl Lighting which will transform a dark and gloomy January evening into a spectacle of light.
Eat and Drink: Enjoy a hot drink and a bite to eat in The Pavilion Café which offers a magnificent view of the gardens and the light show.
Don't miss: The largest water feature of its kind in the country and the centrepiece of Alnwick Garden, the incredible Grand Cascade has 4 different water displays which take place at random every half hour. See if you can catch all 4 while enjoying the Sparkle event!
WHERE: The Alnwick Garden, Denwick Lane, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1YU
WHEN: 4- 5 January www.alnwickgarden.com/events/106/sparkle
WHAT: Twelfth Night Revels This Saturday is the traditional Twelfth Night of Christmas so finish your seasonal celebrations with a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and revel in the festivities in the birthplace of the bard.
See: Enjoy an abridged version of, what else, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night performed by Shakespeare Aloud! at various locations around Stratford, including Shakespeare's Birthplace House and Hall's Croft.
Eat and Drink: Visit Lambs restaurant on Sheep Street for dinner and celebrate with a feast fit for Twelfth Night in the one of the oldest buildings in Stratford
Don't miss: The 'A Tudor Christmas' exhibition at Nash's House. Ideal for families, experience how a Tudor household would have celebrated Christmas and admire an Elizabethan feast on display in the parlour.
WHERE: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6QW
WHEN: 5 – 6 January www.shakespeare.org.uk
WHAT: John Moores Painting Prize Exhibition It's your last chance to see this Liverpool exhibition of cutting edge contemporary art which closes this Sunday.
See: The prestigious art collection which displays the leading entries for the UK's John Moores Painting Prize for the best new paintings in Great Britain. The competition, named after Sir John Moores, culminates in this exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery every two years and forms a key strand of the Liverpool Biennial.
Don't miss: The winner of the first prize 'Stevie Smith and the Willow' painted by Manchester artist Sarah Pickstone who is currently working closely with author Ali Smith on a new project.
WHERE: Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EL
WHEN: The exhibition closes on the 6 January. www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/
WHAT: The Wood Green Antique and Collectors Fair One of the largest events of its type in Cambridgeshire with beautiful antique ornaments, collectible pieces and timeless trinkets, this Antique and Collectors fair is a haven for artefact admirers.
See: Enjoy an Antiques Roadshow experience and bring along your own antiques to the on-site professional evaluator who will be able to price your own precious items for a small fee.
WHERE: Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 2NH
WHEN: 5-6 January www.aztecevents.co.uk/woodgreen_antique_fair_jan_2013_home.htm
See: 'Leftfield and Luscious'- a matinee performance of the best and latest in experimental filmmaking at the ICA on Sunday.
Don't miss: Short film Femmes Fantastique in which actresses Romola Garai (Atonement) and Kate Hardie (Casualty) try their hands at directing.
WHERE: Various locations around London including Institute of Contemporary Arts, Hackney Picturehouse, Ritzy Picturehouse Brixton and BFI Southbank.
WHEN: 4-13 January www.shortfilms.org.uk/
WHAT: The Tatton Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair Taking place in the Tenant's Hall of beautiful Tatton Park, this is the first major prestige antiques fair of 2013. 45 specialist antique dealers from across the country present a wide range of high quality fine art, period furnishings, sculptures, antiques and accessories.
See: The collection of fine art paintings that will appeal to connoisseur and first time collector alike. Specialist galleries include Jo Bennett, Phoenix Fine Art and Callaghan Fine Paintings.
Eat and Drink: There is a licensed bar on site as well as The Stables Restaurant within Tatton Park which serves light lunches and homemade cakes made exclusively from local produce.
Don't miss: Bond Street jewellers Shapiro & Co. will be offering a wide selection of classic and vintage pieces.
WHERE: The Tenants Hall, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire TA16 6QN
WHEN: 4 – 6 January www.cooperevents.com/tatton_park
WHAT: Cirque du Soleil KOOZA The world famous circus show returns to London this Saturday with KOOZA, a tale about The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.
See: The show! Combining the circus traditions of acrobatic performance and the art of clowning and described as a return to the roots of Cirque du Soleil, KOOZA is a sensational and electrifying show.
Eat and Drink: If you need a New Years treat, book yourself a VIP Rouge package at the Royal Albert Hall which offers excellent seats, a drinks reception and a three-course meal which is served throughout the show. Otherwise, grab a pre-show glass of wine and a sharing board at the new Berry Bros. & Rudd No.3 bar on the basement level of the hall.
Don't miss: Make sure that you are sitting comfortably for the terrifying Wheel of Death act in which a 1600lb wheel rotates at heart-stopping speeds, powered by two circus artists who leap and counter-rotate in a death-defying display of fearless acrobatics.
WHERE: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP
WHEN: Until February 10 www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/cirque-du-soleil/default.aspx
WHAT: Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 LAST CHANCE Take a trip down memory lane or experience the glamour for the first time, as this weekend is your final chance to go and see this spectacular collection of beautiful vintage ballgowns at the V&A Museum.
See: The exquisite selection of royal ballgowns including a Norman Hartnell dressed made for the Queen Mother and Princess Diana's famous 'Elvis Dress' designed by Catherine Walker. Now that the red carpet serves as the most important showcase of fashionable splendour, see dresses worn by celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Elizabeth Hurley and Bianca Jagger.
Eat and Drink: The glorious V&A Café, the first museum restaurant in the world, serves hot dishes, salads and sandwiches as well as sumptuous pastries and cakes if you feel peckish during your trip to the museum.
Don't miss: The stunning metallic leather dress that designer Gareth Pugh has created especially for the exhibition.
WHERE: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
WHEN: The exhibition closes on the 6 January www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/ballgowns/
WHAT: Sparkle at Alnwick Garden Visit the exquisite Northumberland gardens after dark this weekend and admire the first phase of 'Sparkle', a new permanent lighting installation which will transform the gardens into a spectrum of light and colour.
See: The 60 colour lighting programme designed by the Duchess of Northumberland and a team of specialists from Marl Lighting which will transform a dark and gloomy January evening into a spectacle of light.
Eat and Drink: Enjoy a hot drink and a bite to eat in The Pavilion Café which offers a magnificent view of the gardens and the light show.
Don't miss: The largest water feature of its kind in the country and the centrepiece of Alnwick Garden, the incredible Grand Cascade has 4 different water displays which take place at random every half hour. See if you can catch all 4 while enjoying the Sparkle event!
WHERE: The Alnwick Garden, Denwick Lane, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1YU
WHEN: 4- 5 January www.alnwickgarden.com/events/106/sparkle
WHAT: Twelfth Night Revels This Saturday is the traditional Twelfth Night of Christmas so finish your seasonal celebrations with a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and revel in the festivities in the birthplace of the bard.
See: Enjoy an abridged version of, what else, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night performed by Shakespeare Aloud! at various locations around Stratford, including Shakespeare's Birthplace House and Hall's Croft.
Eat and Drink: Visit Lambs restaurant on Sheep Street for dinner and celebrate with a feast fit for Twelfth Night in the one of the oldest buildings in Stratford
Don't miss: The 'A Tudor Christmas' exhibition at Nash's House. Ideal for families, experience how a Tudor household would have celebrated Christmas and admire an Elizabethan feast on display in the parlour.
WHERE: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6QW
WHEN: 5 – 6 January www.shakespeare.org.uk
WHAT: John Moores Painting Prize Exhibition It's your last chance to see this Liverpool exhibition of cutting edge contemporary art which closes this Sunday.
See: The prestigious art collection which displays the leading entries for the UK's John Moores Painting Prize for the best new paintings in Great Britain. The competition, named after Sir John Moores, culminates in this exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery every two years and forms a key strand of the Liverpool Biennial.
Don't miss: The winner of the first prize 'Stevie Smith and the Willow' painted by Manchester artist Sarah Pickstone who is currently working closely with author Ali Smith on a new project.
WHERE: Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EL
WHEN: The exhibition closes on the 6 January. www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/
WHAT: The Wood Green Antique and Collectors Fair One of the largest events of its type in Cambridgeshire with beautiful antique ornaments, collectible pieces and timeless trinkets, this Antique and Collectors fair is a haven for artefact admirers.
See: Enjoy an Antiques Roadshow experience and bring along your own antiques to the on-site professional evaluator who will be able to price your own precious items for a small fee.
WHERE: Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 2NH
WHEN: 5-6 January www.aztecevents.co.uk/woodgreen_antique_fair_jan_2013_home.htm