Christmas 2008 going out guide: pop music

52: The Roots

The Forum, London

Venerable live hip-hoppers The Roots have seen their commercial fortunes dwindling in recent years, despite the undoubted quality of albums Game Theory and Rising Down: Live, they're occasionally given to noodling indulgence, but the good bits are great.

• December 5 and 6, 0844 8472405.

53: Nouvelle Vague

The Regal, Oxford

Still dutifully churning out punk and new wave hits in a French easy-listening bossanova style: what started out as a jokey concept seems to have rather more substance that one might first have supposed, as illustrated by this lengthy UK tour.

• December 7, 01865 241261.

54: The Prodigy

Carling Academy, Birmingham

Relatively small venues for the Prodigy's December tour, as they test out material from their long-awaited forthcoming album: they return in 2009 to tour the supersheds in the company of Dizzee Rascal.

• December 9, 0844 847 1697.

55: Irwin Schmidt and Kumo

Jazz Café, London

Proof that it's not all reunion tours and 80s nostalgia nights around this time of year: a founder member of the legendary Krautrock experimentalists Can fetches up for a solitary London date with his latest, apparently "danceable", project.

• December 9, 08700 603777.

56: From The Jam

Carling Academy, Sheffield

Christmas brings the tribute acts out - there's a certain indulgence of guilty pleasures among gig-goers at this time of year - and, despite the muttered imprecations of Paul Weller, From The Jam (Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler plus Modfather tribute vocalist) have been acclaimed: unabashed nostalgia for fortysomethings.

• December 8, 0844 477 2000.

57: Gogol Bordello

Carling Academy, Glasgow

A lesser man who got himself mixed up in Madonna's terrible directorial debut Filth and Wisdom would be keeping a low profile, but clearly Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz is made of stern stuff, as shown in his band's reliably unhinged live shows.

• December 19, 0844 477 2000.

58: The Pogues

Brixton Academy, London

Shane McGowan and co return once more, like a timely reminder of the dangers of overindulgence in this most dissolute of seasons. Still, it's hard to argue with the old classics they roll out on their annual Christmas tour.

• December 18 and 19, 0844 477 2000

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Christmas 2008 going out guide: panto and theatre
The best nights out at the theatre, from the soap star-studded festive favourites to more high-brow performances

Christmas 2008 going out guide: carol services
Where to go to sing and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas

Christmas 2008 going out guide: grottos

10: Christmas at Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire

Huge amounts of greenery is used to turn the Norman cellars of Britain's oldest inhabited castle into an exciting grotto. This weekend is part of the annual Charity Fayre, giving families an opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping. Or visit in December during the Castle by Candlelight event, when the entire castle is lit by candles and flickering fires. An enchanting way to see Santa.

• Tomorrow-Sunday; December 5-7. Adults £5, under 16s free admission to the castle, £1 to visit the grotto (gift included)
berkeley-castle.com
01453 810332

11: Ingleborough cave, Yorks

Take the 1.25km walk from the Yorkshire Dales National Car Park through the wooded valley to the entrance of the caves. Once inside, a well-laid path will lead you on a 40-minute journey into the mountain with Santa waiting in a giant cave. Storytellers entertain along the way, and children will be thrilled at the sight of a table piled high with presents.

• December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21. Adults £3, children £6 (gift included)
ingleboroughcave.co.uk
01524 251242

12: Santa at the Shell Grotto, Margate

Around 4.6m shells decorate this series of passageways with a room at the end thought to date back to the 12th century. Santa sits in the last room, and one family is taken down to meet him at a time. Grotto decoration is classic rather than gaudy - a tree, some presents, fairy lights, nothing over the top.

• December 6-7, 13-14 and 20-21. Children £5.50 (includes gift)
shellgrotto.co.uk
01843 220008

13: Underground Santa's Grotto, King Arthur's Labyrinth, Machynlleth

Find Santa by boat, sailing along an eerie underground river that leads into a deep cavern, which has been transformed into a magical grotto. "While children talk to Father Christmas, parents can enjoy a glass of punch," says Ian Rutherford, the director of the Labyrinth. "And then as long as everyone has behaved themselves, they are all taken back up." Book ahead.

• December 13-14. Adults £4, children £6 (gift included)
kingarthurslabyrinth.com
01654 761584

14: Winterfest, Glasgow

George Square is dominated by the ornate Glasgow City Chambers, and it is in front of these that you will find Santa in his log cabin. Festively decorated, the cabin is manned by a team of elves who provide waiting children with colouring books. Kids will leave clutching a photograph and a present.

• Tomorrow-December 24. Children £7 (gift included)
winterfestglasgow.com
0141 302 2845

15: Santa's House and Workshop, Castle Ward, Co Down

This stunning 18th-century mansion is the starting point for the journey to Santa's House. Twinkling lights lead visitors to the festively decorated stableyard, where letters to Santa are written before boarding the Santa Express. Once at the mystery woodland location, Mrs Claus asks the children to help her wake Santa who is asleep in front of a log fire. While children get their mitts on their present (and at £14 a ticket, it's a good one), adults enjoy mulled wine and mince pies.

• December 3-22. Adults £6, children £14 (gift included)
nationaltrust.org.uk/castleward
028-4488 1204

16: The Grotto Trail, Tyntesfield, Somerset

A good option for those with children who need to burn up some of their Santa overexcitement. The grounds to this beautiful Victorian country house hold clues that need to be collected in order to find Santa's grotto. The hard work is rewarded with the sight of Santa's grotto, and the all-important present to take away. A minimal cost and there's no need to book.

• December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21. All tickets £3 (a gift is included) nationaltrustorg.uk/tyntesfield
01275 461900

17: Victorian Father Christmas, Clifford's Tower, North Yorks

For those who worry that Christmas has become too commercial, a visit to the 1,000-year-old Clifford's Tower is just the ticket. From a huge wooden chair in one the alcoves of the courtyard, Santa entertains visitors with tales of the origins of Christmas and the real St Nicholas, while adults enjoy Christmas mead, sloe wine and damson gin. "The focus will be on sharing traditional stories and poems rather than gifts," says a spokesperson for English Heritage.

• November 29-30. Adults £3, children £1.50, family £7.50
english-heritage.org.uk/christmas
0870 333 1181

18: Christmas at National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire

Take a walk through the winter wonderland of the Welsh Botanical Gardens, in the heart of which lies an interactive Santa's grotto. The 360º revolving cinema will stage a four-part bilingual dramatisation of the story of St Nicholas, or Sion Corn as he is known in Wales, performed by a local theatre group. At the end of this, Santa/Sion will appear and the children will each have a chance to meet him.A miniature train runs to and from the grotto.

• November 29-30, December 7-8, 13-14, 20-21. Adults £5 to enter garden, under 16s free, but £3.50 a child for the grotto (gift included)
gardenofwales.org.uk
01558 668768

19: Santa at Almond Valley, Almond Valley Heritage Centre, East Lothian

The riverside site, with its centuries-old mill and farm buildings, has converted its picnic barn into a Christmas scene complete with pine tree garden, snowflake-effect lighting and background carols. Once children have met Santa, there's plenty more to do including a visit to the nativity scene in the animal house, the activity laboratory and a new indoor play centre.

• November 29-December 24. £5 for adults, £3.50 for children aged three and over, plus £3.50 for the grotto (gift included)
almondvalley.co.uk
01506 414957

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Christmas 2008 going out guide: winter sports

91: Ice skating

Somerset House, London

The first outdoor ice rink in London opened at Somerset House eight years ago, and you can still pirouette or fall on your bum to your heart's content in front of the outstanding neoclassical façade.

• Adults from £10.50, depending on the time of day; children from £7.50. somersethouse.org.uk

92: Tobogganing

Snowdome, Tamworth, Staffs

For all those British children who have never experienced the agony and the ecstasy of tobogganing, the Snowdome, with its real snow slopes, is a potential starting point: they clear all the skiers off the 250m slope, put on some music, and whoosh, you're off. You can also throw a few snowballs, pet a reindeer, ski, skate, or move into an igloo.

• Adults £8.50, children £6.50, for 30 minutes, snowdome.co.uk

93: Cresta Run

Chatham Ski Slope, Kent

This is one of the longest Cresta Runs in the country, at 650m, but calm your nerves: there is a brake on the cart and you can slow it down as much as you want. In the setting of the Capstone Country Park, Chatham's dry ski slope is also not a bad way to spend an afternoon: children love the snow tubes.

• Two rides on the run £4, or five for £8, chathamskislope.co.uk

Dry-slope snowboarding

Norfolk Ski Club, Norfolk

Unlikely though it seems, Norfolk has a ski club and has even produced a snowboarding champion (James Thorne). Founded in 1972, the club has grown and grown, and even managed to find a hill, which they've enlarged a little bit, with the help of local excavations for a shopping centre.

• One year family membership £61, a day's £13; then an hour's open practice starts at £4.50 for children.
norfolkski.com

95: Snow-tubing

Ski Rossendale, Rawtenstall, Lancs

An even more chaotic version of tobogganing, snow-tubing involves sitting in a giant inflated tube and whirling off down the slope at high velocity. On Rossendale's 200m Dendex slope that's quite a long way to go, but the slope looks out over the beautiful Rossendale Valley. Stop for a coffee in the cafe, perched high up over the views.

• One hour's snow tubing £6, but you need to book, ski-rossendale.co.uk

96: Dry-slope skiing

Llandudno Ski and Snowboard Centre, Llandudno.

One of the most picturesque settings in the country, at the base of the Great Orme, looking out over the Irish Sea and the slopes of Snowdonia. There's a 200m Perma Snow slope for skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing, and there's also an extra-long Cresta Run.

• 90 minutes open practice, including boots and skis is £13 for adults, £10 for children. You need to be able to control your speed to take part in an open session.
llandudnoskislope.co.uk

97: Skiing and Fondue

Bracknell Ski and Snowboard Centre, Berks

All right, so eating fondue isn't actually an olympic winter sport but the idea of a morning on the (dry)-ski slopes, followed by a warm bowl of fondue in the ski lodge is brilliant, even if you're half a mile from Reading instead of Chamonix.

• One hour's skiing £30, followed by fondu.
Booking essential. bracknellskislope.co.uk

98: Ice Hockey

Dundonald International Ice Bowl, Belfast

The Belfast Giants - one of the top ice hockey teams in the UK - have played a big part in the sport's popularity here. Ice hockey lessons sell out fast, and you can also do a bit of ice skating.

• Course of six lessons is £45 adults, £40 children. theicebowl.com

99: Ice Skating

Winter Wonderland, Edinburgh

Beneath the brooding silhouette of Edinburgh castle you can practise your choctaws and spiral sequences to your heart's content. For 11 years Princes Street Gardens has held one of Europe's largest ice-rinks; this year Spiegeltent is setting up its La Gaiete tent alongside a row of enticing food stalls, so once you've twirled yourself out, you can get a drink from Speigeltent's all-day bar and fill up with crepes and crackling pork.

• Adults starts at £7.50 (with skate hire), children £5. gildedballoon.co.uk/wwonderland/

100: Curling

Fenton's Rink, Kent

England's only dedicated curling rink. Built in 2004, Fenton's is an amiable sort of place: you can have a lesson, attend an open session, or just book a couple of lanes with your mates and have a laugh. They've got equipment too.

• For two teams of four to rent a lane, equipment and a bit of coaching, costs £144; an hour's private coaching for one is £30,
fentonsrink.co.uk

101: Ice skating

The Eden Project, Cornwall

When winter comes along the world-famous Eden project sets up an ice rink (powered on a green electricity tariff, of course) next to their rainforest. "You can have a good skate and then go straight into subtropical temperatures," says David Rowe. "It's a pretty unusual experience".

• £5 per person for a 40 minute slot. Booking advised.
edenproject.com

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Christmas 2008 going out guide: markets

1: Bath

Given that Bath is a Unesco World Heritage site, it is hardly surprising so much care has been taken with its Christmas market. More than 100 traditional wooden chalets sit in the shadow of Bath Abbey. When the square is illuminated at night, it is picture perfect. A strict vetting procedure ensures the quality and variety of the gifts on sale. An entertainment schedule includes magicians, mime artists, choirs and bands. If you are there on December 6, visit the Pump Rooms for Carols by Candlelight.

• November 27-December 7. Free admission
bathchristmasmarket.co.uk
0906 711 2000

2: Frankfurt Christmas market, Birmingham

These two cities have been twinned for more than 40 years, a partnership that is celebrated annually when Birmingham plays host to the largest authentic German market outside Germany or Austria. Stalls offer handmade toys, Christmas decorations, jewellery, clothing and craft goods, but the main attraction is the food. There is live music, with carols every lunchtime and a band in the evenings.

• November 13-December 23. Free admission birmingham.gov.uk/frankfurtmarket
0121-464 2012

3: St Nicholas, Bristol

Shopping begins with the switching on of the Christmas lights in the Glass Arcade on November 22. The main market runs through to Christmas Eve and there are a number of one-off events. The Young Enterprise market on November 23 will be selling items made by local students (10am-4pm), while the Christmas food market on December 20 (10am-4pm) promises everything from organic turkeys to handmade chocolates.

• November 22-December 24. Free admission visitbristol.co.uk/winter/shopping/christmas- markets
0117-922 4014

4: Lincoln

With more than 300 stalls, Lincoln's is one of Europe's largest Christmas markets. Make sure you sample the German wine specially produced for the event - Lincoln is twinned with Neustadt an der Weinstrasse - and visit the Lincolnshire Larder, an area dedicated to local produce. For a truly one-off gift, fight your way through the crowds to the blacksmith who forges candlesticks and other ironware in front of the cathedral.

• December 4-7. Free admission
lincoln.gov.uk/christmasmarket
01522 873 400

5: A Victorian festival of Christmas, Portsmouth

Portsmouth's historic dockyard is transformed into a Victorian-themed event complete with 300 costumed characters: this is the place to pick up old-fashioned gifts, from handmade cheese and rich figgy puddings to wooden rocking horses and handpainted ceramics. Carols, a Punch and Judy show, interactive parlour games and street entertainment make this a good option for kids.

• November 28-November 30. Adults £12, children £10
christmasfestival.co.uk
023-9283 9766

6: Winchester Cathedral

The grounds of Winchester cathedral will be hosting 82 tastefully decorated chalets selling a wide variety of gifts and food - Belgian waffles, French crepes, Hungarian goulash and plenty of Christmas specialities. The British Contemporary Crafts Village comprises 14 chalets dedicated to showcasing work from modern British designers. The market will be launched by a paper lantern procession through Winchester.

• December 14-27. Free admission
winchesterchristmasmarket.co.uk
01962 857 274

7: Dean Castle, Kilmarnock

Dean Castle will hold its first Christmas market in the 14th-century courtyard, as well as at Dower House, the 19th-century mansion next door. Ayrshire crafters will be running most stalls, with a wide range of gifts on sale, from jewellery and handbags to candles and paintings. A countryside ranger service will be organising activities for children.

• December 5-7. Free admission
deancastle.com
01563 522702

8: Celtic winter fayre, Llandudno

Mostyn Champneys retail park may not be the most attractive of settings, but the Celtic winter fayre is one of the largest food and craft events in Wales and well worth a visit. The food stalls stock local produce including Celtic wines, local brews, Snowdonia cheese and speciality ice-creams. Other noteworthy stalls include Paul Jones, where you can commission stained-glass windows, and the St Elisabeth convent, which has candles and ceramics from its workshop in Belarus.

• Until Sunday. Admission 50p
celticwinterfayre.co.uk
01492 574504

9: Slow Christmas on Southbank, London

Southbank has a host of events including the Cologne Christmas market (until December 23). Situated between the London Eye and the Royal Festival Hall, there will be around 30 stalls selling toys and handmade crafts, plus food and glühwein. A little further along in the Oxo Tower Wharf is the Ethical Christmas Emporium, open until Sunday, admission £1.

• November 15-January 10. Charges vary
southbanklondon.com

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Video: Patrick Barkham on why retailers launch early Christmas sales

Patrick Barkham hits Oxford Street as leading retailers launch early Christmas sales

Corby and Crawley hope to become university towns

Corby, Crawley and Croydon are bidding to join Cambridge as university towns, it was announced yesterday. Basildon, Basingstoke, Dudley and Stockport are also among 27 areas in England bidding for funding to launch new higher education (HE) centres, said the universities secretary John Denham. They are among the first places to apply to take part in the government's "university challenge" initiative, launched in March.

Denham said the project would help regions hit by the recession by providing education and regeneration in rural areas as well as cities. Opposition MPs accused the government of "knocking up" the idea to compensate areas which had been earmarked for casinos but missed out after the project was scaled back at the beginning of the year.

Partnerships of regional development agencies, local authorities and colleges have put together bids for the universities centres, which will teach a range of degrees but fall short of being standalone universities because they will not have their own degree-awarding powers or privy council approval.

Universities in neighbouring areas will be a crucial element in the partnerships accrediting the degrees. The government wants 20 new higher education centres planned within the next six years. The new centres could provide study places for up to 10,000 students.

Ministers want the centres to open up the chance to study for a degree for people who would not have given much thought to a degree previously. According to economists, every extra job a university creates is matched by another elsewhere in the economy, such as in restaurants and bars, to cater for the student population.

But Martin Freedman, head of pay, conditions and pensions at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "Some of the 27 towns interested in setting up higher education centres already have successful further education colleges. We don't want these colleges and new universities to compete for students at each other's expense.

"In the light of the government's cap on the number of extra HE students, this proposed university expansion raises questions about how additional universities can function if limits are placed on the number of students?"

Universities are already struggling to fill their places after ministers were forced to cut the numbers funded to go to higher education next year. Last month, Denham froze additional student numbers after admitting the government had botched its estimates for student grants and could no longer afford its support package.

University hopefuls

Areas bidding to run universities: Accrington, Basildon, Basingstoke, Corby/Kettering, Crawley, Croydon, Doncaster, Dudley, Ebbsfleet, Halifax, Havering, Herefordshire, King's Lynn, Milton Keynes, Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Scarborough, Shropshire, Somerset, Stratford Island, Stockport, Swindon, Thurrock, Wakefield, Wallsend and Wirral

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UK news in brief
More news from around the UK

Shannon Matthews jury is told of dusk outings at height of police search

The man accused of keeping Shannon Matthews prisoner in a flat, tied with a leash when he was out, took her to local supermarkets and parks at the height of a huge police hunt, a court heard yesterday.

Michael Donovan, 40, said that he made the trips with the nine-year-old at dusk, taking care that she was wrapped in a bulky coat with the hood up. Donovan claimed that he was threatened with violence by Shannon's mother, Karen Matthews, 33, if he refused to take part in a scam to claim a £50,000 reward. In police interviews after he and Shannon were found hiding under a bed in February, he said the child thanked him for buying toys and being kind - "not like her parents".

Donovan and Matthews deny kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice by triggering a £3.2m search for Shannon which lasted 24 days. The schoolgirl disappeared on her way home to the Moorside estate in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, from a school swimming trip. Leeds crown court heard yesterday that Shannon watched only cartoons on the TV at Donovan's flat in Batley Carr, just over a mile from her home, and knew nothing about the search.

Matthews claimed to police that she sent Shannon to stay with Donovan as part of a plan to escape from her partner, Craig Meehan. She said: "He punched doors. When he hadn't got a door to punch he takes it out on me. I just wanted to know how to get him out of my life because I didn't love him any more. I asked Mike for advice. But it just went pear-shaped. It didn't go to plan." The trial continues.

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