If you fancy meeting Santa, take your family along to the George’s Journey Christmas Fayre at the Briardale Centre, Blyth. The event, which is free to enter, takes place on Saturday 18^th November and includes a range of festive crafts, face painting, a raffle, tombola and hot food and drinks.

For a fantastically festive day full of Christmas workshops, visit Pegswood Welfare Centre, Morpeth on Sunday 19^th November. You can learn about Christmas cake decorating and how to make a chocolate gingerbread house. Or try your hand at making Christmas wreaths and decorations. There’ll be a special guest, too. Mrs Claus will be along to host some craft sessions with the little ones, and after your workshop session, you can enjoy festive refreshments, served by Queen Bee of Afternoon Tea, Hexham.

Head to the village of Cambo to help decorate Wallington Hall, getting the house all ready for Christmas. The ‘Create Christmas at Wallington’ event is happening during the weekend of the 18^th/19^th November. Give a helping hand with making Christmas decorations to complete the house’s magical look. And on Fridays throughout December, you can experience the magical ‘Christmas by Twilight’, visiting Wallington after dark to see the house beautifully decorated and illuminated by thousands of twinkly lights. You’ll be able to enjoy festive music in the Central Hall and buy gifts in the Christmas shop. Visits to meet Father Christmas can be booked in advance.

The Alnwick Garden Christmas Grand Lantern Parade takes place on Saturday 18^th November. Led by ‘Spark’, the procession – which will make its way from Alnwick Garden through the town – is a magical live music, light and movement spectacular.

Have you ever wanted to take photos of objects in space like the ones you see in newspapers, magazines and on astronomy websites? Award-winning images are taken every day by British astro photographers – and their secrets are revealed at Kielder Observatory’s astro photography nights. No specialist knowledge is required and you’ll be shown how to take amazing images, using something as simple as your mobile phone. With the Observatory’s telescopes, you’ll be able to take your own images of the planets, our moon, and even deep sky objects, using their specialist cameras. It’s a great chance for budding imagers to take shots under some of the darkest skies in the whole of Europe. The next event is on Sunday 19^th November. Visit the website for booking details.