Capable Child

If you fancy giving your Christmas jumper an airing in early December, I can think of no better place to go than a Notelets Christmas concert. This morning, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Centre, just off Broad Street, was full of children, parents and grandparents wearing a host of Christmas jumpers ready to enjoy some festive music. There was a real buzz of excitement amongst the families who arrived early to enjoy free craft activities in the foyer before the show. Children were busy making Christmas decorations with plenty of jingle bells attached to shake along in the concert. Alongside the craft, there was an area with various musical instruments for the children to explore. A willing member of the orchestra sat surrounded by children with shakers and tambourines taking requests for Christmas songs on his euphonium.  The concert itself was very relaxed and lots of fun. Notelets concerts are designed for under fives so wriggling bottoms and excited ...

Right from the very start, we were warned about the two men wearing dresses! How bad could it be we thought? Whatever we were thinking we were not expecting the sheer variety of hilariously hideous costumes. Nor were we expecting them to be quite so magnificent. From apparel that looked like it had been taken straight off a cow’s back, to hats shaped like immense boxes of French fries and bowls of ice cream with a flake to finish it off, the two men wearing dresses are surely the most hilarious act this Christmas, well certainly in Lichfield anyway.   Lichfield Garrick’s Christmas pantomime has become a family favourite in recent years. We know that we are always assured of a top class performance, the classic panto gags, a family friendly experience (with a bit of adult humour designed to go over the kids’ heads) and a cosy place to watch it all going on.   This year’s offering was the classic Cinderella story. Cinders herself lives with her father, Bar...