Photo: Robert Workman

March is a month for mischief and Opera North is creating mayhem by offering readers of North Leeds Life’s website five family tickets to Cautionary Tales!, musical moral tales with a twist.

Bad boys and girls including lying Matilda, runaway Jim and daredevil George will entertain you with their disobedient ways and dreadful ends. Full of colourful tunes and stories, this is a lively short piece of musical theatre for all the family based on Hilaire Belloc’s original tales and is an ideal introduction to opera.

Suitable for children aged 5+ and their families. Duration: approx 60 mins.

photo: Robert Workman

Enter now to win one of five family tickets to see Cautionary Tales! between 2^nd – 6^th March at the Howard Assembly Room.

To enter the competition answer the following question:

Who wrote the original Cautionary Tales for Children?

Spike Milligan

Hilaire Belloc

C.S Lewis

Please email your answer to press@operanorth.co.uk along with your name and contact telephone number.

Terms and Conditions

Subject to availability, the family ticket is based on two adults and two children and cannot be exchanged for a cash alternative. The winners will be picked at random on Wednesday 29^th February and will be contacted via telephone.

www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/performance-cautionary-tales

Paula Guanaria starts her training, supported by Virgin Active Gym sales manager, David Lynas.

As part of ‘The Gold Challenge’, NSPCC’s head of fundraising in Leeds, Paula Guanaria, will be ‘Spinning Gold’ and cycling 201.2 km over two days in a bid to raise money for the children’s charity.

Paula, who has worked at NSPCC for three years is busy encouraging others to join in. “The Gold Challenge is a fantastic event for people to get involved in”, she said. “Not only will it help to raise money, but you can try something new and get fit along the way!”

The Gold Challenge is part of the mass participation legacy programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and NSPCC is one of 125 ‘Gold Challenge Partners’. They are inviting people to join in and to cover a distance of 2012km either by walking, running, cycling, swimming, horse riding, sailing, windsurfing, rowing or canoeing, (or a combination of all of these!), and to complete the challenge by December 2012.

“I’d like to encourage everyone to join in the fun and sign up to the Gold Challenge”, continued Paula. “As an incentive to raise as much money as possible, participants will be given the opportunity to run 100m at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday 1^st April, in front of a cheering crowd of 20,000 people!”

Paula’s ‘Spinning Gold’ challenge is supported by Virgin Active Gyms, who have supplied the spinning bikes for the two-day event at the charity’s base in St John’s Offices, Albion Street, Leeds. Later in the month an NSPCC team, including representatives from local corporate partners, will take it in turns to ride their part of the 2,012 km journey in just two days.

Paula hopes to raise £2,012 from her own cycle ride. It is hoped that through sponsorship and corporate support, participants will raise a total of £1 million to help continue the vital work of the NSPCC in offering services to children and young people, including ChildLine.

For more information on The Gold Challenge, email goldchallenge@nspcc.org.uk or visit www.nspcc.org.uk/goldchallenge

To donate  £4 to the NSPCC in your area, text Yorks to 70744

Texts cost £4 plus one standard message charge. The NSPCC will receive between £3.75 and £3.99 depending on your mobile operator. Please ensure you have the bill payer’s permission. By using this service you agree to being contacted by the NSPCC by telephone or SMS.

Eric Yaffey Volunteer Officer at BTCV Hollybush

Bird Fun Day celebrates the beauty of our feathered friends with an afternoon of activities and refreshments at BTCV Hollybush, a conservation centre established on what was previously a working farm site in Kirkstall. Activities will include a nature trail in the Hollybush gardens, arts and crafts such as origami and mask making and bird box and bird feeder construction designed to help you encourage nature’s winged wonders into your garden.

There will also be a bounty of information on bird conservation and wild bird care, with volunteers on hand to answer any questions you care to ask. For anyone with a sweet tooth there will be a mouth-watering selection of homemade cakes and various hot drinks to warm your cockles whilst you soak up the wintery atmosphere.

Bird Fun Day has previously had a live birds of prey demonstration and we sincerely hope that we can make this exciting prospect become a reality again this year. All proceeds from the event will go to the BTCV charity whose vision is to create sustained environmental improvement where people are valued, included and involved.

Bird Fun Day is on Sunday 26^th February, 12 noon – 4pm at BTCV Hollybush Conservation Centre, Broad Lane, Leeds LS5 3BP

For more information visit http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/btcv_leeds

Mr Pickwick

Hope Pastures was set up in 1974 to rescue abused horses and donkeys. Along with providing a lovely environment where young people can learn about caring for horses in a natural setting, the sanctuary also runs an adoption scheme.

In the run up to winter, when food and bedding bills are the highest, Hope Pastures needs to increase the number of adoptions to raise much needed funds. The horses and donkeys can be adopted from just £12.50 a year and for this donation supporters will help to feed and look after these animals, safe in the knowledge that none of this money is spent on admin, 100% goes towards the animals’ care.

For each adoption the recipient will receive an adoption certificate, a photograph of their chosen horse or donkey, a history of the animal and the chance to visit 365 days a year. This could be the ideal Christmas or birthday present for animal lovers.

Hope Pastures also runs ‘Pony Days’, where children can spend a day at the sanctuary caring for the ponies during school holidays – gift vouchers are now available.

Adoptions can be completed online at www.hopepastures.org, by dropping in to the sanctuary on Weetwood Lane, or by calling 0113 261 4344.

This year’s ‘Totally Tropical Christmas’ at Tropical World will feature a very special guest as Santa Claus himself will be on hand to welcome visitors!

Totally Tropical Christmas takes place from 5-8pm, Monday 19th to Wednesday 21th December, and sees the venue transformed into a festive celebration with an added slice of Caribbean warmth and atmosphere.

Visitors of all ages can expect to see festive lights, snow and a steel band playing carols for an authentic touch of a calypso Christmas. In addition, visitors will also be able to see all the famous residents of Tropical World – including the three Morelet’s Crocodiles, the rare albino Burmese Python, the Yellow Anaconda and the ever-popular meerkats.

No booking is necessary. Prices are £3.75/£3.
Free entry for under-fives.
Last admission is at 7:30pm

Friday 9^th December – Sunday 15^th January

Award-winning playwright Mike Kenny returns to the West Yorkshire Playhouse with the fifth of his Big Stories for Little People, Jack and The Beanstalk (the others being Aladdin, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, and Beauty and the Beast).

Directed by Gail McIntyre, designed by Barney George and featuring music by Oliver Birch, this inventive Christmas production for the Playhouse’s smallest but most discerning audience members adds a new twist to this much-loved tale. Featuring magic beans, line-dancing and a love story to pluck at your harp-strings, the real story of Jack’s adventure is told straight from the beaks of four funky chickens.

In a farmyard somewhere live some music-loving chickens. One day their owner, the beautiful harp-playing Pearl, is taken by a giant to live in the clouds so they decide to hatch a plan to get her back. Relying on the lazy and slightly dim Jack perhaps isn’t their best idea, but with a lot of determination, a little bit of cluck and of course some magic beans the chickens put their plot into action. And Jack? Well there’s a lot that can happen at the top of a magic beanstalk…

To book your tickets, visit www.wyp.org.uk or call 0113 213 7700

The St. Gemma’s Hospice Christmas Market takes place at the Hospice Conference centre, 329 Harrogate Road, Moortown, on Friday 2^nd December (3– 8pm) and Saturday 3^rd December (10am – 3pm).

There will be a huge array of stalls and, of course, Santa will be in his Grotto giving out presents. You’ll also find festive food in the bistro, hot dogs on the BBQ, and mulled wine to keep you warm. You will also be able to pick up your real Nordman non-drop Christmas Tree. Their Christmas trees are high quality and very competitively priced (£28 – £30).

A brass band will open the event on Friday and get everyone in the festive mood. Peppa Pig will make an appearance at 4pm and there will be a kids’ tombola alongside the usual stalls and games. On Saturday, entertainment will be provided by a local Rock Choir, as seen on TV!

Entry is by donation and all proceeds go directly to helping fund patient care at St. Gemma’s.

Wheelchair users can gain access 15 minutes before the advertised opening times.

St Gemma’s Hospice provides specialist medical and nursing care for local people with life threatening illnesses and support for their families. The services are provided free of charge, so the hospice relies on donations and local fundraising initiatives in the community.

The City Varieties Music Hall is to launch its very own youth theatre in January 2012 and is on the lookout for the city’s best talent to perform on its world-famous stage.

The City Varieties Youth Theatre (CVYT) will explore variety theatre skills and musical performance, giving it a different angle to other youth theatres.

“Our aim is to create something quite new and unique”, said Rachel Moyise, Heritage & Learning Manager at City Varieties. “CVYT will welcome talent from the ages of eight to 21. We are encouraging students from colleges and universities to join us and learn more about the industry.”

CVYT will work in association with Leeds-based PLaY Theatre Company, which aims to give young actors a real insight into the profession and provide an exciting way of learning the trade by working alongside professional artists and technicians.

Auditions will be held on Monday 21^st and Tuesday 22^nd November.

If you are interested, call Rachel Moyise on 0113 297 7043 or email rachel.moyise@leedsgrandtheatre.com to book a place. 

We’ve rounded up a whole host of ideas for half term to keep everyone entertained! We’ve scoured theatres, museums and other local attractions and here is the pick of the bunch. Check individual websites for full details as some require booking in advance.

Britain’s Got Bhangra

West Yorkshire Playhouse (www.wyp.org.uk) :

Britain’s Got Bhangra – Tues 25^th – Sat 29^th October, 7.30pm. Matinees Thurs 1.30pm & Sat 2pm.
Tickets £11 – £27. Family tickets and concessions available
Rifco Arts’ smash-hit musical Britain’s Got Bhangra once again takes over the Quarry stage with an irresistible mix of bhangra beats and dazzling dance numbers.

Celebrating Bhangra Project – 24^th /25^th October, 10am – 3pm; Thurs 27^th October, 1.30pm.
£16 including ticket to see Britain’s Got Bhangra. 11 – 19 year olds/ 14 – 25 with a learning disability
Explore different aspects of south Asian culture through storytelling and art. Develop drama techniques to tell traditional stories and create props and puppets for a sharing at the end of the second day. Attendees will also have a trip to see Britain’s Got Bhangra at the Playhouse.

Poetry Slam -  27^th – 29^th October, 10.30am – 2pm.
Tickets £10. 11 – 19 year olds. All sessions must be attended.
The First Cut is a West Yorkshire Playhouse Touring Company performance written and performed by Michelle Scally Clarke with music composed by Christella Litras.  Watch The First Cut performance and then work with Michelle Scally-Clarke and Christella Litras, developing skills in creating poems, writing and performance before creating an original piece of work to perform for your friends and family. No previous experience necessary.

Bob the Man in the Moon

Bob the Man on the Moon – Thurs 27^th – Sat 29^th October. Thurs 4pm; Fri 10.30am & 1.30pm.
Tickets £8.50, Schools & Family Ticket £7.  Recommended Age 3+
A funny and delightful show for younger audiences inspired by the hugely popular award-winning book Man on the Moon by Simon Bartram. Travel beyond the stars and into the furthest reaches of their imagination with ace rocket pilot Bob, who has a job that is literally out of this World.  Presented by theatre companies Travelling Light and Sixth Sense.

Bob the Man in the Moon Indoor Picnics –  28^th – 29th October
Prepare for your space adventure on Friday and Saturday at 12pm with family indoor picnics. Children will get a lunch bag, enjoy some music and take part in special activities, while adults can have a delicious hot meal. Tickets £7.50 available to anyone with a ticket for the performances at 10.30am or 1.30pm. Must be pre-booked by calling Box Office 0113 213 7700.

The Carriageworks, Millennium Square (www.carriageworkstheatre.org.uk):

Hare and The Tortoise

Hare and Tortoise – Tues 25^th October
A fantastic new adaptation of Aesop’s fable from tutti frutti and York Theatre Royal

How the Koala Learnt to Hug – Wed 26^th October
Great fun for children aged 4+ with The People’s Theatre Company’s adaptation of Steven Lee’s How the Koala Learnt to Hug, which features some great stories, sing-a-long songs, superb games and first-class hugging.

Stig of the Dump – 27^th October
Mind the Gap presents Clive King’s well-loved children’s classic. This beautiful adaptation uses puppetry, narration and performance to bring to life a magical story that will captivate, inspire and excite everyone aged 7+.

Robin and the Big Freeze

Robin and the Big Freeze – Fri 28^th October
Half Term at The Carriageworks rounds up with the utterly delightful, festive treat of a show full of fantastic puppets and live music.

Tickets available from www.carriageworkstheatre.org.uk or the Box Office on 0113 224 3801 Anyone booking a Half Term show can get 10% off panto tickets (Green and Gold performances only, must be booked at the same time)

Lotherton Hall (www.leeds.gov.uk/lothertonhall):

Halloween Trail, Sat 22^nd October – Sun 30^th October all day
Explore the house and find spooky clues to be in with a chance of winning a fiendish prize.

Young Artists’ Chamber Music Recital -  Sun 23^rd October, 2pm – 3.30pm
Classical chamber music in the Drawing Room followed by tea in the Oriental Gallery. Pianist Peter Foggitt. Booking recommended. Tel: 0113 281 3259 or email lotherton.music@leeds.gov.uk  Tickets £11/£9.50. Family ticket £20 (2 adults/ 2 children).

Leeds Museum Discovery Centre (www.leeds.gov.uk/discoverycentre)

Spooky Tours and Beastly Beasts, Sat 22^nd & Thurs 27^th October, 10am – 12pm
Bring your battery powered candles for our pre-Halloween spook-fest. Discover the weird world of museum monsters! Booking required. Tel: 0113 214 1548.

Craftiness – Fri 28^th October, 1 – 3pm
Drop-in craft activities relating to different themes.

Lantern Making – Thurs 27^th October, 12 – 2pm
Come along and have a go at making your own lantern.

Mask Making – Sat 29^th October, 1 – 3pm
Need a mask for Halloween? Come and create your own scary face!

Nightingale -  Wed 26^th October, 12 – 2pm
Craft activities relating to different themes throughout the house. Suitable for ages 11 – 17 Booking required. Tel: 0113 281 3259.

Leeds Art Gallery (www.leeds.gov.uk/artgallery):

Playground – Fri 28^th Oct, 10am – 12pm
Exciting multisensory (and sometimes messy!) events for very young people and their carers inspired by one of the Gallery’s artworks. Please wear suitable clothes.

Make an Exhibition in Artspace – Mon 24^th – Sun 30^th October, 10am – 3pm
Have a go at making an exhibition. Special help on hand Mon, Tues and Thurs.

Armley Mills Museum (www.leeds.gov.uk/armleymills):

Storytelling -  Tues 25^th October, 11 – 11.45am
Traditional folk tales from around the world.

Murder at The Mill – Tues 25^th – Thurs 27^th October, 11am – 12pm, 12.30 – 1.30pm, 2 – 3pm
Use your detective skills to help solve this murder mystery.  Booking required. Tel: 0113 263 7861.

Halloween Scary Fun Day – Sun 30^th October, 1 – 4pm
Craft activities, spooky films and more… Why not come in fancy dress?

Running Steam: Locomotive Jack – Sun 30^th October, 1 – 3pm
Re-live the golden age of steam with Jack the 100 year old Hunslet locomotive.

Abbey House Museum (www.leeds.gov.uk/abbeyhouse):

Ghosts & Goblins – Tues 25^th October, 10.15am – 12pm and 2 – 4pm
Haunted Halloween family fun with crafts and activities focussing on ghosts and goblins.

Food Explorers – Gruesome Grub! Wed 26^th October, 10am – 12pm and 2 – 4pm
Fun activities looking at revolting food, inspired by our current exhibition Taste.

Murder at the Museum -  Thurs 27^th October, 10am – 12pm and 2 – 4pm
Mr Mortis the Undertaker’s assistant has been found dead on top of a coffin!  Test your detective skills and follow the clues to solve the crime.

Witches and Wizards – Fri 28^th October, 10am – 12pm and 2 – 4pm
Halloween fun for all the family making crafts perfect for little witches and wizards.

Spider Saturday – Sat 29^th October, 2 – 4pm
Join us for Halloween fun and make sparkly spiders, bouncing spiders and scary spiders!

Arty Smarties Halloween – Sun 30^th October, 2 – 4pm
Arty Smarties goes all spooky with Halloween themed crafts.

Temple Newsam House (www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsam):

Lighten Up! Tues 25^th – Thurs 27^th October, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 2 – 3.30pm
Make your own dazzling diva lamp for Divali or create your own sparkling jewellery.

Halloween Hauntings, Sat 29^th October, 5.30 – 8pm (last admission 7.15pm)
Come along if you dare and enter the darkened house and farm. Dress up in a spooky outfit and collect some ghoulish treats. Booking required. Tel: 0113 264 7321. Adults £6.50, Child (1yr- 16yrs) £4, Family (2 adults up to 3 children) £20. 20% Leeds Card discount.

Thwaite Mills Watermill (www.leeds.gov.uk/thwaitemills):

An Apple a Day… (Tues 25^th – Thurs 27^th October, 1.00pm – 3pm
In celebration of National Apple Day take a walk around our orchard and join in our apple crafts, art activities and games.

Leeds City Museum (www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum):

African Crafts, Tues 25^th – Thurs 27^th October, 10.30am – 3.30pm
Free craft activities for all the family. Come and help us celebrate Black History Month and our exhibition Dancing in the Street.

Otley Courthouse (www.otleycourthouse.org.uk):

Arts and Crafts Workshops, 26^th – 28^th October, 10:30am – 12.30pm. Ages 5-12
Come along to Otley Courthouse for our Arts and Crafts workshops! Only £5 per workshop, materials included. For ages 5-12, children aged 5-7 must be accompanied by an adult. All workshops take place 10:30am – 12:30pm. To book, call 01943 467466 or drop into the Courthouse, Courthouse Street, Otley or emailing admin@otleycourthouse.org.uk

Clay Skull Sculptures, Wed 26^th October
Get in the Hallowe’en mood by creating a skull from clay.

Paper Crafts, Thurs 27^th October
Banners, masks and collages – have loads of fun with paper!

Cardboard Critters, Fri 28^th October
Create your very own Cardboard Critter…

Songwriting Workshop – Ages 12-18, Fri 28^th October, 2 – 4pm
Nick Hall and Michelle Plum return to take participants through a variety of techniques to craft and develop songs. Perfect for anyone interested in writing songs.

Harewood House (www.harewood.org):

Autumn Glory … Food, Folk and Fun! 22^nd – 30^th October
One of Harewood’s most popular annual events, Autumn Glory offers a schedule bursting with outdoor and indoor activities to suit all the family. Wrap up warm and get into the spirit of Autumn with witches and wizards from ‘Make a Wish Entertainment’, twilight tales (Tues and Thurs), corn doll making, scarecrow trails, face painting, sample seasonal food, Bird Garden activities, Diwali celebrations (Wed), and much, much more. For full details, visit www.harewood.org/whats-on/events/1/675  or call 0113 218 1000.

As you may have spotted in the October edition of the magazines, we had a word with The West Yorkshire Playhouse and they have agreed to run a competition giving our readers the opportunity to win a Family Ticket (two adults and two children), plus dinner at The Playhouse (two courses and a glass of wine/juice), for either Annie or Jack and The Beanstalk.

Annie

This is the first new UK production of Annie (suitable for age 7+) for a decade and, with the same team behind it as last year’s critically acclaimed A Christmas Carol, it promises to be a fantastic show. You can look forward to all the classic songs like It’s A Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow, Little Girls and Fully Dressed.

Annie and her band of orphans take charge of the Quarry stage from Monday 21^st November – Saturday 21st January 2012, eternally optimistic that the sun will come out tomorrow.

Award-winning playwright Mike Kenny, Gail McIntryre and Barney George add more than a little magic to Christmas for the Playhouse’s smallest, but most discerning, audience members (age 4+) with their version of Jack and The Beanstalk.

Jack and The Beanstalk

With a twist in its tale, you can bet that this will be no ordinary Jack, no ordinary beanstalk, no ordinary farm and certainly no ordinary animals! Beautiful, harp-playing Pearl, owner of some music-loving chickens, is taken by a giant to live in the clouds and they have to get her back….then the fun begins! This fun show runs from Friday 9^th December – Saturday 21^st January.

To win a Family Ticket for Annie:
All you have to do is complete the following line: The Sun Will Come Out………

To win a Family Ticket and dinner for Jack and The Beanstalk:
Just name the harp-playing girl.

Email your answers to wypcomp@wyp.org.uk by Monday 31^st October, including your contact details and stating clearly which show you would like a Family Ticket to. Good luck!