NINE at 78

Every Friday (no session on 7 April) 12.30 - 2.00pm Free If you’re looking for a way to unwind after a busy week or just want to make some new crafting friends, come along with your chosen craft to these friendly informal sessions. They take place every Friday lunchtime in the Northampton Museum & Art Gallery lower café area. Drop in – no booking required but please purchase a drink or something to eat from the cafe.

Touching, funny and utterly original, Freckle Productions’ delightful adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Stick Man is coming to Northampton for Christmas 2023! What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man: a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him, and he even ends up on a fire! How will Stick Man ever get back to the family tree? This award-winning production, from the team behind Zog and Zog And The Flying Doctors, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves.

Don’t miss this year’s hilarious, fun-filled family pantomime. Playing the dashing Prince Charming will be TV presenter, actor and Strictly winner Ore Oduba, while Coronation Street superstar Wendi Peters will play the Wicked Queen, with the hilarious and much-loved Bob Golding returning as our dame, Nurse Nellie. The Magnificent Seven will be lead by Sarge, played by Dean Whatton (Game Of Thrones).  One of Britain’s most treasured comedians (and Northampton’s very own), Alan Carr, will appear as the Magic Mirror!* Alan Carr’s video appearance is in aid of Neuroblastoma UK, a charity which Alan is a proud patron of. The show will be written by Paul Hendy and produced by the award‑winning Evolution, the same team behind last year’s smash-hit Jack And The Beanstalk and 2021’s brilliant Dick Whittington. With lavish sets, hilarious jokes and fun for the whole family, what’s not to love. And this year’s Panto is extra exciting because our brilliant Youth Theatre & Young Company Musicals group are taking to the stage alongside our stars as our Community Ensemble! Hi-ho, it’s off to panto you go! *Alan Carr will appear on screen in a pre-recorded video

Join us for the Most Magical Panto of all – Cinderella Christmas 2023 Next Christmas you’re invited to a Royal Ball at The Old Savoy the home of the Deco Theatre . This wonderful rags-to-riches tale is guaranteed to delight all the family and bring a touch of magic and make-believe to your festive celebrations. Join Cinderella on her quest to win the heart of the dashing Prince Charming, with a little help from her best friend Buttons and the enchanting Fairy Godmother. But with her evil Ugly Sisters determined to ruin her chances and the clock about to strike midnight, will Cinders manage to win the Prince’s love before the spell runs out?

Don’t miss this year’s hilarious, fun-filled family pantomime. Playing the dashing Prince Charming will be TV presenter, actor and Strictly winner Ore Oduba, while Coronation Street superstar Wendi Peters will play the Wicked Queen, with the hilarious and much-loved Bob Golding returning as our dame, Nurse Nellie. The Magnificent Seven will be lead by Sarge, played by Dean Whatton (Game Of Thrones).  One of Britain’s most treasured comedians (and Northampton’s very own), Alan Carr, will appear as the Magic Mirror!* Alan Carr’s video appearance is in aid of Neuroblastoma UK, a charity which Alan is a proud patron of. The show will be written by Paul Hendy and produced by the award‑winning Evolution, the same team behind last year’s smash-hit Jack And The Beanstalk and 2021’s brilliant Dick Whittington. With lavish sets, hilarious jokes and fun for the whole family, what’s not to love. And this year’s Panto is extra exciting because our brilliant Youth Theatre & Young Company Musicals group are taking to the stage alongside our stars as our Community Ensemble! Hi-ho, it’s off to panto you go! *Alan Carr will appear on screen in a pre-recorded video

We have teamed up with West Northamptonshire Council to stage an interactive Christmas song lyric trail around the town centre throughout December. Using the LoyalFree app, visitors to the town will be given a list of locations to visit where they need to answer questions and complete the lyrics from favourite Christmas songs. The LoyalFree app can be downloaded by visiting www.loyalfree.co.uk/download or by searching for ‘LoyalFree’ in your app store. The Christmas Song Lyric Trail is delivered by Northampton Town Centre BID and funded by West Northamptonshire Council.

Enter our Golden Ticket Giveaway for the chance to win one of four £500 vouchers to spend in the town centre. Our popular Golden Ticket giveaway will be launching on Saturday 18th November as part of the Wonka-themed Family Fun Day in Grosvenor Shopping Northampton. Available in town centre shops and businesses, visitors have the chance to pick up their Golden Ticket and post into one of the 10 specially commissioned post boxes found around the town. Simply complete it, post it, and you might just win it! We are once again looking forward to spreading a bit of festive cheer this Christmas and our Golden Ticket giveaway is the perfect way to put smiles on the faces of four lucky families. Winners will be drawn at random on Monday 18th December. Post box locations Abington FX (Abington Street) Esquires Coffee (Dychurch Lane) Grosvenor Shopping  Kall Kwik (Abington Street) Mail Boxes Etc (Gold Street) Market Square News (Mercers Row) Shipmans (The Drapery) Turtle Bay (Gold Street) Vintage Guru (St Giles Street) Voni Blu (Castilian Street) Need a Golden Ticket? Simply download your golden ticket and post into one of the 10 post box locations listed above, before close of business on Sunday 17th December.

Punk took the world by storm, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to inspire and provoke people today. The young people of Northamptonshire were as inspired by punk as the rest of the country - they formed bands, set up music and clothing stores and managed punk nights. This major exhibition follows the Punk: Rage & Revolution exhibition at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery and explores fashion, music, the local gig scene and much more.