LMSS SPHINCTER vol.80 iss.2 Winter Issue | Page 20

20 21 I’m Dreaming of a Scouse Christmas! Independent Liverpool Christmas Festival When has the ever-popular Independent Liverpool been known to not take charge of a public holiday? Gathering together some of the best loved restaurants and bars in the city to cover the catering, this big chrimbo do at Baltic Triangle will run from 8th – 11th of December. Tickets are available on skiddle now and range from £3 to £8 over the weekend with kids going free. Expect a Santa’s grotto appropriate for big kids who want to get merry on whisky and Bailey’s cocktails; a gift shop of fine crafters with a stall where you can order your own Christmas tree; and an eclectic medley of carollers, DJs and live music. Salsa under the Palms With all of the nibbles and roast dinners that get wolfed down throughout December, it can be refreshing to get out and get active and escape all of the trashy tinsel. On the 10th of December, Sefton Park’s Palm House is going to be taken over by SALSA LIVERPOOL for at ambient night of hip shaking fun. If you’ve never visited the grade two listed tropical venue before then now is your perfect chance. Victoria Simpson 2nd year Medical Student That time of year has come again! It’s Christmas! The seasion where ‘productivity’ is a word uttered by no man! That time of year has come again. You can’t turn on the TV without having an annual meltdown to Polar Express. It’s dark and disappointingly rainy whenever you leave or come home from placement to the point where you wonder if you’re stuck in a perpetual Antarctic winter. The sight of your condensating breath amid your cheaply tinselled bedroom reminds you to stick another jumper on or risk facing sky-high December bills and a run in with the Landlord. Ah, it’s yuletide season! Instead of crawling completely in to hibernation for the chilly period, why not take a sneak peak in to the events that December in Liverpool is bringing? If ever there was a time for getting your glad rags on and rocking around the clock, then it’s Christmas – the season where ‘productivity’ is a word uttered by no man. Pull yourself away from the reruns of the Grinch and see what Liverpool’s sparkly winter social calendar has to offer. The Nutcracker Ballet Manchester and Liverpool Christmas markets Liverpool’s most stunning theatre, the Empire, is pulling out all the stops this year with a glorious helping of Tchaikovsky. Over 100 dancers and musicians will be bringing the Land of Snow to life from 2nd December onwards. A cultured dash of ballet is a sure fire way to make Christmas that tad more magical and it can be added to your diary for the student friendly price of £12. Being right on our doorstep, there’s little excuse not to check out the Liverpool Christmas markets down Lord street, Church street and Whitechapel. It’s a great way to get your winter fix of fudge or candy cane and buy a unique bauble or two. If you’re finding them somewhat lacking, then a £4 train ticket to Manchester is well worth it to check out their famous markets that are far bigger and far grander. Enjoy the sounds of an authentic oompah band with a cup of mulled wine in one hand and a hog roast drenched in apple sauce in the other. What could feel more Christmassy? Although be warned – it’s not known to be a cheap night once you start dipping in to the trinkets on offer! Don’t forget the LMSS! Liverpool Christmas Ice Festival Bongo and the Beanstalk What would Christmas be without an opportunity to pay your own personal homage to Bambi on ice? Making a return this year is the pop-up ice rink at Liverpool one’s Chavasse Park. Penguin skate aids are at hand to help you glide about with a bit more stability than a fresher stumbling back up Brownlow hill after a mad one. Everyone’s favourite rowdy bingo is of course running a seasonal special, this time bringing a boozy panto to Camp and Furnace. This riotous night promises to be even nosier with live performances and even bigger prizes. Repeats of the event are running from December 13th to the 23rd. Sphincter magazine | volume 80 issue 2 | Winter 2016 edition As with every month, the LMSS calendar promises that your December will be memorable before you part with Liverpool for a few short weeks of getting your washing done at home. On the second of December the annual night of rhyming couplets and satirical drama makes it majestic return – Snowcase will be hitting the stage once more! If that isn’t theatrical enough for you then on the 15th you can unleash your inner diva on the Carol-oke bus tour. Winter Arts Market at The Great Hall The very grand looking St George’s Hall will play host to the Winter Arts Market again this Christmas on December 8th and 9th and it can be explored for a mere £1.50. Keep out of the cold and mooch around a range of independent retailers trading it artwork, jewellery, beauty products and other miscellanea. Sphincter magazine | volume 80 issue 2 | Winter 2016 edition