Ten things you can do with your family this weekend

DAME Elizabeth Blackadder is acclaimed as one of the greatest artists to walk the Earth, and her work is now on display in Winchester.

Elizabeth was the first woman to be elected both to the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy, and was given the prestigious title of Her Majesty’s Painter and Limner in Scotland in 2001.

This specially curated exhibition at the Discovery Centre shows the breadth and variety of Blackadder’s work and aims to reveal and celebrate an exceptional career.

The centre is open both days this weekend, from 9am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday, and admission is free.

2 In Winchester...

DIVE to the depths of the ocean this weekend at the Winchester Science Centre.

On both Saturday and Sunday, live science shows exploring marine life and some of the issues affecting the oceans will run at various times.

Children can also get hands-on in the Invention Studio with activities and challenges and experts will be roaming the exhibition floor with themed busking activities.

Pirate and mermaid costumes are heavily advised!

Book tickets on the Winchester Science Centre website - prices may vary.

3 In Romsey...

AS the weather gets colder, you will be wrapping up in more layers, setting the heating on all day and scraping ice from the car every morning.

That’s how humans deal with the changes through winter, but how does nature?

Visit the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Romsey for a self-worked tour around the wildlife, and see for yourself.

A family activity sheet is available to print from home or at the desk of the gardens, which is guaranteed to show you around all of the interesting sights.

Standard admission of £10.90 applies and the gardens will be open both days between 10am and 5pm.

4 In Southampton...

CALENDAR Girls, the musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth is the award-winning production based on the true story of the calendar girls - a group of ordinary ladies who achieved something extraordinary.

It is currently at the Mayflower Theatre, blowing audiences away.

The Mayflower turned pink. Credit David Dodge

This marvellous comedy which received fantastic five star reviews in London’s West End stars Fern Britton, Anna-Jane Casey, Sara Crowe, Karen Dunbar, Ruth Madoc, Rebecca Storm and Denise Welch.

Grab a ticket for between £20 and £40 for either the 2pm matinee or 7.30pm show this Saturday, via the Mayflower’s website, or by calling the box office on 02380 711811.

5 In Southampton...

JOIN the City of Southampton Orchestra this Saturday for fantastic family entertainment in a concert filled with magical beasts.

From the music to How To Train Your Dragon and Beauty And The Beast, through to Wagner’s Ride Of The Valkyries and Stravinsky’s The Firebird, there is something for everyone.

The show starts at 11am at the Central Hall and tickets for adults cost £8 and £5 for children with concessions available.

They can be booked from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/csorchestra or by calling 07729 674876.

6 In the New Forest...

GET up early, strap the dog into the car, and get down to the New Forest this Sunday for a charity dog walk.

This walk is part of Second Chance Rescue’s 40 fundraising events to mark its 40th anniversary.

Second Chance was founded in 1979 by Sue and George Long and has re-homed and cared for many hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals.

A suggested donation of £3 per person will be to raise money for the Second Chance Animal Rescue in Mansbridge Road.The walk will start at 11am from the Happy Cheese pub in Lyndhurst Road.

7 In Southampton...

EXPERIENCE the Active Adventure Sports Camp for free this Saturday at the Chamberlayne Leisure Centre in Weston Lane.

The day will run between 2.30pm and 5.30pm and the activities are suitable for children between 5 and 13 years old.

Activities include basketball, dodgeball, football, ultimate Frisbee, and even fun with Nerf products.

For more information or to book a free space on the course, contact sarah.parsons@sctivenation.co.uk.

8 In Portsmouth...

MONTY Python’s satire is as funny today as it was in 1979.

Watch the classic Life of Brian inside the fitting surroundings of Portsmouth Cathedral this Saturday.

Tickets cost £11 standard and £9 for concessions and are available at https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/whats-on/live-events/monty-pythons-life-brian-15-portsmouth-cathedral.

The film will start at 8pm.

9 In Eastleigh...

A SPECIAL show of Peter Pan is on at The Point in Eastleigh this weekend.

Members at the theatre are asking you to celebrate an impressive 80 years of family entertainment and join them on an adventurous journey to Neverland as they bring to life the story of Peter Pan – the boy who never grows up.

A magical tale full of dastardly pirates, unruly lost boys, mystical mermaids, and the infamous crook Captain Hook.

The show will run on Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 1pm.

Tickets can be booked from the theatre’s website or by calling the box office on 02380 652333.

10 In Southampton...

THE popular Freemantle Repair Cafe will return to the St Denys Community Centre in Priory Road this Saturday.

Bring your broken items for repair and advice on how to maintain them, and even how to repair them yourself the next time it all goes wrong.

Don’t worry about how complicated it may be - repairs across the board, including electrical goods, bikes and even sewing jobs are covered.

And you can even have a cuppa and a cake while you watch the repairers at work.

It will run between 10.30am and 1pm.

For more information, contact repaircafe@transitionsouthampton.org via email.