10 THINGS TO DO WITH THE FAMILY THIS WEEKEND...

1/In Southampton...

Shoppers seeking a vintage twist to their sale shopping will love Lou Lou’s Southampton Vintage Fair at the Guildhall this Saturday. The UK’s biggest travelling vintage fair arrives in the town for their January Sale Special, featuring stall upon stall of eclectic and affordable vintage treasures from a selection of the UK’s finest independent traders.

Shoppers will have the chance to find deals and discounts on handpicked quality vintage and retro items from the 1920s and onwards, including fashion, accessories, homeware and collectables.

There will be a vintage tea party, hosted by Love Cake who will provide a plethora of delicious cakes and bakes fresh from their kitsch kitchen. Shoppers can enjoy their tea and sweet treat served upon beautiful vintage china in the pop up tearoom.

Visitors to the fair will also have the opportunity to be transformed into their favourite vintage icons. From perfect pin curls, to sky-scraping beehives, a visit to the Pearl’s Pin Up Parlour guarantees some professional primping and pampering.

Vintage vocalist Lianna Haynes will be on-hand to provide the soundtrack to the day as she performs classic hits from the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Lou Lou’s Southampton Vintage Fair will run 11-5pm. More information at: www.thevintagefair.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/LouLousVintageFair

2/ In Christchurch at The Regent Centre...

A new art exhibition opens on Saturday featuring the work of family members Robert and Morwenna Wickson and runs until Friday 9 February. This will be the first art exhibition at the Regent to combine the talents of a grandfather and his granddaughter. Robert, from Ferndown, will be displaying his paintings, whilst Morweena, who is from Highcliffe, will present her photography.

Robert has had no formal art training but as a result of his natural talent and flair for painting, he was urged to enter a charity painting competition in 1967 and ended up winning first prize!

Robert joined Ferndown Art Society 25 years ago and today he mainly paints local beach and river scenes in acrylics with some pastels and watercolours. Robert exhibits his paintings every year with Ferndown Art Society and has been a guest artist with Blandford Art Society.

Morwenna, is at school in Highcliffe and is in her final year of A level Textiles and Photography. She has exhibited some of her artwork at Highcliffe Castle and is currently very keen on art photography.

Her work includes Photography and Bleaching of leaves on fabric. She is also doing A Level Biology and her keen interest in Botany and plants have influenced her subject choice.

Morwenna uses a Cannon 35mm camera and develops all of her own work using the dark room at school.

01202 499199

www.regentcentre.co.uk

3/Across Hampshire...

Catch the highly rated family film Coco (PG, 105 mins) which opens at cinemas today.

Family values resonate far beyond the land of the living in Disney Pixar's uplifting computer-animated coming of age story.

Sensitively scripted by Alfred Molina and Matthew Aldrich, Coco is a visually sumptuous valentine to Mexican culture and the importance of passing down memories to the next generation lest they be lost forever in the mists of time.

Co-director Lee Unkrich, who deservedly collected an Oscar for Toy Story 3, strikes a joyous universal chord with an all-Latino voice cast and an irresistible blend of heart-tugging emotion, uproarious comedy and toe-tapping musicality.

You can feel the love in every jaw-dropping frame, which shimmers with vibrant colour and exquisite attention to detail. It's a ravishing feast for the senses.

Coco nimbly addresses thorny issues of mortality and reminiscence for audiences of all ages, skilfully employing a goofy stray dog called Dante as the broad comic relief to keep little ones gurgling with glee in between poignant and painful lessons on the natural cycle of life.

Tears flow freely - and genuinely - throughout the briskly paced narrative that conceals a couple of delightful surprises.

4/In Southampton at SeaCity Museum...

Visit 'Beyond the Museum: Old Police Station Tour'. SeaCity Museum was once home to the central police station and law courts. On Sunday you can join a guided behind-the-scenes tour for a unique opportunity to explore areas that used to be part of Southampton’s main police station. These areas are normally out of bounds, including the old courts, the padded cells, exercise yard, coroners court and custody suite. Please note that the tour accesses areas that are not normally open to the public and includes climbing stairs. Bring a torch due to limited visibility and explore the remarkable stories of Southampton’s policing past. *Price is for tour only & does not include museum admission.

There are two tours: 10:15am OR 11:30am

Tickets: Tel 023 80834536 or visit the reception desk at Tudor House & Garden, SeaCity Museum or Southampton City Art Gallery

Website Address: https://seacitymuseum.co.uk/

Contact Email: museums@southampton.gov.uk

Contact Telephone: 023 80834536

5/In Southampton...

Dig out those trainers and join in the Southampton parkrun. This weekly Free 5km Timed Run starts at 9am on Southampton Common when it's you against the clock.

It is free to attend but please register before your first run. You only ever register with parkrun once but don't forget to bring a printed copy of your barcode. If you forget it, you won't get a time.

It doesn't matter how fast you run either as organisers want everyone to run for their own enjoyment. Just pop along and join in whatever your pace!

Southampton parkrun needs you!It is entirely organised by volunteers and any help you might want to offer is welcome. Email southamptonhelpers@parkrun.com to help.

They are a friendly bunch and every week they grab a post parkrun coffee at the Hawthorns Centre cafe - anyone is welcome to join them.

Other parkruns nearby are: Eastleigh (3.6m), Netley Abbey (5.1m), Brockenhurst (9.9m), Winchester (10.9m), Lee-on-the-Solent (12.3m), Medina I.O.W. (15.6m), Southsea (17.4m), Queen Elizabeth (18.8m), Havant (19.1m), Salisbury (19.2m)

Click on the website link for more information about Southampton parkrun

Website Address: http://www.parkrun.org.uk/southampton/

6/On the Beaulie River ...

Why not wrap up warm and take to the water on a Winter Paddle with New Forest Activities this weekend?

Choose between single seater kayaks or 2/3 seater canoes for a full two hour guided tour out on the water. The Beaulieu River offers up some stunning sites throughout the Winter offering up lots of fun despite the season.

The two-hour sessions are held on Saturday and Sunday with a starting time of 10am and 1.30pm.

Itinerary:

Half hour for arrivals and initial kitting up

Up to two full hours of guidance and instruction

Use of easy to paddle 2 & 3 seater canoes or stable single seater kayaks (you can decide on the day)

Instruction from a qualified coach to help you master the basics and feel confident on the water

A guided journey out and back from Baileys Hard river depending on tides and weather

Chance to find out about future courses and other activities.

To book call 01590 612377 or visit the website: https://www.newforestactivities.co.uk/activities/winter-paddle/

0r email: info@newforestactivities.co.uk

7 In Romsey...

Romsey will hold its first ever Vegan Fair on Sunday January 21 at Crossfield Hall, Romsey.

To coincide with Veganuary this event will be perfect for anybody who is considering a more ethical and healthy way to live in the fresh year of 2018. There will be a whole range of fantastic products, from cakes, cookies and burgers, to cheeze, chocolate and "Kentucky Fried Cauliflower"!

There will be informative talks by a variety of knowledgeable people from around the UK, including nutrition advice, why the world needs to change, ways to make a vegan lifestyle easy and much more. There is also a chance to get involved with many different charities.

On the day, there will be a large variety of food from mock meats to handmade chocolate fudge. There will be a lot of different vegan stalls selling the latest and greatest vegan clothing, crafts and accessories. Whatever age group you are there is likely to be items, activities or food that catches your eye!

Some great speakers are lined up to give informational talks and demos about veganism, including talks about health, the environment and also talks about building vegan businesses online.

Pay on the door.

8/In Beaulieu at the National Motor Museum...

: 'Controlling 9/11: Meet 9/11 air traffic controller Phil Holt

It was a day that changed our world forever. Everyone will remember what he or she was doing when they heard of the attacks on New York & Washington on 9/11. Now one of the country’s most knowledgeable aviation speakers Phil Holt kicks off a fascinating programme of spring lectures with 'Controlling 9/11' at Beaulieu on Saturday.

Phil, who has over 40 years’ experience as an air traffic controller was on duty on September 11 2001 when the world changed forever with the attacks on New York and Washington. He will examine the most fraught four hours in the history of air traffic control as he tells the story with his unprecedented insight into the shocking events.

His experience as a controller, instructor, examiner and human factors specialist gives an unprecedented insight into the horrifying events that unfolded that day.

The evening will commence at 7.30 pm in the Lecture Theatre of the National Motor Museum’s Collections Centre and finish at around 10.00 pm. The National Motor Museum will be open from 6.00pm for a private viewing at no extra charge. A pay bar will be available in the Collections Centre for the purchase of beers, wines and soft drinks.

To purchase tickets, please send remittance to Theresa Browning, Friends’ Secretary, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire, SO42 7ZN (cheque made payable to National Motor Museum Trust Ltd), or give her a call on 01590 614792 to provide payment over the phone.

9/In Southampton ...

IF cocktails are your thing then why not head to Bring & Mix on Saturday (6:00pm - 11:15pm).

Bring & Mix is not your typical bar. They are a unique bespoke BYO cocktail experience, where you bring them the alcohol and they create the cocktails!

For two hours guests delight in cocktails that are tailored to their tastes and delivered to their tables.

You can find them in Bedford Place, Southampton, but as they are a speakeasy establishment they will only let you in if you have their secret codeword that they send out to ticket holders.

Grab a date or a group of friends, reserve your table on their website, and bring a few bottles of your favourite spirits for them to make the best cocktails in the city.

Website Address: http://www.bringandmix.com

Contact Email: info@bringandmix.com

10/In Southampton at Central Hall, St. Mary Street ...

A family concert suitable for all ages 'A Trip to the Zoo' takes place on Saturday, 11am - 2pm. Join in the fun concerts brought to life with live music and dancing!

The orchestra will perform music inspired by all your favourite animals. From lions to tigers, kangaroos to monkeys, there will be something for everyone. Bring along the whole family and chase away those January blues. The music will include all your favourites from The Lion King, plus The Carnival of the Animals.

Joining in will be New Forest School of Dance and partners from Isle of Wight Zoo

More information at: https://www.csorchestra.org/