Join Santa on his sleigh

THE night is Christmas Eve, and Santa is on his annual journey around the world to deliver presents - when suddenly his satnav stops working.

Two naughty elves, Charlie and Kara, are stowaways on his sleigh and since Santa has lost his list of postcodes, they must join forces with Muffin the bear and come up with a cunning plan to get all those presents delivered before morning.

This is the story of Santa Claus and the Magical Christmas Journey, running at Swindon Arts Centre over the weekend and till Sunday, December 24.

The new adventure story, from the producers of last year’s record-breaking production, has plenty of songs, nursery rhymes and magic – and promises to be a memorable treat for children aged two and up, along with their families.

The children will have a chance to meet Santa and receive a present, and the play includes a magical moment when snowflakes fall over the audience – a guaranteed white Christmas at every show.

Santa Claus and the Magical Christmas Journey runs for around 70 minutes with no interval, including the Santa meet and greet. It will be performed at 4pm today, and three times on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are £14 to £17 with children’s tickets £1 off, and family tickets available. To book, call 01793 524481 or visit swindontheatres.co.uk.

Highworth Church hosts concert in aid of Nepal orphans

A WINTER’S Evening Concert tonight will feature harp, classical guitar and flamenco poetry, to raise money for orphans in Nepal.

The event, part of the Live at the Chapel programme at the Highworth United Reformed Church, brings together a host of talented local performers.

Strike a Chord, the classical guitar ensemble, and harpist Christine Kinder, will be joined by Flame & Co, combining Flamenco guitar played by Haydn Bonadie with poetry written and performed by award-winning poet Cristina Newton.

The event is organised by the Friends of Angel’s Orphanage and all proceeds will go directly to the children the group supports in Nepal. Their funding contributes to the children’s continuing welfare, education and housing needs.

The Friends of Angel’s Orphanage have helped provide care for the 21 orphaned or abandoned children. Tickets for the concert cost £5 and are available from the Lighthouse Bookshop in Highworth and the Visitor Information Centre at Swindon Central Library.

Nerf fans battle to save Christmas 

OPERATION Save Christmas takes place on Sunday – and all available Nerf fans are needed in this last-minute bid to save the festive season.

The fun event, at Freshbrook Community Centre, will give youngsters aged six to 12 a chance to take place in the Nerf challenge. Spaces are limited to 30 places for each episode, one beginning at 12.30pm and one at 2.30pm.

Organised by Aim Nerf, the event is billed as a great way to have fun in a safe environment, using Nerf blaster, which shoot foam balls. They give teams opportunities to work together and reach their goals, and promote honesty, sportsmanship and teamwork. A team of friendly marshals will be on hand to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time.

Each player is supplied with a pair of safety glasses, a Nerf blaster and all the foam they can fling. The battle arena is laid out with various barricades and an HQ for each team, which hold large stocks of Nerf ammo.

Aim Swindon said: “This will be our last Event for 2017, so come and join us for an epic send-off Nerf style!”

Tickets are £7, to include squash, a sweetie bag and a small gift. To book, visit www.aimswindon.co.uk.