Each year, the Lord-Lieutenant celebrates the achievements of young people across the city and county. People in Leicester and Leicestershire are being urged to nominate inspiring young people in their communities for this year’s Lord-Lieutenant’s award. 2019 category award winners with Lord Lord-Lieutenant, Mike Kapur Lord Lord-Lieutenant, Mike Kapur The scheme is open to all 13 to 19 year olds, and nominations can be made by other young people, their school, parent or carer, as well as any other agency or individual. As always, the categories for this year celebrate the very best examples of effort and achievement. People can nominate for categories including - Young Braveheart, Young Volunteer, Young Leader and Young Artist. The finalists and their parents will be invited to a special ‘red carpet’ awards evening and dinner to be held in April next year hosted by the Lord-Lieutenant. Josh Welford, who won the Young Person of the Year 2019 and was the Young Braveheart of the Year category winner said: “I didn’t really expect to win, to be honest, there’s so many other people that have done such great things that you don’t exactly hope for it, but when you get given it, it’s mad! Don’t give up, look for the bigger picture, because in the end it’ll come good, you’ve just got to wait for it.” The closing date for this year’s nominations is 16 February 2020. To find out more about the awards or to nominate a young person visit www.leicestershire.gov.uk/llawards

Scientists now agree that the climate is changing as a result of human activity. Global average temperatures have increased by 1ºc from pre-industrial levels and sea levels are rising. In Leicester and the rest of the UK we are already seeing the early signs of change. More frequent intense rainfall is adding to the risk of flooding. More heatwaves like the one we saw in 2018 could pose a threat to health for vulnerable groups. World leaders have set a target in what’s known as the ‘Paris Agreement’ to stop the temperature increase from going beyond 1.5 ºc. This is what scientists believe is needed to prevent catastrophic impacts. It will require major changes over the next decade and beyond to stop temperature rise going past this limit. In response to this, Leicester City Council declared a ‘climate emergency’ on 1 February 2019. Many other councils are doing the same. We have committed to develop a new action plan to play our part in tackling climate change. This will pick up where our previous Sustainability Action Plan left off. Why We Are Consulting We have looked at what experts are saying will need to happen in cities like Leicester, and at what we think the council and others could do about it. Now we would like to hear from the public about these ideas. We are inviting people to suggest their own ideas too. We will use the responses we get to help us prepare our action plan. We will also develop a vision for what Leicester could be like as a ‘carbon neutral’ city which is ready for a changing climate. We hope that other organisations in the city including businesses, the public sector and community groups will be prepared to make their own commitments to help achieve the vision too. Download details of our proposals via the links below Online survey News source :- Leicester City Council

Leicestershire Police is thanking the public after 500 fewer calls were made to the force over the festive period in comparison with last year. Collectively on 24, 25, 26, 31 December and 1 January, the force received a total of 5,120 calls to 999 and 101 compared to a total of 5,620 calls to 999 and 101 for the same dates last year. Superintendent Grant Wills, Head of Contact Management Department (CMD), said: “Very similar to 2018, the force received a substantial number of calls both to the 999 and 101 systems over Christmas and New Year. “It is very welcoming to see such a reduction on last years figures and I would like to thank the public for only calling us in a genuine emergency or for police assistance. “Despite 500 fewer calls, Christmas and New Year still puts a significant amount of demand on the department and I would like to thank all those involved in working hard to deliver this service to the public.” Chief Constable Simon Cole said: “New Year was particularly busy for us with 243 emergency 999 calls received between midnight and 3am. “This resulted in a huge team effort by colleagues in CMD to answer and deal with these calls and action where police attendance was needed. "A large amount of planning goes into policing Christmas and New Year to ensure a high number of officers and staff are providing proactive high visibility patrols and quick and effective responses to incidents throughout the force area. “Our dedicated Christmas campaign featured heavily on our social media channels to encourage people to be safe and drink responsibly and I hope that this messaging has been successful in contributing to this call reduction. "We are very grateful to our partners for their support across the festive period. East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) and other agencies worked hard in planning and delivering a safer Christmas and New Year period. We were also thankful to our own volunteers and special constables as well as street pastors for their amazing efforts. “2019 has been a demanding year for the force but I am extremely pleased that we were able to start 2020 on this note and I would like to thank the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for acting responsibly and celebrating safely.” #LeicsPolice

Since 1st December there have been 97 drink and 23 drug drive arrests across the Leicestershire Police force area, including: 31 younger drivers (aged 24 or under) 32 arrests following a road traffic collision One of the highest road side breath tests recorded this month has been 141, just over four times the legal limit 57 of the arrests have been in Leicester City, 61 across Leicestershire and 2 in Rutland The winter drink drug drive campaign will end on December 31st, however, Police officer patrols will continue to operate around the clock to ensure our roads are safe for everyone. Jonathan Clarkson, spokesperson for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership said, “Although the number of people arrested this month is lower than December 2018, which saw 122 drink and 33 drug drivers detained by the roadside, one hundred and twenty people have taken the risk to drive while they are unfit behind the wheel and been arrested since December 1st.” “These people will face the courts and can expect a driving ban, a substantial fine and penalty points on their licence, they will also face increased insurance costs in the future and will find a drink drug driving conviction may prevent them travelling overseas to countries such as the US and Australia.”

Leicester City Council will be making changes to its regular waste and recycling collection days over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays. There will be no collections made on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Homes that normally have their waste and recycling collected on a Tuesday will receive their collections on Monday 23 December and Monday 30 December instead. Homes whose collections are normally made on Wednesdays will receive their collections on Tuesday 24 December and Tuesday 31 December. Homes that normally have their waste and recycling collected on a Thursday will receive their collection during Christmas week on Friday 27 December, and Friday collections will move to Saturday 28 December for Christmas week only. Waste and recycling collections will return to normal from Thursday 2 January. All bins and orange bags should be put out for collection by 7am on the correct day. Households can put out as many orange recycling bags as they need for their recyclable waste. Festive items like sweet and biscuit tins and tubs, glass bottles and jars, cardboard boxes, and non-metallic wrapping paper and greetings cards can all be bagged for collection as recycling. There will also be some changes to the opening hours of the two household waste and recycling centres over the holiday period. Both the Gypsum Close and Freemen’s Common sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The centres will be open from 8am until 2pm on Christmas Eve (24 Dec) and New Year's Eve (31 Dec), and from 8am until 6pm at all other times. Real Christmas trees can be dropped off for composting at either of the city council’s recycling centres. Details of opening times for the Gypsum Close trade recycling centre will be available on the council’s website. For more information visit www.leicester.gov.uk/recycling source : Leicester City Council News

An award-winning counter terrorism training course is being made available to the public for the first time and we want you to sign up and help protect the UK. Devised by CT officers and security experts, the ACT Awareness eLearning package was previously only available to staff working in crowded places like shopping centres and entertainment venues. Now Counter Terrorism Policing has decided to open up the training to anyone who wants to become a CT Citizen so they can learn how to spot the signs of suspicious behaviour and understand what to do in the event of a major incident. The programme was originally devised in partnership with retail giant Marks and Spencer - and participants needed to be signed up by their employers. Today the online learning is available free of charge to anyone who wants to take part. The decision to offer the training to the public was not made in response to the recent attack in London. However, the tragic events which took place just over a week ago, when two people lost their lives to terrorism, were a stark reminder of the ongoing threat and the need for vigilance. “ACT Awareness eLearning is especially useful for anyone working in or regularly visiting crowded places,” says Cheif Constable Simon Cole. “Each stage was developed alongside industry experts and to date over one and a half million modules have been completed. “The course has been so popular, with nine out of 10 users saying they would recommend it, we want to open it up to as many people as possible. “The threat level remains at Substantial – meaning an attack is likely - so giving everyone the chance to be extra eyes and ears for police and local security teams help to keep all communities across the Leicestershire force area safe. “The festive period is obviously a very busy one – so this is a good time to join up and become a CT Citizen.” ACT Awareness is made up of seven modules that take a few minutes each to complete. You can pause and re-join at any time. In total it takes just 45 minutes – so less than an hour of your time could help to prevent an attack or help save lives if one was to happen. The course is hosted by online training specialists Highfield. To register and start learning, visit https://ct.highfieldelearning.com/

With just days to go before Leicester’s real ice rink opens in Jubilee Square, people can now start planning their visits to the city’s standout Christmas attraction. Opening at 5pm on Thursday (5 December), the ice rink is set to be even better than in 2018, with a new outdoor section that will give people the chance to skate beneath the stars, themed sessions that all the family will enjoy, and designated quiet sessions for children and adults with conditions such as autism or additional sensory needs. Anyone who’s quick off the mark can pick up a bargain on the rink’s two preview days – Thursday 5 and Friday 6 December - when skating costs a flat rate of just £5 per person. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “At 40m x 17m, our 2019 rink will be just as big as last year’s, but this year we’ve added an outdoor section, which we hope will give people something new to enjoy. Below is the video from this years opening night. “If you’re coming into Leicester for shopping, a night out, or just to enjoy our festive lights, I hope you’ll find time to have a spin on our ice rink and discover all that the city has to offer this Christmas.” The city council’s contractors 11th Hour will start filling the ice rink tonight (Monday), freezing each layer before adding more water. It will take around three days to create and freeze the 6-inch-thick skating surface. Festivals and events manager Maggie Shutt said: “Our ice rink is rapidly taking shape, and it’s looking better than ever! “We look forward to opening the doors on Thursday and giving everyone a warm welcome, whether it’s your first time on ice or you’re an experienced skater.” Tickets for the preview dates on Thursday and Friday (5 and 6 December) are still available at just £5. Standard rates for adult skaters are £10, with tickets for children (aged 16 and under), senior citizens and students priced at £8.50. Discounts are available for groups of four or more people, so a family of four will be able to skate for £34. Anyone skating between 11am and 4pm on Mondays to Fridays from 9-20 December – the off-peak period before the schools break up for Christmas – can save £1 on standard prices. Skating aids for young children – in the shape of penguins and seals – will be available again and can be booked in advance online or hired on the day at the ice rink, subject to availability. Wheelchair users can join in the fun on the ice at any session at any time. Up to 250 people will be able to take to the ice at any one time, although capacity will be restricted to 100 skaters for the designated quiet sessions for people with autism or other special needs. Leicester’s Jubilee Square ice rink will be open from 5pm on Thursday (5 December) until Sunday 5 January 2020. It will be open every day, apart from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Skating starts at 10am each day (11am on Mondays to Fridays until 20 December), with the last session of the day starting at 8pm. People can book their 45-minute sessions on the real ice rink via Leicester’s dedicated Christmas website, www.christmasinleicester.co.uk from the Visit Leicester information centre on Gallowtree Gate or from the ice rink ticket office at BBC Radio Leicester – which opens on Thursday. The real ice rink is at the heart of Leicester’s Christmas events, with the giant big wheel – the Wheel of Light – joining it in Jubilee Square once again. Detail of all events taking place in Leicester this Christmas are available here Source Leicester City Council News

Leicester Park & Ride is running extra services throughout December – which means you can catch a Park & Ride bus into the city centre every day in December, apart from on Christmas Day. The extra services will be running on all five Sundays in December. On those Sundays (December 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29), buses will run every 15 minutes between 10am and 5.30pm from the three sites at Meynell’s Gorse, Enderby and Birstall. On top of the Sunday services, BID Leicester is funding extended Leicester Park & Ride services so that people can make the most of late-night Christmas shopping or enjoy a night out. Extended services will be running until 9pm every Monday-Saturday from December 9 to December 23, and the buses will run every half hour from 7pm until 9pm. BID Leicester is also funding an additional service on Boxing Day (Thursday 26 December) from 10am to 5.30pm. The core Park & Ride services are jointly funded by Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council. Cllr Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor for environment and transportation, said: “This year, we’ll be running a full park and ride service on all five Sundays in December. “Thanks to some generous sponsorship from BID Leicester, we’re also able to run an extended service in the evenings, with the last buses leaving the city centre at 9pm on some of the most popular shopping nights in December – and there will be a special service on Boxing Day too, for anyone who wants to get out and about over the Christmas period. “Using the park and ride service is a great way to help reduce the number of cars on our roads – but it’s also a very cost-effective way of getting to the city centre.” Travelling from the park and ride sites to Leicester city centre costs just £4 return for up to five passengers. Cllr Blake Pain, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for passenger transport, said: “Leicester Park & Ride services are the perfect way to travel into the city centre to make the most of the festive season. “I would encourage everyone planning trips into the city centre to leave their cars at one of our three Park & Ride sites and take the bus instead.” There will be no Park & Ride services on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and the normal timetable resumes on Thursday 2 January. All three of the Park & Ride sites have free parking for customers, including disabled spaces and parent & child parking. Free WiFi is available on all buses. The timetable for Park & Ride services in December is available here Details of all the events taking place in Leicester this Christmas are available here The Wheel of Light. Jubilee Square Enjoy a bird’s eye view of Leicester’s Christmas lights from our 110-ft Ferris wheel. Daily (closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) until 6 January. Standard ticket £5; children under 1.4m £4; family ticket £15. 11am-9pm Mon-Thurs; 11am-11pm Fri-Sat; 12noon-9pm Sun. Traditional nativity scene and Woodland Tales. Town Hall Square See the story of Christmas and an animated tableau scene under the festive lights in Leicester’s historic Town Hall Square Funfair. Humberstone Gate Family-friendly fairground rides in the heart of the city centre until 6 January 30 November-1 December: Christmas Fair. The Guildhall. Arts, crafts, gift ideas and locally-sourced food and drink. Admission £1 adults; children free. 11am-4pm From 5 December: Christmas Ice Rink. Jubilee Square Skate on our spectacular real ice rink, whatever the weather! Tickets from christmasinleicester.co.uk, Visit Leicester on Gallowtree Gate and the Jubilee Square box office. £10/£8.50 (£9/£7.50 at off-peak times). Skate for a fiver on our preview days (5-6 December) From 10am daily (11am on Mondays to Fridays until 20 December) until 5 January. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. From 7 December: Santa in the Square. New Market Square Visit Santa in his snow-covered grotto, every day until 22 December. Free admission – and free small gift for every child. Monday-Friday: 11am-6pm; Saturday: 11am-6pm; Sunday: 11am-4pm From 12 December: LightWeight. New Market Square Strike a pose at LightWeight, a giant shimmering globe featuring live animation, every day until 21 December. Presented by BidLeicester. 5pm-10pm Now open: The Jägerhaus. St Peter’s Square, Highcross Enjoy the finest festive food and drink at Leicester’s German-themed outside bar. Open daily from 10am-9pm until 28 December Christmas gift ideas at Visit Leicester on Gallowtree Gate: Book your tickets for Leicester’s real ice rink. Choose from a wide range of Leicester-themed gifts, including gorgeous hand-painted baubles and Christmas cards.

Thousands of people will attend Leicester’s annual Remembrance service at Victoria Park on Sunday 10 November 2019 to pay their respects to the nation’s fallen servicemen and women. A parade made up of members of the armed forces, veterans and cadets will step off from De Montfort Hall, along Centenary Walk to the Arch of Remembrance at around 10.35am, arriving at the Memorial shortly before the service commences at 10.55am. Members of the public are asked to be in place by 10.30am to witness the parade and show their support to the men and women of the armed forces and veteran organisations. The Service will be led by Right Reverend Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester and will include two-minutes silence at 11am which will be marked with maroons at the beginning and end of the silence. Official wreaths will be laid by Mike Kapur OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, and Councillor Annette Byrne, Lord Mayor of Leicester, together with representatives from local emergency services, military units and faith representatives. There will be an opportunity for members of the public to lay wreaths at the end of the ceremony. Parents and pet owners are advised that the maroons used during the ceremony are loud and may cause distress. Pictures by Leicester Media © 2018 Watch our video from last years event on YouTube https://youtu.be/oLZt29hVgpw Car parking and travel Our Granville Road car park will not be in use on the day, but a very limited number of spaces for disabled and blue badge holders will be available at the top end of the car park. These must be booked in advance by sending us an email or calling 0116 454 0020. Road closures will be in operation from 9.30am on both Granville Road and Regent Road. Affected roads should re-open following at approximately 12.15pm.

People travelling into the city centre on Thursday for the switch on of Leicester’s Christmas lights are reminded that there’s a late-night Park & Ride service this year. Operating from Birstall, Enderby and Meynell’s Gorse, the services will run every 15 minutes on Thursday (21 November), with the last buses leaving the city centre at 9pm. Tickets are just £4 for the return bus journey to the city centre for a car-full of people – that’s up to five people per car. Last years Video by Leicester Media Parking is free, and free WiFi is available on all buses. Cllr Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor for environment and transportation, said: “Using the Park & Ride service is a very cost-effective way of getting the whole family or a group of friends to the city centre, but it also helps reduce the number of cars on our roads. “We’ve got lots going on in Leicester city centre on Thursday and, thanks to the special late-night Park & Ride services, you won’t miss a thing. “Leave the car out of town, and let the bus take you straight to the heart of the city centre where you’ll be able to enjoy a ride on the big wheel, a free outdoor screening of Elf, some fantastic street food and – of course – the big switch-on itself.” The Birstall, Enderby and Meynell’s Gorse services are jointly run by Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council. Extended Park & Ride services will also be operating in the run-up to Christmas - and there will be a special service on Boxing Day from all three sites. In addition, there will be a Park & Ride service on every Sunday in December. More information is available on the Leicester Park & Ride website A summary of events taking place in Leicester on Thursday 21 November is set out below: 21 November: Christmas Lights switch-on: Sponsored by Octopus Energy. Humberstone Gate and the Clock Tower Enjoy entertainment from the Platforms, 4th Avenue, Gareth John and a special performance by Blue’s Antony Costa on the main stage on Humberstone Gate. 5pm-8pm (Lights on at 6.30pm) 21 November: Christmas Canteen. New Market Square Enjoy tasty food and drink from some top local businesses. Bar available. 12 noon – 10.30pm (Christmas carols at 6.30pm) 21 November: Elf. New Market Square Enjoy a free outdoor screening of our favourite Christmas film, suitable for all the family. 4.30pm From 21 November: Traditional nativity scene and Woodland Tales. Town Hall Square. See the story of Christmas and an animated tableau scene under the festive lights in Leicester’s historic Town Hall Square 21 November: Winter Galactical. St Peter’s Square, Highcross. Join Titan the Robot, Boogie Storm and the HighHeeled Spaceships in St Peter’s Square for some intergalactic fun 5pm-8pm Visit Leicester. Gallowtree Gate. Open until 8pm on Thursday (21 November). Pop in and make switch-on night savings on our beautiful hand-painted glass baubles. Leicester Christmas Skyline baubles are just £10 on 21 November (normal price £15). Now open: The Wheel of Light. Jubilee Square. Enjoy a bird’s eye view of Leicester’s Christmas lights from our 110-ft Ferris wheel. Daily (closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) until 6 January. Family ticket £15 (4 people); adults £5; concessions £4. 11am-9pm Mon-Thurs; 11am-11pm Fri-Sat; 12noon-9pm Sun. More information about what’s on in Leicester this Christmas is available at christmasinleicester.co.uk

Leicestershire Police are calling for people to ‘get tough’ on drink drug drivers as they launch their month long winter campaign which will run throughout December. This campaign was launched this morning during a FATAL4 operation on St George’s Retail Park. Watch our news report In December 2018, Leicestershire Police officers made 122 drink and 33 drug drive arrests, this was 56% more than December 2017 which saw 78 drink and 21 drug drivers detained at the roadside. Just over half of December 2018 arrests were made in Leicester City (75) along with significant numbers in Charnwood (24), North West Leicestershire (16) and Hinckley and Bosworth (16). In addition, 39 of the total arrests were made following a road traffic collision and 37 were younger drivers, aged 25 or under. Chief Superintendent Martyn Ball, who is heading up the local drink drug drive campaign, said, “Driving while impaired, whether through drink or drugs, devastates lives. Sadly, each year drink and drugs are a contributory factor in death and serious injury on the UK’s roads. “Improved detection methods, and a change in the law, introduced four years ago have seen a rise on the number of drug drive arrests, a total of 173 people were arrested for drug driving in 2018 compared to 23 in 2015.” “Drivers should be aware that we patrol 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week to challenge drink drug drivers and bring them before the courts.” If you see someone who appears to be a drink or drug driverenter a vehicle to drive away, make a note of the registration plate and the direction of travel and call your local police on 101 or make a make a free and anonymous call to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111. #SafeRoadsLeics #LeicsPolice

The Lights are going up and the giant tree is in place at Leicester’s Clock Tower – and that can only mean one thing: the countdown to Christmas is well under way. With just two weeks to go before the Christmas lights are switched on, the city council and its partners are busy putting the finishing touches to Leicester’s packed programme of attractions and events. Amongst this year’s highlights are a spectacular real ice rink in Jubilee Square and the chance to meet Santa – free of charge – in his traditionally-decorated grotto in the new market square. There’s also a festive street food event to look forward to, a two-day Christmas fair in the city’s medieval Guildhall, and the opportunity to see Leicester’s twinkling Christmas lights from the top of a 110ft big wheel. And for those who love a good festive film, there’s a special treat this year as Leicester’s new market square hosts a free outdoor screening of the Christmas classic, City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Our Christmas programme should provide plenty of opportunities for families and friends to have fun together in Leicester city centre. “The real ice rink is back again, but this time there will be a new outdoor section for skaters to enjoy – so it’s bigger and better for 2019. “I hope that people will enjoy everything the city has to offer this Christmas, whether they’re skating on ice, shopping for gifts, having a meal, watching a show or simply enjoying Leicester’s fabulous Christmas lights.” The city council has spent an extra £50,000 this year replacing worn-out fixtures and fittings and updating the city’s stock of lights and decorations. The additional funding means there are brand new decorations for Silver Street, High Street and Cank Street this year. In total, around 20 city centre streets will be lit up for Christmas. All the decorations, including thousands of twinkling pea-lights on the Clock Tower Christmas tree, will be lit up at the big switch-on on Thursday 21 November. Both the tree and the switch-on event have been sponsored by Octopus Energy While Humberstone Gate will be the focus for the big switch-on, there will also be brass bands in Town Hall Square from 5pm, where visitors will be able to see a traditional nativity scene and an animated display of Woodland Tales. A special Christmas Canteen will open in the new market square at 12 noon, with a bar area and lots of tasty street food, while film fans will be able to enjoy a free outdoor screening of Elf at 4.30pm. Over on Humberstone Gate, a packed programme of entertainment will get under way at 5pm. BBC Radio Leicester’s Jimmy and Summaya will host the event, which will feature a performance by the Studio 79 dance group and music from 4th Avenue, Gareth John and The Platforms. There will also be a song from Antony Costa – the singer from Blue who will be appearing as Abanazar in De Montfort Hall’s Christmas pantomime, Aladdin – and he will be joined on the Humberstone Gate stage by BBC Radio Leicester’s Martin Ballard, who plays Widow Twankey in the panto that opens on 14 December. The panto stars will join the Lord Mayor of Leicester Cllr Annette Byrne for the big switch-on at 6.30pm. Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair said: “We hope that there will be something for everyone to enjoy in our packed programme of Christmas events. “From ice skating to Christmas crafts, there will be plenty of family-friendly activities taking place in Leicester this Christmas.” Full details of all the events taking place in Leicester this Christmas can be found at christmasinleicester.co.uk. A summary of Leicester’s Christmas events is set out below: From 15 November: The Wheel of Light. Jubilee Square Enjoy a bird’s eye view of Leicester’s Christmas lights from our 110-ft ferris wheel. Daily (closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) until 6 January. 11am-9pm Mon-Thurs; 11am-11pm Fri-Sat; 12noon-9pm Sun. 21 November: Christmas Lights switch-on: Sponsored by Octopus Energy Humberstone Gate and the Clock Tower Enjoy entertainment from the Platforms, 4thAvenue, Gareth John and a special performance by Blue’s Antony Costa on the main stage on Humberstone Gate. 5pm-8pm (Lights on at 6.30pm) 21 November: Christmas Canteen. New Market Square Enjoy tasty food and drink from some top local businesses. Bar available. 12 noon – 10.30pm (Christmas carols at 6.30pm) 21 November: Elf. New Market Square Enjoy a free outdoor screening of our favourite Christmas film, suitable for all the family. 4.30pm From 21 November: Traditional nativity scene and Woodland Tales. Town Hall Square See the story of Christmas and an animated tableau scene under the festive lights in Leicester’s historic Town Hall Square 21 November: Winter Galactical. St Peter’s Square, Highcross. Join Titan the Robot and the HighHeeled Spaceships in St Peter’s Square for some intergalactic fun 5pm-8pm From 22 November: Funfair. Humberstone Gate Family-friendly fairground rides in the heart of the city centre until 6 January 30 November-1 December: Christmas Fair. The Guildhall. Arts, crafts, gift ideas and locally-sourced food and drink. Admission £1 adults; children free. 11am-4pm From 5 December: Christmas Ice Rink. Jubilee Square Skate on our spectacular real ice rink, whatever the weather! Tickets from christmasinleicester.co.uk, Visit Leicester on Gallowtree Gate and the Jubilee Square box office. From 10am daily (11am on Mondays to Fridays until 20 December) until 5 January. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. From 7 December: Santa in the Square. New Market Square Visit Santa in his snow-covered grotto, every day until 22 December. Free admission – and free small gift for every child. Monday-Friday: 11am-6pm; Saturday: 11am-6pm; Sunday: 11am-4pm From 12 December: LightWeight. New Market Square Strike a pose at LightWeight, a giant shimmering globe featuring live animation, every day until 21 December. Presented by BidLeicester. 5pm-10pm Now open: The Jägerhaus. St Peter’s Square, Highcross Enjoy the finest festive food and drink at Leicester’s German-themed outside bar. Open daily from 10am-9pm until 28 December Christmas gift ideas at Visit Leicester on Gallowtree Gate: Book your tickets for Leicester’s real ice rink. Choose from a wide range of Leicester-themed gifts, including gorgeous hand-painted baubles and Christmas cards. Christmas shows in Leicester include: 23 November – 11 January: West Side Story. Curve28 November: The Nutcracker. Haymarket Theatre9-31 December: Giraffes Can’t Dance. Curve12 December: Sleeping Beauty. The Y Theatre13 December – 5 January: Robin Hood. Little Theatre14 December – 5 January: Aladdin. De Montfort Hall14 December: The Wizard of Oz. The Y Theatre17 December: Christmas Cabaret. The Y Theatre21 December: Jack’s Giant Adventure. The Y Theatre source : Leicester City