Dear Editor,

Christmas is a precious time for many families, but even more so for many of your readers who may be cherishing every moment they get to spend with a beloved family member living with a terminal illness.

In fact this year, more than one million people in the UK are expected to be supporting a loved one who has a terminal illness over Christmas, while facing the possibility that this could be their last together.

Caring for someone at home can be a very rewarding but also an isolating experience. For some, it will be the first Christmas without their Mum, Dad, husband, wife or partner, which can also be a very difficult time.

People often say that they don’t know where to turn to and don’t know what help is available to them, which is why I am writing to tell you about our free, confidential Support Line – 0800 090 2309, which offers practical information and emotional support about any aspect of terminal illness, as well as offering bereavement support too.

To help everyone who may need us during the festive period, our Support Line will be open from Sunday 24th December – Tuesday 2nd January.

Support Line open hours:

24 December (10am-4pm)

25-26 December (10am-2pm)

27-29 December (8am-6pm)

30 December (11am-5pm)

31 December (10am -4pm)

1 January (10am-2pm)

2 January (8am-6pm)

If you are in need of support, or have any questions about any aspect of terminal illness, the Marie Curie Information & Support Line – 0800 090 2309 - is here for you and can help you make the most of Christmas with your loved ones.

Additionally, our trained Support Line Officers are also on hand to offer support via our online chat service at mariecurie.org.uk/support.

With best wishes,

Joanna Stradling

General Manager for the Midlands at  Marie Curie

An array of talented children from Hallfield School in Edgbaston are to perform at The Crescent Theatre in Birmingham over the Christmas break.

The eight children aged between eight and twelve will be performing in ‘Wind in the Willows’ at the theatre until Friday 22 December.

Former Hallfieldian Tobias Ishaque – who is now at King Edwards School in Birmingham - stars as Toad. He is ably supported by current Hallfield pupils Meher Gazi in Year 5, Laila Mahate in Year 6, Thalia Pigadas in Year 6 and Sophia Ishaque in Year 4 as well as recent leavers Zachary Mukwamba, Lamees Mahate and Harrison Osborne.

The production will be produced by DramaLink Theatre Company, a project which links young people through Drama.

Liz Piddock, Creator & Artistic Director of DramaLink, said: “We are grateful to have the support of Hallfield School not only for the provision of rehearsal space, but also for providing such talented children to be prominent members of the cast.

“Children from across Birmingham are joining together in this outreach community project. The theatre company makes no charge to it’s actors and thus provides actor training and wonderful theatre experience to everyone involved.”

2018 will mark 250 years of the modern circus, with performances, exhibitions and activities set to take place throughout the UK to mark the anniversary.

And it's all down to Philip Astley, who was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, in Staffiordshire, in 1742.

Astley, the son of a Staffordshire cabinetmaker, grew up to become a master equestrian, entrepreneur, war hero, pioneer and showman.  In 1768, having acquired “Ha'Penny Hatch” - a small piece of land on the south bank of the Thames between London Bridge and Westminster Bridge - he opened a riding school, creating performances and then developing the 42-foot diameter circus ring.  This remains the standard-size ring used in circus across the world to this day.

Bringing together acrobats, clowns and trick riders in a 42-foot diameter ring, for over 40 years, Philip Astley entertained both high society and the general public with a series of acts that combined risky and tense displays of skill with comic relief.  Astley himself was at the heart of these performances, simultaneously riding up to three horses while performing ever-more daring tricks.  The 'original' ringmaster, it is believed that the traditional military style wear of the 'ringmaster also stems from Astley.

Astley's Amphitheatre - and his promotional skills - captured the public's imagination.  Building on his success, Astley toured across Europe and had particular success in Paris, performing for Louis XV at Versailles.

The Philip Astley Project has been formed to celebrate the man himself in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and beyond.

Thanks to National Lottery money, and sponsorship from businesses based in North Staffordshire, locals and visitors alike will be able to get involved in workshops, talks, an exhibition, and performances throughout 2018.

Performances, exhibitions and activities will also be taking place throughout the UK to mark this important anniversary.

Newcastle-under-Lyme is one of six key locations identified by the national Circus 250 network. The Philip Astley Project is co-ordinating activities, and is working closely with local and national partners, including the V&A Museum in London and the New Vic Theatre's 'Circus Past, Present and Future' project, supported by Arts Council England.

A local artist will be commissioned to develop a new town centre trail in Newcastle-under-Lyme that includes both historical sites and new art work, illustrating highlights from Astley's incredible life.  Launching in June 2018, it will be possible to pick-up free copies of the trail, be guided by volunteer storytellers, and revel in the circus atmosphere when town centre businesses decorate their windows - taking inspiration from iconic circus posters.

In May 2018, the town will bring an array of circus performers to town centre bars and pubs for drinkers to watch while they enjoy Astley Ale or Tightrope Tequila!

There will also be film-shows; and talks, held from now up to September 2018, and led by Andrew Van Buren and other key figures from the circus industry, will help to illustrate the importance of Astley's ongoing legacy.

From May, visitors to the town's Brampton Museum will be able to discover more about Astley's connection to Newcastle-under-Lyme, learn about his early life, and explore how this might have influenced his later career during a three-month exhibition.

And on Saturday August 4 2018 – the highlight in a year-long calendar of events - there will be an opportunity to celebrate Philip Astley in Lyme Valley Park during the AstleyFest - a free festival, with performances, exhibitions and activities aimed at inspiring everyone to get involved.

In the lead up to Christmas, the independent crime-fighting charity, Crimestoppers, is today appealing to the public for information on those making, buying or selling counterfeit banknotes.

Washroom advertising is being placed in various pubs and clubs around the area to compliment extensive social media activity, including at The Canalside in Gas Street, The O Bar in Broad Street and The White Swan in Church Street, to help maximise exposure.

In the first half of 2017, over 237,000 worthless counterfeit banknotes with a notional value of over £4.88 million were removed from the UK’s streets.

While less than 0.05% of notes in circulation are counterfeit, this is not a victimless crime. Many retailers, businesses, schools, charities and the elderly have been conned out of money using fake notes.

Christmas is a time when more cash changes hands, especially £20 and £50 notes, and fraudsters take advantage of the festive season by targeting busy shops with temporary staff.

Incidents include scammers tricking innocent members of the public into swapping fake £20 notes for two genuine £10 notes, and businesses being left out of pocket if they take a counterfeit note.

Counterfeit notes are also known to be linked to serious and organised criminal gangs. One gang was sentenced to over three years’ imprisonment for the manufacture of £320,000 worth of fake notes. In another more recent case, three men were prosecuted after £40,000 of fake notes were found in a Kent property that was also used to supply cannabis.

As well as raising public awareness of fake banknotes, in October Crimestoppers partnered with the Bank of England to launch the Banknote Checking Scheme. Aimed at cash-handling businesses, it promotes banknote checking at point of sale through targeted training, with the aim of reducing the number of counterfeit notes being accepted.

Celebrate Chinese New Year at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire on 17 February 2018. For the first time in its 300 year history the UNESCO World Heritage Site will be transformed with traditional Chinese decorations and entertainment.

Enjoy a traditional Double Guan Yin Chinese Lion dance accompanied by a drummer and tuck in to some delicious Chinese street food from a variety of stalls in the Great Court.

Don't miss out on special photos and meet-and-greet opportunities with the lion, then venture into the Palace to warm up and discover the magnificent Great Hall festooned with strings of Chinese lanterns.

The Chinese New Year celebration is a festival for family, where Chinese people get together a make the most of family time. In China, traditionally wherever they are, people come home to celebrate the festival with their families. The New Year's Eve dinner is called 'reunion dinner', and is believed to be the most important meal of the year.

Visitors to Blenheim Palace can dine in The Orangery Restaurant to have their own Reunion Dinner as they enjoy the festivities of this wonderful cultural occasion.

Kate Ballenger, House Manager says: “After winning the Great China Welcome Award this year we looked to see what else we could offer at the palace to celebrate other cultures. Chinese New Year is set to be incredibly exciting.”

Forget the traditional roast turkey this Christmas: hungryhouse.co.uk has revealed what thousands of Brits will really be chowing down on this Christmas Day – and it’s not what you think.

Based on thousands of orders from Christmas 2016, the online food-ordering platform reveals that pizza is officially the most popular Christmas Day takeaway, with hungryhouse selling one every seven seconds last year. Margherita, meat feast and Hawaiian top the list of most popular toppings.

Next on the list of most-loved festive food is chicken with nearly a third (29%) of orders on December 25^th. Burgers come third at 20% and Indian food fourth (11%) – with Korma, Biryani and Tikka Masala proving most popular.

Those with more adventurous taste will be opting for Lebanese (6%), sushi (5%) or Persian (3%) this coming yuletide, according to the extensive data revealed by hungryhouse.

The statistics also show we’re a divided nation when it comes to our festive food choices, with those in Yorkshire (58%) and the North-East (31%) opting for burgers above anything else. It’s all-about-Italian for those in the south east (67%), south west (55%) and London (67%).

Scotland is revealed as the only region fanatical about Chinese food with nearly a quarter (24%) ordering it on Christmas Day 2016; other regions kicked the cuisine to the kerb, with only 2% of orders from the rest of the UK opting for the oriental food.

UK Top 10 Christmas Day Takeaways

1)    Pizza & Italian (31%)

2)    Chicken (29%)

3)    Burgers (20%)

4)    Indian (11%)

5)    Chinese (8%)

6)    Lebanese (6%)

7)    Kebab (5%)

8)    Sushi & Japanese (5%)

9)    Thai (4%)

10) Persian (3%)