Birmingham’s internationally renowned Frankfurt Christmas Market returns to the city for five weeks from tomorrow.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Anne Underwood, will officially open the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Victoria Square on Thursday, 16 November at 5.30pm – before she switches on the city’s festive lights.

The Frankfurt Christmas Market – which celebrates its 18th year in the city – is organised by Birmingham City Council in partnership with Frankfurt Tourism and Congress GmBH, and sponsored by Fortem.

The Lord Mayor said: “This is one of the most anticipated events in Birmingham’s calendar, drawing millions of visitors to the city, and for many it marks the start of the festive season. Therefore it’s a great honour to officially welcome the Frankfurt Christmas Market back to the city.”

The Frankfurt Christmas Market features 93 festive stalls in Victoria Square and New Street selling a wide range of products and tempting foods, plus live performances on the bandstand and music from Free Radio – it has become the biggest authentic German market outside Austria and Germany.

The Lord Mayor will also attend the launch of the big wheel and ice rink at Eastside Green, New Canal Street, on 15 November at 6pm. These have moved to this location as refurbishment work continues on Centenary Square.

Both attractions will be open from 16 November until 7 January, from 10am to 10pm. Ice rink sessions are on the hour and last an hour. Tickets can be booked in advance at www.iceskatebirmingham.co.uk

Birmingham is one of 11 UK locations supporting NSPCC’s Light Up Christmas for Children campaign in their festive displays. The lights around Victoria Square will showcase their campaign, which is raising money to enable the charity to be there for every young person who desperately needs support.

Visitors are being reminded to use public transport wherever possible, as important works continue as part of the well-publicised Paradise redevelopment.

Magical yuletide markets, grottos, light shows and craft workshops will be on offer at the Treasure Houses of England – a consortium of historic estates including Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood House, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle, and Woburn Abbey.

Highlights include:

Beaulieu – Step back in time to 1889 to join the Montagu family, played by costumed actors, as they rehearse a Christmas Day pantomime and visitors are invited to join them on stage. Then join Lady Montagu in the Library for craft activities to make your own Christmas card or sparkling tree decorations. Meet Lord Montagu's cook as she prepares the Christmas feast, see a Christmas tree in every room and enjoy carols and punch by the fire. At the entrance to Beaulieu, take your photo with the life-size gingerbread house before following the magical path lit by fairy lights down to Palace House. The event runs on December 9th -10th and then from December 16th-January 1st. Please note the attraction will be closed on 25th December.

Blenheim Palace – Marvel as Blenheim Palace's Formal gardens are lit up in a rainbow of colour during an unforgettable after-dark festive trail of lights. The lake will be aglow with brightly-lit boats and dancing fountain jets, the arbour will be adorned with fairy lights, and fibre optics will transform the hedgerows – helping to create a magical wonderland. The event runs from November 24 – January 1. Closed 25th December.

Burghley – Food markets with a difference! Come and meet over 30 local suppliers at Burghley's biggest ever 4 day festive celebration of local produce. With handmade cheeses, artisan breads, organic vegetables, luxury sweet treats and rare breed meats. In the Courtyard from 9am to 4pm on Thursday 23rd November - Sunday 26th November. Free admission.

Castle Howard – A host of angels will descend on Castle Howard's grand state rooms to spectacular effect in Angels on High – set to be particularly special during candlelit twilight visits over the weekend of December 16 and 17. Throughout the festive season, 18 November - 23 December, visitors will be treated to live music around the house, seasonal menus, lit fires, indoor markets and Christmas goodies in the shop. For younger visitors, there will also be a Magical Christmas Garden, Audience with Father Christmas, Enchanted Evening with Father Christmas, a soaring Christmas tree and the return of Bompas & Parr's Gingerbread Castle Howard.

Wood Green war memorial is looking fresh ahead of this weekend’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations, thanks to the Armed Forces – with a bit of help from Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen.

Flt Lt Will Brookes – chairman of Armed Forces Spurs – organised a clean-up of the monument, and took 13 other serving troops and veterans from the Navy, Army and RAF along with him.

The group – all from Armed Forces Spurs supporters’ group – travelled from across the country to pitch in alongside midfielder Eriksen, picking up leaves and scrubbing the monument, erected in 1920 to commemorate local soldiers who died in the First World War.

Flt Lt Brookes said:

As a supporters’ group we get to go on the pitch at games, we get to see players, we have the glamour, but we wanted to do something for the local area and get the memorial in shape for Remembrance Day. We wanted to come here and give a fitting tribute to these names on the memorial, of those who gave their lives for their country, and their families.

The Mayor of Haringey, Cllr Stephen Mann, went to meet the troops and show his support as Eriksen and Flt Lt Brookes laid wreaths at the site.

The Mayor – a former Navy serviceman – said of the clean-up:

The fact that these servicemen and women want to volunteer their free time, in between serving our country, speaks volumes about the people they are. It was an honour to meet the troops ahead of Remembrance Day. Their work at the memorial means that we in Wood Green continue to have a fitting tribute, where we can always remember the local heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in war.

Christmas dinner catastrophes, a spaghetti-covered baby and a dinner which went less than plain sailing are all in the running to win the UK’s best dinner time disaster competition.

To celebrate the launch of its new dining and living room collection, furniture specialist, ScS, is asking people to submit photos and stories of their funniest foodie fails and mealtime mess-ups and has already received a heap of hilarious entries.

The competition will crown the nation’s best dinner time disaster and the lucky winner will receive a new dining table and four chairs.

Simon Nicholson, Furniture Buying Director at ScS, said: “Meal times provide a great opportunity to bring the family together, whether it’s to chat about your day, share a giggle or get something off your chest. But family dinners don’t always go to plan and can result in some hilarious situations and fond family memories!

“We launched our Dinner Time Disasters competition to celebrate quality family time and the hilarious blunders and mishaps that often come with sitting down to enjoy a family meal. We’ve received some fantastic entries so far and can’t wait to see more.”

The Library of Birmingham’s role in supporting innovation and creativity was praised during a visit by the Government’s arts minister.

During a tour of the iconic venue, John Glen MP, heard how the library is a centre of excellence for literacy, research, creativity and entrepreneurship

Mr Glen visited the library’s Business, Learning and Intellectual Property Centre, which provides support for entrepreneurs and inventors, including free legal advice on how to protect and develop their ideas.

Last month the Library of Birmingham secured funding from Enterprise for Success, which will enable its business support and advice services to be expanded in community libraries across the city.

The arts minister was also shown the Shakespeare Memorial Room, which houses part of the city’s Shakespeare collection – the world’s largest in a public library - before moving onto Archives – which received its National Archive accreditation this week.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism John Glen said: "Libraries are so important to local communities, not only as places for people to access books and technology, but where they can also learn new skills. The Library of Birmingham is a great example of this and I have been very impressed with the services available to support local entrepreneurs and inventors."

Cllr Brigid Jones, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The Library of Birmingham is one the city’s iconic cultural institutions, so this was a great opportunity to show the minister around this world-class library."

Last year the Library of Birmingham welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors through its doors, making it the busiest public library in the UK.