The 300-acre luxury private island is an oasis of peace and tranquillity and a veritable winter wonderland, offering breath-taking views of Loch Creran and the rugged Highlands.

With a packed schedule of Christmas festivities planned from 23rd to 27th December and five days of New Year celebrations from 29th December through to 2nd January 2018, Eriska has something for everyone this season. These seasonal getaways offer ample opportunity to relax on the beautiful estate and include a range of festive activities such as a traditional Christmas service at the local church, a black-tie dinner; a special New Year treasure hunt and a Ceilidh.

Christmas Day begins with a relaxed champagne breakfast, followed by light lunch and an optional carol service at the local church. The day ends with a sumptuous black-tie Christmas dinner, created by Conor Toomey in the hotel's gourmet restaurant.

Guests can welcome 2018 in true Scottish style with a Ceilidh and a spectacular Hogmanay firework display over the sea. A series of optional activities will take place over the New Year period, including the annual Eriska treasure hunt, Highland Games and the first Open Golf Championship of the year on the resort's stunning nine-hole course. For those wanting to return to the dance floor, the inimitable Paddy Shaw and his Scottish Country Dance Band will be entertaining guests in the Drawing Room on New Year's Day.

Famed for its locally-sourced food, guests can indulge in beautifully prepared, exclusive menus, designed by Head Chef, Conor Toomey. Fish is sourced from the surrounding waters, meat from the nearby hills and game is supplied by a variety of local gamekeepers. Inspired vegetarian alternatives drawn from the hotel's gardens and larders are always available.

A ceramic poppy garden has been unveiled at Tipton library, one of a number of Remembrance events held in the borough.

Scores of Tipton library-goers and local school pupils have been making the ceramic poppies as part of a project  called Tipton Remembers.

It was organised by library staff and the local history group in partnership with Ceramic Arts and Creative Black Country – who have been running special poppy-making workshops.

Wednesbury poet laureate, Brendan Hawthorne opened the event by blowing a whistle – the signal for men to go ‘over the top’, leaving the safety of the trenches and heading into battle – and performed a selection of World War l-themed poems. Sandwell Mayor, Councillor Ahmadul Haque MBE, cut a ribbon with St Paul's Church of England Academy pupils Nicole and Ibrahim, to officially open the poppy garden.

The garden takes pride of place underneath the library’s memorial boards which list the names of the local soldiers killed in the Great War, and will be on permanent display.

Councillor Haque, said: “I am honoured to unveil this commemorative ceramic poppy garden which has been created by local people and pupils from St Paul’s Academy.

“The garden is now going to be on permanent display and is a fitting reminder of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in The Great War.”

A number of the ceramic poppies which have been made are for sale at the library during the next two weeks.

City of Wolverhampton Council has secured a £681,000 boost from the European Regional Development Fund to develop a ‘Garden City’ at Bilston Urban Village.

The Bilston Urban Village project ties in with the Garden City concept commissioned by the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

It will see up to 450 homes built by private developers on former brownfield land, connected by around 14 hectares of land designated for public open space and nature conservation.

New artist’s impressions show how the Bilston Urban Village ‘Garden City’ concept will work.

The remainder of the £1.5 million needed for the Bilston Urban Village Open Space Development Strategy will be funded from £156,000 Section 106 private sector money already secured from developers, and council investment.

A contractor to deliver the open space development strategy will be announced before the end of the year.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “The Garden City concept provides an exciting opportunity to help promote investment in the Black Country.

“A major positive is that it not only focuses on the number of houses but also puts quality housing and developing vibrant communities at its core.

“Bilston Urban Village is a prime example of this and we are delighted to receive this European funding to help fulfil our ambitions.”

A Steering Group for the Bilston Urban Village Open Space Development Strategy is in place, consisting of City of Wolverhampton Council, Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, Canal & River Trust, University of Wolverhampton, local residents, the Land Trust, and Ormiston South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy.

The aim is to improve biodiversity and recreation, with works to include developing a network of paths for walking and cycling, clearing overgrown trees and shrubs, and providing fencing to properly define and protect areas.

Work will also be undertaken to significantly improve the nature conservation value of the sites. This will involve a range of activity such as woodland management, development of ground flora, meadow creation, tree planting, hedge planting, development of the attenuation pond, possible creation of a community orchard, provision of bird and bat boxes, and actions to increase biodiversity along the edges of the canal.

All this will lead to a significant enhancement of the open spaces within Bilston Urban Village, and it is proposed, on completion of the works, to declare the open space sites a Local Nature Reserve (LNR).

The multi-million pound Hornsey Town Hall development will include 11 social rented homes paid for by the developers, following robust negotiations by Haringey Council.

Developers FEC Crouch End Ltd agreed today (Wednesday 15 November) that they will cover the costs of building the homes as part of the landmark development of the Grade II* listed building in the heart of Crouch End.

The commitment also means the council will be able to invest its land receipt in building at least 15 additional affordable homes at other locations in the west of the borough – bringing the total number of affordable homes made possible by the Town Hall development to more than 25.

The pledge from FEC comes after weeks of strong negotiations and follows an earlier announcement that the Hornsey Town Hall planning application had been amended to include affordable housing.

Part of the Broadway Annexe element of the multi-million-pound restoration of the Town Hall site will be ring-fenced for the new social homes. The council will now explore how best to invest its land receipt from the sale of the site into further units on other sites.

The council has also negotiated a “review mechanism” with the developers, meaning that the viability of the scheme will be reviewed when the development is close to completion and any additional contribution negotiated at that stage will also be used to deliver even more off-site affordable housing.

Exciting proposals for the redevelopment of the Town Hall include £30million investment in restoring the Art Deco landmark – removing it from Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register – and delivering a new arts centre, café and community spaces and hotel alongside a refurbished Town Hall Square designed in partnership with local residents.

Cllr Alan Strickland, Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning, said:

“We’ve been pressing the developers hard to cover the costs of affordable housing as part of their plans for Hornsey Town Hall, and I’m absolutely delighted that they’ve listened.

“We’ve been clear that our priority for Hornsey Town Hall has always been to see this beautiful building brought back into long-term sustainable use for future generations to enjoy. The redevelopment proposals show how the Town Hall could once again be the beating heart of Crouch End, with a new arts centre, café and community space.

“To have affordable homes sit alongside this is a tremendous bonus. I’m delighted also that FEC’s commitment to covering the costs means we will have more money to invest in further much-needed affordable housing at other locations in the west of the borough.”

Planning proposals will come before the council’s planning committee in December.

Christmas at the Valley is back and set to be even better than last year - with loads of fun for families including a Christmas circus.

For the second year in a row Sandwell Valley in West Bromwich will host the Christmas event throughout December.

Families can visit Santa's grotto, see the reindeer and take part in Christmas crafts. There will also be festive food and drinks, a small funfair, a Christmas shop and a treasure hunt.

This year, in addition to these festivities, families are set to be wowed by a Christmas circus. Shows will run throughout the day and include death-defying stunts like the wheel of death.

Christmas at the Valley runs every day from Saturday 2 December right up until Christmas Eve. Sandwell Park Farm will at open 10am to 6pm on weekends and 10am to 5pm on weekdays with last entry at 4pm during weekends and 3pm during the week. Tickets for Christmas Eve are already sold out.

Admission is £11 for children aged between two and 11 who want to see Santa in his grotto. Admission for children under two is £5, for adults and children aged 12 and over is £7 and £4 for over 60s. Admission for over 12s does not include a visit to the grotto.

Offering a cosy place to stay without the numbness of waking to an empty house; a comforting homemade meal and a festive party with none other than Aled Jones MBE as the turkey carver.

These are just some of the ways in which national older people’s housing and care charity The Abbeyfield Society is looking at tackling loneliness in people aged 55 and over as the Christmas countdown begins in earnest.

Sadly, an estimated 500,000 older people are expected to spend Christmas alone in the UK.

Launching on Thursday November 16 was Abbeyfield’s annual Companionship at Christmas campaign which offers older people affected by loneliness the chance to share physical, emotional and spiritual warmth during the festive period and beyond.

Up and down the country, Abbeyfield houses will open their door providing free overnight stays, meals and entertainment.

Abbeyfield patron Aled Jones will be bringing Christmas early to the charity’s Victoria House in Kew, London Borough of Richmond, on Monday November 27 where he will be supporting the campaign with a Christmas sing along for residents and older people living alone in South West London.

The popular singer and presenter will also be helping carve the turkey at a Christmas lunch Abbeyfield are hosting in County Durham for 100 older people living alone in North East England on Tuesday, November 28 at The Kingslodge Inn, Durham City, County Durham.

Aled Jones, MBE, said: “I’m very much looking forward to sharing an early Christmas with Abbeyfield residents and getting into the Christmas spirit!  Christmas is a time of love and sharing and no one should be alone at Christmas.”

Abbeyfield chief executive David McCullough said: “The Christmas build up resonates with excitement and celebration for many of us, yet it’s a time when older people can feel at their most isolated and alone. Their usual clubs or activities close down for Christmas, relatives are dotted across the UK far away from them and feelings of bereavement for lost loved ones is amplified at a time when families traditionally come together.

“Abbeyfield was founded over 60 years ago in response to the crippling loneliness endured by a forgotten generation of older people. That ethos continues today with campaigns such as Companionship at Christmas as Abbeyfield continues to enrich the lives of older people and make their later years happy, easy and more fulfilled.

“If you or anyone you know is worried about being alone over Christmas, please do get in touch with Abbeyfield and join in the free Christmas events and celebrations happening across the country over the festive period.”

Now in its eighth year, Companionship at Christmas has offered a lifeline of warmth and friendship to thousands of older people at Christmas, such as 83-year-old pensioner, Ron Hoverd who lives on the Isle of Wight.

He and his wife Mary were inseparable during their 45-years of marriage. The former RAF corporal was at Mary’s bedside when she died. Her death left him devastated and struggling to cope.

Ron said: “I couldn’t have had a better woman which made losing her so difficult. I watched her die, which was heart-breaking. After the funeral I reached rock bottom and was struggling to get by. I was so lonely. Mornings were the worst. Everything was so quiet. No one to say good morning to and waking up to the emptiness of the house.”

For Ron, who has no immediate family, Christmas was one of the most difficult times.

“There’s nothing worse than being on your own at Christmas,” he said. “You know you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself, but you’re sat there by yourself, wishing the day would end.

Age UK put Ron in touch with his local Abbeyfield House in Cowes, where staff invited him to join them for Christmas Day lunch. Since then, Ron has become a regular at Abbeyfield Clifton House. An avid gardener, he volunteers to help make sure the house’s grounds bloom and enjoys a homemade lunch several times a week. But more importantly, he thrives from having the company of other around him.

“It’s a lifesaver from my point of view. It means so much having Abbeyfield there.”