It's all go in December at The Station, Richmond's famous multi-activity venue!

The Station Cafe/Bar is offering a Christmas menu daily until the 21st: two-course, three-course and children's options, from 12:00 to 20:00. And there's a Christmas Tea offer, from 14:00 to 19:00 over the same period - a great way to get together with friends. (Maybe watch a film afterwards?) It's advance reservation only for these events, so call 01748 825967 to book! 

Then what about an evening of dining and jazz on Friday the 12th or Saturday the 13th? Combine a delicious two-course seasonal dinner with entertainment from the Joseph Carville trio. £30 pp (drinks extra) - same number as above.

Father Christmas will be on duty, with Mrs Claus, inside the Present Sorting Office, on selected dates until the 14th. This event is suitable for children aged 1-12. Timed slots must be booked, and the price includes a small gift. Visit Santa for details.

All round The Station, meanwhile, the ever-popular Spot on the Wall exhibition returns, with a fantastic range of original photos, paintings, sculptures, fabrics and crafts by talented local makers - and they're all for sale, so you can walk away with a special Christmas gift! Free entry, daily until 13 January.

The Station Cinema has its own programme of Christmas specials, of course. Polar Express, Andre Rieu in Concert, The Nutcracker (broadcast live from Covent Garden), It's a Wonderful Life - all these in addition to the Cinema's usual and varied programme of films.

​The Station - so much good stuff under one big roof!

Richmond Market Place will be packed with stalls, entertainments, fairground rides and more on 7 December, from 10:00 to 16:00.

Discover Santa's Grotto; bop along to the sounds of the Samba Band or the Ran Taners; hoot with laughter at the Mummers' Play; follow the delicious scents of the street food; join the Santa Fun Run. There'll be plenty to keep you and your family entertained and fed. And it's a great chance to snag some unusual Christmas gifts!

Away from the Market Place, you'll find festive activities for children at the Richmondshire Museum, a craft fair in the Town Hall, a huge selection of charity Christmas cards at Richmond Information Centre in the Market Hall, a Vintage Christmas pop-up show at The Station, and a performance of Christmas Concertos and Carols by the Richmond Chamber Orchestra (in Leyburn, but worth the trip!)

​More details at richmondchristmasfair on Facebook.

The panto at Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal is famous for all kinds of reasons: knitted toys being flung around the auditorium (footnote 1); Tunnock's Teacakes (footnote 2); and fabulously good, traditional, family-friendly pantos on the tiny stage.

This year's pantomime is Cinderella, which runs from 2 December to 10 January, with matinee and evening performances. There will be amazing song and dance routines, fantastic sets and special effects, huge amounts of laughter, plenty of audience participation, and lots of dreadful jokes and terrible puns. You can bet that every performance will be jam-packed, as always, so if you're planning to take a party do be sure to book right now! Six performances are already sold out.

Don't delay! Dust off your glass slippers today! Tickets and information are at the Georgian Theatre's website. 

(1) Knitted toys? Why? Why not! The reason is lost in the mists of history.

(2) Tunnock's Teacakes? Whether you love them or loathe them or have no idea what they are, you're likely to find them raining down on you. But why teacakes? Err - tradition?

We've sold more charity cards than ever this year, and we've still got plenty left. So if you've forgotten your Aunt Maisie, again, or you're simply running late, just pop down to Richmond information Centre. We have the best selection in Richmond, with cards from children's charities, health charities, welfare charities, military charities, animal charities, rescue charities... Here's a full list.

Whatever good causes you support, visit Richmond Information Centre in the Market Hall for a swift top-up. You'll be doing good, and at just £4.99 for a pack of up to 10 cards, you won't break the bank.

We're open daily, 10:00 - 16:00.

Yorkshire folklore, traditions, customs... Catherine Warr takes a deep dive into the quirks and quiddities of our curious old county. Her entertaining recent book on the subject covers all the Ridings (remember them?) and every day of the year. It promises to be a lively evening!

A Yorkshire Year is the latest talk in the Richmond Civic Society programme. It's at 19:30 on 19 November, in Richmond Methodist Church. Visitors are very welcome: tickets are £10 at the door.

Fruitcake and cheese - Yuck, or Yum? Most Yorkshire people would find the idea quite normal - it's  tradition. A slice of Bettys Christmas cake, and a wodge of Wensleydale... Definitely Yum! (And here's another tradition: Bettys is always printed without an apostrophe. Tradition, eh..?)

***The date of this talk has changed since being published in the print edition of Richmond What's On.***)

A quick reminder that our free, thrice-weekly guided walks are still going ahead, come rain, come shine!

Led by knowledgeable volunteers, these walks explore Richmond's Historic Centre in a gentle stroll of about an hour and a quarter. Learn the fascinating facts of this ancient town, and discover some of its nooks and crannies.

Walks start from the town's Victorian-era Market Hall, at 11:00 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Groups are limited to 10, so ideally you should book ahead - which you can do by phone, email, or by visiting Richmond Information Centre at the back of the Market Hall (open 10:00 - 16:00). Walks are free, but you are very welcome to make a donation to help keep our entirely volunteer-run Information Centre healthy.

You can find more information, and phone and email details, on our Free, guided town walks page. Enjoy!

PS: if you can't join a guided walk, the second-best solution is to pick up a town map, free of charge, at the Information Centre or the Town Hall (also on the Market Place). The map includes a short, self-guided Town Trail, which visits a number of the key sights of the town.

The Melsonby Hoard is an amazing collection of over 800 Iron Age metal artefacts from around 2,000 years ago. It was discovered to the north of Richmond in 2021, by a metal detectorist. It includes components from wagons and chariots, elaborate horse harnesses, ceremonial spears, and cauldrons, suggesting a highly developed society with international connections. One of the most significant Iron Age finds in the UK, it was secured for public display after a successful fundraising campaign.

At 7:30 on Wednesday 22 October, at Richmond Methodist Church, Prof. Tom Moore of Durham University, will give an illustrated presentation on the extraordinary find. Free to members of the Richmondshire Civic Society, £10 at the door for non-members.

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If you like opera, or think you might, Richmond's Station Cinema is the place to go. With comfortable seats, a big screen, top-quality sound, and the best performers in the world brought to you live from the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden you can't go wrong.

You've heard of 'Grand Opera'? It doesn't get any grander than Tosca, Puccini's high-emotion drama of love and betrayal, which screens at the Station Cinema on Wednesday 1 October.

You could buy train tickets to London, book into a city-centre hotel, and find seats at Covent Garden (except that they're all sold out). But why not save yourself several hundred pounds and stay local for a night of amazing entertainment right here in Richmond. Fabulous! Bring tissues!

Information and tickets here.