POTPOURRI

FELINE fans should get down to Ottakars In Kendal on Tuesday (November 22) for a double helping of cat tales. Author Marilyn Edwards will be reading from her latest offering, Cats Of Hutton Roof while Deborah Coates will be reading extracts from Cats Haiku. Both authors will be doing signings and taking questions from the crowds. Starts 6.30pm. The evening includes a glass of wine.

DUST down your dancing shoes and trip the light fantastic at the Coronation Hall, Ulverston, today (Friday). Those wanting to indulge in a spot of old-style glamour should head for "Let's Dance!" and a bit of ballroom. Doors open 8pm.

POEM and a pint goes rural tomorrow (Saturday) with a gig at Greenodd Village Hall. Four slots are available for six local poets who fancy joining four of the best from the Wordsworth Trust Matthew Hollis, Becky O'Connor, Neil Rollinson and Hamish Robinson. Starts 7.30pm.

Bag an early festive bargain at a Christmas market which is being held at Carver Church Hall, Windermere, tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am-12pm.

ENJOY an energetic evening of exciting Latin dancing at a Salsa Dance Party and performance at Whoop Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale on Tuesday (November 22) from 7pm-11.30pm.

CELEBRATE National Tree Week at Grizedale Forest Park on Wednesday (November 23). The park is hosting a range of arboreal activities including tree identification workshops, tree planting sessions and craft activities. For details, call 01229-860010.

LADYHOLME Community Centre, Lake Road, Windermere, is hosting a charity Christmas Fair, tomorrow (Saturday) from 10.30am-3pm.

THE annual Kendal Mountain Film Festival continues this weekend featuring a variety of exciting high-altitude events at venues across the town. For full programme details, visit www.mountainfilm.co.uk THERE will be festive fun and fireworks led by Father Christmas tomorrow (Saturday). Santa will lead the children's lantern procession from Waterhead at 2pm, arriving at Market Cross to switch on the lights at around 4pm. There will be numerous attractions and events going on throughout the day including charity stalls, live music and street theatre. There will also be a spectacular fireworks display at around 5.30pm.

CONCERTS

UKRAINIAN male voice choir the Boyan Ensemble of Kiev will be performing at Cartmel Priory tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. For details, call 015395-34026.

WESTMORLAND Youth Orchestra and Ulverston Victoria High School Swing Band will be performing in concert at the Coronation Hall, Ulverston, tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. For details, call 01229-587140.

WEST Lakeland Orchestra will be celebrating it's 25th anniversary with a special concert at the Palladium, Millom, on Saturday (November 19) at 7.30pm. The programme includes pieces from Mozart and Bizet and also features soprano Anne Willie and baritone Chris Gully. Tickets are available on the door.

ALT-COUNTRY fans can treat themselves to a double helping of fine music from Nick Harper and Canadian Leeroy Stagger at The Brickyard, Carlisle, tomorrow (Saturday). For details, call 01228-512220.

K SHOES Male Voice Choir will be performing at a special coffee morning at Kendal Town Hall today (Friday) until 12pm.

AMABILE Girls' Choir will be performing in the Assembly Room at Kendal Town Hall tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on the door.

TROMBONIST David Price will be performing in concert at Christ Church, Skipton, tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm.

DROP into the People's Hall, Sedbergh for some super sounds from local DJ Andi Chapple. Sound Land - A sonic response to the surrounding landscape runs from 2pm-10pm and features sound artist Jonathan Coleclough.

TAKE a musical journey from Senegal to Sumatra at the Platform, Morecambe, tonight (Friday) at 8pm. The Heatwave Project features renowned Senegalese Kora player Seckou Keita. For details, call 01524-582803.

APPLEBY Public Hall is hosting a performance by the Mezin Trio on Sunday (November 20) at 7.30pm. For their first visit to Appleby the Mezin Trio will be playing pieces by Haydn, Shostakovich, and Brahms. Tickets are available on the door.

ENJOY some traditional British folk songs at Brigsteer Village Hall on Wednesday (November 23) at 7.30pm. The Singing Islands features a selection of traditional folk songs and tunes played on a wide variety of historical instruments. For details, call 015395-68252.

EXHIBITIONS

A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition of some of the worlds most famous people is on show at the Lancaster City Museum. Legends features the work of renowned photographer, and former resident photographer with BBC TV's Top of the Pops, Harry Goodwin and includes shots of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and sporting heroes such as George Best, Mohammed Ali and David Beckham. Legends runs until December 23.

BARROW Dock Museum is hosting a new exhibition aimed at three to four year olds based on the Wriggly Stories concept. Art for All features artwork hung at a suitable height for children with labels giving the story of the piece in simple language and another with ideas for activities related to the art work. Art for All runs until December 11.

A NEW exhibition from one of Britain's leading potters Edward de Waal is on show at Blackwell the Arts and Crafts House, Bowness. The exhibition was inspired by the design of Blackwell and the pieces will be exhibited throughout the house as a series of installations. The exhibition runs until December 31. For details, call 015394-46139. The artist himself will be giving a talk on his inspirations and methods on Thursday (November 17) at 6.30pm.

A NEW exhibition of painted landscapes by Jonathan Trotman and Alison Critchlow is on show at Pinfold Gallery, Bowness until November 27. For details, call 015394-42929 THE Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston is hosting a new photographic exhibition with a 43 metre-wide photograph of Preston North End's Deepdale Stadium as it's centrepiece. Temporal Landscapes runs until November 13.

A NEW exhibition of paintings has opened at Farfield Mill, Sedbergh. Poetic Images by Jane Lewis features the paintings, inspired by the early Italian Renaissance, which have been used for the covers of Bloodaxe poetry books. Still Life by Mira Bogicevic reflects the cultural influences of Serbia on the development of the artist. Runs until November 23. For details, call 015396-21958.

ABBOT Hall is hosting a new exhibition examining the relationship between drawing and printmaking. Drawing on Copper and Stone includes a wide variety of powerful etched portraits by Freud and Auerbach alongside early iconic works by David Hockney and a selection of dark and humorous etchings from Rego. Runs until December 16. For details, call 01539-722464.

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art is hosting British Art Show 6 one of the UK's most important exhibitions of contemporary art featuring paintings, video installations and performances from 50 artists. Runs until January 8. For details, call 0191-487-1810.

ART lovers can catch the work of Martin Greenland, Ron Ablewhite, Heather Davies, Patricia Haskey Knowles and Tim Pavey at the Finestra Gallery, Kirkby Lonsdale. The show, Where Borders Meets, runs until Sunday (Nov 20).

VISITORS to a new exhibition at the Museum of Lancashire, Preston, will come face to face with a genuine Egyptian mummy as they explore the role played by animals in the ancient civilisation. Beasts of the Nile tells the story of animals in Ancient Egypt and features a range of objects on loan from the British Museum including textiles, pottery and a 3,000-year-old mummified cat.

THEATRE

SPEND an evening with the undead inhabitants of 2030 New York at Vampires Rock, a tongue in cheek musical comedy at the Lancaster Grand Theatre tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday (November 20) at 7.30pm. For details, call 01524-64695.

PROTEIN Dance present a new innovative show at the Charter Theatre, Preston, on Tuesday (November 22). Big Sale is an irreverent tour through the media world saturated with adverts, politics and cheap entertainment. For details, call 01772-258858.

HERON Theatre, Beetham is hosting an adaptation of Henry James' controversial novel The Turn of the Screw tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. For details, call 015395-62776.

THE Dukes autumn season continues with The Accrington Pals by Peter Whelan, the story of the importance of community and comradeship among the women who left behind to cope with the First World War on the home front while the men are fighting at the Somme. The Accrington Pals runs until November 19. For details, call 01524-598500.