On the agenda: Goodnight John Boy. Good night Elizabeth. Good night Mary Ellen. Good night diplodocus
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Fancy shifting some of that festive flab? Waltz over to the Royal Festival Hall today for its Strictly Christmas Ballroom demonstration. It's free, and thanks to a series of classes before the main event – the Southbank Centre Tea Dance, at 3pm – you can work through your rusty dance moves with resident expert Nicky Miles. And if all that sounds too much like hard work, there's always celebrities skidding around on ice on TV to look forward to. From 12pm, southbankcentre.co.uk; 'Dancing on Ice' begins this month on ITV
Adam Jacques
Fashion
Personally, the thought of braving the elements in a stretch-denim crop top makes me want to kill myself, but this namby-pamby attitude just won't cut it if you're serious about style. The spring collections are upon us, and some of the finest new-season offerings come from Jonathan Saunders, whose fourth collection for Topshop launches on 20 January. Tailored denim comes in a sober palette of acid wash and battered khaki, and Saunders' signature body-con silhouette. The bustier and matching skirt, as well as the digital-print jersey dress, are sure to cause queues – even if you will have to accessorise with a thermal vest. topshop.com
Harriet Walker
Kids
Combine a child's love of sleepovers with a dinosaur obsession and what do you get? A night at the (Natural History) museum, complete with dino gallery torch tours, film screenings and a live bug show as part of its "Dino Snores" evenings from 16 January. It's likely to sell out in a flash, so if the idea of a midnight snuggle-down around an 85ft diplodocus appeals, book now. £45 per child, minimum of five children per booking, adults free; nhm.ac.uk
AJ
Books
Anyone who missed the fantastically irreligious Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People at London's Bloomsbury Theatre before Christmas (or should that be winter solstice?) will be happy later this month to get their hands on Afterglow of Creation by Marcus Chown – one of the performers at the Christ-free cabaret. Fans of its compere, Robin Ince, will have to wait a bit longer to see him in print. His Book Club: One Man's Quest to Uncover the Books that Time Forgot will be published by Sphere in July.
Katy Guest
Film
Christmas may have come and gone, but not everyone seems ready to give up that festive feeling. Upscale London hotel The Berkeley has transformed its rooftop terrace into a rather fabulous film-screening experience, complete with pine trees, cushioned seats, creature comforts (hot-water bottles, mince pies and hot chocolate) and a big screen showing Christmas classics such as It's a Wonderful Life and Love Actually. The catch is that it's only available to hotel or spa guests – although for £35 you can get a four-hour spa pass, so you can do a few laps of the pool before settling in for a movie. The-Berkeley.co.uk
AJ
Art
Artists have long let us see into their soul – but what about their kitchens? A new exhibition at Manchester's Royal Exchange is designed to reveal the truth behind the public masks of artists – as well as members of the public and community groups, who have filled a "house" with their thoughts, drawings and objets d'art. In the bedroom, for instance, visitors can rifle through a "cabinet of dreams", where participants have sketched out their most personal nightmares and dreams. 14-16 January, royalexchange.co.uk/makinganexhibition
AJ
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