December events at the Museum of London Docklands

Victorian Santa's Grotto

Saturday 4th  to Wednesday 22nd December

Come and meet Father Christmas in his secret Victorian Grotto in 19th century Sailortown. Tell him about your seasonal hopes and dreams and then take home a special gift to kick off the festivities! There will also be a chance to have your photo taken with the man in red himself, which will be mounted as a festive keepsake to remember your visit.

Fee £5 (book in advance) which includes present, but excludes photograph, which can be obtained for an additional cost of £5 for one (£9 for two or £12 for three)

Story Telling

Every Saturday and Sunday in December (starting 4th)
Every Tuesday and Wednesday in December (starting 7th)

Throughout the season festive stories will be told in our Victorian pub, from Christmas joys to Scrooge.  Come and join us!

1.00 to 3.00 pm (free)

Victorian Christmas Walk

Saturday 4th December
Wednesday 8th December

Mike Moran of CityHighLights leads a walk which looks at how the Victorians celebrated Christmas and the traditions they introduced that are still familiar today. Learn about Christmas trees, stockings and cards as well as what Christmas is influenced by the writings of the most eminent of Victorian authors, Charles Dickins.

11.00 am to 1.00 pm - fee £8 (advanced booking required)

Roman Amphitheatre Walk

Wednesday 8th December

Visit the remains of London's only Roman ampitheatre with curator Jenny Hall. See the excavated remains of the ampitheatre preserved beneath the Guildhall Yard. Learn about the history of the site and the archaeological evidence for its later occupation. Each ticket includes a guided tour and entrance to the Guildhall Art Gallery.

2.00 to 3.00 pm - fee £5 (concessions £3) (advanced booking required)

Festive Fair late (adult event)

Thursday 9th December.

6.00 to 9.00 pm (free)

Vocaleyes (adult event)

Sunday 12th December

By focusing on key objects, explore Docklands history in this gallery tour for visually impaired visitors.

3.00 to 3.30 pm (free)

Make a Winter Postcard (age 6+)

Saturday 11th December

Create your own winter scene of docklands past and present. Add some decorations, or even your own picture and print it as a postcard.

12.30 to 1.30 pm and 2.30 to 3.30 pm - free (tickets on application)

It's a wrap! (adult event)

Sunday 12th December

Take home your very own hand-made Christmas cards and wrapping paper as artist Rosie Fuller leads a workshop creating vintage Christmas craft. There will be a break for lunch between 1.00 and 2.00 pm. All materials will be provided.

11.00 am to 4.00 pm - Fee £12 (concessions £8) (advanced booking required)

Docks in Wartime (adult event)

Tuesday 14th December

Hear about the drama and devastation of the docks during wartime. Discover the impact of the "Blitz" and "Black Saturday" and learn how the docks helped prepare for the D-Day Landings.

3.00 to 3.40 pm - free (tickets on application)

Roman Fort Walk

Wednesday 15th December

Enjoy a curator-led tour of the remains of the western gate of London's Roman military fort, located beneath the street next to the Museum of London. The fort was in the north-west corner of a huge  wall that surrounded Londinium around AD 200. Join this tour to find out more about the site, which was discovered in 1956.

2.00 to 2.30 pm - free

A Christmas Carol (age 7+)

Saturday 18th December

Come and see Charles Dickins' story "A Christmas Carol" in a special performance for families at Docklands.

12.30 to 1.30 and 2.20 to 3.30 pm - free (tickets on application)

West India Docks Walk

Saturday 18th December

Join long-term resident Brian Grover for a guided tour of London's oldest enclosed docks. Discover the surviving warehouses, workshops and monuments that still bear witness to the Port of London's heyday. Also learn about the lives of the dockers themselves - their working practices, how they fought for their rights, and the mark they left on the surrounding neighbourhood.

2.00 to 4.00 pm - fee £8 (advanced booking required)

Scrooge's Grotto

Monday 27th December to Saturday 1st January 2011

Keeping the festive season going come and meet Scrooge in our Victorian setting. tell him why he should be good and you might be surprised with what you get!! (Gifts after Christmas?) Take pictures with him and receive a gift - if he's in a good mood!

Fee £5 (book in advance) which includes present, but excludes photograph, which can be obtained for an additional cost of £5 for one (£9 for two or £12 for three)

Meet Mr Dickins (age 5+)

Tuesday 28th December

Meet Charles Dickins and hear about his life and some of his famous characters, including Scrooge.

12.30 to 100, 2.30 to 3.00 and 3.30 to 4.00 pm - free

London, sugar and slavery (Adult event)

Tuesday 28th December

Uncover London's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade with this thought-provoking tour.

3.00 to 4.00 pm

City in the Blitz Walk

Wednesday 29th December

Discover the incredible stories of danger, destruction and sadness that faced Londoners during the Blitz of World War Two. This special walk is scheduled to mark the 70th anniversary of the most devastating raid against the City of London on 29th December 1940, known as "the second great fire of London".

11.00 am to 1.00 pm - fee £8 (advanced booking required)

Spooky Christmas Ghosts (age 2+)

Thursday 30th December

Come and find out about Dickins' Christmas ghosts of Past Present and Future and then make your own spooky ghost in this fun, creative workshop specially for the under fives and their carers (older siblings welcome).

11.00 to 11.30 am, 12 noon to 12.30 pm and 2.00 to 2.30 pm - free (tickets on application)

Make a Pomander (age 4+)

Friday 31st December

Make a traditional pomander to decorate and scent your home this winter.

12.30 to 1.30 and 2.30 to 3.30 pm - free (tickets on application)

 

For more information about the Museum of London Docklands please click here.