THE festive fun begins at Helmsley Arts Centre with a weekend of music and spoken word to suit all tastes.

Making a welcome return on Friday is the Counterfeit Sixties Christmas Show, which promises a large helping of the best pop music ever recorded.

Four superb live musicians bring a light show and sound system that Pink Floyd would envy, along with anecdotes and reminiscences from that "fab" era. Mixing in a large dollop of Geordie humour, a little sauce and a whole heap of Christmas, this will be an unmissable show.

Saturday sees a completely different, but equally powerful concert.

Celtic Christmas Strings features virtuoso harpist Máire Ní Chathasaigh and guitarist Chris Newman, whose beautiful sound brings something particularly magical at this time of year. Their new Christmas show features a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, swing jazz and bluegrass, plus festive favourites given a fresh voice with arrangements that are intricate, inventive, moving and beautiful, and performed in the heart-warming style characteristic of them – a spellbinding treat for mid-winter.

On Sunday, the arts centre team celebrate the fifth anniversary of their fantastically festive home made show Christmas by the Fireside with readings, poems, stories and songs all celebrating the magic of Christmas and performed by Martin Vander Weyer, David Powley, Natasha Jones, Florrie Stockbridge and Helmsley Arts Centre Community Choir.

What better way to open the festive season than with a free mince pie and an enjoyable evening of festive variety? All proceeds for this show will go towards the continuing development of the Arts Centre.

Tickets for all these events, along with the forthcoming 1812 Pantomime Robin Hood &The Babes in the Wood are on sale from the arts centre box office on 01439 771700 or online at helmsleyarts.co.uk