Things to do in Stoke Newington this December that DON'T involve Christmas...

Ain't no denying it's December in N16. Between the abundance

of granny's hand-knitted jumpers trudging down Church Street and the gangs of

pre-bauble Christmas trees loitering casually on our street corners of late,

winter is definitely upon us. But with crackers and candy canes being rammed

down our throats since November (we say, guiltily, remembering that our

yuletide rundown was put out before the start of the month… sorry about that),

there are some of us that have had our fill of Crimble for the season, and

others who simply don't do Christmas. So although we got a little overexcited

with our festive listings-chart, we haven't forgotten that there is plenty

going on that doesn't involve mistletoe and sitting on some old man's knee

(well, I'm sure if you ask nicely)…

Next Friday (December 16th) Uptown Swing are

returning to Mascara Bar opposite Morrisons for 'Ain't Misbehaving' – what they

describe as "a night of vintage music for loose tongues, loose limbs and loose

morals".  It will be a ragtime and swing

kinda thing, with the chance to learn how to **** from the people who know… not

what you think, people! – it's Big Band style dancing for anyone who wants to

add an extra skill to their repertoire before the end of 2011. The fun starts

at 8pm and goes on until 2am, and tickets are £5 without the dance class, and

£10 all in.

Or if you want something a little more relaxing as high

streets fill and mania creeps in around the capital, try Stoke Newington Town

Hall on the 18th. Starting at 11.30am there will be a performance of

Vivaldi's Four Seasons. It's an offering from Hackney Proms, and will be an

informal, family-friendly affair with coffee and pastries available at the

interval to keep you nice and warm as you listen to the period-instrument

ensemble Battuta perform their version of the classical masterpiece. Tickets

are available from Bridgewood and Neitzert or online at £12 for adults, £5 for

over 5s and free for anyone littler than that.

And for a touch of the contemporary in N16 instead, get down

to Open the Gate this weekend for the single launch of "She Cries" by Miss Baby

Sol. She's a young singer born in the Republic of Congo whose sound contains a

pinch of Amy Winehouse and a splash of Estelle, and is much-praised by Stokey

star Paloma Faith, who she supported earlier this year. There will be an

all-female line up for the night, including DJs. The evening kicks off at 6pm

this Sunday (11th December), tickets are £3 and all proceeds go to

Amnesty International.

Earlier this week I saw the best comedy I've seen in Stoke

Newington for a very long time, if not ever. "Shoot From the Hip" are a group

of actors, mime artists and all round jokers who put on a Mock the Week style show

full of improvisation and audience participation (not in a cringy,

now-will-you-join-me-on-the-stage kind of a way). Making up scenes and

characters on the spot, miming snorkels and femidoms (well, we did ask) and giving us something

genuinely refreshing and impressive, they had everyone laughing all the way

through. And they're back! On Monday the 19th they'll be returning

to the Brownswood Tavern on the far side of Clissold Park for another round of

the funny stuff. Entry is free and the show is set to start at 8pm (though

things may change, so please check or ask us via Twitter nearer the time).

For anyone with an interest in Latin America – be it music,

language or politics – the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign are holding their

annual fundraiser in N16 this year, and it's set to be a good party. With DJs,

live Chilean music and free salsa lessons, it will be a mixed bunch and there

will be plenty of fun to mark the end of the year, and to raise money to

support the social and political transformation that's taking place in the

country. There will also be a free Venezuelan cocktail with every ticket bought

in advance, so check out their website for details.

And Stoke Newington International Airport are hosting a

unique evening of "Live art speed dating", as 20 artists – familiar and new to

the airport – join forces to put on four-minute 'dates' for audiences, "to

explore on their individual, off-road performance journey" all over the STK

building. Get involved in Risk it for a Biscuit and Human Pyramid to win date

vouchers and mingle with other audience members. It's a three day event that

runs across next weekend (15th, 16th, 17th)

with tickets at £12 each and group discounts available on Thursday night.  

That's just a handful of the stuff that's going on in Stoke

Newington over the next few weeks – from comedy and performance dating to music

launches and ragtime ********, via Vivaldi (who'd wanna live anywhere else?) –

and there is plenty more. If you do

fancy Christmas events then check out our rundown, and there will be one of

things to do over the Christmas holidays to follow nearer the time. Then, of

course, there's our listings section. So whatever you're in to, there is

something to warm the cockles of every N16-er's heart; which means there's no

longer any excuse for granny's

hand-knitted jumper…

Photo courtesy of Your Idea at Flickr