VISITORS to a North-East visitor attraction can experience a winter wonderland from this weekend (November 9 and 10).

The seasonal ice rink – now in its 19th year at the Life Science Centre – is the only open-air ice rink in Newcastle and Gateshead this Christmas and a perennial favourite for families looking for a festive day out.

Liz Dean, trading and operations director at Life, said: “The return of the ice rink is one of the city’s best-loved reminders that Christmas is just around the corner. We can’t guarantee that we’ll get a white Christmas this year, but you can head down to Life this weekend for some early-season snow.”

This year, ice skating tickets are available to buy online. Although the blades are yet to touch the ice, tickets for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve – typically the most popular dates for visiting the rink – are selling fast, so visitors are advised to get their skates on and book online if they don’t want to miss out.

The festive fun will continue inside the science centre, with videos of yuletide greetings from astronauts, a Christmas sparkler or ‘five gold rings of smoke’ special ending to its Science Theatre show and making inks for that personal handmade touch for those important letters to Santa.

Speaking of the man in the red suit, Santa will return to his rink-side grotto at Life from November 30.

The festive programme at Life will run until January 5, 2020. The ice rink will be at Life, in Times Square, Newcastle, until February 23, 2020.

For more information and to book tickets online, visit life.org.uk

Ice skating and visiting Santa’s grotto is not include with Life Science Centre admission.