Christmas has arrived at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – and somewhere between Santa and Scrooge you may bump into the folk from Navy News.

The Dockyard’s Festival of Christmas opened today and runs until Sunday (November 28).

And as Santa settles in for the weekend, there will be hordes of stilt-walking elves and fairies (described by the organisers as ‘eccentric’), and Jack Frost will be prowling the doorways of the old buildings.

The lanes and halls of the yard will be crowded with stalls selling Christmas goods, offering everything from traditional crafts to French cuisine.

And the walls will echo with the sound of carol concerts, music-hall style entertainment, a daily music programme and street theatre.

The Navy News team is there too, selling a range of Christmas gifts and calendars – something for everyone.

Our Young Readers might even get to meet Techno Cat and get a chance to win a classic Raleigh Chopper bike.

So make sure you come on down and say hello. They will be based under the colonnade near the RN Museum shop, on the waterfront-side of the main road.

The festival opens each day at 10am and closes at 7pm, and a ticket will allow entry to all the Dockyard attractions, including HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, the Mary Rose, the RN Museum and Action Stations.

Tickets cost £10 for adults, £8 for over-60s and children aged 5 to 15, and can be bought in advance from 023 9283 9766 or on the day.