It certainly feels like winter is upon us and the nights have drawn in, but November is as busy as ever in Helensburgh and Lomond.

This Sunday, November 5 Helensburgh and District Round Table will once again be hosting their annual spectacular fireworks display.

The event is being run from the Civic Centre from 4pm where street food and hot drinks will be on offer with the fireworks set off from a barge at 5.30pm and can be viewed from the pier car park.

Please make a donation to the Round Table to help them fund the event and the many local good causes that they support with donations every year. We are lucky to have such a dedicated team organising many events to entertain us throughout the year and putting the proceeds to good use across the community.

A number of the shops in town will be open on Sunday afternoon – perhaps it is time to start thinking about browsing for Christmas presents in the many independent shops that we are so lucky to have – Love Local and Shop Local!

An annual highlight is the Savoy’s big show at the Victoria Halls on November 8 – 11, always an enjoyable evening with top performances, this year the group are doing Sunshine on Leith.

Helensburgh Advertiser:

At the end of the month the Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary and as ever has a stellar line up over the weekend of November 25 and 26. From former first Minister Nicola Sturgeon, broadcaster Sally Magnusson, to celebrated historian Sir Tom Devine and Scottish international footballer turned pundit Pat Nevin.

There are several Christmas markets and sales over the month starting this Saturday with the annual charity Christmas card sale at the United Reformed Church from 9am until 1pm.

The RNLI are holding a card and original art sale at Cove Burgh Hall from 11am – 1pm and the Montys are holding a food tasting weekend at Ardardan.

On November 11 and 12 there will also be a maker’s market at Ardardan. The National Childbirth Trust are running a nearly new toy sale all day on Saturday, November 4 at Helensburgh Parish Church.

The pop-up Porch Gallery in Kilcreggan opens on November 17 and runs until December 3.

Always a beautifully curated selling exhibition featuring art of all kinds at all price ranges it is the ideal place to find that something different for a special Christmas Gift.

Rhu and Shandon Church are holding an art and craft sale (with home baking) on November 11 from 10am until 3pm and the Flower Club are hosting and afternoon tea and pop-up handbag sale at the United Reformed Church from 2-4pm.

Helensburgh Advertiser:

There is also Wylde Thistle market at the Civic Centre on November 19 and the Christmas Market at Cameron House on November 25 and 26.

On Saturday, November 18 the popular Hermitage Academy PTA Christmas Fair with more than 60 stalls will be running at the school from 12-4pm.

And of course November 18 is the Christmas Lights Switch On! Always a highlight of the year there will be fairground rides, musical and performance entertainment, a quilt show at the Parish Church and a Christmas market in Colquhoun Square from 10am to 6pm with Santa expected in town to switch on our spectacular lights in late afternoon.

Huge thanks to the Helensburgh Festive Lighting Trust for their unstinting hard work in making our Christmas lights the best in the west! Like the Round Table they rely on donations so please give generously.

If you are not feeling tired out already, there are plenty of other events to enjoy this month.

  • There is a concert at Cardross Golf Club on November 3;
  • traditional music at the Commodore on November 6;
  • harpist Pippa Reid-Foster will be performing at the Civic Centre on the 11th;
  • St Michael’s Church Ensemble on November 12;
  • coffee and carols with the Dorian Choir on November 18;
  • Dave Arcari in concert at the Three Villages Hall in Arrochar on November 24;
  • Lomond and Clyde Community Orchestra at the Victoria Halls at 11am on November 26 and Sunday at Seven at the Parish Church at 7pm on November 26 or jazz at the Civic Centre hosted by Helensburgh Music Society on the same evening.

Karen Dunbar will be at the Victoria Halls on November 19 and Lawrence Chaney, winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, returns to his home town for an evening at the Victoria Halls on November 17.

In addition there are lectures organised by The Arts Society, Helensburgh Heritage Trust, Cove and Kilcreggan Literary Society and the Royal Scottish Geographic Society.

The RSPB Reserve at Gartocharn invites you to be up at the crack of dawn on 18 November to see the geese take flight or on the evenings of November 25 and 26 to join them for a candlelit lantern walk around the reserve. Perhaps you might like to go to the RNLI Fashion Show on the 9th; good food and wine wars at the Sugar Boat on 16th; a family games night at Cove Burgh Hall on the 17th or a quiz the same evening at the Gibson Hall in Garelochhead.

For details of all events (and there are more than listed here!) with links to the organisers’ social media and ticket outlets please visit the Destination Helensburgh What’s On Calendar at https://destinationhelensburgh.org/whats-on/.