Mary Poppins Festival hosted this weekend in Lurgan in aid of breast cancer charity Knitted Knockers

The event is on Friday December 1 between 6-9pm at the twilight market stalls in the yard used by Knitted Knockers NI.

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Lurgan players will be stepping back in time with characters from the story such as Mary Poppins singing live. Other characters, such as Mr and Mrs Banks, Bert the Chimney Sweep and the cook and the maid will also be performing.

Santa will be giving out handmade ‘gonks made by our elf’s and kite making kits’, revealed a member of the Knitted Knockers NI team. There will also be drop in Edwardian style workshops as well as a ‘spoonful of sugar workshop, Dolly mixture’s and more. It is understood many of the products will be made with natural food colouring as traditionally made in Edwardian times.

There will be a Crochet Christmas event where members of the public can learn to crochet Christmas ornament plus Christmas crackers making – it was the Edwardians who introduced the Christmas cracker.

The funds raised at the event will go to support Knitted Knockers Health and Wellbeing Centre.

A spokesperson said: “Knitted Knockers is a group which connects volunteers with breast cancer survivors by providing a community space for teaching of skilled workshops to produce the free knitted knockers knitting on 4 needles, crochet swimming knocker, machine and hand sewing in the production of the Post Surgery underarm cushion, drain bag and soap massage bar.

"The aim is to provide all women with knitted knockers free of charge. To provide men and women affected by breast cancer a post-surgery comfort kit - consisting of cushion, drain bag and soap massage bar.

"They also provide a non-clinical space where people can come together to support those affected by breast cancer To provide practical support for survivors of breast cancer by making available a non-clinical space where people can access caring, holistic programmes to educate, enable, empower and support members to achieve skills to address mental, emotional, nutritional, practical and physical body image challenges. As well as provide support for wider family circle/carers as and when requested/required.

"They also engage with public policy and enable everyone affected by breast cancer to have a voice and contribute to public policy debate and aim to establish a project with transparent and accountable governance and that is both not for profit and sustainable.”