Christmas to a Tea...

Cake stand and teapot at the ready!

Amongst all the inevitable lunch option for  the festive season (when I worked the 9 to 5 I dreaded the 'Christmas meal' - pre-sliced warmed turkey with little burnt sausages, the cheapest possible wine....) I spotted this one at the Deli-licious café at Roman Circus House. So if you haven't been there, and want something relaxed, away from the shopping madness, then why not  give it a try? Non-alcoholic too, and you can learn about Colchester's amazing Roman heritage while you're there. If Mrs Blogger can spare a minute I'll give it a try!


And while you're there you could find out what these curious objects shown below are!

Song - The Kinks - Afternoon Tea

Courtesy Colchester Archaeological Trust

Hanging around at Advent......

Virgin Ice - but early days yet!

So the Winter Wonderland is here and even on a drizzly evening it looks very nice. Hopefully crowds will build up as we get nearer Christmas (the first Sunday of Advent should  be the proper start of the Christmas season, and that's this Sunday). These events set against the Castle walls look great.

There's a funfair too, with surreal penguins!

The Christmas Chalets were bright and cheerful, particularly pleased to see one for Colchester United! The only problem I can see is that these are not on a throughfare, you have to walk up to the Castle looking for them. So I suggest you give it a try next time you're in town.

Some music - Penguin Café Orchestra - Prelude and Yodel - interesting!

Read all about it....

You can even get a copy in Tesco's

Of course this blog, and the Facebook group 'It all happens in Colchester', are great places to find out what's going on. But Mrs. Blogger is a bit of an old fashioned girl, and every week she reads the Essex County Standard from cover to cover. So I have noticed the increasingly good coverage of our Arts scene here in Colchester, now given a lovely multi-page section every week. It seemed to be written entirely by the obviously hard-working Neil D'arcy Jones, but now I'm pleased to see contributions from Liz Leatherdale of Colchester Classics, and local playwright Paul T Davies. He writes about Wonderful Wednesdays at the Arts Centre - please catch one this year!

So many songs about newspapers, but this one is a bit more tangental, 'Charlie the Newsmonger' by folk duo 'Megson', who by coincidence play the Arts Centre next Monday. See you there!

Deb and Stu, aka Megson, at Ely Folk Festival

Space Race...

Sorry, no blogs last weekend as I've been up in London. Yes, I know there's so much on in Colchester it seems perverse to fight the crowds in London, but I had to catch up with Messrs. Djokovic and Federer. While I was up in Town I selected two interesting exhibitions to see (can't watch tennis all day.....). I think our National Maritime Museum at Greenwich is a gem, and their new exhibition on the life (and Diary) of Samuel Pepys was fascinating. But for sheer draw-dropping artefacts you couldn't beat the Science Museum with their show about the Russian space program - and wonderful Soviet-era art as well. It was really weird looking at bits of space junk from a nation that no longer exists. Indeed one Cosmonaut went up to the space station as a worker of the CCCP, and came back down as a citizen of the Russian Federation! So if you are in London for a bit of shopping or sport, why not make a trip to South Ken?

Song? too many to chose from...but after narrowly rejecting Billy Bragg 'The Space Race is Over' I realised it just had to be Elton John - Rocket Man, particularly since I found this live 1979 version recorded in the Soviet Union! You won't believe the research that goes into this!

Looking for an Opening?

In the Van-guard of Colchester art!

Despite the rush towards Christmas there's still a lot of new art events opening. The CO3 Gallery in Shrub End Road have an exhibition of student's art this weekend (1-5 pm Sat and Sun). And the Sentinel Gallery in Wivenhoe continues their exhibition of crafts that opened last weekend, admittedly aimed at Christmas shopping, and this is what I want for  Christmas please Santa...

Bowls by Sarah Paynter

And of course our first 'Winter Wonderland' with Ice Rink opens next week, 27th November. See you there! - though probably not on skates.

Song - Picture This - Blondie. I'm claiming it as a seasonal song due to the line ' Picture this - a day in December'.

Bits and Pieces...

This Charming Man...Dr .Ian Ray seated at the Moot Hall organ

Hiding her bushel under a light

Well, a Colchester miscellany this week - all sorts of fun activities, despite the all-too rapid onset of 'Christmas' festivities and all that implies - wall-to-wall craft fairs and pantos. Still, in the spirit of Christmas present, perhaps I should try reviewing a few - watch this space!
Anyway, lovely Organ Recital at the Moot Hall last Tuesday - the last in the series is on 1st December (Festive music) - 1 pm. I suggest you get there in good time - the hall was busy this week!

And our Arts Centre continues it's eclectic and entertaining programme - Wonderful Wednesdays of pay-what-you-can performance art was as usual well worth going out for, though I did pass on Tina Bradshaw's life coaching, what with being charming and perfectly mentally and emotionally balanced. (Me I mean, not Tina, although that probably applies to). Let's hope my mum's not  reading today.

So, please get out and enjoy our town - see you there!
Some music - oh, ok, The Smiths - This Charming Man - the 80's wasn't all bad you know!

With thanks to Bev Bishop, a Wonderful Wednesday-goer, and the Bear

Going to the Circus....

Everyone know where Roman Circus House is? Been inside? - Well, I'm proud to be hosting a concert there Saturday (14th Nov) to raise awareness, and maybe some money for Colchester Archaeological Trust, who run the Circus, if enough people come! From 7 pm Colchester's own 'Annie's Fantasies' clog dance side will perform, then at 8 pm rising talent Fern Teather will play songs from her debut album. Come along and be amongst the first to hear them - you can get a taste of them by clicking here. If you mention this blog you'll get in for £10 for two people. See you there!
PS no bar - bring you own or join me in the Odd One Out afterwards!

The very wonderful Fern Teather - thanks for the photo