What's On and Things To Do Around Colchester

Join Colchester Operatic Society on a musical journey inspired by The Seven Deadly Sins. Their summer concert contains a feast of well-known songs from the musicals, together with a selection of classic pop numbers. Renowned for their fantastic chorus work and beautiful harmonies ...

Have you ever wondered how one decision will affect the course of the rest of your life? Joe Casey’s life is split in two when he has to decide which path to choose; good or bad? Featuring a collection of Madness hits including Baggy Trousers, It Must Be Love and, of course, Our House!

Annual Summer show featuring, Plays, Sketches written by the cast and Songs all based on famous Literature, from DOT Productions Youth Groups.

Ronnie’s aim is to reconnect members of the audience with friends and loved ones in the spirit world, and to pass on what they want to say. Often the communication includes snippets of information that although seemingly trivial to most of the audience, are highly significant to the recipient. Sceptical?

Open Sesame! Discover a treasure-trove of fun and laughter as witty writer Craig Hawes gives the timeless tale a twist in this mystical musical comedy! So, slip on your sandals for some sandy silliness as we take a thrilling carpet ride with Ali Baba and his crazy camel on an amazing Arabian adventure!

Don’t miss this chance of seeing ’My Fair Lady’ at the Headgate Theatre produced by Platform Musicals and Plays a group renowned for producing good quality shows.

’You Cant Beat A Woman’ - A Heritage Lottery Project Exhibition A multidisciplinary exhibition recounting the story of the founding of refuges in East Anglia and East London for women suffering domestic violence.

West Bergholt Concert Band celebrates their 40th Anniversary with a “40 Years Of Music” concert at St Botolph’s Colchester, featuring Film, Show & Big Band music from the band’s earliest days right up to new arrangements of music by Shostakovich and Ed Sheeran.

On Sunday 15th July 2018, Colchester Race for Life will bring thousands of women together to support Cancer Research UK’s life-saving research. Just by signing up you’ll make a difference and whether you raise £10 or £200, every penny matters. Race for Life 5k is great for all ages.

A town garden approx 27 ft x 125 ft with a winding gravel path dissecting the area into smaller spaces. Mature trees and shrubs provide areas of deep shade, opening into brightness. Colour themed borders contain a wide selection of perennials including phlox, day lilies, clematis,salvias and veronicas.

Everybody loves a good party, the bigger the better, that’s why we thought St Helena Hospice are inviting ladies and GENTLEMEN to help us celebrate 10 years of Midnight Walking! In previous years many of our participants have chosen to walk 3 or 7.

Whether you’re a casual walker or regular runner, want some fun or just to raise money for charity, you will love this event. Runners come from all different backgrounds and have one thing in common, they love fun! It’s the most colourful fun run you’ll ever do, with a different colour zones at each kilometre.

Open Gardens in Layer de la Haye. Fourteen gardens are open from 11 am to 4 pm. To enter a garden or for information, contact Rachel 07979 851955.

The garden is approached through an ivy covered gateway leading onto a colourful patio area and many pots, urns & hanging baskets, a large conservatory ideal for tea and cakes if the weather is inclement Circular steps lead onto a lawn area which has as its centrepiece a pond encircled by borders stocked with water

An unexpected hidden colourful ¼-acre garden. Well manicured grassy paths wind round island beds and ponds. Densely planted subtropical area with architectural and exotic plants - cannas, bananas, palms, agapanthus, agaves and tree ferns surround a colourful gazebo.

The country’s only escape room set onboard a train! A fun, challenging, and immersive experience Gather a group of friends, family or work colleagues to help the intelligence agency retrieve a secret file and ‘Escape the Room’. You have one hour… will you locate the “Chappel Dossier” in time?

The Guild of Essex Craftsmen are delighted to have their own marquee at The Tendring Show, Manningtree, Essex Come along and see the talented artists and craftsmen and artists and who will be exhibiting and selling their handmade arts and crafts, some demonstrating .

Bumblebees are an appealing, small group of insects that often attract those not otherwise drawn to the study of insects. Species diversity can be used as an indicator of habitat quality and several species are of conservation concern nationally.

This course is aimed at people who are interested in volunteering to take part in butterfly monitoring in Essex as part of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The course will cover butterfly ecology, identification of common Essex species and butterfly surveying using the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme methodology.

Aimed at those of you that wish to know more about these fascinating species that are proving increasingly popular. You will be able to understand the life of dragonflies and their importance as an indicator of a healthy environment.

Jules Pretty discusses his evocative new book The East Country and suggests we should all go outside and explore the countryside on our own doorsteps. His 74 tales integrate memoir with natural history.

Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company this summer as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood make their first forays into the exciting world of Jane Austen’s Regency society. This exquisite and lively tale follows the sisters as they fall in love, make mistakes and exp. Booking Essential. Phone: 0344 249 1895.

Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company this summer as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood make their first forays into the exciting world of Regency society.

Join one of our rangers for a walk around the Flatford countryside. You’ll discover how they balance the needs of wildlife conservation with managing a landscape which inspired the artist John Constable. Each walk will reflect the changing seasons. Booking Essential. Phone: 0344 2491895. Children are welcome.

Black tie or smart casual fundraising event in aid of Stepping Stones Play and Learn Group, a Colchester based charity and non-profit making group supporting children 0-19 years of age with additional needs in a tots group, fully integrated nursery and after-school clubs for children with challenging

Are you ready to be HEROIC? 5km - The Ultimate Challenge. Run, crawl, jump and drag yourself to victory! Face a range of obstacles including a double see-saw, half pipes, a tyre run, barbed wire crawl and a few surprises!

Weekly walk around the beautiful countryside in Coggeshall every Wednesday morning. We meet in the car park at The Woolpack, Church Street at 9.45 for a 1 hour walk followed by coffee and biscuits. All walking abilities welcome, dogs on leads.

Meet our talented and informative spinners as they demonstrate the skills that built Paycocke’s House. Booking Not Needed.

Enjoy an evening of great food and comedy with this Allo Allo Comedy Dining event

Artist’s garden and plantaholics’ paradise packed with interest. Springtime heralds irises, hostas and alliums. Stream, with wildlife pond and Horace the Huge! Summer hosts an explosion of colour with daylilies and rambling roses. Later dahlias, salvias and exotics.

Stunning backdrop with countryside views over the River Stour - The garden has shrubs, patio with planters and collection of fuchsias, herb garden, grasses area, wildlife pond and alpine area, pebbled water feature, wisteria/grape vine pergola leading to long border and pergola with collection of fragrant roses

The NODA award winning group The Orchard Players will be performing the much loved musical Oliver. Featuring well known characters and songs performed by a talented cast, this is a show not to be missed.

There will be a walk which will include the shingle ridge and at least one hide which overlooks a creek and a scrape, where we may expect to see both small and shore birds. Led by Bob Seago at Colne Point Booking is essential. To book a place please contact us on 01621 862960 or Reception@essexwt.org.uk

An informal country garden surrounded by meadows which are managed to encourage floral diversity and wildlife. Take a pleasant stroll through the grasses and wild flowers on seasonally mown paths.

A fantastic outdoor swimming event held near Ipswich, The Great East Swim is the UK’s largest outdoor swimming event, attracting over 4,000 swimmers with families and friends to enjoy a day out by the water.

Lee Thomas is a Colchester-based artist, who has established a reputation for creating emotive works of boats and seascapes. Much of the inspiration for his work is taken from the Eastern counties coastlines, including Mersea.

Please join us for a fun family day out, with a host of attractions, including; Pony rides, Bouncy castle, Fairground games, Tug of war, Tombola, Dance & Gymnastics display, Craft stalls, plant stall, BBQ, Bar, Ice cream stall and MORE!!

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, this exhibition by Epping Forest District Museum explores one of the most important ideological and political conflicts of the twentieth century.

An award-winning, medium-sized garden described by one visitor as a ’Little Bit of Heaven. A blaze of colour with roses, clematis, pergola, rose arch, triple fountain with box hedging and deep herbaceous borders. See our ’Folly’, exuberant and cascading hanging baskets...find our Secret Door.

Family Fun Day on Saturday 30th June 2018 @ The Delphi Centre CO10 2QQ. The Family Fun Day will have a range of inflatables: Bouncy Castles, Megga Slide, Last man standing, Large Football Dart Board, Dance & Bounce Castle, Electric Go Karts, Donkeys, OVER 50 STALLS!

This fantastic Farmers’ Market, a huge hit in the town centre is now one of Suffolk’s busiest town markets. Every month the stunning venue is filled with some of the regions very highest quality local produce.

The rock ’n’ roll musical of all time, Jim Jacob’s and Warren Casey’s 1950’s musical is brought to Witham by the award winning Essex Group.

Members’ displays. Organised by Sudbury & District Philatelic Society. Contact for details: David Gottesmann (Secretary).

After the huge success of ‘Dance is Life’ in 2017, Giovanni is once again set to get your hearts beating a little faster, showcasing a story of love and passion, with even more heat, even more energy, and even more drama than ever before!

“If you like music and guitars you will LOVE this show!” Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Hank Marvin, Brian May and Slash are just some of the outstanding guitar heroes you will have chance to experience in one amazing show!

Back for it’s 9th year, our ever popular Vintage Fair is returning to the beautiful Cressing Temple Barns for a great day out for all the family.

The Friends of Chipping Hill School annual Summer event ChipFest is back…and it’s even bigger and better than last year!!

Come along and enjoy our homemade cake stall, stop and enjoy a cup off tea or coffee and make some new friends.

20 + gardens open in beautiful village of Chelsworth. Ample free parking for for cars and coaches. Refreshments available. Garden and Craft stalls. In aid of All Saints church