September is well on its way, school terms have started and so we must look to the city to provide some entertainment to end those post-summer-blues.
The Chesil Theatre is happy to oblige with a run of Willy Russell’s ‘One for the Road’, directed by Jim Glaister. Russell, who is perhaps best known for his much adored ‘Educating Rita’, ‘Shirley Valentine’ or even ‘Blood Brothers’, penned this witty, observant comedy in 1976, telling a story of class mobility, squandered dreams and mid-life crisis. The production runs from the 19th – 26th September at 7.45pm with a 2.30pm matinee on the 26th and tickets are £13/£11.
It is the Hospital of St Cross Michaelmas Fair on Saturday 26th September from 10am until 4pm and it promises to be a great day out for connoisseurs of the exquisitely traditional. There will be performances from the Madding Crowd, a choir and small orchestra with period music, attire and instruments along with local stalls and even tethered hot air balloon flights. The entrance fee for adults is £3 and children are allowed in for free. Michaelmas is traditionally celebrated in the Christian calendar on the 29th September as the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel or variations on the name, to honour his defeat of Lucifer in the great war in heaven. In English folklore, it is also marked as the last possible date to go blackberrying, as apparently in his fall from heaven, Lucifer landed in a blackberry bush and cursed them so that they were unfit for consumption. A Michaelmas pie was made with the last ‘safe’ blackberries of the season.
It’s the Winchester Community Games on the 27th September, a free event involving lots of sports activities, some arts and plenty of food and drink. Confirmed sports include football, rugby, dodgeball, athletics, badminton, archery, netball, basketball, static cycling, swimming-related activities, street dance and cheerleading all held at the Winchester Sports Stadium, based in Bar End. The fun starts from 12pm with an opening ceremony and children are welcome.
Finally, for those wanting to push themselves to new levels of extreme fitness, Tough Mudder London & South will be heading to Winchester on 26th and 27th September, based at Matterley Bowl. Billed as Europe’s toughest ‘Tough Mudder’ and featured in the Telegraph, it’s a series of hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle mud race endurance events designed by British Special Forces. The first Tough Mudder challenge was held in the United States in 2010. To date, more than 1.3 million people worldwide have participated in Tough Mudder events, and participants can enter as teams raising money for good causes including Help for Heroes.
Enjoy!