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Events, What's On

Win Guide to December

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That’s right Wintonians, the countdown to Christmas in Winchester is upon us. Let’s face it, our city is pretty good at embracing this season. Here’s our Win Guide to December…

Firstly, have you booked your ticket to panto at the Theatre Royal Winchester? This year’s festive treat is Beauty and the Beast. Oh yes it is. Audiences have been saying great things in response to the opening previews on Twitter and it’s going to be a corker. There are relaxed performances in the schedule and the show is recommended for anyone aged 3+. Booking details, times and prices can all be found online here.  

Young Theatre fans may also enjoy a visit to Santa’s Christmas Party at the Theatre Royal Winchester on Monday 17 December. It’s an interactive family show for children aged 2 – 7 years with a chance to meet Santa at the North Pole and receive a gift! For details, times and ticket prices, visit the website here.

And here’s a trailer:

The Chesil Theatre is hosting A Fun, Funky, Christmassy Musical Entertainment Evening, led by Marcus and Pete Whitfield. Tickets are just £3, and it will be a fantastic social event to celebrate the festive season at the Chesil Theatre. Get ready for some funky festive frolicking fun.

The Waynflete Singers present A Christmas Fanfare at Winchester Cathedral, 8 December at 7.30pm. The programme includes Handel’s Coronation Anthems, interspersed with Gabrieli’s thrilling brass Canzonas, and Heinrich Schutz’s mighty setting for double choir of Psalm 100, Jauchzet dem Herrn. John Rutter’s setting of the Gloria provides a brilliant and joyous opener for the second half, which concludes with a selection of Christmas carols for choir and audience. Tickets and prices are available online here.

Christmas in Winchester wouldn’t be Christmas without a visit to the Cathedral Christmas markets and a bit of ice skating. There are over 100 wooden chalets this year, open from 10.30am until 6.30pm Sunday  –  Wednesday and 10.30am – 8pm Thursday to Saturday so there are plenty of opportunities to do some Christmas shopping over a glass of mulled wine or a hot chocolate. For the Cathedral Christmas and Carol service times, visit the website here.

Don’t forget to stroll to Kingsgate Village for Kingsgate Books & Prints, Cornflowers Gift Shop, P&G Wells Booksellers or Kingsgate Wine and Provisions. And there are many more hidden boutiques or purveyors of luxury items so get some walking boots and knitwear on.  Chococo is a must for edible gifts, and we urge you to stop off for a hot chocolate whilst there. If you want pure vintage, climb up the hill to Stardust Years for authentic ladies fashion and accessories.

The University of Winchester Carol Service takes place 11 – 12 December 2018, 6.15pm & 12.15pm.  Traditional carols and seasonal refreshments, as well as the contributions of students, staff, governors and, of course, the University Chancellor Alan Titchmarsh, all combine to make these events a suitably rich conclusion to the University’s calendar. The Service will be held at the University Chapel, King Alfred Campus, University of Winchester, Sparkford Road.

Winchester City Museum will be hosting a Christmas Family Make and Take craft event on 22 December, 10.30am – 1pm. There is no need to book and the event is free but places and resources will be limited.

It’s worth a visit to the Brooks Centre this year to enjoy some Christmas at the Brooks activities. Christmas Wonderland is open between 3 – 8 December. Watch festive films inside an Igloo or visit Father Christmas himself on 8 December. You can decorate a cupcake in Mrs Claus’ Kitchen on 15 December and, on 22 December there will be a chance for some Christmas Face Painting. For details, visit the website here.

If you feel like watching a good old Christmas movie on a big screen, the Everyman Christmas season will hit the spot. There will be a feast of Christmas feel good films on offer throughout December from the Sing-a-long Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to Love Actually, Home Alone or the unmissable It’s a Wonderful Life. For times, dates and prices, visit the cinema website here.

The Railway Inn is throwing a Christmas party on 22 December from 8.30pm. Expect Christmas hats, mince pies, DJs, funk ,disco, friends, hip-hop, bass and anything else that gets a party going. To book tickets, visit the website here.

We’ll be bringing you more seasonal tips on Twitter @Win_Guide. Wrap up warm one and all and enjoy!

Events, Feature

Win Guide to January

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Happy New Year, Wintonians. The christmas festivities may be over but we’re very excited about 2018 in Winchester. Here’s our guide to some invigorating arts and culture in the city this January.

To start the year off with some live music, take a look at the Railway Inn’s programme.  Events include Riteoff (12 Jan), Who Killed Nancy Johnson? (13 Jan), Lucy Bernandez and Friends (19 Jan), Blackstone Jones (20 Jan) and the Department electro party (26 Jan).  For full details or to book tickets, visit the website here.

From the Jam will be taking the Guildhall by storm (26 January) whisking you back to the early 80s.  The band is comprised of legendary former ‘The Jam’ bassist Bruce Foxton, vocalist & guitarist Russell Hastings, drummer Mike Randon, and Andy Fairclough on Hammond and piano.  Tickets (14+) are available here.

For a different aesthetic, Index Cantorum will return with an immersive musical performance at Winchester Cathedral 20 Jan, 12pm & 1pm.  Experience the music in a promenade or sit in the nave whilst the singers encircle the audience. The event is free with a retiring collection.  For details, visit the cathedral website here.

Tom Kempinski’s ‘Duet for One’ is a thought provoking piece at the Chesil Theatre (20-27 Jan). The play which premiered starring Frances De la Tour in the 1980s is inspired by the story of Jacqueline du Pre and her conductor husband, Daniel Barenboim.  A virtuoso violinist, Stephanie has lived for music since the age of four. She and her composer husband appear a golden couple until she is struck down with multiple sclerosis. Can she adjust to a different life? The story is told through successive interviews with a psychiatrist whose quiet probing unveils the true picture. For ticket details, visit the website here.

The Theatre Royal will be hosting the World Premiere of Mark Bruce’s dance theatre adaptation of Macbeth 31 January. That’s right, you can see it here first.  Goaded by the whispers of demons, the Macbeths unleash murder for their own gains and set in motion their path to madness and self-destruction, unravelling events in a nightmare they cannot control. To book tickets, visit the theatre website here.

Trailer:

Macbeth Trailer from Mark Bruce Company on Vimeo.

We’ll be bringing you more highlights throughout the month on Twitter @Win_Guide.  Have a great start to 2018, one and all.

Events, Feature

Win Guide to April

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April is going to be a great month in Winchester.  Easter is upon us, and the city is gloriously decorated with vibrant spring flowers.  Here’s our Win Guide to some of the events to enjoy this month:

William the Conquerer is coming to the Railway Inn, 8 April.  This isn’t a lazarus moment for the Norman King, but the Americana band whose album Proud Disturber of the Peace and will be out on 4th August.  There’s plenty to look forward to at Winchester’s music venue, including the longest running Open mic night, Roots every Monday at 8.30pm and a Poetry Platform, 4 April at 8.30pm. For full listings and details, visit the Railway website here.

There’s a treat at the Chesil Theatre this month in the form of the classic Victorian thriller ‘Gaslight’ by Patrick Hamilton, running 1 – 8 April. Tickets are available to book here and this is the trailer:

The Corner House have set up a Jazz night in collaboration with the Winchester Jazz Festival team.  There will be live music on a Thursday evening from 7.30pm.  The Richard Abrahams Duo will be playing on 13 April.  For more details, visit here.

The fabulous John Godber Company and Theatre Royal Wakefield present The Empty Nesters’ Club at the Theatre Royal, 6-8 April.  If your children have left home and the nest is empty, this is the group for you! There’s lots of Young Theatre Royal projects to enjoy this month too.  Keep an eye out for Sasha Regan’s all male ‘The Mikado‘ by W.S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, 24 – 29 April.  It’s a timely chance to have a giggle at British Institutions with the G&S brand of musical wit. 

Dulwich Opera Company will be visiting St Paul’s Church on 29 April for ‘A Night at the Opera’, evening of operatic arias, duets, and trios, including music by Mozart, Bizet, and Rossini.  Visit here to book tickets online and the evening starts at 7.30pm. The company brings professional artists to smaller venues in an annual season of touring work, and it sounds like a rare opportunity to experience opera in an intimate space, close to home.

So, there are some egg-celent events to look forward to this month.  But we must not forget the Easter festivities.  There will be several egg hunts taking place throughout the city and at nearby attractions.  The National Trust will be continuing its annual Cadbury’s easter egg trail at local venues including the Winchester City Mill, 14 – 17 April.  The Easter bunny hop will be taking place throughout the city, 8 – 23 April.  This is an annual event where families can crack a code by exploring local participating venues to win a treat. Pick up your form from the Winchester Tourist information centre.  The Westgate Museum will be running its annual egg hunt, with clues hidden among the museum displays.  It’s a free hunt with a treat for egg-splorers.

Finally, don’t miss Sparsholt College’s Easter Bunny weekend, 14 – 17 April.  Find Humpty Dumpty on an Easter Trail, meet the Easter Bunny and Animal Characters from Nursery Rhymes. Enjoy lots of craft activities including Easter baskets and make your own pea-green boat. There will also be plants for sale grown by the Horticulture department, refreshments, face painting and pony rides.  For more details and to buy tickets, visit here.

We’ll be bringing you more tweets and tips @Win_Guide throughout the month.  Enjoy the sunshine one and all.

Events, What's On

Win Guide to March

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Spring is springing! March is here and hopefully the sun will start to make an appearance to warm up the flowers that have started to bloom.

Let’s see how Winchester will be entertaining and amusing this month:

We're going on a bear huntWe’re Going On A Bear Hunt is playing at the Theatre Royal if you’d like to provide some storytelling adventure for little people. Running from 2 to 5 March, this adaptation of Michael Rosen’s hit book has just finished its West End run and has commenced an international tour. One to watch and please visit the Theatre Royal website for more details.  Alternatively, keep an eye out for David Almond’s ‘Heaven Eyes‘, by Théâtre Sans Frontières, 6 March. The production was recommended by the British Theatre Guide as one of the Best Family Shows in the North East of 2014. If you miss these productions, fear not, for there will be a chance to see another West End hit adaptation, this time of The Tiger Who Came To Tea, 22 – 23 March.  The production is a musical play adapted and directed by David Wood, based on the celebrated book by Judith Kerr.  For more details, visit the Theatre Royal website.

Pin Drop Comedy will be hosting their monthly free open mic night on 2 March.  Doors open at 7.30pm and the bar is open throughout.  Some lucky Wintonians will be shimmying on down to the Guildhall on 4 March to enjoy the Magic of Motown. The event has sold out and will feature classic covers of the Supremes, Temptations, Jackson 5, Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie and more. Whist we are at the Guildhall, there are still some tickets left for the Real Ale and Cider Festival, 17 – 18 March.  This event usually sells out so get booking here if you are keen.

For some fresh and live music, call into the Railway Tavern this month. Fighting Caravans, the alternative rock sextet from Leeds will be on stage 10 March.  Big Boy Bloater and The Limits will be bringing their “raucous” R&B to the city on 17 March, and there are many more exciting acts across different genres booked in throughout the month. For full listings and details visit the Railway website here. 

Swansea City Opera are in town at the Theatre Royal on 15 March, performing Lakmé by Léo Delibes in English.  This opera is best known for the ‘flower duet’, so this is a great chance to restore the oft used music to its original context.  Tickets, dates and times are available here.

The critically acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production of Owen Shears’ Pink Mist  will be staged at the Theatre Royal, 20 – 21 March.  Pink Mist tells the story of three young men deployed to Afghanistan. As the physical and psychological aftershocks of war take their toll on the loved ones they left behind, Arthur, Hads and Taff find their journey home is their greatest battle. Pink Mist was inspired by 30 interviews with returned servicemen and first staged in 2015. Watch the production trailer here and visit the website for more details.

Why not treat mum to an early mother’s day treat with a Ukulele Introductory Workshop at the Theatre Royal on Saturday 25 March.    No prior experience required just pick up the instrument which should be accessible and easy to learn.  Mother’s day is on Sunday 26 March so don’t forget flowers, chocolates, lunches and gifts for all those super mums in the city.

We’ll be bringing you more tips @Win_Guide throughout the month. Have a great month, one and all.

 

Events, Feature, What's On

Win Guide to January

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It’s a new year in the UK’s number one city. Here’s our guide to starting your 2017 in the finest Wintonian style:

1upThe Railway Inn has a weird and wonderful selection of events on offer to tempt city folk out this month.  The weekly free Poetry Platform runs on the first Tuesday of every month, Winchester’s longest serving poetry open mic. This month’s event is on 3 January at 8.30pm. Or for the gaming community, 1 Up Retro Video Gaming night is Winchester’s first pub-based retro video games event. From Master System to the Gamecube there will be classic games available every week, with tournaments and leader boards. 1 Up will run every Friday from 8.30pm, starting on Friday 6 January and entry is free. Hip Hop duo, Dr Syntax and Pete Cannon will be live on 20 January from 8.30pm.  For more details, visit the website here.

wsc-web-content-event-or-film-banner-splendiferous-science-2Winchester Science Centre will be hosting BBC Bitesize science presenter Jon Chase for a Splendiferous Science Weekend, 14 – 15 January.  Participants are invited to delve into the whoopsy waffling worlds of Roald Dahl, to make James and his Giant Peach fly or discover George and his marvelous medicine. The shows will run for an hour at 11am and 2pm, and booking is advised.  The Winchester Science Centre’s science experts will also be demonstrating their own favourite Roald Dahl themed science throughout the day so there’s plenty for young people and their adults to enjoy.  For more details, visit the Science Centre website here.

imageFancy taking up a new skill?  The Discovery Centre will be running a beginner’s workshop for budding Taxidermists on Saturday 21st January, 12-4pm.  Mabel Edwards will lead students through a practical session to create a life-like mount of a mouse.  To find out more or to book a place, visit the Discovery Centre website here.

platform-4Winchester’s Platform 4 will be previewing Invisible Music: Variations on a Theme, a new project at the Theatre Royal on 24 January with tickets available for free. The project is a sound-piece inspired by a series of interviews with Winchester’s lip reading group. Booking is advised, so visit the Theatre Royal website for details here.

For more theatre, img-5107-a4-landscape-website-crop_1_origwhy not book to see the Chesil Theatre’s  Blood and Ice by Liz Lochhead, 21 – 28 January, directed by Alec Walters. Four young romantics compete to write a spine-chilling tale. Two of them are England’s greatest poets, the third a rebellious runaway, and the fourth, free-thinker, Mary Shelley. For more details or to book tickets, visit the website here.

Winchester Cocktail WeekDon’t forget to book your tickets for next month’s Winchester Cocktail Week, 6-12 February.  Probably to most decadent way to fall off the wagon, 26 different cafes, bars, restaurants and shops in Winchester will be offering discounted signature cocktails and hosting special events and parties. For more details and to book, visit the Cabinet Rooms website here.

Wishing everyone a prosperous and happy 2017. We’ll be tweeting more updates @Win_Guide throughout the month.

Feature

Win Guide to August

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Dino Fest 2015
Dino Fest 2015

Don’t be alarmed but the Dinosaurs are back and they have chosen to base themselves in Hampshire. It’s Dino Fest 2015, a monumental year of “roarsome” events for budding palaeontologists, eager explorers and their parents who may be looking for rain-proof indoor fun. Winchester is offering Dinosaurium at the City space, Winchester Discovery Centre for free. It’s an opportunity to see local artists create creatures from paper, card and other materials. There will be an Edwardian specimen jar with a ‘real-life’ dinosaur to examine. If you fancy going further afield, there are plenty of events happening across the county including Milestones Museum Basingstoke, SeaCity Museum, Southampton, Westbury, Eastleigh, Andover and Salisbury. If you go to more than one event you can collect stickers to enter some competitions, with prizes including an annual family culture card for Hampshire, or a torch-lit trail of the Dinosaur Gallery – a live science show at the Natural History Museum with a Museum expert at midnight.

Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium is offering extended opening hours, from 10am – 5pm for the whole of august, to provide plenty of educational entertainment for the summer holidays. To carry on the Dinosaur theme, you can book to see Dinosaurs at Dusk, in the largest stand-alone 360 degrees planetarium cinema in the UK, where you can lie back an watch moving images of dinosaurs above your head.

Running Horse, Littleton
Running Horse, Family Fun Day

Head to the Running Horse in Littleton on Saturday 15th August, where there will be a ‘Family Fun Day’ including a bouncy castle and face-painting for children in the garden from 1pm. Whilst we’re in the village, Littleton Pre-School celebrates its 40th birthday this year and welcomes children from 2 years, so don’t forget to get your child registered for September.  Based at the Millennium Memorial Hall which is set in the idyllic countryside grounds, it is a perfectly crafted space for indoor and outdoor play and learning. The pre-school is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday between 8:30am and 12:15pm, with extended sessions available until 3pm on and Wednesday.

Chesney Hawkes at the Railway Inn
Chesney Hawkes at the Railway Inn

Remember Chesney Hawkes? The Railway Inn will be giving you a chance to spend an evening with him on Friday 14th August at 7.30pm as he leads you through his musical journey with Percival Elliott and Anthony Starble. Of course, music fans might be at the Boom Town Festival, from the 13th – 17th August on the Matterley Estate. This may well be the Festival’s last year on the Estate due to planning restrictions, however the 2015 edition is set to go ahead.

The Hospital of St Cross
The Hospital of St Cross

The Hospital of St Cross Gardens will be open as part of the NGS Gardens Open for charity on Sunday 30th August, 2-5pm. Admission £4, children free. Or you can take a tour of the walkways and Church Tower on the 21st August at 7pm, tickets £20. The Hospital is one of England’s oldest continuing almshouses, founded in 1136 by Henry of Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror.  It is the oldest charitable institution in the United Kingdom. It’s worth making a day of it by walking through the water meadows and rewarding yourself with some summer food and drink at the Wykeham Arms, or browsing at the Kingsgate Village shops: P&G Wells Booksellers, Cornflowers Gift Shop, Kingsgate Books and Prints and Kingsgate Wine and Provisions.

Graze Festival
Graze Festival

The brand new Graze Festival makes it debut on 30th August in Hazeley Fields, Twyford, offering local foods, pop up restaurants, music and performing arts (supplied by Hat Fair) with proceeds raised going to support local charities. There will be a dedicated kids area too, so plenty for the whole family to enjoy.