It’s official. Christmas is over, New Year’s Eve passed in a blur of bubbles and bongs and a grey, dreary January has nudged its way in to break up the revelry.
So how to combat the winter blues? Well, to work off some of the festive indulgence and get involved in some outdoor fitness, why not join in with Parkrun every Saturday at 9am in the North Walls Recreation Ground? It’s open to all runners, from nervous beginners to spandex-clad pros, and it is an entirely free community endeavour to get people outdoors for a 5k run against the clock. All you have to do is register (once only is all that’s necessary) and bring along your printed bar code so you can get your time. It’s about fun rather than pressure, so not a bad way to get fit without the commitment of a gym membership if that isn’t your thing.
If you aren’t quite ready to let the festive theme go, then you could consider Jeff Goode’s ‘The Eight: The Reindeer Monologues’ by local theatre company Gallows Productions on 12th & 13th January at the Theatre Royal. The shows are dark and definitely adult in content so not a family panto affair. Tickets are a fiver or £7 with some mulled wine thrown in for those who aren’t on the wagon for January – or feel like falling off.
The Winchester Chamber Orchestra New Year concert takes place on the 10th January at St Paul’s Church. The programme includes Mozart’s piano concerto, Haydn’s symphony number 103 and Brahm’s St Anthony Variations. Later in the month the Winchester City Festival choir will be performing a concert on 31st January at St Swithun’s School. The programme includes Tsunami Requiem by Chris Williams, a dramatic commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Asian tsunami.
The Office of the Mayor of Winchester is one of the oldest mayoralties in England. The city was first given permission during the reign of Richard the Lionheart to create the role. The current Mayor, Cllr Eileen Berry, is the 815th on the historical roster and she has a busy start to the year. There’s the 6th annual Mayor’s Charities Quiz Night at the Winchester Guildhall on 9th January. Tickets are available from the Tourist Information office. Or, further up the hill, she’ll be opening her Mayors Choice art exhibition at the Discovery Centre featuring important local work from 31st January.
The Railway Inn has a great line-up of live music and comedy for January. Acts include rock quartet Twin Wild on 29th January, described by BBC Radio 1’s Edith Bowman as “The love child of Bastille and Biffy Clyro”. Or why not pop along to Roots and join in with Winchester’s longest running open mic night? Entry is free every Monday at 8.30pm and all levels of artists are welcome, from seasoned pros to first time gig’ers. Alternatively, banish the Sunday blues twice a month with the Late Train open mic comedy night. Again, entry is free with a donation bucket.
Plenty to do on a budget to brighten up a drab, cold January.
