The Social Programme for 2025

Thursday 3rd April 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning  Discussion

Those who attended the February Coffee Morning asked whether Local Government Reorganisation could be the subject at a future Coffee Morning so we asked Andrew Weavers, Head of Governance at Colchester City Council, whether he could come to our April Coffee Morning to tell us what is happening at the moment and to explain the potentially huge implications for Colchester and Colcestrians,

There will, of course, be  time for questions and for discussion, both about the Local Government proposals and any other matters affecting Colchester that you would like to raise.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed. 

Please let me know asap if you are interested in this rather special visit. Although funding for the repairs to the church is available through the Government’s Town Deal scheme, the money for converting the church into a warm, functional, space still needs to be raised. A Heritage Lottery Fund bid is currently being drawn up. St Helena Hospice are hoping to be able to open the church as an all purpose community hub. They are now working in partnership with the Council, who own the building, to see what can be achieved. This is your opportunity find out more and to give your thoughts, which will be really useful material for the HLF bid.  Despite the fact that this visit is planned for late April, please wear warm clothes. The church is unbelievably cold! It is also empty. There is no seating, so if you can’t stand for long, please bring a camping chair or stool.

It is only possible to take a few people into the church at once, so I will have to give you a time slot somewhere between 10am and noon, or, possibly, 1pm if we have a lot of applicants. Please indicate whether you want the same time slot as a friend.

Cost? Free.

Thursday 1st May 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning  Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations really welcomed! 

Today we are lucky enough to be able to visit the Orderly House, originally the Guard House, Prisoner’s Room and Cells and Fire Engine House at the Butt Road entrance to the Cavalry Barracks. Local developer, Adrian Mann, has has returned a derelict building to its former glory, retaining most of its original features including the cell doors! The work that he has done is absolutely superb and shows what can be done to preserve the history of such buildings whilst creating a stunning and practical modern workspace. This is a rare opportunity, not to be missed! Adrian was also deeply involved with Civic Society member, Paul Knappett’s, extraordinary efforts to commemorate Le Cateau Barracks with the beautiful memorial between the Sergeant’s Mess and Roman Circus House. Although the memorial is now in place, fundraising to cover the full cost of it is ongoing. I would therefore like to suggest that those who join us on this visit consider a voluntary donation to the Memorial Fund

Some parking is available (see directions below) and there is a bus stop in Butt Road.

Directions:

The address is :The Orderly House, Dragoon Road, Colchester CO2 7FU.

Turn off Butt Road into Circular Road West, take first turning on the left into Dragoon Road (not signed), and then left again, continue along Dragoon Road to the end  – Orderly House is last building on left set in the inner corner of Butt Road and Circular Road West.

Cost? Free but please consider a donation to the Le Cateau Memorial Fund. 

 Conscious of the fact that some members are unable to come to Coffee Mornings, we offer two meetings a year where members can catch up with all that the Society is doing but also raise matters that they would like us to address. The other meeting is Burning Issues, usually held close to Guy Fawkes Night!

Cost? Free but donations welcomed..

Both of these ancient churches are now in the care of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Colchester, which is under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland, and are receiving the TLC they needed. This evening we will find out more about the Orthodox Church and be able to visit both churches to see and find out more about their ancient but rather chequered history.

St Martin’s is a mediaeval church with the remains of a Norman tower and 14th century roof. The tower was badly damaged in the Siege of 1648 and the church fell into disrepair afterwards. The historian, Philip Morant, described it as ruinous. The Victorians rescued it, helped by Gilbert Scott, who visited in 1876 and was so impressed by the roof that he gave the money needed to restore it. The church was made redundant in 1953 and was later taken over by a theatre group who used it from 1957 to 1987. They painted the internal walls black! During the 1960s, it became the home of ‘The Disc’ – a weekend discotheque for the young people of Colchester. I remember it well! The church was passed to the Churches Conservation Trust in 1996 and became the Orthodox Church in 2022.

St Helen’s Chapel is a 13th century building built on the remains of the Roman Theatre.

It is, however, obviously built on the site of an earlier chapel as well, as Eudo Dapifer’s records refer to repairs made in 1076. It fell into disuse in the 14th century, before becoming first a chantry until it was bought as a Meeting House for the Quakers in 1683. More recently, it was used as a furniture repository and a Colchester Museum store before being acquired by the current church.

Cost? Free but donations towards the upkeep of these very important buildings would be gratefully received.

Thursday 5th June 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning  Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed.

The business part of the meeting will be followed by a short break for coffee before a presentation by Matthew Brown and Clare Ratcliffe from Colchester Council about the lesser known projects funded by the Government Town Deal Fund. Members have attended the various briefings given to the Civic Society about both the Town Deal and Levelling Up projects in the City but there are a number of smaller projects that have rather gone under the radar. We will find out about the huge difference they have made to people’s lives. I think we will also receive quick updates on the progress (or otherwise) of some of the big projects, too.

Cost? Obviously free but donations welcomed.

Rosemary Jewers, one of our Civic Society Vice Presidents, moved to Cambridgeshire recently to be nearer her family. At a very temporary loose end, she decided to apply to be a volunteer at Anglesey Abbey and was accepted. She immediately asked whether we could visit so she could see us all again. Of course, Rosemary.  We are on our way!

I suspect most of you know Anglesey Abbey but it’s a place you can visit time and time again and see something new on each occasion.

Probably founded by Henry the First as the Hospital of St Mary, in the 13th century it was converted into an Augustinian Priory which lasted until the Dissolution. It then had a series of owners, the first of whom stripped the roof off the buildings to use the materials for his new home at Madingley. It wasn’t until 1609 that the ruins were turned into a house. The house was eventually bought by American born Lord Fairhaven and his younger brother in 1926. Lord Fairhaven lived there until his death in 1966, at which time the house and estate passed into the management of the National Trust. Lord Fairhaven was a great collector and amongst the treasures that can be seen in the house is the recently restored pagoda clock.

The gardens are lovely and garden tours will be available during the day. Please indicate on your reply slip if you wish to go on a garden tour. And, of course, there is the Lode Mill to visit as well.

Light meals are available at the cafe or you can bring a picnic.

If you have guests who would like to join us, then please feel free to bring them.

Although we start from East Hill, the coach will pick up at Marks Tey and, if there is a demand, in Lexden Road, too.

Cost? National Trust and Royal Horticultural Society Members £20

Non NT or RHS Members £37

Thursday 3rd July 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning  Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed.

Thursday 7th August 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning  Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed

Thursday 4th September  2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed.

Yes, dates have changed and are later than usual. However, other things have changed too and we have been asked whether we can steward the Roman Theatre on both weekends rather than just one. So that means that we need your help on the 13th and 14th and the 20th and 21st September, please. It is also possible that we might need a couple of volunteers at the Audley Chapel in Berechurch Hall Road as well. Stewarding is great fun and you will meet a lot of very interesting people! I thoroughly recommend it. Can you help us, please?
 

Thursday 2nd October 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed.

 Sunday 12th October 2025 

An afternoon walk with Glyn Barritt, Civic Society Executive Committee Member and Chair of Colchester Tourist Guides Association. 

Save the date. More details anon.

  See information for the Spring Up meeting in May. This is your second opportunity to attend an evening meeting to find out what we are doing and to tell us what you would like us to do!

 Before Covid, we had a very popular visit to London that I have decided to repeat. So often I hear people say that they would love to visit the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and/or the V&A but as they are such a hassle to get to, they don’t. The answer? A coach from Colchester to Exhibition Road! Just that. Nothing more. Once you are there, you will be free for the day to decide where to go and what to see – and the cost will be less than the train fare, even with railcards! Guests welcome.

Cost? £20

Thursday 6th  November 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed

Thursday 4th December 2025 Meet at the Cloisters Restaurant at GreyFriars Hotel at 9.30am for our monthly Coffee Morning Discussion.

Cost? Free but donations welcomed