Colchester City Council

What's going on at Hollytrees? 😲 Fear not! Hollytrees Museum is currently having some essential roof and upper area maintenance to protect the building and its collections. 🚧🛠️ The Museum and the Visitor Information Centre remain open as usual! 🎉 Supported by £228,850 of MEND funding from Arts Council England and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), these repairs will take place throughout the summer. 🌟 Stop by Monday-Saturday to explore our beautiful Georgian townhouse, enjoy hands-on exhibits, and to speak to the team at Visit Colchester for great Summer Holiday ideas. 🏛️🕰️

Paris 2024 is here! 🙌 And there's three Colchester based Olympians competing. We hope you'll join us in cheering them on! 🎉👏 🥊Lewis Richardson, Silver Medallist at the European Championships and Bronze Medallist at the Commonwealth Games competes in the Men's 71kg Boxing. Lewis's first bout is scheduled for 7.48pm on 31 July. 🏃♂️Charlie Dobson, UK Champion and European Silver Medallist, competes in the 400m. Scheduled from 4 August 🏊♀️ Laura Stephens, World Champion and Commonwealth Silver Medallist, competes in the 200m Butterfly. Scheduled from 31 July Lewis can still be found popping into Leisure World for training, Laura started her Olympic journey at Colchester Swimming Club, and Charlie trains with Colchester Harriers Athletics Club. We wish them all the best on their Olympic journey! 📷: Facebook

🌿Wow! What an amazing space! 🤩 The New Meanwhile Garden by Firstsite has been designed by the internationally renowned team at Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens! I've never seen a garden like it! The Meanwhile Garden, created on a once neglected brownfield site, offers a temporary space for Colchester residents to enjoy. Built over unused rubble, this garden intentionally blends ornamental plants with spontaneous wild growth. 🌸🌼 It will last "as long as it lasts". However long that turns out to be, for now there's a special new spot to visit in the city centre. ☺️ 📷: CCC / Beth Chatto Gardens

What a sight! 😲🌊✨ West Mersea's iconic pastel beach huts, sandy shores, and crashing waves are usually frequented by Instagram influencers and tourists, but last Friday they also hosted the British Army's 16 Medical Regiment for some intense training! 💪🏖️ A relaxing beach day this was not! We're incredibly proud that this medical regiment, alongside the 16 Air Assault Brigade, calls Colchester home. Their lifesaving work around the globe, from treating casualties to performing damage control surgery, is truly awe-inspiring. 🙌🌍 📷: Cpl Aaron Stone, British Army

Incredible! 🤩 Don't forget the mindbending experience that is Colourscape is back in Castle Park all weekend. ✨ A psychedelic maze of colour, light and music. 🎶🌈 It's well worth exploring for any age group! 👨👩👧👦 It's a little on the warm side in there 😅 but that adds to the other-worldliness if you ask us!

Wow! 😵💫🌟This HUGE globe artwork has been installed in the Castle for the Summer! The photos don't quite capture how impressive it is. You NEED to see this in real life! Gaia has been touring the UK and now it's Colchester's turn. 🤩 Created by artist Luke Jerram, this six-meter diameter masterpiece showcases stunning NASA imagery of Earth, offering a unique, immersive experience. 🚀🌎 Don't miss the incredible display in Colchester Castle from today until September 15. 🎉🌍

🚌 Big News! From Monday 29 July, a new bus service - The S5 shuttle service - will be linking up Greenstead and the City Centre via Harwich Road and East Hill! 🎉 This new bus service will run up to every 12 minutes, increasing public transport connectivity in Greenstead and serving residents in Parsons Heath, as well as running past the large Waitrose and Lidl stores on St Andrew's Avenue. 🛍️ Big thanks to First Essex for providing this service. 🌟›

😊 Strolling through the piazza, supporting independent traders, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the finest local produce. 🚶♂️🍓 A prediction of things to come in Colchester's city centre? Even better than that! The future's already here! Colchester Farmer's Market is hosting its Midsummer Evening Market outside the Mercury from 4pm on Saturday. Thirty traders for you to enjoy on a beautiful summer's evening. 😋

Here in Colchester we're proud to have some of the best parks around! 😍 This year we're triple award winners! Castle Park, High Woods, and Colchester Cemetery have all won a prestigious Green Flag Award from Keep Britain Tidy. 🏆🌳. Castle Park have now won the award 22 times and this year have also received a bonus Green Heritage Award from Historic England. 🏛️ Let's show some appreciation to our parks teams who keep our green spaces looking so amazing all year ❤️👏

What a weekend in Castle Park! 😍🙌 Over 15,000 people witnessed three amazing festival events and there was a great atmosphere all round (Just a shame about the football result! 😥). Ibiza Orchestra, Sausage & Cider Fest & Summer Sundays! 😎 These park events are getting better and better every year. 🌟 Did anyone make it to all three events this weekend? Which were your favourites? 📷: Summer Sunday, 14.07.24. Next up, the Human League in August! Don't miss it. 🎶✨