Easter Holidays Family Survival Guide

With the Easter Holidays upon us, I thought I'd put together a guide to keeping the little ones amused no matter what the weather.

Now, I can't bring you any good news regarding it feeling more "spring-like" outside, but what I can tell you is that there are tonnes of events, workshops and activities going on in Colchester over the Easter Holidays.  Here are some of my favourites:

Indie Easter Egg Hunt 23rd March - 14th April

The Indie Easter Egg Hunt
This is an event that involves chocolate, prizes and the chance to discover some of Colchester's hidden gems in terms of independent shops.  And if that's not enough, it's FREE!  All you have to do is visit one of the participating independent shops with your children to collect your map, visit nine more, collecting stickers along the way to receive a free chocolate egg as well as the chance of winning some fabulous prizes donated by local businesses when you complete and hand in your map at the end.

Easter Wonderland at Colchester Zoo 29th March - 14th April

Easter Wonderland At Colchester Zoo
There will be additional feeds and themed displays, plus you can visit the enchanted Easter Wonderland in the Discovery Centre.



Leisureworld Activity Sessions 29th March - 14th April


Leisureworld
Dancing, sports, crafts swimming, there are even full day sessions, so there's lots to choose from to keep children active and entertained.

Day Out With Thomas at the East Anglian Railway Museum
29th March - 1st April

A Day Out With Thomas
Young Thomas The Tank Engine fans will love the unlimited rides on Thomas, Daisy, Henrietta, Toby and the Troublesome Trucks.  Little ones can also enjoy storytime with the Fat Controller and pay a visit to the Imagination Station, which offers a wide range of children‘s activities, from Circus Skills, Punch & Judy, Colouring Competition, engine outline rubbing, playtables with plasticine, temporary Thomas tattoos, reading books and much more. 

Medieval Day - 1st April

Medieval Day At Colchester Castle
There are only a handful of opportunities left to visit Colchester Castle while it is stripped of it's exhibitions before it closes again until 2014 and on the 1st April, the Castle plays host to a Medieval Day.  Watch knights in combat, meet the wise woman with her medicines, take part in crime and punishment trials, meet Nick the Gaoler in his dark prisons and make your own medieval clay goblet! Entry is £5 for adults, £3 for children with under 3's going free.

Family Fun Open Day At Fingringhoe Wick - 1st April

Fabulous Fingringhoe: Family Fun Open Day
You can enjoy arts, crafts, games, and trails at Fngringhoe Wick Nature Reserve on Bank Holiday Monday. 

Runaround Kids Family Fun Session 3rd April

Family Fun Session
Runaround Kids are offering a FREE Family Fun Session on 3rd April.  Runaround Kids classes offer parachute play, tag games, ball activities, sports day style races and more.  A great way to spend and active morning with your children while keeping fit and healthy.

There are lots more events and workshops happening in Colchester, but these are just my selected favourites.  For full details of events in Colchester this Easter, visit the YourColchester Events Pages.

Colchester Carnival 2013 Will Be Bigger And Brighter

Colchester Carnival is returning to the town on Saturday 20 July 2013.

A traditional carnival procession will parade through the town during the afternoon, adopting an ‘Animals on Parade’ theme to tie in with the 50th birthday of Colchester Zoo. Already taking part are local band ‘Stalker’, Colchester Cosplay and the Invicta Foundation. We want everyone to have a chance to take part so whether you’re a dance group, band, choir, kids group, community group, charity, sports club, historical society, business (small fee involved) or an individual, get in touch and get involved!

Throughout the day there will also be sideshows, attractions and family fun in Castle Park. Come along and hear Bad Hatters and Stalker on the stage, Ipswich Youth Steel Band and Harwich Royal British Legion Band on the bandstand or join the zumba session in the arena, to name a few. We also have space available for a limited number of trade stalls. Applications can be made through our website.

The event is run on a not-for-profit basis by volunteers from local charities Colchester Round Table and Colchester Ladies Circle’, and all proceeds after expenses go to benefit the community of Colchester. In 2012 over £6000 was put back in to the community.

 

The website for the 2013 event has been launched and features everything needed to get involved in the day, whether that is entering the procession, renting a space or performing at the family fun day, volunteering to help out or offering support through advertising or partnership opportunities. 

 

We’re aiming for a real community-centred event, bigger and brighter than we’ve seen before!

 

Visit the Colchester Carnival website to find out more on how to get involved. 

Free Advertising For Independent Retailers in Colchester

These are difficult times for local retailers, with several of Colchester’s oldest and well-loved shops including Jack’s and Horbury’s Bathroom Supplies being forced to close permanently in the last month.

To show our support for local shops and to help drive consumers into Colchester Town centre and through your doors, we have decided to offer free advertising on the YourColchester.co.uk website to independent retailers in Colchester until 31st May 2013.

In conjunction with Promote Your Shop, independent retailers can have a Full Listing in our Shopping In Colchester section, giving you a full page to promote your business, with a website link, logo and images.  We will also welcome and share on our site, any newsletters, press releases and special offers you have running during this period.

YourColchester.co.uk currently receives around 15000 visitors a month (and rising), so by appearing on our website as a Featured Advertiser, you will receive lots of local exposure to potential customers.

A Full Page Listing on YourColchester.co.uk usually costs £5 per month, but we are offering them for FREE to independent retailers in Colchester until 31st May 2013.

With 1000's of visitors each week to YourColchester.co.uk, listing your business could help provide a steady supply of new local customers.

To take advantage of this fantastic offer, simply complete the online form on our website, or if you are unsure of the wording to use but you have a website for your business, you can just provide the website address and I will write it for you.

Anyone wishing to discuss advertising can call myself, Claire Abraham on 07855 354967 or email info@yourcolchester.co.uk.

Save Colchester High Street

OPINION PIECE By Amanda Ruiz www.promoteyourshop.co.uk

"COLCHESTER BOROUGH COUNCIL PROPOSAL THREATENS BRITAINS OLDEST RECORDED TOWN CENTRE: COLCHESTER"

Essex County Council will implement the wishes of Colchester Borough Council to pass a ban on all vehicle access to the High Street and direct access roads to the High Street except for buses, taxis, cycles and motorbikes, beginning on 17th March 2013.

People on the street say, you either pedestrianize the whole high street or nothing. With this scheme in place you will still have to risk your life crossing the road with buses and bikes coming right at you.

There is huge opposition for the scheme, during last year’s consultation, 178 respondents (including the FSB) opposed it and ONLY 2 were pro the proposal.

Who will it affect?

•Disabled badge holders = no access from 11am – 6pm
•Independent retailers = with struggling footfall as it is, this will only be the final nail in the coffin
•Business deliveries = not permitted between 11am – 6pm
•Drop and shop = not permitted unless you arrive by bus, bike or taxi
•Wedding ceremonies at the Council’s town hall on the High Street – bride and groom will need to park in the nearby street and walk to the town hall
•Residents, churches, schools and care homes in the area

In the UK, 20 shops every day are closed down in 2012 (source The Local Data Company). In Colchester in the space of 4 weeks, 4 shops closed down (two after more than 35 years of trading). This scheme will only see more boarded up shops and/or local job losses as people choose to go to out of town shopping centres in order to avoid the queues and confusion at the car parks.

We need the Government to intervene in this Liberal Democrat run council proposal which will adversely affect the local economy.

A website has been created where people can voice their objections: http://www.savecolchestertown.co.uk


Please note these are the opinions of Amanda Ruiz


Contact details: Amanda Ruiz, tel (+44) 7711 419595 email: hello@yourlocalpr.co.uk www.promoteyourshop.co.uk Twitter: @promote_ur_shop

Facebook: www.facebook.com/promoteyourshop