HA! HA! in Colchester, Essex and other venues offers open plan kitchens and great food and drinks, and a mouthwatering menu is guaranteed to entice and delight. Enjoy fresh, home cooked perfection with choices including spiced poached pear served with blue cheese, caramelised walnuts and roasted red onion salad, or the Moroccan spiced lamb steak, the home made fish cake and more ended with the apple and Frangipane tart, all complemented by a good wine list and premium beers. HA! HA! also offer classic drinks and cocktails, has a coffee machine and caters to Christmas parties and celebrations, come see the chefs whipping up a veritable feast.READ MORE

Greyfriars Colchester offers luxurious rooms and suites to the discerning in a beautiful building dating all the way back to the 18th Century, and once a grand private family house, after extensive refurbishment, it is today the perfect venue for dining, socialising and celebrating. Accommodation options include superbly appointed rooms and suites including Grand Luxe Signature suites, deluxe suites and junior suites with 5-star standards. They offer dining at the Cloisters, the Rose Room or the Salon with excellent menus and a wide range of options from Breakfast through lunch, afternoon tea and dinner and a superb Sunday lunch. The Baroque Bar, Venetian LOunge and Library lounge are all in the original old quarters of Greyfriars offering an incredible atmosphere of old world charm with solid woods and leather, and there's a large terrace perfect for good weather days. Greyfriars Colchester is a luxurious and elegant venue for special occasions from large to small with high standards of service and exquisite cuisine, and they cater to corporate events and meetings.READ MORE

The Essex Wine School in Colchester, Essex offers fun and informal Essex wine tastings and Essex wine courses and are not affiliated to any wine merchants or retailers. This independent company is for people who love and enjoy wine, and would like to know more about it, and no previous wine tasting experience is necessary. The Essex Wine School offers a wonderful programme of events from wine tasting days and evenings to food and wine matching, spirit and beer tastings, and they host corporate events and private wine tastings. They even offer professional and accredited wine and spirit qualifications from WSET an internationally recognised, awarding body for the wine trade. So come relax, have fun in a casual setting and enjoy learning all about wine.READ MORE

Firstsite offers contemporary visual arts in Colchester, Essex and their programme includes projects, exhibitions and publications by established and emerging artists, they also offer extensive learning opportunities and artists' support initiatives. They have since 1994 supported and invested in artists across the Eastern region, and now have a spectacular new building with front portico rising to 11 metres high comprising exhibition space, gallery spaces, a shop selling creative gifts, and a restaurant all lit throughout with natural light. Firstsite also has a state of the art auditorium which comfortable seats 190 people, and the venue is available for hire and is ideal for conferences, presentations, and product launches as well as celebrations, club and society meetings and private parties with a stunning backdrop.READ MORE

Leisure World Colchester offers year round fun for the whole family and they have swimming pools, a gym and a fantastic range of sports facilities including multi purpose sports halls for badminton, squash courts, tennis and basketball, and an astro turf pitch for football. Their swimming pools are available for water fitness classes, pool sessions and there's a swim school with teaching pool. Their comprehensive group fitness classes include over 60 exciting classes for people of all ages, levels of fitness and interests. Leisure World Colchester offers holiday fun, and is available for birthday parties with plenty to offer for memorable celebrations, there's a coffee shop with excellent menu and drinks, and Zoggs shop stocks all your swimwear needs and accessories, come visit, there's something for everyone here. READ MORE

The Mercury Theatre of Colchester, Essex is one of the leading performing arts and producing theatres in the country, and their aim is to put theatre at the heart of the community. The main theatre and studio theatre combined reach and audience of 586 people, and they do on-site productions and their workshop facilities create sets, props and costumes for in-house productions and touring companies, this welcoming theatre also offers award winning customer service, and they nurture new talent in all areas of theatre. The Mercury Theatre is also available for venue hire, and they offer a comfortable and versatile space ideal for meetings, conferences, drink receptions and events, and spaces for hire include the main theatre and studio theatre, the bar and digby gallery. Come view the exceptional quality of the theatre's homegrown work by a talented team, or get involved.READ MORE

Vallies Lounge in Colchester, Essex is a fantastic clubbing bar with relaxed environment and very friendly atmosphere that welcomes all and is a great venue for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Come for a great experience and they offer theme night's, DJ's, cabaret and great drink prices and their team is really friendly. Vallies Lounge is available for hire for your private function and they supply everything from drinks to DJ's to door staff, come party the night away, a great experience is guaranteed.READ MORE

Castle Road Cottages are ideally located in the heart of Colchester, Essex offering a high quality self catering stay with the perfect blend of stylish accommodation and a good location as they say. They ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible with fine quality towels and bed linen, complementary tea and ground coffee as well as fresh fruit to welcome you. Hope Cottage, a one time Quaker bakehouse is the perfect retreat for couples and boasts an intimate atmosphere, snug lounge and cosy kitchen breakfast room and much more with upstairs Edwardian elegance. The 6 Castle Road Cottage is a classic Victorian artisan cottage with lovingly restored period details including cast iron fireplaces, antique furnishings, pretty back garden and much more ideal for three to four guests. Castle Road Cottages true delights in beautiful surrounds, come for a magical stay. READ MORE

The Foundry Arms in Colchester, Essex is a family friendly freehouse with a warm welcome, originally a beer house, the name is associated with the foundry workers from days of old. This is a great venue for families with kids, and there's a beer garden, comfortable sofas and the bar in a welcoming environment for a relaxing drink with family and friends. The Foundry Arms landlord and lady have a dream to restore the venue to it's former glory and look forward to meeting you soon. READ MORE

Dedham Vale Vineyard in Colchester, Essex produces six styles of award winning wines set in 40 acres of rolling English countryside, they also have a proprietary cider and signature fruit liqueurs. There's an on-line shop if you can't visit personally, and during wet walnut season, the Wet Walnut & Vineyard Shop, Trail and Tasting Barn are open seven days a week. The Dedham Vale Vineyard Trail welcomes you on a self conducted tour, to see how the grapes become wine in a bottle, with wine tasting and the Grand Tour and Tasting welcomes you on a full English wine experience with guided tour and tasting from their expert winemakers followed by afternoon tea or lunch in the Tasting Barn, plus there are group tours available in this idyllic setting with catering as required.READ MORE