Colchester

Colchester is a town in Essex, East Anglia. Home to the University of Essex , the Colchester Institute and an Army Garrison, and with its attractive old buildings, Roman wall, castle and proximity to Constable country, Colchester is an interesting place to visit.

At the time of the census in 2001 it had a population of 104,390. The Essex County Standard of September 4 2009 said that "Government estimates" made Colchester the largest borough in the county and further said that "the population of Colchester and its surrounding towns and villages had reached 181,000 by the middle of 2008".

As the oldest recorded Roman town in the British Isles, Colchester claims to be the oldest town in Britain. It was for a time the capital of Roman Britain and also claims to have the United Kingdom's oldest recorded market. Colchester is 56 miles (90 km) northeast of London. It is connected to the capital by the A12 road and the Great Eastern Main Line.

The only cinema in Colchester is the multiplex Odeon on Head Street which comprises eight screens and shows all of the big blockbuster movies as well as occasionally putting on alternative and foreign films. The prices are on the expensive side so take your own snacks. There is also a theatre, the Mercury, for the theatrically inclined, which puts on shows throughout the year.