January has been a brilliant month here at The Witham!
We reopened after the Christmas break in early January and quickly got back into the rhythm of classes. Cedric’s art classes returned, welcoming both regulars and people joining for the first time, and Jo Pickering’s art classes resumed, continuing to offer a relaxed, supportive space to explore creativity. Alongside Andy’s popular Tai Chi classes, we also added an extra yoga class to the timetable, giving more chances to slow down, stretch and reset during the winter months.
January reminded us how much live performance matters. We kicked things off with a sell out comedy night from Jim Smith and Funny Way to Be Comedy, bringing plenty of laughs and a great midweek atmosphere. Across the month, we also hosted a range of other comedy gigs, live music and screenings, including screenings from the Royal Ballet and Opera House and The National Theatre. It was a real mix and a good reflection of the range of work that takes place here. We had local theatre group The Castle Players starting their Winter Tour on our stage with a sell out performance of Ladies Day earlier in the month. Plus, our incredible in-house Youth Theatre Seniors performed “William Shakes-Beer’s Twelfth Pint” twice on our stage with support from local youth band the ‘River Rats’ and we are so proud of how hard they worked.
Ticket sales were another highlight. Tickets for shows with Jimmy Nail went on sale and the response was incredible. The first date sold out in 11 minutes, one of the fastest we’ve ever seen, and the second show quickly followed. We’re really looking forward to welcoming audiences back later in the year.
Henry’s Bar reopened with its winter opening hours, Thursday to Saturday, 5pm – 11pm. It has become a popular spot before and after shows, as well as a relaxed place to spend an evening. Cocktails continue to be a favourite, and during Dry January we’ve enjoyed serving many mocktails, alongside new 0% lagers, beers and ‘no’secco. Phil, our food and beverage manager, has hand drawn chalkboard art work has added plenty of character to the space, and right at the end of the month we installed a brand new Guinness machine, which has gone down very well (including a 0% option!)
During the day, the café has remained a welcoming space, particularly busy on Wednesdays (market days), with people meeting friends, working remotely or just taking a break. The coffee and cake deal between 2pm and 4pm remains a favourite!
One of the biggest bits of news this month is that The Witham has been awarded £229,800 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for our project We Are Witham: The Witham Past, Present and Future. This will support work with our community to explore and share the stories of this building and its history, while also helping us put stronger foundations in place for the future. We are so excited to get underway with this and to celebrate 180 years of The Witham with support from our partners at DigVentures.
We’re already looking ahead to the warmer months too, with planning underway for our Summer Saturday Sessions, bringing live music and a great atmosphere back into our garden every Saturday afternoon.
Thanks to everyone who’s visited, taken part, bought a ticket this month, whether you’ve had a brew or just popped in to say hello. If January is anything to go by, it’s going up to be a really good year at The Witham!
