“Blue Monday” the inaccurately named “most depressing day of the year” passed and was no more depressing than the seemingly endless stretch of days before and after it. In Chester and across the nation, The Samaritans mark the non event with “Brew Monday” offering a friendly ear, hot drinks and the chance to connect with others. Events took place at Chester and Wrexham train stations, with a similar drop in at Chester Town Hall.

Its a low time of year for a lot of people, but if you’re especially prone to the darkness it gets tough. I’m hoping the tip tap of the laptop keyboard will help dispel some of the blues this week as I look to the year ahead and some upcoming events of interest.

After nearly 11 years of covering events in Chester, its no secret that I’ve become quite jaded about attending the same happenings year after year, as brilliantly run and wonderful as they all are. The last decade has seen a steady pace of change and new developments from Storyhouse to bus station to Northgate. With the long awaited cinema now in place and the next phase looking like it will be some years ago, it feels like we have reached a plateau for the time being.  Those hoping for a quick resolution to the collapsed wall will also have been disappointed by this weeks press release. To quote the tagline of last year’s Chester Visual Arts/ Simon Robert’s exhibition : “Where do we go from here?”

You don’t have to be Nostradamus to predict the Chester tropes of the coming year. Someone on facebook will complain about a new hotel opening (presumably the luxury one at the Cross), a coffee shop will open, a coffee bar will close, the end of civilisation will be predicted. But what is there to look forward to in 2024?

In the short term , Boheme on Bridge street in the old Cafe Rouge will open after a 4 year gestation period. Looking like a high quality venue, it will deliver the high end Parisian style bar/ restaurant that Chester needs. Over on the Northgate, delayed by last years incident, Turtle Bay will open , currently scheduled for “early 2024”. Hopefully the new coffee shop will open in the arcade as well, filling another empty unit in the new development.

Coming up in Feb Matt Baker and friends/Theatre in the Quarter is the musical Top of the Tower. St Thomas of Canterbury Church on Parkgate Road will host the show from Monday, February 12 until Wednesday 14 at 7.30pm. The inclusive musical is based on community collaborations with many groups in Chester all of whom were inspired by the view from the top of the Cathedral tower. A 40 strong choir will bring to life the stories, memories, dreams with historical and contemporary themes. Says Matt Baker of the show:  “I find it truly exciting when people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can come together to make a new show; something that they have all help to make up, something that they all perform”. See https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/theatre-in-the-quarter for tickets.

Immersive light show Lux Muralis ( light murals in Latin) will transform Chester Cathedral in late Feb. The walk through art installation will allow visitors to explore humanity’s achivements as well as show the Cathedral in a new light: Installations of sound and light art will take you on a journey through space where you can see galaxies emerge above you. Promotional images look spectacular with the event following in the footsteps of 2022’s Once a Desert and continuing the Cathedral’s innovative streak. Be quick because its only running on 3 nights from the 21-23 Feb.

On a smaller scale I am looking forward to some of the events at the Grosvenor Museum. Defying its small size the venue frequently hosts interesting exhibitions in its gallery spaces. Speed of Change launches 3 Feb and runs until the Summer is an object rich exhibition which focuses on the evolution of technology prior to the prevalence of mobile phones. Later in the month an exhibition by University archaeology students will focus on on Chester in the Civil War, a turbulent and not often talked about period of our history.

On June 7th The Duke of Westminister will be marrying at the Cathedral. I am expecting some high profile Royal visitors for this event, which is likely to be a crowded showcase for the city.

Finally, an exciting new event the Chester Festival of Ideas will take place for the first time from Thursday July 4 to Sunday July 7, 2024. The festival will offer a programme of free, inclusive and accessible public events, in and around Chester created by the University of Chester and partners. Events will include discussion panels, theatre, pop-up exhibitions, interactive activities, music, readings, guided walks and more. Baroness Floella Benjamin is the star signing for the event and will be giving a free talk about her life. For anyone who loves Chester this sounds like a marvellous event with other happenings including a discussion forum at the Cathedral and an exploration of Northgate archaeological finds. See https://festivalofideas.chester.ac.uk/ for further details.

Next week: definitely York

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