Talks, music and more in store from Mayor’s Charity event programme
A host of varied events are taking place in support of the Mayor of Winchester’s 2025/6 selected charities.
Tickets are now on sale for the next two events, a talk in Abbey House and a lunchtime Ukrainian classical music concert. Proceeds will benefit the three current Mayoral Charities: Trinity Winchester; Home-Start Winchester; and WinACC (Winchester Action on Climate Crisis).
The talk, which will take place in the Mayor’s official residence Abbey House on Friday 8 August at 7pm, is entitled The French Prisoners of Alresford and the Hampshire Parole Towns.
It will be given by former mayor Russell Gordon-Smith, who will delve into the history of the Alresford tombs of five French officer prisoners of war - four officers and one military wife - who lived for a period of time in the small district town.
It will also provide some background on the Napoleonic wars and the workings of the ‘parole’ system, including life in the prison hulks and in prison camps.
The classical music concert, which has been organised with the Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association (WUCA), will take place in The United Church, Jewry Street, on Friday 29 August at 12pm.
The programme includes works by Ukrainian and international composers, performed by Volodymyr Vasylenko (accordion), Liliya Solomonova (piano), Marharyta Dorosh (cello), and Ava Solomonova-Satchwell (vocal).
Events later in the season include: Life in Quizzing - a talk by local champion quizzer – and former Egghead - Kevin Ashman; a Murder Mystery evening; an Agatha Christie evening; a jazz piano concert; Burns Night; the popular annual Quiz Night; a Pie & Mash night; and much more.
The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Sudhakar Achwal: “We have already enjoyed fun events in aid of my selected Mayoral Charities, including a family scavenger hunt, and I am so looking forward to the rest of the programme – it really does have something to offer to everyone.
“The Mayoral Charities each do such excellent work in our local communities and these events are a fantastic way to enjoy yourself whilst also offering valuable support to three wonderful and worthy district charities.”
Tickets for all official Mayoral Charity events will be available, as they are released, from the official Mayor of Winchester Ticketsource site.