Past Events

TALK

The Kirby Riot
by Malcolm Batty
Thursday 11th December
5pm, Free

Local historian, Malcolm Batty, is giving a talk on the Agricultural Riots that took place in Kirby late in 1830. Through an interest in Local History and Genealogy, he had heard about the Swing Riots, the Tolpuddle Martyrs and how the agricultural labourers protested at the introduction of machines on farms; but it was his involvement in traditional Morris dance and the East Anglian tradition of Molly Dancing that concentrated his attention to the story of Kirby-le-Soken and its place in history. His research into the history of the farm workers of the area in the early 19th century was helped by a visit to Tasmania and speaking to their local historians. He hopes that you find it equally fascinating.”

Come along to The Nose at 5pm on Thursday 11th December 2025 and experience a PowerPoint presentation that brings to life the day when nearly 300 men marched through the village and destroyed farm machinery. The result was that on 11th December 1830, one thousand men rounded up some of the farm workers from the Tendring Hundred and after a trial at Chelmsford had them transported to the other side of the world.

MUSIC

Between the Shelves
Evy Frearson and Lianne Kaye
Friday 21st November
Doors 7.30pm
Tickets £5

Between the Shelves is a new music night of talented musicians performing original material in the intimate setting of the bookshop.

This evening features a stripped-back showcase of rising alternative Indie songwriters; Evy Frearson and Lianne Kaye. The session is being recorded.

DJ / MUSIC

Minor Tour
Saturday 8th November
7.30pm, Donations

An eclectic fusing of Broomwagon's David Wilson and The Ear at The Nose DJ Ewan O'Neill, Minor Tour draws you into a sonic labyrinth of hypnotic rhythms, guitar improvisation and ambiguous harmonies. With visuals by bMoSo (blue Museum of Smallish obsessions).

MUSIC & POETRY

Reclaiming the heart, the soul and the flag: William Blake and radical England.
Saturday 18th October
7.30pm, Free / Donations

An evening of poetry and live music with local musicians and writers in the creative and revolutionary spirit of Blake’s visions of Albion.

William Blake was essentially an antinomian and a part of an Nexus of radical Christian sects in late 17th and early 18th Century London. This Nexus grew out of the Diggers, the Ranters, the Levellers and other groups resisting Cromwell’s betrayal of the people during the English Civil War and the Commonwealth. He knew Thomas Paine (American and French Revolutions), Mary Wollstencraft and others surrounding Joseph Johnson a radical publisher, who was eventually imprisoned for sedition.

The basic theme of antinomianism is that once you accept Christ in your heart the set of laws perpetrated by Moses (Mosaic laws) were no longer relevant to your actions. All that applied were the laws your heart, acting with love told you. This seemed to drive Blake’s preoccupation with racism, gender and class/status inequalities, economic fairness, and his loathing of the Church and State Establishments of the time. and justice social status hierarchy. There was also the placing of creativity and imagination above reason, and science

We aim to entertain with poetry, music and images which capture the continuing relevance of Blake to the present day.

WRITING

From Script to Screenplay Writing Workshops
With director Nick Pelas

This is a 4 week course
Saturday 1st / 8th / 15th / 22nd November
£10 per week / £40 for 4 sessions

Starts Saturday 1st November 2025
From 2pm-4pm

On this course Nick will guide you through:

* Screenplay
* Casting
* Non-Linear Narrative
* Book Launching
* Pitching

WELL-BEING

World Mental Health Day
Friday 10th October

10am -11am,
Women in Harmony
Joyful choir singing world music led by Lisa Strong, £5 to join, free to listen, all welcome.

12pm-2pm,
Slow Stitch Club
Bi-Monthly hand sewing group led by Suzi. (Currently full)

World Mental Health Day
Steven Walker has organised the afternoon event. It is free to attend; you can join for some or all of the sessions. World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma.

3pm Tendring District Council introduction.
3.20 Mind North and Mid Essex
3.40 CVST Tendring`
4pm Refreshments and Social
5pm Samantha Earnshaw
5.30pm Walton Youth Club
6pm Ricky Frost, Poet, reading from his new book ‘What If We Were Water'.
6.30pm 'Tune in to Wellbeing' with meditative music & movement by her&her musicians (Cydnei B & Catherine Shrubshall) & movement specialist Georgie Ferraro.

Image from the book cover of 'What If We Were Water' by Ricky Frost. Available for £10