Winchester Brew - 12th February '26

It’s a week for small celebrations of every flavour: date nights, mate nights, and Pancake Day antics.

Welcome to all our new readers. This edition is a properly sociable one, with plenty of options whether you’re planning something sweet, organising a Galentine’s catch-up, or just want a low-effort reason to get out and do something fun.

Our feature this week is the Winchester Rotary Pancake Race Day: part relay, part fancy dress, part harmless chaos, with the very real reward of pancakes throughout. It’s the kind of event that’s much more fun than it has any right to be, even if you go purely to spectate and judge team names with quiet authority.

As always, we try to only include events that still have availability, but it’s worth checking ahead. And if you know someone who’d enjoy a weekly nudge to make plans, please pass this on.

On to the events…😃

🥞🏃‍♀️🎗️ Winchester Rotary’s Pancake Race is a fun, family-friendly afternoon that mixes a bit of sporting spirit with a lot of community energy.

Teams of four race relay-style against another team, with plenty of encouragement from the sidelines. And there are prizes not just for the fastest team, but for the best fancy dress and the most amusing team name.

If you’re coming along to watch, it’s easy to drop in and enjoy the atmosphere. Refreshments (including pancakes) will be available to buy on site, so you can settle in and enjoy the experience.

When: Tuesday 12th February, with team registrations and instructions from 12:30pm. Racing starts at approx 1pm.

Where: Outer Close of Winchester Cathedral

How much: Business teams: £60 per team of 4. Education, public service and charity teams: £30 per team of 4. At least 80% of all donations/entry fees go to Wonderseekers (the club’s charity for this year).

A curated list of events from the next seven days. We try to only include events that still have availability, though things can sell out quickly so best to check ahead. Cheapest adult ticket price option shown unless otherwise stated.

🌻🖼️🌻 Van Gogh Alive Winchester: Step into Vincent’s vivid world, Winchester Science Centre, runs until late March. Immerse yourself in the most visited multisensory experience in the world as his masterpieces come to life, giving you the sensation of being amongst his paintings. £30

🌞🖼️ Here comes the Sun Helios: An art installation by Luke Jerram, Winchester Cathedral, until 1st March.Pop in marvel at its beauty or join one of the many events and activities that will be taking place in the sunshine, from pilates to silent discos.

🎭 Chesil Youth Theatre Presents, Chesil Theatre, on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 PM. The Juniors present The Phantom Tollbooth by Susan Nanus based on the popular children’s book by Norton Juster. The Seniors present an abridged version of Oscar Wilde’s timeless witty comedy The Importance of Being Earnest. £18

🎭 The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Theatre Royal Winchester, multiple shows on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. A musical play adapted and directed by David Wood, based on the book by Judith Kerr. Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award nominated smash hit show, The Tiger Who Came to Tea returns on tour. £12

🖼️ Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: Patterns of Power, The Arc, exhibition opens on Saturday. This new exhibition presents a selection of artworks spanning 20 years of the artist’s career, including 40 woodblocks and screenprints, and featuring The Crowning (2007), a large-scale sculpture on loan from the Arts Council Collection. £5.45

🪄🚂 Magic of Locomotion, Watercress Line. Discover the magic of train travel with our very own magicians! Be spellbound by our shows at the Old Goods Shed in Alresford and wonder at close-up tricks and entertainment on board our service trains. Enjoy learning how the magic becomes reality to make our locomotives move. £26

📚 Winchester Heroes & Villains, P&G Wells Bookshop, at 6:00 PM. Join Garry Honey to launch his latest book of Winchester History, Winchester Heroes & Villains. Can you name twenty people who helped make Winchester what it is today?

🧶🍷 Galentines Day | Late Night Crafting, Bella Crafts, at 6:00 PM. Celebrate Galentines Day in style with a fun, creative evening at BellaCrafts! Gather your girls, bring your partner, or come with friends and enjoy a relaxed late-night crafting session filled with laughter, creativity, and a little fizz. £27

💍 Jewellery Club with Emily, The Colour Factory, at 6:30 PM. Consider it your workshop for an evening, with all of the equipment that you might need to complete an idea or project that you have planned. It comes with a built-in assistant/guide/ professional jeweller (Emily!) to answer all of your questions. £30

🩰🎭 mapdance 2026, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:00 PM. mapdance, the University of Chichester's MA touring company is an established group of dynamic young dancers recruited nationally and internationally. Their diverse repertoire offers audiences a fresh mixture of gritty dance-theatre, athletic and fast-paced choreo. £12

🤝🍷 20s & 30s Single's Mixer with Love at First Sign, The Winchester Stable, at 7:00 PM. A singles experience blending cosmic data and real time connection in a beautiful and safe setting! An evening of relaxed vibes and fun. £20

🎤 The Noise Next Door: Comedy, Improvised, The Arc, at 7:30 PM. The U.K’s premier improv comedy troupe have taken the comedy world by storm. Twelve time sell-out veterans of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and one of the country’s most sought after comedy club headliners. £18

🎶 The Music of Bruce Springsteen – The Candlelight Concert, The Guildhall, at 7:30 PM. Get ready for a night that brings the spirit, sound and stories of The Boss to life like never before. Performed by the outstanding live band ‘The Sound of Springsteen’, this show is a full-scale tribute to one of rock’s greatest icons. £38.75

🏛️🍷 The Curator’s Cellar - Wine Tasting, RLC Museum, at 7:30 PM. Enjoy a curated selection of wines from around the world, presented by one of Caviste’s wine experts. Hosted in the intimate setting of the museum’s medal room, this unique event is a must for connoisseurs of fine wine and military history. £35

🎬🍷 Galentines: Thelma and Louise (1991), Cabinet Rooms, at 3:00 PM. Come and watch this classic, in the Cabinet Rooms secret-ish cinema. Over 18s only. Book in advance. Drink included. £15

🎶 Wickedly Ariana, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 6:00 PM. A spectacular theatre production starring and produced by Hariana, the UK's leading Ariana Grande tribute. Join us as we take you on a magical journey through the best of Ariana's brand-new album, including her timeless hits plus all the favourites from Wicked. £19

🎶🎗️ St Giles Ensemble - Chamber Music, Abbey House, at 7:00 PM. The concert showcasing works by Mozart, Puccini, Bach and Beethoven. An ensemble of musicians, the event promises an unforgettable musical experience! A charity event for Mayor of Winchester. £15

🎶 Brave Rival, The Arc, at 7:30 PM. Brave Rival are a rock band on a mission. No gimmicks, no frills - just raw, high-energy, riff-driven rock that demands to be heard. £18

🎶🎗️ The Power of Love - Fundraising Concert, Winchester Cathedral, at 7:30 PM. Experience timeless love songs, beautifully woven together in rich vocal arrangements and sung by the Lay Clerks. With a drink on arrival, this event is perfect for sharing with that special someone or simply soaking in the power of love through song. £18

🎶 Dakka Skanks, The Railway Inn, at 8:00 PM. Dakka Skanks are a band seriously committed to bringing hard Reggae, Ska, Dub and Punk rhythms together in a fresh style. £12

🎭🏛️ Meet an Anglo-Saxon Trader!, City Museum, at 9:00 AM. Meet an Anglo-Saxon trader this Valentine’s day at City Museum! On 14 February come and have a chat with our resident trader, peruse his wares and hear about his feelings on the pesky Norman invasion… £8

🥾🌳 Winchester, Kings Worthy, South Wonston Circular Walk, Hillier Way Car Park, at 9:45 AM. Approx 10 miles, the walk takes us out of Winchester along the river, over Barton Meadows Nature Reserve to Kings Worthy where we pick up the the disused railway to South Wonston and back via a different route. £2

🍽️🎓 Cookery Class: Dinner for Two, Lainston House, at 10:00 AM. Change up the usual chocolate and flowers this Valentines day and treat your significant other to a date day at Season cookery school. Spend the day enjoying demos from our expert chefs before creating and eating your own three-course dinner. £149

🧶🖌️ Design and Create your own printed lampshade with Berkshire Printmakers, The Arc, at 10:00 AM. Join Berkshire Printmakers for a creative, hands-on workshop where you’ll design, print, and assemble your very own 25cm table or pendant lampshade. £90

🏉🍷 Six Nations Saturdays, Abbey Mill, from 1:00 PM. Join us at Abbey Mill for Six Nations rugby, shown live in our atmospheric city-centre space. Expect big screens, great food, flowing pints and a relaxed matchday crowd - the kind of Saturday that turns into an afternoon well spent.

🎶 The Duettists - 'Cello on a theme of Love, Church of St Lawrence, at 6:00 PM. Cellists Théa-Rose Lester Mumford and Erlend Vestby will perform arrangements of romantic works by Rachmaninoff, Elgar, Saint-Saëns, Piazzolla and others. Join us for an hour of sumptuous music this Valentines day. £20

🎶🎬 The Lodger + Live Score by Minima, The Nutshell, at 7:30 PM. This screening of the original 1927 Alfred Hitchcock film will feature a new music score performed live by acclaimed soundscapers Minima, a Bristol based quartet £25

🎶☀️ Sun Love: London Community Gospel Choir, Winchester Cathedral, at 8:00 PM. Make this Valentine's Day one to remember. Listen to the spinetingling sounds of the world-renowned London Gospel Choir as you marvel at the stunning 'Helios' art installation. £16.25

📚🤝 Long Prompt Writing session + social, The South Downs Social, at 10:00 AM. In this session, we will have a prompt for you to write something about for an hour. This will be followed by time to share what you've written to the group if you want to. After the writing session, we'll go to a nearby pub.

💐🫙 Real Pressed Flower Jars, Bella Crafts, at 11:00 AM. Enjoy creating a beautiful pressed glass jar lantern with our tutor. This workshop will be relaxed and fun, where you will choose from a gorgeous selection of pressed flowers and plants to create your own unique lantern. £35

⚽ Winchester City Flyers FC vs AFC Bournemouth, Charters Community Stadium, at 2:00 PM. Come and support the Flyers in their next home match. £5

🧘 Sunday Sundown Self Care Sessions, Elevate Fitness Studios and Cafe R0st, at 5:00 PM. Think relaxed Ibiza evenings, think relaxing yoga, think about time after class with your community. Finish your weekend by joining us for a calming yoga session followed by chilled socials. £10

🎶 Ukrainian Valentine's Concert, The United Church, at 6:00 PM. You are warmly invited to a Ukrainian Valentine’s Concert featuring a diverse programme of music and dance performed by Ukrainian artists. Including a vibrant mix of classical music, jazz and folk dance. £10

🎬 Woolf Works, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:30 PM. Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor leads a luminous artistic team to evoke Woolf's signature stream of consciousness writing style in this immense work that rejects traditional narrative structures. £15

🧘🌞 Rise and Shine: Morning Pilates under the sun, Winchester Cathedral, at 7:00 AM. These uplifting mat-based Pilates classes will flow beneath the glowing Helios artwork, blending mindful movement, history, and the energy of the sun in one of Winchester’s most iconic settings. £20

🧒🏛️ Journey the jungle with The Gurkha Museum Trust, The Ghurka Museum, at 11:00 AM. Step into adventure as you build your own jungle scene with LEGO, inspired by the Gurkhas’ remarkable operations in Borneo in 1966.  Let creativity run wild while discovering a fascinating chapter of Gurkha history.

🚂🎤 The Watercress Line through time! - On-site talk, Hampshire Record Office, at 6:00 PM. Discover who, what, why and how the Watercress Line was built and reopened as Hampshire’s very own heritage railway overlooking the South Downs. See archive images and videos, and experience smells of the railway from the 1800s on. £8

🎤🎗️ The BIG ROYAL General Knowledge Quiz, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:00 PM. Think you know your Anne Boleyn from your Anne Robinson? Or your T-Rex from your T-Birds? Come on down to Theatre Royal Winchester and join us in the bar to test your knowledge. £4

🎶🎤 Roots open mic night, The Railway Inn, at 7:30 PM. Winchester's longest running open mic night. Free entry every Monday. Signups from 7.30pm, music from 8.00pm.

🖌️🧒 Print a pop art poster with Berkshire Printmakers, The Arc, at 10:00 AM. Be inspired by the comic book art and create a poster for your wall! Use patterned screens with Benday dots, zigzag lines, lightening bolts and bright bold coloured inks to create a funky poster ready for your bedroom wall. £25

🖌️🧒 Design and screen print your own pendant flag, The Arc, at 10:00 AM. Dragons, unicorns, lions, suns, shields, stripes, and chevrons. Take inspiration from the flags around you and design your own! Using bold colours and funky patterns, you’ll create and print your very own pennant flag - perfect to take decorate your room. £25

📚🎤 Read It and Weep book club, The Railway Inn, at 7:00 PM. Join us on the third Tuesday of every month in Platform 2 for The Railway Inn’s new book club, Read It and Weep, as we sink our teeth into a juicy book (and probably enjoy a glass of wine or three!)

🧒🌌 Create your own bunting, The Arc, at 10am and 1pm. Calling all young budding interior designers. Why not create your very own animal or space themed bunting to decorate your bedroom? Using a range of crafting materials and inspirational animal and space templates, you will be supported to create a colourful garland.  £15

🗿 Grounding Objects Workshop with Emily, The Colour Factory, at 2:00 PM. A new carving workshop - craft something out of wax and have it transformed into bronze. We will start with a small block of blue wax and use an assortment of tools to transform it into a new form. £150

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Could your home be their forever place?

A bit of froth to top things off…

Did You Know? If you’re the kind of person who likes tidy numbers, Morgan’s Landing Beach in Australia sits almost perfectly 10,000 miles from Winchester Cathedral — exactly 40% of the way around the planet. Pack your bags and you can say, with mathematical precision, that you’ve gone ten thousand miles for your tan.

Brain Teaser: You’re in a dark, cold room with a candle, a fireplace, and a lamp. You have one match. What do you light first? Last week’s answer: Fire.