iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 7h

Looking at the two images side by side, the road layout, paving and shopfronts have changed dramatically, but the theatre frontage still anchors the scene and makes this stretch of the High Street instantly recognisable.

Historic red-and-cream brick theatre façade with arched windows and a "Trilogy" marquee fronting a city sidewalk where two people sit by a bus stop and digital ad, with cobbled street in foreground.

060

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 7h

The answer to this morning’s #ThrowbackThursday was 133, 131 and 128 High Street. The best-known building in the view is No. 131, the former Hippodrome Theatre, which was built in 1905 by architect J. W. Start.

Vintage mid-20th-century town street with parked classic cars and delivery trucks along a row of commercial buildings, including a prominent theatre sign reading "Hippodrome" above shopfronts.

160

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 11h

A little High Street mystery for this week’s #ThrowbackThursday. This photo was taken at 12.40pm on 6 January 1954 as part of a Ministry of Transport traffic survey. The note that came with it records one private car parked here from 10.45am to 3.35pm “without comment”. Do you recognise this spot?

Historic black-and-white street scene showing 1940s-era cars parked along a busy high street lined with shops and a prominent theatre with a vertical "Hippodrome" sign.

270

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 22h

🪲 Our Wild About Essex insect sessions continue throughout October at the Natural History Museum. Learn about museum collections, discover more about Essex wildlife and help document fascinating insect specimens. Free to attend, booking required: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/hands...

Poster for Natural History Museum event "Wild About Essex: Hands on with Insects" (14, 16, 21, 23 October) showing a man wearing glasses inspecting a preserved butterfly in a petri dish with a magnifying glass.

050

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This 1845 lithograph of Layer Marney Tower has everything: England's tallest Tudor gatehouse, dramatic architecture, and a cow who appears completely uninterested in any of it.

Illustration of a grand Tudor gatehouse with four tall, ornate brick towers featuring patterned stonework and large mullioned windows. A timber‑framed building with a red‑tiled roof sits on the left side. A single sheep stands on the dirt path leading toward the arched entrance. Trees and shrubs frame the scene under a pale sky.

1425

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Looking for a Halloween treat during half term? Our Spooktacular Family Fun Night returns to Colchester Castle on 29 October. Come dressed in your favourite costume and enjoy an evening of games, crafts, spooky refreshments and plenty of Halloween fun inside the Castle after hours.

Promotional poster for "Spooktacular Family Fun Night" at Colchester Castle on 29 October, showing castle ruins lit at night beneath a large full moon and starry sky.

150

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Moon myth-busting: “Lunatic” does come from luna, meaning Moon. But the idea that full moons cause mayhem is folklore, not proven science. Come for the Moon. Stay for the stories. Book: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/moon-...

Giant illuminated moon model suspended over a museum gallery, its detailed craters visible while a visitor below looks up at the exhibit.

1131

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Snakes, lizards, furry creatures and spiders are all heading to the Natural History Museum this half term. Curious Creatures Mobile Zoo returns on 27 October with five live animal sessions throughout the day.

Promotional poster for a Natural History Museum event showing children leaning in to observe a tarantula resting on a volunteer's open hand; overlaid text reads 27 October Curious Creatures Mobile Zoo

151

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Moon, Magick & Mystery returns on 9 and 10 October 2026. Explore talks, workshops, readings, traders and paranormal investigations across a weekend celebrating folklore and the unexplained: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/mmm/

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery at Colchester Castle. The illustration shows a large full moon rising behind the castle, a werewolf in the foreground, and a flying saucer in the sky. Text reads: “Moon, Magick & Mystery, 9–10 October 2026”.

0146

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The modern view shows how the businesses have changed while the street frontage remains readable. If you guessed it this morning, give yourself a gold star, and if you remember the older shops here, we would love to hear about them.

A Rolex boutique with lit window displays on a pedestrian shopping street, flanked by Heavenly Desserts and other storefronts, several people walking by.

0100

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

This morning’s #ThrowbackThursday view was 4, 5 and 6-7 High Street. The photograph was taken in 1940 by Harold Poulter, a curator for Hollytrees Museum.

Historic-looking city storefronts with large display windows and upper-floor apartments, featuring a shop sign reading "SMITH & SON" beside neighboring businesses, a quiet street and a striped traffic bollard in the foreground.

1110

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

A little #ThrowbackThursday mystery for you. This 1940 street scene shows a line of shopfronts, tall sash windows, and one eye-catching striped façade tucked between its neighbours. There is plenty that has changed, but there is just as much here that still feels familiar. Do you know where this is?

190

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This fourth-century Roman glass bottle was found in a grave at Butt Road cemetery in Colchester. Similar bottles were discovered in nearby burials that may have belonged to the same family.

Close-up of a pale green Roman glass vessel with a tall cylindrical body and short neck, featuring two looped handles attached at the rim, shown against a plain light background.

27110

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Ever wondered what Colchester Castle is like after dark? Knightzzz at the Museum gives families the chance to spend the night inside the Castle AND meet Juliasaurus. Explore hidden areas, meet our rangers and enjoy hands-on dinosaur activities before settling down for a dinosaur sleepover.

182

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Exploring Colchester by bike this #CycleSeptember? 🚲 Make Hollytrees Museum one of your stops. Nestled in Castle Park, it's a great destination for a sustainable day out and part of the Good Journey scheme, helping you discover easy car-free ways to visit.

Large winter-bare tree with a thick, twisting trunk leaning in front of a red-brick Georgian-style building with tall white windows; a purple sticker at the bottom right promotes sustainable visits, reading "good journey — visit us car-free."

171

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

What lies beneath Colchester Castle? Our guided tour takes you into spaces that are not normally accessible during a general visit, including the vaults and remains of the Roman temple that once stood on the site.

Exposed Roman temple foundations in a dim underground passage, with a plaque noting a 5-foot-thick base built c. 50 A.D.; overlaid text encourages visitors to take the tour underneath to see the original foundations.

1204

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Discover the stories behind the films and hear what was reported by those directly involved. Book online to secure your place: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/mmm/

041

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

From The Conjuring films to the cases that inspired them. Chris McKinnell, grandson of renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, shares firsthand accounts of investigations that later inspired some of horror cinema's most famous stories.

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery featuring a portrait of speaker Chris McKinnell in the foreground, with black-and-white images of two people behind. Text reads: “Chris McKinnell: The Truth Behind the Conjuring Universe”.

171

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

After dark, the Castle has a few stories to tell. Our Dark Castle Tours take place after closing on 16, 22 and 28 October. Inspired by the Wicked Spirits exhibition, these guided evening tours explore the Castle's shadowy corners, old myths and some of the stranger tales from its long history.

Promotional poster for "Dark Castle Tours" at Colchester Castle showing the illuminated stone façade at night with tour dates 16, 22, 28 October.

2123

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The answer for today's #ThrowbackThursday was 156-158 High Street, the corner now occupied by Chewton Rose! Harold Poulter’s 1940 photo shows this corner when it was still a busy shopfront. Today the frontage is much plainer, but the building itself is older than it might first appear.

Corner High Street building housing Chewton Rose estate agency, with two rusted metal animal sculptures on the pavement and a road sign restricting through vehicles 7am–7pm except buses, taxis and authorised access.

Historic street corner showing a brick "Royal Liver Friendly Society" building above a fishmonger’s storefront advertising oysters, salmon and game, with a few pedestrians outside.

1170

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Today’s #ThrowbackThursday is a proper blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene from 1940, captured by Harold Poulter. There is a corner shop and a shopfront promising fish, game and oysters. It looks very different now, but a few clues still survive if you know where to look. Do you recognise this spot?

Corner brick building with curved "Royal Liver Friendly Society" signage above an open-front fish and oysters shop; a man enters while shopkeepers stand by seafood displays and a chalkboard advertising salmon.

070

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Glass and amber beads from a 6th-century Saxon burial mound in Feering. A small, bright trace of someone who lived locally around 1,500 years ago and chose to wear colour and shine. Visit our museums to explore more Essex stories told through real objects.

Necklace arranged in a near-circle on a white background, made from blue glass tube beads and small yellow, dark, and reddish beads, with a large irregular amber pendant bead at the bottom.

0203

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This #WorldCarFreeDay, why not leave the car at home and discover the natural world another way? 🚌🚶‍♀️🚆 Colchester's Natural History Museum is easy to reach by public transport, walking or cycling, making it the perfect stop for a car-free day out in the city centre.

182

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Old moon superstition says seeing the new moon through glass is unlucky. Luckily, Museum of the Moon is indoors, enormous, and very much not subtle. Book your visit: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/moon-...

Historic earthenware pots displayed behind glass in a museum exhibit, set against a large illuminated blue moon installation filling the background.

0122

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The pinholes around the sides show where hats were attached so customers could see the latest fashions. Basically, an early shop mannequin doing its very best sales pitch.

Rear three-quarter view of the mannequin head showing the back of the painted hair and neck, with extensive flaking paint and visible wear on the base.

Close-up of a worn surface with flaking dark paint revealing a lighter layer beneath, showing a cracked and peeling texture.

2181

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This papier-mâché head looks slightly haunted. In reality, it was a milliner's display stand from the early 1800s.

Front view of a painted mannequin head with black painted hair, simple facial features and strong surface cracking and paint loss, mounted on a green-painted neck and round base.

1302

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Werewolves in folklore. Supernatural creatures in legal history. Join Ben Paites and Naomi Ryan at Moon, Magick & Mystery and discover where legend meets reality: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/mmm/

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery featuring a head-and-shoulders portrait of speaker Naomi Ryan. Text reads: “Naomi Ryan: The Supernatural and the Law”.

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery featuring a portrait of speaker Ben Paites holding a decorated ceramic vessel with carved faces and symbols. Text reads: “Ben Paites: A History of Werewolves”.

060

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Getting to Colchester Castle doesn't have to mean getting in the car. 🚶‍♀️🚲🚌 As part of the Good Journey scheme, we're encouraging visitors to explore sustainable ways to travel.

Medieval stone church apse beside a park path with people walking under an overcast sky; a purple ticket-shaped sticker in the corner reads "good journey" and "visit us car-free."

1160

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The present corner building is thought to date from about 1850 to 1870. The shopfronts have changed a lot since Harold Poulter captured the scene, with the awnings and painted adverts all gone, but the shape of the upper floors still makes the match clear.

Independent bookstore "Red Lion Books" with colorful window displays on a row of brick town-centre shopfronts, next to a children's hospice charity shop and a digital advertising kiosk on the pavement.

0110

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This morning’s #ThrowbackThursday spot was what is now Red Lion Books at 125 High Street. The photo was taken in 1940 by Harold Poulter, Deputy Curator, as part of a wider collection of photographs recording Colchester in the 1940s.

Historic street scene showing a Claridge & Co. racket-stringing shop with a round racket sign and awning beside C. Robinson Chemist, with pedestrians on the sidewalk and a cyclist in the foreground.

2121

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday has plenty to spot. There are shop awnings stretching across the pavement and some eye-catching signs above the ground floor. This was taken in 1940, and a few of the upper-storey details are still there if you look closely. Do you recognise this corner of Colchester?

Vintage black-and-white street scene showing a chemist with a "C. Robinson Chemist" awning beside Claridge & Co racket-stringing shop, with pedestrians on the sidewalk and a man riding a bicycle across the foreground.

0130

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

🪲 Wild About Essex returns this October with a focus on insects. Join us at the Natural History Museum to help photograph, label and sort collection specimens while learning more about Essex wildlife. Free, booking required, ages 18+. Book tickets: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/hands...

Promotional image for "Wild About Essex: Hands on with Insects" (2, 7, 9 October) showing a person wearing purple gloves using a red magnifying glass to examine pinned insect specimens displayed in small boxes on a wooden table.

051

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Mini Museum Explorers is back at the Natural History Museum on 29 September. Join us for stories, crafts and hands-on activities exploring habitats from around the world and closer to home. Designed for children aged 2½ to 5 and their carers. £3 per child: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mmesep/

030

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

A Viking axehead found in the River Colne raises more questions than it answers. The hole in the blade comes from centuries underwater, not combat. Some archaeologists think it may have been deliberately placed in the river as an offering rather than accidentally lost.

Viking axehead seen from the right side, showing curved blade and large corroded hole near the lower edge, set against a white background.

Corroded iron Viking axehead with wide blade and socketed end for a handle, photographed from the left side against a white background.

1184

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

There is more to Colchester Castle than you can see on an ordinary visit. Join one of our guided tours to explore its hidden spaces and hear the stories behind thousands of years of history, from the Roman temple beneath the Castle to the remarkable building standing here today.

1103

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Past life regression, future life exploration and energy self-healing with Chia-Yen Oh. Three opportunities to explore intuition, wellbeing and personal growth during Moon, Magick & Mystery. 🌙 colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/mmm/

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery featuring a portrait of speaker Chia-Yen Oh in front of a floral backdrop. Text reads: “Chia-Yen Oh: Past Life Regression”.

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery featuring a head-and-shoulders portrait of speaker Chia-Yen Oh against a dark background. Text reads: “Chia-Yen Oh: Energy Self Healing”.

100

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Fossil Friday thought it had the monopoly on ancient wonder. Then the Moon turned up. See Juliasaurus at Hollytrees Museum and Museum of the Moon at Colchester Castle. Book: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/visit-us/

080

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The modern view shows just how much this part of town has changed. The market stalls have gone, the street is far more open, and the recent redesign of St Nicholas Square was intended to create a space for meeting, outdoor seating, events and new market activity.

Pedestrianised town-centre street with a painted bike lane and empty outdoor tables, shoppers walking toward a large stone-fronted commercial building under an overcast sky.

0100

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Today's #ThrowbackThursday is St Nicholas Street! Our photo, taken by C. G. Cosser ~ 1925, shows stalls in their new position in after the Town Council ordered them away from the High Street because they were obstructing traffic. It's a reminder that moving the market around is nothing new.

Market day on a cobbled street with wood-and-canvas market stalls and vendors at right, shoppers milling, a man in a suit and bowler hat crossing with a cane in the foreground, and a three-story building with awnings and a large tree behind the stalls.

1151

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday shows a city centre scene from around 1925, with a line of market stalls in their “new” spot and shoppers weaving past on foot. The move had been ordered because the old arrangement was causing traffic problems elsewhere. Do you know where this is?

Early 20th-century street market with vendors' carts and awnings along a cobbled road, shoppers milling about, a well-dressed man crossing with an umbrella, and a large three-story corner commercial building in the background.

0140

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

What do you see in the Moon? A face? A rabbit? Craters? Stories? Shadows? Museum of the Moon is your chance to look properly. Colchester Castle, until 31 October: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/moon-...

0131

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

⏳ The countdown is on! There are only a few weeks left until The Nile-High Club arrives at Colchester Castle. Expect suspicious motives, hidden secrets, ancient Egyptian intrigue and a crime begging to be solved.

1110

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

In the end though, he chose JoyPixels as the best amphora emoji. Did the right pot win, or has your preferred platform been unfairly treated? Bonus question: what everyday object should a curator review next?

Graphic with an orange amphora emoji on a green background. Text reads: "9/10 Joypixels. So close. Great form, good design, but in the wrong location. Swap the spikey part with the lower Greek key design and you have a more accurate amphora. Even better, stick Dionysos on there and we're good to go."

1240

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Ben found wonky handles, misplaced patterns and a serious shortage of convincing decoration. But there can be only one winner...

Graphic with a yellow amphora emoji on a green background. Text reads: "6/10 Skype. Not bad. The colour is slightly off and needs more black, but the style and decoration are there. Basic vase, for a basic Bacchant."

Graphic with a glossy orange amphora emoji on a mustard-yellow background. Text reads: "7/10 Twitter/X. Super shiny for a pot. The 3D rendering isn't far off reality, but again the decoration is hugely lacking. Where are my flamboyant satyrs dancing naked around the vessel? This looks like someone has tried to write the letter g on repeat."

Graphic with an orange amphora emoji on a blue background. Text reads: "8/10 Google. Solid Greek amphora...in that it isn't in 1000 fragments. The Greek key decoration is pretty standard, though these lovely pots usually had mythic scenes. Slightly lacking creativity."

Graphic with a red amphora emoji on a green background. Text reads: "8/10 WhatsApp. The skinny handles and lack of more elaborate decoration are all that's keeping this amphora from hitting 10/10. The colour and form are pretty good, but those handles would snap clean off when someone went to pour a drink."

1160

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Shape, decoration and structural integrity have all been considered. Some are credible ancient vessels. Others look more at home in a computer game or a Las Vegas hotel.

Graphic with a pixelated amphora emoji on a teal background. Text reads: "1/10 Serenity OS. What in the Minecraft?!"

Graphic with a pale orange amphora emoji on a turquoise background. Text reads: "2/10 Microsoft. What's happening with those handles?! The colour and the shape seem like they're photoshoped on. Plus, the design is basic and boring. This would have ended up on monte testaccio before it was even used."

Graphic with a gold amphora emoji on a green background. Text reads: "4/10 Facebook. Fancy! This gold amphora is unlike anything I've seen...making it pretty inaccurate. The shape isn't bad, but the general design and look do not scream Ancient Greece, but more Caesar's Palace Las Vegas."

Graphic with a rounded orange amphora emoji on a turquoise background. Text reads: "5/10 Samsung. Has someone given Yogi bear a hair tattoo?! A bit too round for an amphora, especially with those little ear-shaped handles. It's like it's been put into one of those pneumatic presses and squished a little. The design is fairly good though."

1142

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

How accurately do our devices depict an ancient amphora? Our curator Ben Paites has inspected every version, and the results range from “solid Greek amphora” to “What in the Minecraft?!” Swipe for expert analysis, questionable handles and one surprisingly respectable 9/10. 🏺🧵

Blue graphic showing nine amphora emojis from different platforms arranged in a grid around the title: "Roman ceramic curator rates every amphora emoji". The emojis are labelled Facebook, JoyPixels, Skype, Twitter/X, Serenity OS, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and WhatsApp.

39335

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Across cultures, the Moon has been a goddess, a god, a calendar, a guide and a story. Museum of the Moon brings that shared fascination into Colchester Castle. Book: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/moon-...

0140

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Explore moon magic and full moon traditions with Layla Green and Katie Hardy at Moon, Magick & Mystery. Book online and build your perfect day: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/mmm/

Vintage-style event poster titled MOON, MAGICK & MYSTERY showing a large engraved moon, a howling werewolf, a medieval stone fortress with a bridge and a flying saucer, with event dates 9-10 October 2026—promoting a supernatural-themed weekend.

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery featuring a portrait of speaker Katie Hardy wearing a wide-brimmed black hat and dark cloak. Text reads: “Katie Hardy: Full Moon Magic”.

Promotional poster for Moon, Magick & Mystery featuring speaker Layla Green holding a painted drum decorated with a blue wolf illustration. Text reads: “Layla Green: Moon Magic & Charms”.

070

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Sound bath. Reiki. In a castle. 🌙 On 17 September, experience a deeply relaxing evening beneath the spectacular Museum of the Moon installation at Colchester Castle. Book your place: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/reiki...

0102

Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

This corner also hides even older stories. Excavations at 1-3 Queen Street found remains of what appears to be a substantial Roman house, along with Roman demolition debris, and the site sits at the junction of two important historic routes.

Three motorcyclists in high-visibility jackets ride through a town intersection past traffic lights showing green arrows, with a red-brick historic building and cloudy sky in the background.

0212