Neil D’Arcy-Jones picks his top five events for the coming week.

• Winter Ale Festival, Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester, until tomorrow, noon until 11pm. Free before 3pm, £3 afterwards.

COLCHESTER’s branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) once again show why this area is one of the best for brewing. Among the tipples on offer this year include a new beer from Harwich Town Brewery called Hamlet, the BFG Stout and Black Fox Porter from Coggeshall’s Red Fox, not to mention Bar King from Sticklegs in Elmstead Market, Oyster Stout and Yo-Boy from Mersea Island, and Brass Monkey and ‘Romans Go Home’ from the Colchester Brewery, in Wakes Colne.

• Sister Act, Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester, until tomorrow, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm tomorrow. £19.75 to £12.50. 01206 573948.

ONE of the most popular shows by Colchester Operatic Society in recent years thanks in no small part to some stunning ensemble performances.

• James Dodds: Wood to Water, Firstsite Gallery, Lewis Gardens, Colchester, until February 14. Mondays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm. Free. 01206 577067.

THE big fishing boat at the front of the entrance of the gallery kind of gives away the subject of the Wivenhoe artists work but as well as the boats, there are also James’ iconic ‘Past and Present’ linocuts to marvel at as well.

• Colchester Archaeological Group Winter Lectures, Roman Circus House, Roman Circus Walk, off Butt Road, Colchester, Monday, 7.30pm. Members £2, non-members £4, available on the door.

THE latest in the archaeological group’s fascinating series of talks deals with East Anglia’s very own Atlantis, of sorts. That’s the Lost City of Dunwich, which at the time of the Domesday Book was the tenth largest city in England. Suffolk-based history and archaeology lecturer, Mark Mitchels, explains all.

• The London Klezmer Quartet, Lakeside Theatre, Square 5, Essex University, tonight, at 8pm. £12, £8 for concessions. 01206 873261.

JOYFULLY rounding of Holocaust Memorial Week, Ilana Cravitz (violin), Susi Evans (clarinet), Carol Isaacs (accordion), Ruth Goller (double bass) make a welsome return to campus with their soulful, celebratory Jewish sound.