THE holidays are finally upon us - here's our Christmas survival guide to what's open when over the festive period.
Colchester General Hospital, Turner Road, Colchester. CO4 5JL. Main switchboard: 01206 747474. Open 24 hours a day (for Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital). Visiting hours information http://www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/inpatient_stay.shtml#visitors
Harwich Hospital, 419 Main Road, Dovercourt, CO12 4EX. Main switchboard: 01255 201201
Clacton Hospital, Tower Road, Clacton, Essex, CO15 1LH. Main switchboard: 01255 201717 For information about ward visiting hours for both hospitals go to: http://www.acecic.co.uk/Page.aspx?pID=131
The Walk-In Centre , Turner Road, Colchester. CO4 5JR Open 7am to 10pm every day of the year. Telephone: 01206 314015
Pharmacies:
- Christmas Day
Queen Street Pharmacy, 12 Queen Street, Colchester. CO1 2PJ. Open 12 noon to 4pm
- Boxing Day
Boots Pharmacy, 5-6 Lion Walk, Colchester, CO1 1LX. 8.30am to 7pm
Boots Pharmacy, Fiveways Superstore, Peartree Road, Stanway, CO3 0JX. 10am to 4pm
Boots Pharmacy, Unit 9, Tollgate West, Stanway, CO3 8RG. 8am to 9pm
Boots Pharmacy, 37 Barfield Road, West Mersea, CO5 8QX. 10am to 4pm
Sainsbury's Pharmacy, 1 Western Approach, Stanway, CO3 8AA. 9am to 5pm
- Bank Holiday Tuesday December 27
Boots Pharmacy, 5-6 Lion Walk, Colchester, CO1 1LX. 8.30am to 7pm
Boots Pharmacy, Fiveways Superstore, Peartree Road, Stanway, CO3 0JX. 10am to 4pm
Boots Pharmacy, Unit 9, Tollgate West, Stanway, CO3 8RG. 10am to 9pm
Boots Pharmacy, 37 Barfield Road, West Mersea, CO5 8QX. 10am to 4pm
Sainsbury's Pharmacy, 1 Western Approach, Stanway, CO3 8AA. 9am to 5pm
- Bank Holiday Monday January 2
Boots Pharmacy, Fiveways Superstore, Peartree Road, Stanway. CO3 0JX. 10am to 4pm
Boots Pharmacy, 2-4 West Parade, Plume Avenue, Colchester, CO3 4PG. 11am to 3pm
Boots Pharmacy , Unit 9 Tollgate West, Stanway, CO3 8RG. 10am to 9pm
Boots Pharmacy, 37 Barfield Road, West Mersea, CO5 8QX. 10am to 4pm
Sainsbury's Pharmacy, 1 Western Approach, Stanway, CO3 8AA. 9am to 5pm
Leisure:
Leisure World, Cowdray Avenue, Colchester will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Gym and swimming pool facilities will be open throughout the rest of the festive season but with early closures on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The Mercury Theatre’s version of Dick Whittington will not be performed on Christmas Day but limited tickets are available for the rest of the performances at mercurytheatre.co.uk For full Odeon listings visit odeon.co.uk
Rubbish and Refuge:
There will be no changes to recycling and refuse collection over Christmas and New Year.
Use the Green Week starting Tuesday, December 20 to recycle plastic bottles, bags and packaging from food and presents, garden waste and food waste.
Use the Blue Week collection in the week of Tuesday, December 27 to recycle glass bottles and jars, cans, aerosol cans, foil, wrapping paper, greetings cards, other paper and cardboard and food waste.
All collections take place as scheduled from Tuesday January 3 including to recycle real Christmas trees, other garden waste, plastics and food waste.
Trees simply need to be cut in to manageable chunks and have all decorations removed.
Alternatively residents can once again book online before Christmas for St Helena Hospice to collect their real Christmas tree in return for a donation to the charity at sthelenatreecycle.org/
Supermarkets:
- Asda, Turner Rise, Colchester
Christmas Eve Closes at 7pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day 9am to 6pm
December 27-30 Opens at 7am
New Year's Eve Closes at 7pm
New Year's Day 10am - 4pm
January 2 Opens at 7am
- Tesco, Highwoods, Colchester
Christmas Eve Open until 7pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day 9am to 6pm
Tues 27 December Open from 6am
December 28-30 24 hours
New Year's Eve Open until 7pm
New Year's Day 10am to 4pm
January 2 Open from 6am
- Tesco, Hythe, Colchester
Christmas Eve Open until 7pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day 9am to 6pm
Tues 27 Dec Open from 6am
December 28-30 24 hours
New Year's Eve Open until 7pm
New Year's Day Closed
January 2 Open from 6am
- Sainsbury's Stanway
Christmas Eve 5am to 7pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day 8am to 6pm
December 27 8am to 7pm
December 28-30 6am to 10pm
New Year's Eve 6am to 7pm
New Year's Day 10am to 4pm
January 2 8am to 7pm
- Waitrose, St Andrew's Avenue, Colchester
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
December 27 8am to 6pm
December 28 8am to 8pm
December 29-30 8am to 9pm
New Year's Eve 8am to 6pm
New Year's Day Closed
January 2 8am to 6pm
- Aldi, Cowdray Avenue, Magdalen Street and London Road
Christmas Eve 8am to 6pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
December 27 to 30 8am to 10pm
New Year's Eve 8am to 6pm
New Year's Day Closed
January 2 Normal working hours
- Lidl, Gosbecks Road
Christmas Eve 7am to 6pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Tues 27 to Fri Dec 30 Usual working hours
New Year's Eve 7am to 6pm
New Year's Day Closed
January 2 Usual working hours
Colchester Council customer service phone lines will be closed on Saturday 24 to Thursday 29 December and Saturday 31 December to Monday 2 January 2017.
Colchester’s Community Hub at Colchester Library will be closed from Saturday, December 24 to 29. It will be open as normal on Friday, December 30 and closed from Saturday, December 31 to Monday, January 2.
Samaritans:
Samaritans can be reached free anytime and from any phone on 116 123.
Alternatively people can email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org/colchester for details about how Samaritans can help, together with news about the local Colchester branch.
Post:
Christmas Eve: Some branches closed by 4pm, including Colchester.
Christmas Day: Closed Boxing Day: Colchester closed. Some branches may be open. Check locally.
Tuesday December 27. As Boxing Day.
Wednesday December 28. Open as normal.
Thursday December 29. Open as normal.
Friday December 30. Open as normal.
New Years Eve: Some branches close by 4pm, including Colchester.
New Years Day. Closed.
Monday January 2. Colchester closed. Some other branches may be open. Check locally.
Tuesday January 3. Open as normal.
Travel:
- Rail
Christmas Eve: No trains will run between London Liverpool Street and Ingatestone.
Trains to and from Norwich will run between Witham and Norwich only.
Customers should use the London Underground Central Line between London Liverpool Street and Newbury Park. Buses will run between Newbury Park and Witham / Ingatestone to connect with a train service.
Buses will also run between Shenfield and Ingatestone.
For customers who require the Braintree line, a shuttle service will run between Witham and Braintree Christmas Day / Boxing Day: No services at all apart from a special Stansted Express service from 6.30am on Boxing Day.
December 27: See Christmas Eve.
December 28: Passengers to change at Witham for rail replacement services to Stansted and then catch the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street or vice versa.
December 29: See December 28 December 30: See December 28 December 31: There will be no train services between Ingatestone and London Liverpool Street.
Passengers are advised to take the London Underground to Newbury Park for rail replacement buses.
January 1: There will be rail replacement services between Witham and Newbury Park.
January 2: See January 1 Full size bikes are not allowed on rail replacement buses.
Visit https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/service-alterations
- Bus
Christmas Eve: Normal Saturday service Hedingham Bus 87 will finish early with the last from Brightlingsea at 6.52pm and the last from Colchester at 7pm.
Christmas Day / Boxing Day: No service Hedingham will run 137 only on Boxing Day
December 27: Normal Sunday service with extra journeys on 67B, 75 and 103 Hedingham will run Sunday service on 87 and 137
December 28: Normal Saturday service other than a weekday service on 2, 174 and 175 on First Buses Arriva will run normal weekday service Hedingham will run normal weekday service
December 29: See December 28
December 30: See December 28
December 31: Normal Saturday service Hedingham 87 will finish early - see Christmas Eve
New Year's Day: No service
January 2: Normal Sunday service.
Hedingham will run a normal Sunday service on 87 and 137 Visit company websites for more.
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