Jane’s Walks are bigger and better, and also have bikes!

As well as plenty of returning favourites like Dorian’s Kelly’s Riots and Rebellions walk and Christopher Howard’s All Trees Great and Small at Essex University, there are no less than 15 new walks to enjoy over the May Bank Holiday weekend, May 4 to 7.

One of which is three of Colchester’s most knowledgeable music fanatics, Carl Allen, Richard ‘Benny’ Benedetti and Ben Howard, leading a two-hour musical mystery tour around the town on the Monday at 2pm.

Carl is a former Town Planner, music historian and author of the book London Gig Venues, and knows Colchester’s music venues inside out while Richard is a well-known face around the town, a gig promoter, former record shop owner and is currently the singer in the band The Occupants.

Finally Ben Howard is the town’s busiest DJ, the inspiration behind ‘Keep Colchester Cool’ and Operations Manager at Three Wise Monkeys.

Together they have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the town’s music scene and its rich musical heritage.

Ben Howard, Richard ‘Benny’ Benedetti and Carl Allen

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Carl says: “Most people will think of the Colchester music scene and think of just one band, Blur. But Colchester has so many unsung musical heroes going as far back as the Sixties.

“The town also has a rich heritage of gigs that have taken place in the town’s past and present venues, and we’ll be discovering the places where AC/DC, Queen, The Smiths, The Killers and many others played.

"Hopefully those who join us will be surprised by some of the acts who have actually played here.”

Jane’s Walk is now in its eighth year with the town being one of the first UK locations to host the walks, which celebrate the life and work of Jane Jacobs, an urban activist, journalist and writer.

Other new walks include The Murder of John Harding and Victorian Colchester with Alex Jones on Sunday; an early evening walk along the river, from Jumbo to Wivenhoe (with peregrine observation post at the Sixth Form College on North Hill) with Michael Padmore on Saturday; and a trail celebrating writing set in and around Colchester through the ages with Colchester crime author, Alex Clare, on Saturday.

There’s also an opportunity to take your bike on one of the ‘walks’ when Nick Oakley leads cyclists around the Colchester Orbital, a new route that sweeps around Britain’s oldest recorded town.

That takes place on Saturday from 10.30am from High Woods Country Park’s Visitor Centre.

This year, for the first time, the Jane’s Walk Weekend will incorporate a Mini Film Festival at Firstsite, screening three inspiring films over the course of the weekend.

With walking-related themes it starts with a documentary about Jane Jacobs herself on Friday at 7pm, which is followed on the Sunday by a film about the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage at 5pm.

That’s preceded by a short introduction and followed by a Q&A with two Santiago pilgrims, Adam Wells and Kath Wood.

Then finally on the Monday there’s feature film Redwood Highway, which follows Marie as she decides to journey 80 miles on foot to the coast of Oregon, after which there will be an after event get together celebrating the weekend’s achievements.

For more information on all of the walks click here.