WHEN we asked people about the most shocking thing they have seen and experienced in Colchester, there were lots of different responses from readers and residents.

Some of the comments reflect on one individual incident, such as the Woolworths fire of 1973; others reflected on how residents have seen Colchester change over the decades.

Here are some of the moments and changes which, over the years, you have found the most shocking in Colchester.

Fire at Woolworths

The Woolworths fire in 1973 was one of the biggest fires in the city’s history.

And it wasn’t a fire which started in the dead of night, either – it started during the lunchtime rush on an October afternoon, starting a blaze so devastating that police thought a bomb had exploded.

Gazette: Devastating – the Woolworth's fire in 1973 gutted one of the biggest buildings in the High Street and cost £2.5 million of damageDevastating – the Woolworth's fire in 1973 gutted one of the biggest buildings in the High Street and cost £2.5 million of damage (Image: Newsquest)

Nearly 200 firefighters battled the flames for 12 hours, and although the building reopened two years later, Woolworths closed in Colchester in 1985.

Dannii Minogue doing a live PA at The Hippodrome

Back in 2010, X Factor was at its height, and when Halstead’s Matt Cardle arrived in Colchester, the reaction was something to behold.

Dannii Minogue was Cardle’s mentor, and she too was in Colchester for the event.

Gazette: Icon – Dannii Minogue came to Colchester with Matt Cardle when he was an X Factor contestant in 2010Icon – Dannii Minogue came to Colchester with Matt Cardle when he was an X Factor contestant in 2010 (Image: Newsquest)

Good luck banners, homemade posters and balloons lined the red carpet as the crowd revelled in their second home-grown X Factor star in as many years after Witham’s Olly Murs performed at Charter Hall in 2009.

Paxman’s Diesels closing

For more than 150 years, Paxman Diesels had operated on its site in Hythe Hill and exported ship engines all over the world.

At its peak, the Paxman works covered 23 acres and employed more than 2,000 people; even now, the jagged rooftop which juts into the Colchester skyline serves as a reminder of how the factory became part of the city’s identity.

Gazette: End of an era – Paxman's had been a part of Colchester's fabric for more than 150 yearsEnd of an era – Paxman's had been a part of Colchester's fabric for more than 150 years (Image: Newsquest)

The business was eventually taken over by MAN Energy Solutions, who announced the closure of the factory July 2020.

Becoming a City

Colchester officially became a city in November of last year, and whilst many saw it as a major achievement for the former town, others have not taken to the idea so kindly.

The honour was conferred as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and since then, retail leaders and politicians have said city status has been of major benefit to Colchester.

Detractors have argued the pomp and circumstance was not only unnecessary, but also a waste of public money.

Gazette: Historic – Colchester officially became a city last year as part of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrationsHistoric – Colchester officially became a city last year as part of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations (Image: Newsquest)

Earlier this year, council leader David King argued city status will improve Colchester’s standing and help put the city on the map.

He said: “City status draws attention to you, makes it easier to bid for funding, attracts businesses and it adds extra status to the institutions here already.

“You can catch attention in a way you cannot as a town - we know brands will look at a city but will not look at a town.

“That alone is a reason to celebrate it.”