Review by Bee Sciarri on 5th July, 2009

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This event has been something of an epic in the area in the past. It went somewhat downhill for a few years but is back, smaller but with restored quality. There are 7 or 8 large marquees with arts and crafts, many of them local but not all; fashion - some of it new designer start-up and so well worth a look; food (cheeses, pickles, honey and the like) and what you might call 'stocking fillers'. There's entertainment of various sorts - a band, puppets, glass-blowing, weaving and spinning - and various little food outlets around the site. This isn't a circus or a fayre and at times I do wonder about its identity. It could do with a little more marketing savvy, some on-site attraction that keeps the tradition but bumps up the attraction. Dogs, dancing, dancing dogs maybe! I like it, I'll be there again this year. It's a good afternoon out and you could come home with some of the oddest Christmas presents imaginable!

Date visited: Summer 2008

Review by abe on 18th August, 2006

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We went to Colchester Zoo last year and truely enjoyed ourselves, It's great fun for children and adults alike, I took my 7 year old son with me and my partner, there are lots of things to do and the food isn't expensive at all. The animals are all very friendly and great to watch. I would recommend anyone to go and see for themselves.

Review by Tracey on 11th December, 2005

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My partner and I visited Colchester Zoo whilst enjoying a break in the local area. We are both wolf lovers and the main reason for visiting was to see Colchester's timber wolves. However, the keepers didn't seem to know anything about them and insisted they had NO social order. A wolf exists around social order, it's how they function. The keepers also portrayed the wolf as a dangerous killer, insisting that they could only enter the enclosure in two's and they had to be suitably armed with large sticks. There was no mention of what the markings on the animals meant, they didn't seem to know. They appeared to be propagating the Little Red Riding Hood myth as their actions were forcing the wolves into putting on an aggressive show with no explanation as to the feeding order or why the wolves behave as they do. This was not educating the public. When I queried the keeper about their actions they became very defensive and it wasn't until they realised I knew what I was talking about that they attempted to explain the zoo's policy which coincidentally was under review. The treatment of this animal tainted what was otherwise a good day.

Date visited: October 2005