Ellen Cheshire

Up in London to stay with a friend and catch a couple of shows, I managed to bookend the weekend with some of my bucket list must-sees. On Friday, I battled the chilly wind and rain at the tail end of Storm Goretti to reach Bermondsey and tick off London’s only dedicated LGBTQ+ cinema, The Arzner , tucked into Bermondsey Square. I was in the area for theatre later, but arrived rather buffeted and windswept at this incredibly stylish independent cinema of around 50 seats, comp

I first drew this up in January 2022, as the world was emerging from the long shadow of lockdowns. I realised how easy it is to take experiences for granted, and I didn’t want to keep putting things off “for another time.” So, I began a bucket list - part wish list, part reminder - and since then I’ve been adding to it and crossing things off as I go. It’s a mix of theatre, film, concerts, museums, places and the occasional wild card. Some items are big dreams, others are mor

Bognor Picturedrome (screen 1) Nestled innocently within my main bucket list are four entries that could each stand as their own separate quests. Since they all share a similar goal - exploring the UK and Ireland through their cinematic venues - I’ve combined them here for convenience. These are: visiting the other six cinemas in the small chain that my local  Bognor Picturedrome  belongs to; ticking off all independent cinemas in Sussex; seeing films or concerts at venues

What a year. 2025 leaned hard into the joyful overlap between film, theatre, music and exhibitions – with event cinema sitting neatly in the middle. Across the year I saw 86 films at the cinema , attended 68 live performances  (concerts, theatre, talks), and enjoyed 10 event cinema screenings . Plus according to my letterboxd , I logged 941 films* in 2025 but more to follow on my year in film! *This includes lots of shorts! Theatre played a particularly strong role, with

Some places have been quietly glowing on my bucket list for years, waiting for the right moment. A day in Walthamstow and Hackney gave me a chance to finally tick a few off - each one with its own distinct character, yet all threaded together by art, craft and imagination. The William Morris Gallery  had long been near the top of my list and stepping inside felt like stepping into a carefully crafted world. The rooms are full of fabric samples, sketches, printing blocks and

With Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein  in cinemas now, ahead of its Netflix release, it seemed like a good time to write up my visit earlier this year to Bath, seeking out locations with a Mary Shelley connection. There aren’t as many as for Jane Austen, but they’re worth the search. I whiled away hours in the fascinating Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein , which brings the novel’s enduring visual power and legacy vividly to life. Mary Shelley spent a pivotal period in Ba

Bucket list item checked! Prospect Cottage Visiting Prospect Cottage  has long been on my bucket list, and finally standing there, in front of Derek Jarman’s black-tarred cottage with its golden windown frames and wild shingle garden, felt quietly profound. The place holds a presence that’s hard to describe—at once fragile and defiant, personal yet universal. It’s a home, but it’s also a work of art, a manifesto written into the landscape. The tour itself was made unforgetta

My first trip to Dirt in the Gate's Grindfest , a horror and genre festival with a wild line-up of cult treasures, oddities and rediscoveries. I caught 9 of the 13 programmed features, each one introduced with gusto, which gave the screenings a real sense of community and mischief. Here’s how they stacked up, from the best to the worst: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars) American Psycho 2000 – Directed by Mary Harron A deliciously dark black comedy horror based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel. Chri

When I first visited Efteling  in 2024, I stayed in Bosrijk, the park’s beautiful woodland accommodation. It’s the perfect halfway point between fairytale and reality: self-catering cottages tucked among whispering trees, close enough to hear the distant hum of the park yet peaceful enough for quiet evenings by the lake, watching the water shift and reflect the last light of day. That first trip was wonderful but all too brief. I saw enough to fall under Efteling’s spell but

4 Sydney Gardens basement apartment Bucket list item checked! In March 2025 a friend and I spent a few days in Bath, as we are both fans of Jane Austen's books we made a pilgrimage to visit the places she lived and visited. One of these was easy to find as we were staying in one! The basement apartment of 4 Sydney Gardens available to rent via AirBnB . Jane Austen moved with her parents and sister, Cassandra, to Bath in 1801 following her father’s retirement from his parish

Against All Odds (15) In 1984, at age 13 to 14, my relationship with theatre and film changed forever. It was the year I transitioned from simply attending shows with my family to venturing out on my own. I snuck into my first 15-certificate films and took my 8-year-old brother to movies meant for much younger audiences. That year, I saw 21 live performances and 30 films at the cinema wish I’d kept a track of what I watched on telly too.  Although doodles in school exercise f

2024 has been a fabulous year of rediscovery for me, as I revisited everything I saw at the theatre and cinema in 1984 with my #OTD1984EllenSaw project. This nostalgic journey has not only revitalised my love for theatre but also reminded me why it holds such a special place in my heart. While I've always loved theatre, I’ll admit I had grown a little complacent - cinema is often easier and more affordable. But this year has reignited my passion for live performance and revi

Welcome to Cherbourg! Whether you’re stepping off a boat at the Port of Cherbourg  or arriving by train to the Cherbourg Railway Station , film fans are in for a treat—a leisurely tour through the unforgettable locations of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg , Jacques Demy’s beloved 1964 musical starring Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo. Starting Your Tour by Sea? Head to the Port! If you’re disembarking at the port, you’ll find yourself close-by the very spot where the film be

Some bucket list stops require planes and planning. Others are hiding in plain sight; places you’ve passed a dozen times and always meant to visit one day. From the outside, English Martyrs Church in Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex looks like any other modest parish church. Red brick, low roof, a quiet presence on a suburban street. You could easily pass by without a second glance. But step inside and it’s as if you’ve walked through a wormhole to Renaissance Rome. Because within

In 1984 I saw 21 live performances & 30 films at the cinema, this year I’m recreating them all. Six months in, how am I doing? Read my...

I had longed heard of Giffords Circus , and work gig that was (sort of) in the direction of their stint in Barrington, Oxfordshire gave me an opportunity to visit this 'vintage village green' circus. As you arrive their smartly covered vehicles are parked in a wide outer circle, with vintage-styled food, bars and souvenirs in an inner semi circle facing towards the big top. As we entered into the Big Top the difference between this and a more traditional circus was apparent a

The Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft in the East Sussex village of Ditchling has long been on my bucket list. When I spotted that their temporary exhibition this year was on seaside signage, I managed to actually get there! This exhibition, Signs of the Seaside, is on until 3 September and comprises new commissions, historic artefacts, photos, posters and books showcasing the typography of the British seaside. Although I very much enjoyed the main exhibition, I was expecting