Ellen Cheshire

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

I first drew this up in May 2023, 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 more “m

Alongside my freelance writing about theatre, film and literature, my role as Fundraising and Development Manager at Chichester Cathedral gives me the chance to tell stories that are just as rich in history and creativity. Whether it’s celebrating the music that fills the Cathedral’s spaces or sharing the craft and care behind preserving its heritage, my work is about connecting people to the heart of this extraordinary place - and showing why we need support to keep its mus

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

Patrick Hamilton c. 1930 Patrick Hamilton’s The West Pier  (1952) captures a very different side of Sussex from the pastoral warmth of...

Former Carlton Cinema, now Gracepoint church It’s been 828 days since I joined Nigel Smith’s Islington’s Big Screens  walking tour back...

Bucket list item checked! Prospect Cottage Visiting Prospect Cottage  has long been on my bucket list, and finally standing there, in...

"There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort" , this was not said about Jane's time in Bath, but is cited in reference to...

This post continues our series on writers in Sussex - those who found inspiration in its landscapes, towns and coastlines, weaving the...

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

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

In this series exploring writers in Sussex, I've been tracing the moments when the county’s landscapes, villages and coastlines inspired...

In this series exploring writers in Sussex, we trace how the county - its towns, landscapes and shifting coastlines - has left its mark...

H.G. Wells With Sussex Day (16 June) around the corner, those who enjoy exploring places through literary eyes will find a wealth of...

Virginia Woolf c. 1927 from one of her own photo albums at Monk's House which were acquired at an auction at Sotheby's in 1982. This is...

This is the second in our series exploring writers in Sussex – those who were inspired by its coastlines, hills, and ancient villages....

One hundred and ten years ago this month, in March 1915, D. H. Lawrence found himself on the windblown coast of Bognor Regis in West...

Welcome to Cherbourg! Whether you’re stepping off a boat at the Port of Cherbourg  or arriving by train to the Cherbourg Railway Station...

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 my quest to visit theatres I've not been to before, this week I found myself at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park to see an adaptation...