IT is hard to believe that Winchester Cocktail Week is set to return for the first time in five years. The Covid pandemic and lockdown put it on hold in 2020. Amazing to think that was four years ago. But now it is being revived this weekend and a good thing too.

Gary Whiter from the Cabinet Rooms in Jewry Street is again behind the idea and a number of other local business, backed by Winchester Business Improvement District, are taking part as reported on page 6 of this week's Chronicle.

Festival wristbands can be purchased at Cabinet Rooms and are valid from June 1-June 9. People can show their wristband at participating venues to be able to buy signature festival cocktails for just £6. Wristband holders can also get discounts with the official retail partners during the festival.

READ MORE HERE: Winchester Cocktail Week returns this weekend

Mr Whiter is also behind the welcome revival of Winchester Pride event later this year.

These diverse events are great for the city and the surrounding district. They raise the profile of Winchester and attract lots of visitors who spend  money in the city's bars, restaurants, shops and hotels.

Winchester now has well over 20 annual or bi-annual festivals from food and drink to poetry and music.

The strength of these is that most are bottom-up events, put on by dynamic people not top-down from big organisations. It creates the feel of city that is far from the 'clone-town' Britain that people complain of elsewhere. Long may it last.