Obviously it has moved with the times and there is plenty to see and do when you visit Colchester, whether your trip is for business, pleasure or a combination of both.

Colchester United are a successful football club, playing in the Championship league. They also have an equally successful women's team, the Colchester United Ladies, so there is a good chance there will be a match being played in the town most weeks.

If you are young enough still to use a skateboard or your children like to practice skateboarding then Colchester Skatepark has lots of facilities for extreme sports of this nature.

American Football fans should try to time their visit to be when the Colchester Gladiators are playing a home match at Broad Lane Stadium.

Art fanatics aren't left out. The countryside surrounding the town is called Constable Country as the artist John Constable painted many of his works in the nearby villages.

If you are planning a longer trip then the nearby town of Clacton on Sea is a seaside resort that is within easy reach of Colchester.

When you are planning your trip to Colchester, there are plenty of friendly guest houses and bed and breakfasts to stay in, both in the town and in nearby villages. These offer a pleasant and more personal alternative to the chain hotels, which can be very "samey", and you'll usually find that the price you pay for an overnight room is similar or even below that charged by the various Inn and Lodge chains.

Just four miles away from Colchester is the East Anglian Railway Museum, located at the Chappel and Wakes Colne station. Here you can see railway locomotives and rolling stock and on the museum open days you have the opportunity to take a short steam train ride on their demonstration track. If your interest lies in other directions, the railway museum also holds an annual cider festival during June and a beer festival later in the year during September.

If your guest house or hotel doesn't offer dinner or if you want a change of scenery, there are plenty of places to eat out in and around Colchester. You can choose from a wide range of places including local pubs who offer a choice of traditional "pub food". Alternatively you could decide to eat from a wide range of other cuisines including traditional British, American, Italian, Chinese or Indian food. If you or your children prefer, there are several pizza restaurants to choose from.

If you're visiting Colchester with a group of others, you may even consider the idea of having a friendly contest at the local ten pin bowling Super Bowl. Another idea for a friendly contest would be to book some cars at the local indoor karting track. For that spur of the moment decision, they even offer a service that allows you to simply turn up and drive a go kart.