Out & About
The newly refurbished art deco Alhambra cinema at Keswick is independently owned and shows all the latest releases. Watch out too for the Keswick Mountain Film Festival, hosted here and at Rheged, which also offers a cinema programme on its huge 3D screen.
Keswick Film club shows an independent film most Sunday evenings at 5pm (check the Keswick Reminder for each week’s show). It also runs an annual four-day Keswick Film Festival at both the above venues and at the Theatre by the Lake each February or March, offering a wide range of both new independent, contemporary and classic titles. Many entries at the festival have come straight from the most recent Cannes festival.
The Theatre by the Lake, by the shore of Derwentwater, in Keswick, is a full repertory theatre, offering many plays on tour nationally and some of its own productions through the summer season in two performances spaces, as well as a winter programme and Christmas special. It also hosts, with other local venues, a fabulous literary festival annually in the Spring called Words by the Water.
Further afield, a visit to Zeffirelli’s, in Ambleside, is a bit of an institution, combining the best vegetarian food with a film at one of the many screens.
For live music, try the Square Orange café-bar, the Back Bar, on Main Street, and our own Swinside Inn (watch out for festival dates).
Keswick Museum is well worth a visit and often hosts special exhibitions. And don’t miss the Puzzling Place, with its many optical and other illusions. The kids’ll love it too!
