http://www.nwda.co.uk/pdf/Prime_Issue4 by Northwest Regional Development Agency

Issue Four: where culture comes first

www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com Inside

LIFE’S A BEACH AT LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL PLUS THE LOWDOWN ON WHERE THE ART IS BEYOND LIVERPOOL IN 2008 INCLUDING THE CULTURE LIST FOR ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST

PRIME SPOTS: England’s Northwest

COLOPHON

Prime is published by the Marketing Department of the Northwest Regional Development Agency. Issue four – July 2008. To register for future issues of Prime please visit www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com/culture or call 0845 600 6040. Prime is edited and designed by Hemisphere Design and Marketing Consultants. Printed by Gyroscope on paper manufactured using elemental chlorine-free pulp and woodpulp sourced from sustainable forests. Cover photography of Another Place by Jan Chlebik. P3: Wastwater by Dave Willis. Prime Cuts imagery: P10 The Railway (The Gare Saint-Lazare), 1873 by Edouard Manet © The Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington; P11 Superlambanana by Chris Norman Photography; Gravity, Be My Friend by Pipilotti Rist, photo by Brian Slater; p12 The Golden Knight (Life is a Struggle) by Gustav Klimt, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya. Essentials and Culture List photography by Jonty Wilde and Jan Chlebik with additional material courtesy of NWDA, Visit Chester and Cheshire, LBTB, Cumbria Tourism, Britain on View, Marketing Manchester and Liverpool Culture Company. P17 Ellie Laycock. P29 Halo by Nigel Hillier; Midland Hotel by Simon Webb Photography. P31 I am so sorry. Goodbye. (Escape Vehicle number 4) 2008 by Heather & Ivan Morison. P32 Aira Force by Dave Willis. All maps are source: Ordnance Survey, Crown Copyright, All Rights Reserved. GD 021102. All information correct at time of going to press but event information may change, so please check directly with venues for up-to-date information.

ACCOMMODATION RATINGS

All accommodation featured in Prime has been quality assessed by VisitBritain or the AA – look out for the star rating next to each establishment.

The number of stars gives you an indication of accommodation standard, cleanliness, ambience, hospitality, service and food. Generally, the more stars the higher the level of quality. GH: Guest House SA: Serviced Apartments

French spectacular arrives in Liverpool See page 14

PRIME NUMBERS: Contents Intrigue me, Inspire me, Amuse me, Please me… Whatever your cultural bent, you’ll be like a kid in a sweet shop in England’s Northwest in 2008. As you would expect in the region that gave birth to the very idea of the modern city, the Northwest has its own particular take on culture. We call it liveable culture — culture that’s ‘always on’. A visit to England’s Northwest is a voyage of discovery into what happens when you take all that rich heritage and tradition and mix it with an unmatched drive to explore the ‘what if?’ Self-belief, bloody-mindedness, chutzpah — call it what you want, but the end result is an energy and excitement that delivers a tangible buzz. You’ll be able to feel that buzz, not just in Liverpool celebrating its European Capital of Culture year, but all around England’s Northwest. Each part of the region is doing its bit to make 2008 even more special: Manchester with its Year of World Sport, Lancashire with its Year of Food and Drink, Cumbria–The Lake District with its Year of Adventure and Cheshire with its Year of Gardens. Wherever you go, you’ll feel the distinctive pulse that is Northwest culture running through the veins of the region. So isn’t it time you decided to put culture first and take a trip to where it’s all happening? In this issue of Prime you’ll find everything you need to know to enjoy a great cultural break in England’s Northwest. Enjoy!

FEATURES:

FIRST OFF:

Liverpool’s Biennial frenzy of all things contemporary has got even bigger and better for 2008’s European Capital of Culture year, with art bursting out of the galleries and into the streets and squares of the city.

PRIME LOCATIONS:

Our Liverpool Biennial map shows where to find the major must-see pieces, both in the galleries and out on the street.

PRIME CUTS:

Page 4 Keeping it unreal

Page 8 Where the art is…

Page 10 Events for summer &

autumn 2008

With so much going on across England’s Northwest, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Find out how Manchester, Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire are all getting in on the cultural act.

THE ESSENTIAL LISTS:

Where to stay, what to see and do...

& Cumbria

Page 16 Liverpool Page 22 Manchester Page 28 Blackpool & Lancashire Page 30 Chester & Cheshire Page 32 The Lake District

THE CULTURE LISTS:

Everything you need to know about museums, galleries, theatres and music venues...

& Cumbria

PRIME SPOTS:

Page 20 Liverpool Page 26 Manchester Page 29 Blackpool & Lancashire Page 31 Chester & Cheshire Page 34 The Lake District

Page 35 England’s Northwest map

FIRST OFF:

Liverpool Biennial

Keeping it unreal You couldn’t make it up... Who would have thought that a city more famous for its pop music and football would end up hosting one of the world’s biggest contemporary art jamboree outside Venice? Now in its 10th year, Liverpool Biennial is living, breathing proof of the city’s enduring love affair with contemporary art. For 10 madcap and culturally chaotic weeks, some of the best contemporary artists in the world get to let themselves loose in the galleries, squares and streets of the city, just for the fun of exploring ‘what if?’ And what’s more, Liverpool just laps it up, with bemused locals mixing with incoming art lovers to marvel (and sometimes scratch their heads) at the art on offer. 4

This consistently intriguing and often anarchic festival is now a major fixture on the international cultural calendar and, not unexpectedly for Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year, is gearing up for a super-duper, no-holds barred, bumper edition for 2008. So what can you expect? Pretty much anything is the answer as far as the art is concerned — from the eye-catchingly curious to the positively outrageous. The full Biennial programme runs the gamut from established events such as the prestigious national open painting competition, the John Moores 25, to the provocatively pioneering Independents held in a variety of smaller galleries and alternative spaces around the city.

But the main course in this artistic smorgasbord is the International exhibition — a series of over 35 new commissions by established and emerging international artists that will appear in different locations across the city, almost half of them in the public realm. 2008’s International exhibition is entitled MADE UP and has at its heart an exploration of the frontiers of the artistic imagination, including myths, fantasy and the never-ending drive to make things up. Overleaf you’ll find our special fairytale guide to some of the Biennial’s artistic highlights. Are you sitting comfortably?…

Little Miss Muffet

Aladdin

Through the Looking Glass

The Enchanted Forest

Humpty Dumpty

The Tin Soldier

The artistic mastermind behind the Beijing Olympic’s bird’s nest stadium, Ai Weiwei is the Chinese equivalent of Andy Warhol, so his participation in this year’s Biennial is a real coup for Liverpool. His iconoclastic approach and controversial views have made him a hero at home, where his online blog is read by over 4 million people. More recently his outspoken comments on the forthcoming Olympics have tinged him with an aura of notoriety in the international press too.

Atelier Bow Wow is a Japanese art collective dedicated to what they call ‘the practise of lively space’, which in their terms means making living, flexible structures whose appearance reflects their intended use.

The renowned Japanese avant-garde sculptor, painter and novelist Yayoi Kusama has had a remarkable career spanning almost seven decades and is cited by Yoko Ono (who also makes an appearance at this year’s Biennial) as one of her big influences. She is mostly recognised for the habit she began early in her career of covering a wide variety of surfaces – walls, floors, canvases, household objects and even naked assistants – with polka dots. These vast fields of dots, or ‘infinity nets’ as she calls them, are supposedly taken directly from hallucinations she had as a child.

The New York-based firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro has developed a portfolio of diverse interdisciplinary projects that straddle architecture, urban design and the visual arts and performing arts. Their work ranges from the new Museum of Contemporary Art in Boston to the remarkable Blur Building made out of high pressure water jets that was constructed for the Swiss Expo in 2002.

One of the major co-commissions for European Capital of Culture by Liverpool Biennial and the Liverpool Culture Company, Turning the Place Over has already attracted great media attention as one of the most daring pieces of public art ever commissioned in the UK.

Antony Gormley’s installation at Crosby Beach is a wonderful example of public art at its most affecting. Consisting of 100 cast-iron sculptures made from 17 different moulds taken from Gormley’s own body, the figures are spread out across 3km of beach where they gaze out to the open sea across the Mersey Estuary. Whether they are visible or submerged is dictated by the weather and movement of the tides.

Weiwei’s specially-commissioned piece for the Biennial will take the form of a giant web constructed from steel cables and LED lighting that will stretch across one of the city’s major squares. Suspended at the heart of the web will be a superb crystal chandelier in the shape of a spider, creating a magical visual spectacle. Web of Light Artist: Ai Weiwei Location: Exchange Flags No.13, map overleaf www.aiweiwei.com

Their playful imagination has been put to work on an old flyposting site in Liverpool city centre that has been traditionally used for promoting new and up and coming bands. Atelier Bow Wow have taken one giant imaginative leap and opened up the poster site into a mini venue, that looks like a cave carved out of rock. This has created an intriguing space where these new bands can actually perform or where the public can just sit back and relax. For those about to rock... Rockscape Artist: Atelier Bow Wow Location: No.5, map overleaf www.bow-wow.jp

For her contribution to this year’s Biennial she is continuing her hallucinatory approach with a new mirror room installation called Gleaming Lights of the Souls that immerses the viewer in the illusion of infinity. Gleaming Lights of the Souls Artist: Yayoi Kusama Location: No.3, map overleaf www.yayoi-kusama.jp

For the 2008 Biennial they are taking a brownfield patch of land in Liverpool city centre and using it to playfully reinvent the tradition of a public park with an installation called Arbores Laetae (Joyful Trees). A densely planted forest of mature hornbeams will hide at its centre a group of rotating trees – a magical new species for people to discover. Arbores Laetae (Joyful Trees) Artist: Diller Scofidio + Renfro Location: No.17, map overleaf www.dillerscofidio.com

Known for his radical interventions in architectural space, sculptor Richard Wilson has devised a work that consists of an 8m diameter piece cut from the façade of a city centre building that is then made to rotate in three dimensions. Turning the Place Over has already attracted a huge number of visitors since its original installation in 2007 and films of it in motion have already been viewed over 575,000 times on YouTube. Visitors can also now take advantage of fascinating backstage tours. Turning the Place Over Artist: Richard Wilson Location: Cross Keys House, Moorfields No.12, map overleaf www. biennial.com

The installation was originally brought to Crosby Beach by the Biennial in 2005, and became such an immediate hit with locals and visitors alike that a campaign was run to secure the figures permanently on the beach. Well worth a trip out of the city centre to blow away the cobwebs and ponder on the meaning of life... Another Place Artist: Antony Gormley Location: Crosby Beach www.antonygormley.com

20 September–30 November www.biennial.com Find more Liverpool ‘08 events in Prime Cuts (pages 10–15)

PRIME LOCATIONS: Where the art is...

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You’ll probably bump into lots of little ones around the city, but this one’s ‘the daddy’. It’s also the piece that probably more than any other symbolises the city’s love affair with contemporary art. Not technically a Biennial piece, it was originally intended as a temporary installation when commissioned from Taro Chiezo back in 1998. Liverpool fell for it in a big way and so it’s stayed around to become one of the city’s best-loved icons.

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Superlambanana

Evolutionary developments in the world of trees as the New-York based architectural artists’ practice create a forest-with-adifference on a city centre roadside verge.

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A Biennial invasion of the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology will see it overrun by

Richard Wilson

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FACT

575,000 YouTubers can’t be wrong – this revolving bit of building is a fascinating thing to watch. Take the backstage tour of Turning the Place Over and marvel at sculptor Richard Wilson’s technological wizardry as well as his phenomenal creativity.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro

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The ‘National Gallery of the North’ as The Walker is known, will play host to an important part of this year’s Biennial, the John Moores 25 exhibition of contemporary painting. In its 50th year, this is the UK’s most prestigious open painting competition, open to all artists living and working in the UK and carrying a top prize of £25,000.

Liverpool’s adopted daughter invites audiences to do their bit in a ‘collective act of imagination’, contemplating the constant and infinite space of the sky.

Walker Art Gallery

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Yoko Ono

Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2008 is another key element of Biennial 08. Established almost 60 years ago, it’s the UK’s foremost showcase for new and emerging artists from the country’s Fine Art colleges.

American artist Sarah Sze creates intricate flowing sculptures out of everyday household objects. She’ll be making a new installation outside the Bluecoat in response to the surrounding architecture of the city.

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Atelier Bow Wow

This Tokyo-based architecture and design firm specialise in playful reinterpretations of the urban environment. In Rockscape they will transform a derelict site into an open-air theatre for young musicians and poets.

Sarah Sze

A Foundation / New Contemporaries

MOORFIELDS

Tomas Saraceno & Leandro Erlich

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These two Argentinian artists have their own take on the places we inhabit. Saraceno is presenting a new model in his series of architectural ‘biosphere’ prototypes for cities built on air, whilst his compatriot is mounting an apartment on a rotating carousel as an artistic question about the constancy of everyday life.

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Manfredi Beninati

This recently-revamped contemporary art centre set in an old Grade I-listed building is a real cultural haven within the bustle of Liverpool city centre. Artists on display here for the Biennial include the darkly-demented Canadian collective Royal Art Lodge, the renowned Australian photographer Tracey Moffatt, plus the Palestinian artist Khalil Rabah, whose conceptual installations deal with Palestinian history and the hopes and struggles if its people.

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Italian artist Beninati creates installations that provide a dream-like glimpse of another life, as if glancing at somebody through a window. His Biennial work is no exception, creating a secretly inhabited apartment behind the façade of an abandoned building.

The Bluecoat

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An old paint factory is the venue for the Biennial installations of three major artists. Danish filmmaker Jesper Just’s sumptuous new work is titled Romantic Delusions and uses a city’s architecture as a metaphor for ill-conceived romance. On site is also Yayoi Kusama’s contemplative infinity mirror room, plus an architectural intervention by Richard Woods, an artist whose speciality is using traditional woodblock printing techniques on a huge industrial scale.

Tate Liverpool

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Jesper Just / Yayoi Kusama Richard Woods 3

Liverpool’s signature contemporary gallery will be pulling out all its Biennial stops with a provocative range of works by artists from Israel, USA, Canada and Romania that explore the boundary between people’s internal and external experience, and how perceptions, attitudes and values are created.

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Still on a cinematic theme, Dutch artist Lester has created an entire film without images as part of his exploration of the illusions of cinema and theatre. Being shown in the semi-derelict 1920s Futurist cinema.

Open Eye Gallery

Ai Weiwei

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Gabriel Lester

Liverpool’s gallery of contemporary photography will feature the work of Canadian lensmeister Nancy Davenport, who takes the tradition of social documentary and turns it into a contemporary critique of global culture through digital manipulation and deadpan humour.

This architectural installation by the maverick superstar of the Chinese art world is sure to be one of the Biennial’s high points – a spider’s Web of Light stretched across the civic and financial heart of Liverpool city centre.

PRI

artworks, interventions and events featuring works such as the ethereal, automated creatures of Korean artist U-Ram Choe, the multi-media work of Ulf Langheinrich, Terrence Handscombe’s interactive video installations and the evocative audio-visual pieces of New Zealander Stella Brennan.

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Annette Messager

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Messager’s work uses collections of fragments, such as photography, drawing, embroidery and assembled objects, to make up her detailed installations. This site-specific project at a former cinema next to Lime Street Station is the French artist’s homage to the spirit of celluloid.

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Walk around the streets of Liverpool during the Biennial and you’ll find yourself stumbling over works of art in all sorts of unexpected places. Our Biennial map shows where to go to find the major must-see pieces, both in the galleries and out on the street. For a full Biennial guide, go to www.biennial.com or contact the Liverpool08 Place visitor centre on 0151 233 2008.

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Mersey Rail

PRIME CUTS: AUGUST–OCTOBER Events this summer & autumn Highlights of what’s on across England’s Northwest

Until 10 August 2008

Until 25 August 2008

Until 31 August 2008

Art in the Age of Steam

Go Superlambananas

Pipilotti Rist

Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool T: 0151 478 4199 W: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Various venues across Liverpool T: 0151 233 2008 W: gosuperlambananas.co.uk

FACT, Liverpool T: 0151 7074450 W: fact.co.uk

The only European showing for this major international exhibition exploring how 19th and 20th century artists responded to the railways. Over 100 works from some of the biggest names in art, including Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Frith and Hopper.

Forget cow parades – they’re old hat when pitted against the phenomenon that is Liverpool’s Superlambanana. Originally created by Japanese artist Taro Chiezo for the Arts Transpennine festival in 1998, this bright yellow sculpture has rapidly become the city’s most popular piece of public art. To celebrate Liverpool08, 100 six feet tall Superlambananas are being ‘bespoked’ by local artists and celebrities, with the fruits of their creative labours being put on display around the streets and parks of the city.

Famed for her stunning, sculptural video installations, the renowned Swiss-born artist turns her attention to the world and our relationship with our environment in this UK premiere show that’s full of humour and fantasy. Site-specific elements of the installation create an explosion of colour and imagery that spills out from FACT’s galleries and out into the public spaces.

Until 17 August 2008

Neverland Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester T: 0161 275 7450 W: whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

Throughout 2008

All year round

Culture beyond Liverpool — what’s happening around England’s Northwest

Taste Lancashire ‘08 — Year of food and drink

Liverpool may be taking centre stage in 2008, but that doesn’t stop the rest of England’s Northwest from getting in on the cultural act. To add to the already action-packed calendar of events, each of the different areas in the region has put together its own year of special events and activities, based on their own distinctive take on culture. In Manchester you can get the buzz of a Year of World Sport or if that’s not exciting enough you can hit the adrenaline highs of Cumbria’s Year of Adventure. For a more relaxing experience you can sample the gastronomic delights of Taste Lancashire or chill out in the verdant tranquillity of Cheshire’s Year of Gardens. Look out for the coloured bands throughout the Prime Cuts section, each signifying a themed ‘year of’ event.

W: tastelancashire08.com

The area that brought you black pudding, Goosnargh duck and potted shrimps is rediscovering its culinary heritage with a year-long celebration of Lancashire’s fantastic local produce. From top quality restaurants and reinvented country pubs to bistros, farm shops and innovative food producers, there’s plenty to get your taste buds tingling. Taste Lancashire ‘08

All year round

Lake District and Cumbria Year of Adventure ‘08 W: golakes.co.uk/adventure

No need to wander lonely as a cloud when you can get an action-packed buzz from the great range of adventurous activities offered by the Lake District’s magnificent mountain scenery. Get the rush at one of the many traditional Lakeland Sports festivals in Grasmere, Ambleside and Coniston over the summer or at the Kendal Mountain Festival in November.

This intriguing exhibition puts the ‘a child could do that’ contemporary art argument to the test by juxtaposing works by children with work from artists who have worked to evoke the audacity of children’s art. Includes work by Picasso, Dubuffet, Klee and Miró. Until 23 August 2008

Field for the British Isles St Helens College, St Helens T: 01744 755150 W: visitsthelens.com

This mini terracotta army of 40,000 figurines won Antony Gormley the Turner Prize in 1994 and is one of his most famous and bestloved artworks. This exhibition marks Field’s first homecoming to St.Helens, where it was created by volunteers 15 years ago.

Until 19 October 2008

Manchester World Sport ‘08 W: manchesterworldsport08.com

With a competitive streak a mile wide, it’s no surprise that Manchester has put on an action-packed year of sporting events – the biggest the city has seen since the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The Hi-Tec World Squash Championships in October promise to be a fitting finale. Manchester World Sport ‘08

Until December 2008

Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ‘08 W: yearofgardens08.com

With some of the UK’s most elegant stately homes and gardens, Cheshire is a natural location for this celebration of all things horticultural. This year sees the first ever Tatton Park Biennial, featuring specially-commissioned works of contemporary sculpture in a fabulous setting, plus a whole range of other greentinged special events to bring some of Britain’s most beautiful gardens to life. Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ‘08

Year of Adventure ‘08

Until 28 September 2008

Tatton Park Biennial Tatton Park, Cheshire T: 01625 374400 W: tattonparkbiennial.org

It’s Tatton Park’s turn to get in on the cultural act with its inaugural biennial of contemporary art and sculpture. Speciallycommissioned artworks from emerging and established artists include solar-powered sculptures and a Japanese pagoda made entirely out of English garden sheds. A full programme of events, talks and workshops will run alongside. Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ‘08

1–17 August 2008

Lake District Summer Music Festival Various venues, Cumbria T: 0845 64421 W: ldsm.org.uk

Top-notch classical music in glorious settings, from big-name chamber performers, such as Colin Carr and Thomas Sauer, mezzo soprano Wendy Dawn Thompson, the Chilingirian Quartet and the Gould Piano Trio. 15–25 August 2008

Manchester Pride City centre & Gay Village, Manchester T: 0161 236 7474 W: manchesterpride.com

Until 31 August 2008

Until 20 September 2008

Until 27 September 2008

Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern Life in Vienna 1900

A Continuous Line — Ben Nicholson in England

How Manga Took Over the World

Tate Liverpool T: 0151 702 7400 W: tate.org.uk/liverpool

Abbot Hall Gallery, Kendal T: 01539 722464 W: abbothall.org.uk

Urbis, Manchester T: 0161 605 8200 W: urbis.org.uk

Putting the bling into Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year is the first comprehensive exhibition of Gustav Klimt’s work ever staged in the UK, featuring more than 100 works from one of the world’s most influential and revered artists. The exhibition explores Klimt’s role as the founder and leader of a progressive group of artists known as the Viennese Secession, with famous paintings and drawings from all stages of his career. An absolute must-see.

The abstract painter Ben Nicholson is considered one of the most radical British artists of the 20th century. This first major UK retrospective of his work for over fourteen years is a bit of a coup for Abbot Hall, and focusses on Nicholson’s years in Britain from 1922 to 1958.

Explore the unique graphic art-form that is Manga with this exhibition that tracks its influence on contemporary culture, including Cute Manga, Action Manga, Manga in Art, Fashion and Design, and even the x-rated Erotic Manga – for over 18s only.

Manchester turns rainbow-coloured for one of the UK’s biggest festivals celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. The week’s events culminate in the Big Weekend, a 78-hour party that includes a wonderfully over-the-top parade around the city streets on August 23. Expect some serious partying. 24 August 2008

Grasmere Sports Grasmere, Cumbria W: grasmeresportsandshow.co.uk

The most famous of Cumbria’s traditional sports shows, this is not for the faint-hearted, with Cumberland wrestling (men in tights, anyone?), fell-running and hound trails. Year of Adventure ‘08

28 August–5 September 2008

29–31 August 2008

Pennine Lancashire Festival of Food and Culture

Mintfest

Various venues around East Lancashire T: 01254 53277 W: tastelancashire08.com

Some of the more unusual aspects of Lancashire culinary culture are on show at this week-long festival, including the famous World Gravy Wrestling Championships. More orthodox elements of the programme include traditional farmers’ markets and celebrity chef events to gourmet ghostwalks, medieval banquets, fungi hunts, musical suppers, ale trails and brewery tours.

Various venues, Kendal W: mintfest.org or lakesalive.org

Kendal’s international festival of street art and theatre offers everything from the completely inspirational to the fantastically bizarre. Over 200 performers from across the world descend on this engaging Lake District market town for three days of madness and mayhem, bringing its streets and parks alive with performances across six outdoor venues.

Taste Lancashire ‘08

29 August–2 November 2008

15–20 September 2008

6–26 October 2008

30 October–29 November 2008

Blackpool Illuminations

Audiovision Mersey Tunnel Air Vent, Liverpool T: 0151 233 2008 W: liverpool08.com

Shell Chester Literature Festival

King Lear

Blackpool Promenade W: visitblackpool.com

The biggest free light show on earth has been pulling in the crowds since 1879, but you’ll be pleased to hear it’s had a serious makeover since then. Best way to enjoy the spectacle is to grab a bag of chips and hop on an opentop tram along the promenade.

A spectacular new audio-visual festival that aims to transform the Mersey Tunnel’s iconic air-vent building into a spectacular array of colour, light and sound. Over six days there will be a full-on programme of video installations, audio-visual performances, film screenings and AV workshops, plus a series of new works by international artists.

5–7 September 2008

La Machine City centre, Liverpool T: 0151 233 2008 W: artichoke.uk.com/liverpool2008.htm

In what promises to be one of the most iconic events of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year, a gigantic mechanical creature will invade Liverpool for three whole days in this specially-commissioned event by French theatrical magicians La Machine. Details are a closely-guarded secret, but as the whole spectacle is the brainchild of Artichoke, the company behind the phenomenal London appearance of The Sultan’s Elephant, you can expect a magical piece of live theatre set in Liverpool’s dramatic cityscape. Unmissable. 11–14 September 2008

NESTEA European Championship Tour English Masters Beach Volleyball St Chads Headland, Blackpool T: 01253 478222 W: visitblackpool.com

A bit of a coup for Blackpool, as many teams at this championship tournament will be hotfooting it straight from the Olympic Games in Beijing to take part. St Chads Headland boasts four new purpose-built competition courts, set against the backdrop of Blackpool’s famous promenade. Mid-September

Drop Crummock Water, Cumbria W: golakes.co.uk/drop

Not-to-be-missed sculpture based on a giant reflective raindrop. Final details to be confirmed, so check website for latest news. 14

20 September–30 November 2008

MADE UP Liverpool Biennial 2008 Various venues, Liverpool T: 0151 709 7444 W: biennial.com

The world’s biggest contemporary art jamboree outside Venice. See feature on page 4 for details. 26 September–12 October 2008

FRED Various venues across Cumbria T: 017683 71561 W: fredsblog.co.uk

Various venues, Chester T: 01244 304618 W: chesterfestivals.co.uk

Everyman Theatre, Liverpool T: 0151 709 4776 W: everymanplayhouse.com

Celebrating the written and spoken word with a stellar ensemble of literary personalities, plus local authors and poets.

Not-to-be-missed classic tragedy with Pete Postlethwaite taking on the title role in a return to the very theatre where he started his career, in a production by the Shakespearean director du jour, Rupert Goold.

11–19 October 2008

Hi-Tec World Squash Championships National Squash Centre, Sportcity, Manchester W: manchesterworldsport08.com

This event marks the first time that a combined men’s and women’s World Squash Championships has been held in the UK. With six British players in the top twenty world rankings, we’ve got some genuine contenders in both the women’s and men’s events, so come along and cheer them on. Manchester World Sport ‘08

11 October 2008–11 January 2009

Holman-Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelite Vision

Who needs an art gallery when you’ve got spaces as glorious as the fells and fields of the Lake District? Europe’s largest festival of site-specific contemporary art is a creative invasion of the Cumbrian landscape, where a host of international artists take their work into the spectacular natural environment.

Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester T: 0161 235 8888 W: manchestergalleries.org

2 October 2008–18 January 2009

Manchester Literature Festival

Le Corbusier — The Art of Architecture The Crypt, Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool T: 0151 709 9222 W: liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk

Liverpool stages the UK’s biggest exhibition for 20 years on the man who many consider to be the greatest architect of the 20th Century. Original architectural models, furniture, previously unpublished vintage prints, drawings, and paintings of the Swissborn architect will be on display in one of the country’s most dramatic spaces – the Lutyens-designed Crypt of Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral.

Manchester Art Gallery makes the most of its fantastic collection of pre-Raphaelites with this exhibition devoted to the founding father of the movement, William Holman-Hunt. 16–26 October 2008 Various venues, Manchester T: 0161 236 5725 W: manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester’s literary celebration caters for all tastes, ranging from recitations by prizewinning Polish poets to workshops with the cream of crimewriters. Highlights include Russell T Davis holding forth on his TV-writing career, from the genre-busting Queer as Folk to his reinvention of Dr. Who. Inspiration for budding scriptwriters everywhere.

1–16 November 2008

Liverpool Music Week Various venues around Liverpool W: liverpoolmusicweek.co.uk

Liverpool takes its rightful place at the centre of the music universe, with a fortnight of fullon events, beginning with Liverpool Electric, the first time that the BBC’s staggeringly successful Electric Proms have had a presence outside London and culminating in the full-on extravaganza that is the MTV Europe Music Awards. 12 November–6 December 2008

A Taste of Honey Royal Exchange, Manchester T: 0161 833 9833 W: royalexchange.co.uk

A 50th anniversary production of this iconic Manchester drama that started off as a novel before being adapted for the stage in 1958 and then made into the highly-acclaimed film of the same name in 1961. 20–23 November 2008

Kendal Mountain Festivals Various venues, Kendal, Cumbria T: 01539 725133 W: mountainfilm.co.uk

Not just one, but a whole cornucopia of festivals devoted to all things vertical, from film, books and art to photography, humour and drama. This internationally-renowned crag-hoppers convention attracts top adventurers, climbers, writers and filmmakers from around the world and even has an Adventure Film Academy for adrenaline junkies looking to learn from the experts in adventure, extreme sports and expedition film-making. Year of Adventure ‘08

Late 2008

Dream: The Big Art Project in St.Helens W: bigartsthelens.com

The plans for one of the two Channel 4 Big Art Projects taking place in England’s Northwest have recently been revealed and promise to create a major UK landmark piece of public art. Titled Dream, the 20m-high sculpture by internationally-renowned Spanish artist Jaume Plensa will be sited on top of the former Sutton Manor colliery site in St.Helens, just by Junction 7 on the M62. Made from concrete with a white, almost luminescent finish, it is intended to become a gateway feature for visitors to England’s Northwest. Plensa, the creator of Chicago’s Crown Fountain and the spectacular new illuminated glass dome at BBC Broadcasting House, has been working with a group of local ex-miners from the colliery to develop the work. Intended as a contemplative and optimistic piece, it takes the form of the head of a girl with her eyes closed in a dream-like state. The development and production of Dream is being filmed for later broadcast on Channel 4, creating a unique record of the process. 15

THE ESSENTIALS: Liverpool

That cheeky Liverpudlian grin is now a mile wider as the city enjoys the limelight of being European Capital of Culture 2008. A frenzy of regeneration has created a renewed and rejuvenated city centre, plus more artistic activity than you can shake a tickling stick at. There’s never been a better time to take a trip to this witty, wilful and wonderfully irreverent city that takes great delight in wearing its somewhat maverick heart on its sleeve. Architecturally it’s a city of statement and grandeur — the city boasts more Georgian terraces than Bath and the imposing Victorian warehouses of the city centre are finding new life as boutique hotels and fine restaurants. On top of that, the city centre is surprisingly compact and easy to get around, and you’d have a heart of stone not to be bowled over by the warmth of the Liverpudlian welcome. 16

GETTING HERE By plane

Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport is situated just eight miles south of the city centre, with flights to and from many major European cities and an express bus operating to take you into the city centre.

By train

Mainline intercity services run into Liverpool Lime Street station from all over the country.

By road

Take the westbound M62 off the M6 motorway and it takes you straight into Liverpool city centre. It is also an umbilical chord joining Liverpool to Manchester, only 35 miles away.

GET THE INFO… Tourist Information Centres

Liverpool Tourist Information Centre 08 Place, Whitechapel L1 6DZ Albert Dock Tourist Information Centre Anchor Courtyard L3 4AF Liverpool John Lennon Airport Tourist Information Centre Arrival Hall South Terminal L24 1YD Visitor info: T: 0151 233 2008 W: liverpool08.com Accommodation enquiries: T: 0844 870 0123 W: visitliverpool.com

PLACES TO STAY

Hard Day’s Night Hotel

Hope Street Hotel

Central Buildings, 41 North John Street L2 6RR T: 0151 236 1964 W: harddaysnighthotel.com

Hargreaves Building, 5 Chapel Street L3 9AG T: 0151 236 6676 W: racquetclub.org.uk

No prizes for guessing the inspiration behind this new four-star hotel just along the way from the Cavern Club. A refurb of a classic city centre Grade II-listed building, the hotel has an on-site restaurant, bar and art gallery, all featuring specially commissioned artworks celebrating the lives of the Fab Four.

A club devoted to racquet sports may not be the first place that springs to mind as a place to stay, but the eight individuallystyled rooms in this refurbished Victorian warehouse are generous and comfortable. The on-site Ziba restaurant is also an eating destination in its own right.

This sophisticated modern eatery is the Liverpool link in the culinary empire of renowned Lancashire chef, Paul Heathcote, the man who made black pudding sexy.

Radisson SAS Liverpool

PLACES TO EAT

107 Old Hall St L3 9BD T: 0151 966 1500 W: radisson.com

Alma de Cuba

Part of the uber-chic Hope Street Hotel, the restaurant has attracted some fairly rave reviews, including being voted one of the top ten restaurants outside London in the 2005 Harden’s Guide and the 2007 Taste of England Northwest award. Apparently named when construction workers discovered the original sign in the stonework above the entrance during the refurbishment.

40 Hope St L1 9DA T: 0151 705 2222 W: hopestreethotel.co.uk

Hope Street is a bit of a cultural hub – this elegant Georgian thoroughfare joins the city’s two cathedrals and along its length you’ll find a concert hall (the Philharmonic), a theatre (the Everyman) and a slew of bars and eateries. The hotel sits half way along it, a building dating from the 1860s that was converted into ‘Liverpool’s first boutique hotel’ in 2001. In the intervening time it has won numerous awards for its cool minimalist chic, impeccable service and classy ambience and was voted one of the 50 coolest hotels in the world in 2006 by Condé Nast Traveller.

Malmaison Liverpool 7 William Jessop Way, Princes Dock L3 1QZ T: 0845 365 4247 W: malmaison-liverpool.com

Overlooking the Mersey, this recently-opened new kid in the Malmaison stable is the company’s first purpose-built building. It’s an elegant addition to the city’s iconic waterfront architecture and has all the features you would expect, from the plush ambience of the interior and the ‘place to be seen in’ bar and brasserie.

Awaiting inspection

The Scandinavian-owned Radisson SAS is a new modern ocean liner of a building looking out over the Mersey. It’s very Scandinavian in feel as well – cool design on the inside and a light-filled atrium doubling as a bit of an art gallery.

62 Castle Street 62 Castle St L2 7LQ T: 0151 702 7898 W: 62castlest.com

Another revamped Victorian edifice in the heart of Liverpool’s city centre, this bijou boutique hotel is well-located for both the business district and the famous Liverpool nightlife. Its 20 generously-sized suites are equipped with all mod-cons, and the ground floor houses Room restaurant and bar.

Racquet Club

St Peters Church, Seel Street L1 4AZ T: 0151 709 7097 W: alma-de-cuba.com

The place to be seen for the style-conscious, this Cuban/Miami/carnival inspired bar and restaurant serves up crafted cocktails and elegant eats in one of the city’s oldest churches, with many of the original features incorporated into the new design.

60 Hope Street 60 Hope St L1 9BZ T: 0151 707 6060 W: 60hopestreet.com

Established gastronomic destination on the Hope Street cultural corridor. The signature dish of deep fried jam sandwich with Carnation milk ice cream shouldn’t be missed, and there’s also a more informal café/bar bistro in the basement.

Simply Heathcotes Beetham Plaza, The Strand L2 0XJ T: 0151 236 3536 W: heathcotes.co.uk

The London Carriage Works 40 Hope St L1 9DA T: 0151 705 2222 W: tlcw.co.uk

Everyman Bistro 5–9 Hope Street L1 9BH T: 0151 708 9545 W: everyman.co.uk

A bit of a Liverpool institution, the basement bistro beneath the Everyman Theatre has always been a gathering place for local creative types, attracted to the slightly bohemian ambience and the hearty portions of the fabulous home-made food. It’s great for veggies and the puddings are a special treat.

The Monro

Sapporo Teppanyaki

The Blue Bar and Grill

THINGS TO SEE

92–94 Duke Street L1 5AG T: 0151 707 9933 W: themonro.com

134 Duke Street, East Village L1 5AG T: 0151 705 3005 W: sapporo.co.uk

Edward Pavilion Albert Dock L3 4AE T: 0151 709 7097 W: blue-venue.co.uk

St George’s Hall

Named after a Georgian trading ship, this old man’s boozer has been transformed into a top-notch gastropub, with an emphasis on quality organic British food. Robust menu featuring rabbit pie, Cheshire wild boar, Lancashire ostrich and Welsh buffalo.

Not just teppanyaki but sushi and noodles too in this Japanese-themed restaurant on the edge of Chinatown. It’s the teppanyaki that’s the major draw though, with ‘show chefs’ performing culinary acrobatics as the food is prepared right in front of you.

Another achingly cool place to drink and dine down at Albert Dock, with a balcony overlooking the waterfront and a high celebrity count.

Ziba

St Petersburg

Racquet Club, 5 Chapel Street L3 9AG T: 0151 236 6676 W: racquetclub.org.uk

7a York Street L1 5BN T: 0151 7096676 W: russiancuisine.co.uk

Numerous awards and a place in the Good Food guide are just some of the things that Ziba has going for it. Named after a Liverpool tea clipper, this classy modern British restaurant in the Racquet Club has quietly established a fantastic reputation for its nosh.

Revolutionise your tastebuds with authentic Russian cuisine, washed down with a glass of flaming vodka. The music and liveentertainment includes the occasional Russian karaoke night, so start brushing up on those old Soviet marching songs.

Number Seven

PLACES TO DRINK

13–15 Falkner Street L8 7PU T: 0151 709 9633

Babycream

This deli-cum-bistro-cum-art gallery is located in the atmospheric Georgian Square just off Hope Street. The shop sells everything from beautifully-packaged homemade biscuits to speciality preserves and oils, whilst the bistro does a good line in tasty snacks and the usual 57 varieties of coffee.

Delifonseca 12 Stanley Street L1 6AF T: 0151 255 0808 W: delifonseca.co.uk

A little hidden gem – a foodie cornucopia in the city centre that is the place to go if you have a serious cheese fetish. The restaurant is worth a visit too – the chef is ex-London Carriage Works so expect good things.

Atlantic Pavilion, Albert Dock L3 4AE T: 0151 702 5826 W: babycream.co.uk

Joint venture between restaurant group Lyceum and the legendary Cream club empire, this is described as a DJ restaurant – i.e. you get ambient lounge live DJ sets thrown in with your trendy bar and dining experience.

PanAm Britannia Pavilion Albert Dock L3 4AD T: 0151 709 1156 W: panam-venue.co.uk

At night the Albert Dock puts on its coolest threads and metamorphoses into the place for Liverpool’s glammed-up crowd. PanAm is one of the main hangouts for the hip and trendy, a classy bar-restaurant with huge bay windows that look out to the Liver Building in the distance.

Korova 39–41 Fleet Street L1 4AR T: 0151 709 7097 W: korova-liverpool.com

Trendy, independent bar, part-owned by Liverpool band Ladytron, that sets itself out as ‘a music-focused venue enveloped in cutting edge design and illustration.’ There’s a bar and ‘canteen’ and the club in the basement showcases live music from established acts and up-and-coming bands.

The Philharmonic 36 Hope Street L1 9BX T: 0151 707 2837

Not the Hall, but the staggeringly ornate pub across the road, which boasts the only gentleman’s toilets in the country that a lady may visit – they’re listed. Despite being definitely old-world, this temple to Victorian exuberance attracts a lively-mixed crowd that gives an indication of the level of affection it commands – John Lennon famously complained that the price of fame meant ‘not being able to go to the Phil for a drink’.

Ye Crack 13 Rice Street L1 9DB T: 0151 709 4171

For the antitheses of Albert Dock-style bar chic, head for this legendary boozer, yet another place where John Lennon used to drink when he was at art college. Full of Liverpool character, with a great range of beers.

William Brown Street L1 1JJ T: 0151 233 2008 W: visitliverpool.com

A £23m restoration programme has given a superb facelift to what many consider to be the finest neo-classical building in Europe. St George’s certainly has buckets of presence, standing proudly at the centre of the city like a temple to Liverpool’s mid-19th century wealth and ambition. Inside, the massive Great Hall is resplendent with gilded plasterwork and ornate chandeliers, plus a renowned Minton tiled floor.

Three Graces Pier Head, North of Albert Dock T: 0151 233 2008 W: visitliverpool.com

Together, the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building create one of the most recognisable waterfronts in the world. Officially declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Albert Dock Albert Dock L3 4AF W: albertdock.com

This collection of restored Grade I-listed warehouses is home to many of Liverpool’s museum and heritage attractions, including Tate Liverpool, Merseyside Maritime Museum and the new Slavery Museum.

Superlambanana Tithebarn Street W: superlambanana.com

A wonderful example of how public art can embrace a community, this fun sculpture was originally commissioned from Japanese artist Taro Chiezo in 1998 and soon found its place in the Liverpudlian heart. Even has its own website where you can order miniature-sized versions in every colour of the rainbow.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Cathedral House, Mount Pleasant L3 5TQ T: 0151 709 9222 W: liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk

Irreverently known as Paddy’s Wigwam by locals, the relatively modern (1967) Metropolitan Cathedral stands at one end of the aptly-named Hope Street that connects it with its Anglican counterpart.

Liverpool Cathedral 6 Cathedral Close, St James Mount L1 7AZ T: 0151 709 6271 W: liverpoolcathedral.org.uk

There’s nothing small about Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. Largest cathedral in the UK, 5th largest in the world, highest gothic arches in the world, UK’s largest church organ – the list goes on.

Antony Gormley’s Another Place Crosby Beach, Crosby W: visitliverpool.com

Antony Gormley’s series of 100 life-sized iron ‘men’ spread over 3km of sandy beach initially started off as a temporary installation. But, like the Angel of the North in Gateshead, the figures have taken on such iconic status on this beautifully windswept landscape that a fundraising campaign has successfully made them permanent. A great example of good public art at its most affecting.

Sefton Park Palm House Sefton Park L17 1AP T: 0151 726 2415 W: palmhouse.org.uk

This Grade II-listed Victorian glasshouse is the centrepiece of one of the largest public parks in England. It’s open to the public so you can spend a relaxing afternoon wandering around the tropical greenery. Occasional jazz and lunchtime concerts too.

THINGS TO DO Mersey Ferries T: 0151 330 1444 W: merseyferries.co.uk

Gerry and the Pacemakers have a lot to answer for. Take a trip across to look back at the famous waterfront from across the river and just see if you can stop yourself singing ‘that song’ – it’s practically impossible.

Knowsley Safari Park Prescot, Merseyside L34 4AN T: 0151 430 9009 W: knowsley.com

So what if you haven’t been to one since you were a kid? Having your windscreen wipers manhandled by monkeys is still as much fun as it always was…

Speke Hall Speke, Merseyside L24 1XD T: 0151 427 7231 W: nationaltrust.org.uk

Just down the road from Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, this wonderfully-preserved half-timbered house dates from the 15th century and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and woodland.

THINGS TO BUY

Everton mints, Beatles memorabilia, European Capital of Culture souvenirs, mini-superlambananas.

GIVE IT A WHIRL… The Yellow Duckmarine T: 0151 708 7799 W: theyellowduckmarine.co.uk

Take an hour-long trip around Liverpool’s waterfront in this converted (and very yellow) WW2 amphibious landing vehicle which starts on the road and ends in the water.

THE CULTURE LIST: Liverpool ART GALLERIES

FACT

Walker Art Gallery

Foundation For Art & Creative Technology 88 Wood Street L1 4DQ T: 0151 707 4444 W: fact.co.uk

William Brown St L3 8EL T: 0151 478 4199 W: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

The Walker sits at the heart of Liverpool’s central cultural quarter alongside the best of the city’s magnificent neo-classical architecture, St George’s Hall and World Museum Liverpool. Often referred to as ‘the National Gallery of the North,’ it is renowned for the breadth and depth of its collections, ranging from medieval and renaissance masterpieces to pieces by modern icons such as David Hockney and Gilbert and George.

Tate Liverpool Albert Dock L3 4BB T: 0151 702 7400 W: tate.org.uk/liverpool

The Liverpool outpost of the Tate empire is housed in a wonderful conversion of Grade I-listed warehouses on the banks of the Mersey at Albert Dock. The UK’s largest modern art gallery outside London, it draws on the wide range of 20th and 21st century artwork from the Tate Collection and develops its own innovative changing exhibitions programme.

Open Eye Gallery 28–32 Wood Street L1 4AQ T: 0151 709 9460 W: openeye.org.uk

Great contemporary photography gallery that’s worth a visit to catch the latest touring exhibition by prominent national and international lensmeisters.

View Two Gallery 23 Mathew Street L2 6RE T: 0151 236 9444 W: viewtwogallery.co.uk

Behind an unassuming doorway in the Cavern Quarter you’ll find Liverpool’s leading independent gallery – a positive Aladdin’s cave of contemporary art spread over three floors. It’s only open from noon on Thursdays through to Saturday, but call in on a Saturday afternoon and you’ll get a complimentary glass of wine.

Billed as ‘an international arts centre for the digital age’, FACT is an award-winning cultural project that is dedicated to showcasing the work of international artists working in film, video and new media. The venue is the hub of the Rope Walks area of the city centre, home to music studios, design collectives and architects studios by day, and to interesting clubs and bars by night.

The Bluecoat School Lane L1 3BX T: 0151 709 5297 W: thebluecoat.org.uk

This Grade I-listed old schoolhouse, thought to be the oldest building in Liverpool city centre, has been a focus for contemporary arts, crafts and design in the city since the 1960s. A £12.5million transformation led by the hip Dutch practise BIQ Architecten, has restored the building to its former glory, with the addition of a spanking new art gallery and performance space.

Lady Lever Art Gallery Lower Rd, Port Sunlight Village, Wirral CH62 5EQ T: 0151 478 4136 W: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

The Lever Brothers soap magnate, William Hesketh Lever, did a lot for this part of the world. Not only did he build the delightful garden village of Port Sunlight (named after his famous soap) but he also created within it the beautiful Lady Lever Art Gallery to house his extensive collection of art, including a magnificent selection of 18th and 19th century paintings. Worth crossing the Mersey for.

MUSEUMS

THEATRES

Liverpool Empire

Cavern Club

Merseyside Maritime Museum

Liverpool Playhouse

Albert Dock L3 4AQ T: 0151 478 4499 W: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Williamson Square L1 1EL T: 0151 709 4776 W: everymanplayhouse.com

Lime Street L1 1JE T: 0870 606 3536 W: liverpoolempire.org.uk

8–10 Mathew Street L2 6RE T: 0151 236 1965 W: cavern-liverpool.co.uk

Fascinating museum devoted to the history of shipping in Britain from the 13th century onwards. The story of the port of Liverpool plays a large part in the exhibits, and the moving section on the history of the slave trade has proved so popular that a new museum devoted to the slavery story has now opened on an adjacent site.

Housed in a 19th century music hall building, this 700-seat theatre has one of the UK’s oldest repertory theatre companies. Produces approximately three or four of its own shows per year, interspersed with good quality touring product.

The largest two-tier theatre in the country, this is the place for the major touring musicals and shows.

Royal Court Theatre

Infamous as the first home of the Fab Four, this is probably the most well-known club in the world. It has remained faithful to the original Merseybeat décor and is obviously a huge draw to the Beatles tourist crowds.

Roe Street L1 1HL T: 0870 787 1866 W: royalcourtliverpool.com

Liverpool Academy

World Museum Liverpool William Brown Street L3 8EN T: 0151 478 4393 W: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

A £35m refurbishment in 2005 almost doubled the size of what was formerly the Liverpool Museum, giving it a substantial facelift and allowing it to display a whole treasure trove of previously locked away artefacts from its collections.

Mr Chambre Hardman’s Photographic Studio 59 Rodney Street L1 9EX T: 0151 709 6261 W: nationaltrust.org.uk

This loving preservation of the Georgian terraced house of the acclaimed Liverpool photographer Edward Chambre Hardman is a unique time capsule of Liverpool life in the mid-20th century and features an evocative and moving collection of his work.

Everyman Theatre 13 Hope Street L1 9BH T: 0151 709 4776 W: everymanplayhouse.com

This small but consistently innovative theatre is where every Liverpool actor and writer you can think of – from Julie Walters to Willy Russell – cut their creative teeth. Recently celebrated its 40th birthday.

Unity Theatre Hope Place L1 9BG T: 0151 709 4988 W: unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk

Tucked away off Hope Street, this lively small-scale venue is one of the country’s most successful ‘fringe’ theatres, with a reputation for encouraging new writing and new performers, particularly through community involvement.

Previously known as a music venue, the Royal Court has had a new lease of life as the home of the Rawhide comedy club. Gone is the tiered seating of the stalls and in its place are cabaret-style tables to make the waitress service easier and a packed programme of local and national comedians.

11–13 Hotham Street L3 5UF T: 0151 707 3200 W: liverpool-academy.co.uk

Formerly known as The Lomax, this 19th century warehouse building is steeped in musical history and the place to see rock legends, indie all-stars and cutting edge dance and urban acts.

MUSIC VENUES

Echo Arena Liverpool

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

1 Monarchs Quay L3 4BX T: 0844 8000 400 W: accliverpool.co.uk

Hope Street L1 9BP T: 0151 709 3789 W: liverpoolphil.com

The 1930s Philharmonic Hall may look like an old cinema from the outside but inside it’s a riot of superb art deco flourishes, from the beautiful window etchings in the bar to the frescoes of mythological muses on the auditorium walls. Home to a resurgent Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, whose conductor Vasily Petrenko is so on-side he even plays for the orchestra football team.

Shiny new state-of-the-art concert venue at King’s Dock by the side of the Mersey. Now the main venue in town for big name concerts, comedy and sports events and will play host to this year’s MTV Europe Music awards in November.

THE ESSENTIALS: Manchester

Manchester’s looking up, both figuratively and literally. There’s a buzz about the place that means it’s as vibrant and immediate as any European capital, with shards of steel and glass beginning to pierce the sky as Manchester comes over all Manhattan.

GETTING HERE

The city’s now the ideal destination for the cosmopolitan weekender, but its contemporary attitude is still mixed with the down-to-earth humour and genuine, no-nonsense approach to life that you’d expect in the city that’s consistently shown that there are no limits to its imagination and its ambition.

On the west coast mainline service from London to Glasgow – services are frequent so one of Mr Branson’s Pendolinos will get you to Manchester from London in just over two hours. There are frequent direct trains from Manchester to Liverpool, so you can sample a bit of what both cities have to offer without too much difficulty.

2008 is also a good time to visit as it’s Manchester’s Year of World Sport 08 — an action-packed season of sporting events that’ll be the biggest the city has seen since the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Visit www.manchesterworldsport08.com for full details.

By plane

One of the top 20 airports in the world, you can fly into Manchester from over 200 worldwide destinations. There’s a direct half hourly rail service into the city centre that takes about 20 minutes or alternatively you can take a cab for the approx nine-mile trip.

By train

By road

Manchester’s at the centre of the extensive Northwest motorway network so it’s easy to get at from all sides of the country. London’s about a three-hour drive and you can nip down the M62 to Liverpool, just 35 miles away, in no time at all.

GET THE INFO… W: visitmanchester.com T: 0871 222 8223

PLACES TO STAY

Radisson Edwardian

Hilton Manchester

Free Trade Hall, Peter Street M2 5GP T: 0161 835 9929 W: radisson.com

303 Deansgate M3 4LQ T: 0161 870 1600 W: hilton.co.uk/manchester

One of the best places to observe Manchester’s metamorphosis is from the new Beetham Tower, the gleaming glass edifice that now punctuates the Manchester skyline. The bottom half of the tower is given over to the Hilton Manchester, a chic, modern take on the large-scale city centre hotel. Its cool, Scandinavian-esque look and top-notch facilities bagged it a place on Condé Nast Traveller’s hotlist for 2007. Take the trip up to the lush cocktail bar on the 23rd floor with its giddying panoramic views over the city and the countryside beyond.

The Lowry Hotel 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf M3 5LH T: 0161 827 4000 W: thelowryhotel.com

Manchester’s first five star hotel is actually located on the Salford side of the river Irwell, where the clean white exterior of one of Rocco Forte’s landmark hotels fits perfectly against the sweeping curves of Santiago Calatrava’s Trinity Bridge. All the comfort and mod cons you’d expect, plus a luxury spa and the opportunity to spot the celebs who’ve been performing at the nearby MEN Arena as they hang out in the chic riverside bar after their gigs.

Five star luxury in one of Manchester’s landmark historic buildings. Built originally as a paean to the principals of free trade and democracy, the Free Trade Hall spent most of its life as a concert venue, being both the home of the Hallé Orchestra and the place where the Sex Pistols played a memorable gig. Its reincarnation as a contemporary hotel has been handled sensitively, with the musical theme pervading its suites, restaurants and bars.

The Midland Hotel Peter Street M60 2DS T: 0161 236 3333 W: qhotels.co.uk

This stately red brick edifice is Manchester’s traditional landmark hotel, dating from 1903 when it was built as a statement to the city’s stature and ambition. A Grade II-listed building, it has in its time seen some notable historic events, most famously the first meeting between Mr Rolls and Mr Royce. A recent £12 million refurbishment has brought it bang up to date, ensuring that every little luxury is readily available, whilst still keeping its stately sense of history.

ABode Manchester 107 Piccadilly M1 2DB T: 0161 247 7744 W: abodehotels.co.uk/manchester

The latest addition to the hotel empire of celebrity chef Michael Caines, the new ABode Manchester is a contemporary refurbishment of a Victorian cotton merchant’s warehouse, situated just minutes away from Piccadilly station. Take your pick from bedrooms, rated as Comfortable, Desirable or Enviable, or splash out with one of the Fabulous suites located on the fifth floor. The eponymous MC restaurant on the hotel’s lower floor has had the city’s gastronomes raving since it opened earlier this year.

Malmaison Manchester Piccadilly M1 1LZ T: 0161 278 1000 W: malmaison.com

Chic, modern hotel, housed in a Grade I-listed Edwardian warehouse, with everything you’d expect from a Mal – relaxed yet attentive, smart and stylish with those extra little design touches. Well located near Piccadilly station and close to Canal Street and the Northern Quarter, the interior is all rich colours, plush carpets and velvet cushions, producing a suitably seductive mood for cocktail hour. The Brasserie on the ground floor serves classic bistro fare with a local twist.

City Inn Manchester

Awaiting inspection

1 Piccadilly Place, 1 Auburn Street M1 3DG T: 0161 228 0008 W: cityinn.com

Newly-opened contemporary-styled hotel connected to Piccadilly station by a new footbridge, called the Manchester Curve. Weather permitting, you can dine al-fresco in the City Café and there’s an impressive cocktail list to work through too.

The Place Hotel

SA 1 Ducie Street, Piccadilly M1 2TP T: 0161 778 7500 W: theplacehotel.com

Conveniently located apartment-hotel, next to Piccadilly railway station. A conversion of one of Manchester’s typical red-brick warehouses, it has retained many original Victorian features although not at the expense of comfort and contemporary style.

Staying Cool

SA & Castlefield, Manchester Central and Cathedral Quarter T: 0161 832 4060 W: stayingcool.com

These chic, individually-designed serviced apartments are located in a number of good spots across the city and provide boutique self-catering accommodation with hoteltype services. Great if you prefer a bit more independence, and available for one night, one month and everything in-between.

PLACES TO EAT

Mr Thomas’s Chop House

PLACES TO DRINK

MC Restaurant

52 Cross Street M2 7AR T: 0161 832 2245

Peveril of the Peak

Abode Hotel, 107 Piccadilly M1 2DB T: 0161 247 7744

This new venture from Michael Caines, the one-armed, two-starred Michelin chef, has definitely upped the city’s dining ante with its sublime modern British cooking.

Ithaca

Choice 16 Castle Quay, Castlefield M15 4NT T: 0871 529 9463

Another new addition to the city’s foodie scene, this Japanese restaurant has been attracting rave reviews. Decor may be a bit Miami Vice, but the food is superb.

Set in a 200-year old canalside warehouse, Choice offers top quality nosh in a relaxed setting. Has won numerous awards for its modern British menu which has a notable emphasis on local produce. Jazz pianist accompaniment on Saturday nights.

Yang Sing

Earth Café

36 John Dalton Street M2 6LE T: 0870 740 4000

34 Princess Street M1 4JY T: 0161 236 2200

Frequently cited as the best Chinese restaurant in Europe, this Manchester institution has a vast 300-dish menu – the best plan is just to say ‘feed me’ and let them bring you the day’s specialities.

Grado New York Street, Piccadilly M1 4BD T: 0161 238 9790

This offering from Lancashire gastropreneur Paul Heathcote is a surprisingly authentic tapas bar and restaurant with a wine list of over 100 Spanish specialities. Muy bien.

The Modern Urbis, Cathedral Gardens M4 3BG T: 0161 605 8200

Dine in style at the top of the city’s signature exhibition centre, Urbis. The chef is ex-OXO Tower so the food’s definitely worth trying but if you just want to enjoy the bird’s eye view there’s an achingly-cool cocktail bar where you can while away a Martini or two. 24

One of the best wine lists in town, all the better to wash down the exemplary English food which yes, does include chops. Stonking portions so make sure you arrive hungry.

16–20 Turner Street, Northern Quarter M4 1DZ T: 0161 834 1996

Housed in the Manchester Buddhist Centre, this vegan-friendly café is a haven of peace and tranquillity. The fresh juice combinations are full of positive karma but the wheatgrass shots are a bit of an acquired taste.

Ning 92–94 Oldham Street, Northern Quarter M4 1LJ T: 0161 238 9088

A funky addition to the Northern Quarter restaurant scene, Ning serves a fantastic range of fresh and aromatic South East Asian food. Reckoned by some to have the best Pad Thai this side of Bangkok.

Grill on the Alley Ridgefield, (just behind Deansgate) M2 6EG T: 0161 833 3465

Seriously up-market steakhouse where you can dine on specially-massaged Kobe beef or choose your own lobster.

127 Great Bridgewater Street M1 57Q T: 0161 236 6364

THINGS TO SEE

Wheel of Manchester

Chill Factore

Manchester Town Hall

Exchange Square M3 1BD W: worldtouristattractions.co.uk

Trafford Way, Trafford Quays M41 7JA T: 0161 749 2222 W: chillfactore.com

OK, so it might not be quite the size of the London Eye, but you still get a fabulous view over the city from this 60m-high big wheel.

The UK’s first complete Alpine ski village looks like it landed from outer space on the edge of the M60. You can ski, board, tube or just have a snowball fight at the country’s longest real snow indoor ski slope, followed by the full-on après-ski experience in a myriad of bars and restaurants.

Albert Square M60 2LE T: 0161 234 5000

The Briton’s Protection

Feast your eyes on this gothic glory that is a testament to Victorian civic pride. Wonderful arched ceilings and mosaic floors with symbolism built into every stonework cornice and stained glass window. Doubles as the Houses of Parliament in many a TV drama.

50 Great Bridgewater Street M1 5LE T: 0161 236 5895

Chethams School of Music

This gem of a pub is well worth seeking out. The splendidly tiled green exterior is matched by the splendid ales on offer inside.

Historic pub with an epic whisky selection where you can rub shoulders with the Hallé’s brass section as they nip out the back of The Bridgewater Hall for an interval half.

Castlefield

The area that started the Manchester café bar scene is still home to some of its best, particularly if you want to sit outside and enjoy the view.

Deansgate Locks

A mixture of self-consciously trendy watering holes and more casually hip bars line the canalside in a series of converted railway arches. At its best during the daytime and early evening if you want to avoid the nightclub crowd.

Canal Street The UK’s original gay village is still one of the most exciting areas of the city, with a range of bars and cafés running along the canalside. Northern Quarter

By day it’s the place to shop for hip vintage clothing, vinyl and crafts, by night it’s got a range of individualistic bars, from the laid-back quirkiness of Odd and Trof to the sophisticated mixology of Walrus and the hard-to-find Socio Rehab (it’s on Edge St).

Long Millgate M3 1SB T: 0161 834 9644

Originally founded in the 15th century, this remarkable collection of buildings is one of Manchester’s hidden jewels. It’s got a 17th century quadrangle that wouldn’t look out of place in Oxford or Cambridge, a medieval banqueting hall and the oldest library in the English-speaking world.

John Rylands Library 150 Deansgate M3 3EH T: 0161 306 0555 W: manchester.ac.uk/library

One of the real gems of Manchester’s architectural history, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the John Rylands building was an elaborate church rather than a library. This fantastic Grade I-listed piece of Victorian high gothic has recently undergone a £16.8m refurbishment, creating a new state-of-theart visitor centre to enhance access to its rare and fascinating collections.

Chinatown George St, Charlotte Street

The third largest Chinatown in the world outside China (just behind San Francisco and Vancouver). Have a browse through fascinating shops, supermarkets and Chinese bakeries – best day to visit is Sunday when the Northwest Chinese community descend en masse to shop and eat dim sum.

The Quays

W: thequays.org.uk

Hop on one of Manchester’s distinctive trams for a trundle out to The Quays – just 15 minutes outside the city centre and you’re in a whole different landscape of big water, big skies and big buildings, including The Lowry and Imperial War Museum North.

THINGS TO DO Northern Quarter

Colloquially known as Manchester’s creative quarter due to its concentration of designers, artist and musicians, it may not be the ritziest part of the city centre but it’s certainly one of the most interesting. A stroll around the quirky streets will reward you with eclectic record shops, vintage and specialist clothes stores, bohemian bars and eateries. N4 is also home to the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, the Manchester Buddhist Centre and the Manchester institution that is Afflecks. Definitely not mainstream.

Exchange Square

A shoppers’ haven with Harvey Nichols, Heals and Selfridges all within a stiletto’s totter of each other. Harvey Nicks’ 2nd floor brasserie and bar is a favourite cocktail spot and the quirky Future Systems’ design of Selfridges’ food hall houses a number of counter-based eateries that are a good choice for a mid-retail therapy break.

Guided walks T: 0871 222 8223

Discover the city’s secret corners with a range of guided walks that take you everywhere from up the Town Hall bell tower to down below the city streets tracing the history of the Rochdale canal. There are topic-driven options too, including a tour devoted to Mancunian inventions and one to the history of the city’s radical politics.

THINGS TO BUY

Old and obscure vinyl, vintage clothing, Manchester United memorabilia, designer labels.

GIVE IT A WHIRL… Afflecks 52 Church Street M4 1PW T: 0161 834 2039

Marked by the fabulous Tom Judd illustrations outside, this otherwise unprepossessing building houses a rabbit warren of alternative shops and stalls, selling everything from skateboards and fetish gear to vintage clothing and records.

THE CULTURE LIST: Manchester ART GALLERIES

Urbis

Manchester Art Gallery

Cathedral Gardens M4 3BG T: 0161 605 8200 W: urbis.org.uk

Mosley Street M2 3JL T: 0161 235 8888 W: manchestergalleries.org

Restored in 2002 and given a striking new extension, the gallery shows off the wealth of Manchester’s artistic legacy, including its famous collection of Pre-Raphaelites and a great collection of modern pieces.

The Lowry Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ T: 0870 787 5780 W: thelowry.com

A high-impact, landmark building that is perfectly set against the vast water and sky background of The Quays at Salford. The Lowry is a whole day out of attractions in itself – you get art galleries, two theatres, a gift shop and several restaurants, not to mention the tram ride out there.

Whitworth Art Gallery The University of Manchester, Oxford Road M15 6ER T: 0161 275 7450 W: whitworth.man.ac.uk

Great collection of art and design, from watercolours, prints, drawings, modern art and sculpture, including the largest collections of decorative textiles and wallpapers outside London.

Chinese Arts Centre Market Buildings, Thomas St M4 1EU T: 0161 832 7271 W: chinese-arts-centre.org

This national showcase for Oriental culture is a great place to catch exhibitions by Chinese artists. The centre’s chilled-out tea shop also provides a little haven of peace and tranquillity in the creative hubbub of the surrounding Northern Quarter.

Cornerhouse 70 Oxford Street M1 5NH T: 0161 200 1516 W: cornerhouse.org

The best place in the city for contemporary art, sculpture and photography, the Cornerhouse also houses a three-screen arthouse cinema, a fine bar and a welcoming, easy-going café.

This flagship Manchester building sits imposingly in the lovely Cathedral Gardens like a rearing, glass-skinned serpent. Gallerycum-exhibition centre-cum-arts venue, Urbis is described as ‘the city centre’, reflecting its focus on different aspects of urban culture from around the world.

MUSEUMS MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) Liverpool Road, Castlefield M3 4FP T: 0161 832 2244 W: mosi.org.uk

As you would expect in the city that kick started the Industrial Revolution, this museum is full of fascinating insights into England’s industrial history and also boasts a great collection of planes, trains, cars and steam engines. The touring exhibitions are also worth checking out, with Drs Who and von Hagen the most recent topics.

Imperial War Museum North The Quays, Trafford M17 1TZ T: 0161 836 4000 W: iwm.org.uk/north

The UK’s first building by Daniel Libeskind, IWM North is a real attention-grabber – more like architecture as environmental sculpture. Located on the opposite bank of The Quays to The Lowry, this is another building that uses its waterscape backdrop to sensational effect. On the inside, its thought-provoking exhibitions have won it a prestigious national silver award in the Enjoy England tourism awards 2007.

Manchester Museum Oxford Road M13 9PL T: 0161 275 2634 W: manchester.ac.uk/museum

Part of Manchester University, the museum covers all the ‘ologies’ from archaeology to zoology. The original building was the work of Alfred Waterhouse, architect of Manchester Town Hall, with the 2003 refurbishment undertaken by Ian Simpson, architect of Urbis and the new Beetham Tower.

THEATRES

Green Room

MUSIC VENUES

Royal Northern College of Music

The Royal Exchange

54–56 Whitworth Street M1 5WW T: 0161 615 0515 W: greenroomarts.org

MEN Arena

124 Oxford Rd M13 9RD T: 0161 907 5377 W: rncm.ac.uk

St Ann’s Square M2 7DH T: 0161 833 9833 W: royalexchange.co.uk

Make sure that the Royal Exchange is on your itinerary, if not for one of the consistently top-notch theatrical performances, then just to take in the jaw-dropping, dramatic interior that was once the trading floor of the city’s Cotton Exchange. Good craft shop too.

The Library Theatre St Peter’s Square M2 5PD T: 0161 236 7110 W: librarytheatre.com

The handsome rotunda of Manchester’s Central Library houses a surprise in its basement – the oldest repertory theatre company in the UK. Focussing mainly on contemporary and sometimes provocative works, the theatre also attracts some interesting touring productions.

Contact Theatre Oxford Road M15 6JA T: 0161 274 0604 W: contact-theatre.org

Remodelled in 1999, this architecturally madcap building looks almost Gaudi-esque. With a stated mission of catering for the 13–30 age group, the theatrical product veers towards the cutting edge and contemporary, with regular club nights and laid-back DJs.

This hip, experimental performance space is tucked away underneath the railway arches. Consistently avant-garde productions and another good spot for café bar lounging, with regular DJs in the foyer space.

Palace Theatre Oxford Road M1 6FT T: 0161 245 6600 W: livenation.co.uk

The major venue in Manchester for touring West End productions, this is a classic example of the grand temples to variety that were built in the Victorian era – all gilded statues and red plush seating.

Opera House Quay Street M3 3HP T: 0161 828 1700 W: livenation.co.uk

Slightly smaller sister venue to the Palace, this is another traditional theatre venue, veering more towards opera, ballet and one-off comedy or musical shows.

The Lowry Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ T: 0870 787 5780 W: thelowry.com

The Lowry’s two performing spaces provide a strong mix of music, ballet, opera, theatre and comedy.

Victoria Station M3 1AR T: 0871 226 5000 W: men-arena.com

The largest indoor arena in Europe, this is the place to catch the Kylies and Justins of this world on their latest blockbusting tour.

This top-notch musical conservatoire is the place to catch the classical stars of the future, as well as an eclectic mix of classical and contemporary artists.

Manchester Apollo

Academy 1,2 & 3

Stockport Rd, Ardwick Green M12 6AP T: 0161 273 6921 W: livenation.co.uk

Oxford Road M13 9PR T: 0161 275 2930 W: manchesteracademy.net

This big old converted cinema is the venue for those comedy and music gigs that are too big for the Academy and not yet big enough for the MEN Arena.

The three spaces at this University-based venue provide a sliding scale of size to suit wherever a band currently sits on the path from anonymity to fame, or vice versa.

The Bridgewater Hall

Roadhouse

Lower Mosley Street, Petersfield M2 3WS T: 0161 907 9000 W: bridgewater-hall.co.uk

Opened in 1996, the Hall is one of Europe’s best venues for classical music and home to not one but three orchestras: the Hallé (Britain’s oldest professional symphony orchestra), the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester Camerata. Also good for topnotch visiting international orchestras and soloists, plus a complementary programme of non-classical, jazz and world music artists.

8 Newton Street M1 2AN T: 0161 237 9789 W: theroadhouselive.co.uk

One of Manchester’s great survivors, this intimate basement venue has been around since Oasis and The Verve were doing their first gigs. A standard stop on any up-andcoming, NME-rated band’s touring itinerary.

Matt & Phred’s 64 Tib Street M4 1LW T: 0161 831 7002 W: mattandphreds.com

Ronnie Scott’s in miniature, this atmospheric Northern Quarter institution is where you can hear jazz of the highest order on most nights well into the early hours.

THE ESSENTIALS: Blackpool & Lancashire The rolling hills and gentle valleys of the Lancashire countryside have a special charm all of their own, especially when they come dotted with a range of notable restaurants and reinvented country pubs. In 2008, Lancashire will be giving full vent to its gastronomic aspirations with Taste Lancashire 08 — Year of Food & Drink. Visit www.tastelancashire08.com for full details of foodie events and festivals around the county.

PLACES TO STAY

GETTING HERE

Wonderfully atmospheric, rambling old coaching inn dating back to the 1300s, complete with authentic creaking floorboards and the odd stuffed fox. Outside is the beautiful Forest of Bowland, while inside there are roaring fires, a great restaurant and fantastic breakfasts (good black pudding of course). Has a fab wine merchants on site too.

By road

The M6 motorway runs through central Lancashire making it easily accessible from all parts of the UK. Junctions with the M65 and M55 take you off into the east and west of the county respectively.

By train

The west coast main line from London to Glasgow stops at Preston and Lancaster. Change at Preston for connections to other parts of Lancashire, including trains to Blackpool and the coast.

By bus

Good bus services throughout Lancashire – check with National Express (0870 5808080) for coach routes and timetables and with Traveline (0871 2002233) for local bus services.

GET THE INFO… W: visitlancashire.com

The Midland Hotel

THE CULTURE LIST: Blackpool & Lancashire Stanley House

Awaiting inspection

Marine Road West, Morecambe LA4 4BU T: 01524 424000 W: midlandmorecambe.co.uk

Mellor, Nr Blackburn BB2 7NP T: 01254 769200 W: stanleyhouse.co.uk

This classic piece of 1930’s architecture has been recently restored into an Art Decoinspired tour-de-force – a little bit of Miami’s South Beach on the Lancashire coast. With its 30’s inspired rooms, a top-notch restaurant, and enough spa treatments to pamper the most demanding diva, you really will like to be beside the seaside.

Small, boutique hotel which manages to combine a real out-in-the-countryside feel while being just minutes away from the M6 and M65. The quality and attention to detail that have gone into Stanley House started attracting awards almost from the day it opened, culminating recently in the 2007 Enjoy England tourism awards when it came top in the small hotel category.

The Inn at Whitewell

PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK

INN Dunsop Road, Whitewell, Nr Clitheroe BB7 3AT T: 01200 448222 W: innatwhitewell.com

Weezos The Old Toll House, Clitheroe BB7 2JP T: 01200 424478 W: weezos.com

Northcote Manor

Oddly-named but culinarily excellent modern restaurant, recent winner in the ‘best in the North’ category in Les Routiers 2007 awards. Set in the charming market town of Clitheroe, on the edge of the Forest of Bowland, which comes complete with its own castle, a nationally-famous independent wine emporium and a prize-winning butcher who sells over 75 different varieties of sausage.

Northcote Road, Langho, Blackburn BB6 8BE T: 01254 240555 W: northcotemanor.com

The Highwayman

Northcote Manor sits in lush countryside on the edge of the Ribble Valley and at about an hour’s drive from Manchester or Liverpool, it’s a destination for serious foodies. Awardwinning chef Nigel Haworth takes a creative approach to regional specialities (Lancashire cheese ice cream anyone?) and the great wine list means that it’s best to book in overnight in one of the well-appointed rooms.

Number One South Beach, GH Blackpool

Burrow, Kirkby Lonsdale LA6 2RJ T: 01524 273338 W: highwaymaninn.co.uk

18th century coaching inn once thought to be the haunt of an infamous gentleman of the road. It’s now more likely to be the fab local food that stops you in your tracks, although Chef Patron Nigel Howarth of Northcote Manor fame claims that it’s not a gastropub but more like a 21st century version of the local. Winner of the Pub Newcomer of the Year award in the 2008 Good Food Guide.

4 Harrowside West, Blackpool FY4 1NW T: 01253 343900 W: numberoneblackpool.com

GIVE IT A WHIRL…

Blackpool is leading the way in the UK’s reinvention of traditional B & Bs, bringing a boutique-hotel approach to both style and service standards. This new offering from the multi-award winning owners of Number One Blackpool offers superb quality and comfort along with great views of Blackpool’s newlyrevamped South Promenade.

Pleasure Beach, 525 Ocean Boulevard, Blackpool FY4 1EZ T: 0870 444 5566 W: blackpoolpleasurebeach.com

Infusion

For those with nerves (and stomachs) of steel, this gigantic rollercoaster is a series of twisted loops completely suspended over water.

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

THEATRES & VENUES

Burnley Big Art Project

The National Football Museum

The Grand Theatre

Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston PR1 6PA T: 01772 908442 W: nationalfootballmuseum.com

33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT T: 01253 290111 W: blackpoolgrand.co.uk

Various locations around Burnley W: bigartpro.co.uk

Why Preston, you may say? The address might give a clue as to why this national museum is located in the Lancashire heartland – Preston North End is one of the country’s oldest professional football clubs with an illustrious history going back to 1880. Building a museum to celebrate this history was an initial idea that then blossomed into a fascinating and illuminating journey through the history of the game. Considered to have the finest archive of historic football memorabilia in the world, including the prestigious FIFA collection.

Harris Museum and Art Gallery Market Square, Preston PR1 6PA T: 01772 258248 W: harrismuseum.org.uk

As well as a great gallery and museum, the Harris is also worth a visit for the building itself, a splendid Grade I-listed temple to Victorian civic pride. Inside you’ll find a surprisingly good selection of artworks acquired by the wealthy cotton barons of the day, plus, as you would expect, a fine selection of decorative arts.

Grand by name and grand by nature, this is a riot of plush velvet, gilt and chandeliers, all restored to its original Victorian splendour. Officially Britain’s National Theatre of Variety, it is the place to catch touring shows, including comedy, opera, and musicals.

Stars of the UK arts scene, Greyworld, are developing a series of new artworks for Burnley as part of Channel 4’s Big Art project. Working with fifteen local youngsters, their first piece is a series of paintings that only come to life under ultra violet light, producing a riot of colour.

Dukes Theatre & Cinema

Panopticons

Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE T: 01524 598505 W: dukes-lancaster.org

Arts venue that covers a lot of bases from theatre, comedy and music performances to cinema screenings and a small gallery.

THINGS TO SEE The Great Promenade Show New South Promenade, Blackpool FY4 1RW T: 01253 476520 W: thegreatpromenadeshow.co.uk

Stretching along Blackpool’s South Prom is a unique collection of wonderful modern sculptures. Ranging from the astonishing tide organ, whose haunting tunes are created by the action of the waves, to the world’s largest mirror ball, which pays homage to the town’s status as ballroom capital of the world. Guaranteed to make you smile.

Blackburn, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale W: panopticons.uk.net

Looking around the hills of East Lancashire you’d be forgiven for thinking that the aliens have landed, with a remarkable set of art works set on imposing viewpoints that are visible for miles around. Atom in Pendle is a bronze, egg- shaped sculpture and viewing shelter whilst in Burnley there’s an eerily evocative Singing Ringing Tree that produces a tuneful song in the wind. In Blackburn Colourfields is a multi-coloured turreted viewing platform and the 18m diameter Halo (shown above) in Rossendale lights up at night and really does look like a close encounter of the third kind. Places to contemplate the meaning of life.

THE ESSENTIALS: Chester & Cheshire Chester wears its rich Roman heritage with pride — as you would expect in a city founded by the Romans in AD70. But Chester also has definite contemporary charms, from the slew of new restaurants and boutiques to the tree-lined banks of the River Dee. Outside the city centre, you’ll find no shortage of stately homes and gardens, which this year will be at their finest for Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 08 — visit www.visitcheshire.com for full details.

GETTING HERE By road

Chester is easily accessible from the main north-south M6 motorway via the M56. Manchester is just over an hour away by road and from Liverpool it’s well under an hour via the Mersey tunnel.

By train

Direct rail links from London, Manchester and Liverpool. Change at Crewe for other mainline connections.

By bus

Chester is well served by National Express (0870 5808080) from all parts of the country.

GET THE INFO… Chester Tourist Information Centre Northgate Street CH1 2HJ T: 01244 402111 W: visitcheshire.com

PLACES TO STAY

THINGS TO SEE

THEATRES & VENUES

Jodrell Bank Visitor Centre

Chester Grosvenor and Spa

Eastgate Clock

Clonter Opera Theatre

Holmes Chapel SK11 9DL T: 01477 571339 W: jb.man.ac.uk/viscen

Eastgate, Chester CH1 1LT T: 01244 324024 W: chestergrosvenor.com

From its black and white timbered, Grade II-listed exterior you may be expecting a cacophony of chintz, but inside it’s all muted contemporary tones and understated elegance, plus the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the city. Large hotel of the year in the 2007 Enjoy England awards.

On the edge of the city walls is Chester’s answer to Big Ben, the ironwork Eastgate clock dating from 1899. Take the steps up to the city’s Roman wall to get great views of the city streets – you can circle the entire city centre by walking round it.

The Rows Eastgate, Chester

Classic English country house hotel set in a mid 19th century Elizabethan Gothic-style mansion. Situated just two minutes walk from what many consider to be Cheshire’s most desirable village.

Set within the city walls, the distinctive split-level Rows are effectively double decker shops. These black and white timbered buildings date from the middle ages – part of the Rows on Bridge Street are said to feature the oldest shop front in England. Nothing medieval about the merchandise though – the Rows are now packed with contemporary boutiques to taunt your plastic.

The Green Bough Hotel

THINGS TO DO

Alderley Edge Hotel Macclesfield Road, Alderley Edge SK9 7BJ T: 01625 583 033 W: alderleyedgehotel.com

60 Hoole Road, Chester CH2 3NL T: 01244 326241 W: chestergreenbough.com

Trailing a whole raft of awards behind it, including Best Small Hotel in England, Green Bough is a quietly stylish, elegantly cosy, boutique hotel just a few minutes walk from the city centre.

PLACES TO EAT & DRINK Oddfellows 20 Lower Bridge Street, Chester CH1 1RS T: 01244 689809 W: oddfellows.biz

Grand 17th century Georgian manor house that has been transformed into a sumptuous venue for fine dining and drinking. There’s a wonderful walled garden, a swanky Champagne Bar and a rather glamorous and grown-up Tea Rooms, plus four boutique rooms if you fancy staying over.

The Red House Dee Banks, Great Boughton, Chester CH3 5UX T: 01244 320088

Ultra-modern reworking of an old pub into a contemporary dining destination. An impressive architect-designed, two-storey glass extension looks out over chic gardens to the banks of the river Dee. 30

THE CULTURE LIST: Chester & Cheshire

Chester Zoo Upton-by-Chester CH2 1LH T: 01244 380280 W: chesterzoo.org

Whatever your age, you’re never too old for a good zoo, and Chester is one of the best. The orang-utans seem to have ‘make ‘em laugh’ written into their contract.

Chesterboat T: 01244 325394

Go boating on the river Dee, cruising through Chester and the surrounding countryside.

THINGS TO BUY

Whatever your plastic can stand – Chester is a shopaholic’s heaven.

GIVE IT A WHIRL… Chester Ghost Tours T: 01244 402445 W: visitchester.com

Discover your inner Dereck Acorah with a trip round what many consider Britain’s ‘most haunted’ city. The Chester Ghosthunter Trail is a night-time guided walk around the city’s spooky and scary places, with tales of eerie goings-on across the centuries.

Swettenham Heath, Congleton CW12 2LR T: 01260 224514 W: clonteropera.com

Cheshire’s Glyndebourne equivalent, in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. A 400-seat venue set in gorgeous woodland that presents opera, jazz and other musical events.

The world-famous Lovell Radio telescope is a prominent feature of the Cheshire landscape. You can get up close to the telescope itself and there’s also an exhibition centre, an extensive arboretum and an environmental discovery centre.

HERITAGE

Alexander’s Jazz Cafe

Tatton Park

Rufus Court, Chester CH1 2JW T: 01244 340005 W: alexandersjazz.com

Knutsford WA16 6QN T: 01625 534400 W: tattonpark.org.uk

Continental-style cafe bar by day and venue for jazz, blues and comedy by night. Reportedly the longest-running comedy club outside London.

MUSEUMS Norton Priory Museum & Gardens Tudor Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, Cheshire WA7 1SX T: 01928 569895 W: nortonpriory.org

A medieval priory established in 1134 is the basis for an award winning museum, plus a fabulous walled garden.

Grosvenor Museum 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD T: 01244 402008 W: grosvenormuseum.co.uk

Two millennia of the city’s history spread over three floors of this grand 19th century building. Needless to say, there’s a focus on the Roman element, with recreations of what life was like in the Deva of yore.

Deva Roman Experience

Thought to be England’s most complete historic estate, Tatton has a fine Georgian mansion full of art treasures and original furnishings, but it is the glorious 1,000 acres of parkland, with lakes and a herd of deer, that most people come to see.

Arley Hall and Gardens Northwich CW9 6NA T: 01565 777353 W: arleyhallandgardens.com

The Hall at Arley is very charming but it’s the gardens that draw the crowds, with Arley cited in the top 10 gardens to visit in the UK.

Lyme Park Disley, Stockport SK12 2NX T: 01663 762023 W: nationaltrust.org.uk

Nestling in the foothills of the Peak District, this gorgeous country house and grounds will be familiar to many as the setting for Colin Firth’s famous wet T-shirt moment in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice series. Immaculate gardens, medieval deer park, cosy tea shop – all the ingredients of a great Sunday afternoon out.

Pierpoint Lane, Chester CH1 1NL T: 01244 343407 W: visitchester.com

The whole of Chester is quite a Roman experience, but if that isn’t enough for you, you can immerse yourself in the historic details in this museum sited on extensive Roman, Saxon and medieval remains.

THE ESSENTIALS: The Lake District & Cumbria PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK

Pheasant Inn

Grizedale Forest Park

L’enclume Restaurant

Bassenthwaite Lake CA13 9YE T: 017687 76234 W: the-pheasant.co.uk

T: 01229 860010 W: forestry.gov.uk

One of the best things about staying in the Lakes is waking up to amazing views. Peacefully set in its own gardens and woodland between the lakes and the fells, the hotel makes an ideal base for exploring the Northern end of the Lakes.

Situated between Coniston and Hawkshead, this beautiful forest hides over 70 works of art and sculpture scattered through the woodland. There are walking and cycling routes with beautiful views over Coniston Water and plenty of arty pit stops.

The Tower Bank Arms

THINGS TO DO

Near Sawrey, Nr Hawkshead LA22 0LF T: 015394 36334 W: towerbankarms.co.uk

Windermere Lake Cruises

Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands LA11 6PZ T: 015395 36362 W: lenclume.co.uk

Cartmel may seem like an unusual spot to find a Michelin-starred restaurant, but chef Simon Rogan has made an amazing temple to gastronomy in this 13th century smithy. There’s seven comfy and characterful rooms to roll into once you’ve worked through the epic, palette-expanding tasting menu.

Drunken Duck Inn Barngates, Ambleside LA22 ONG T: 015394 36347 W: drunkenduckinn.co.uk

Take it from the mouth of the man himself — Wordsworth said that there was “nowhere in so narrow a compass with such a variety of the sublime and beautiful”. With beautiful lakes, changing coastline and 100 peaks over 2,000 feet high all within a 30-mile stretch, this is the perfect place to go wandering ‘lonely as a cloud’. The joy of the Lakes is that you can leave your boutique hotel, cosy country inn or gourmet restaurant on foot and immediately be in the breathtaking scenery that entranced the poets of yore. In 2008 you can also make your heart beat a little bit faster as Cumbria puts on its Year of Adventure, with adrenalin-packed events and activities around the county. Visit www.golakes.co.uk/ adventure for full details.

GETTING HERE

PLACES TO STAY

By road

The Samling

You can reach the southern Lakes by car from either Liverpool or Manchester in little over an hour. All parts of Lakeland are easily accessible from the M6 motorway, which runs north to south just to the eastern side of Cumbria.

By train

The west coast main line from London to Glasgow stops at Oxenholme (change for Kendal and Windermere), Penrith and Carlisle. There are also regular direct trains between Manchester Airport and Windermere and between Manchester Airport and Barrow-inFurness and the Western Lake District.

By bus

Windermere and Keswick are well served by National Express (0870 5808080) coaches from all parts of the country.

GET THE INFO… W: golakes.co.uk/culture T: 01539 822222

Ambleside Road, Windermere LA23 1LR. T: 015394 31922. W: thesamling.com

Perched on a hill above Lake Windermere, the Samling may be at the heart of Wordsworth country but don’t expect anything twee or olde worlde here. Fat sofas, CD/TV/DVD players and living-flame fires, with huge deep baths and Molton Brown toiletries. There’s even an outdoor hot tub.

The Linthwaite House Hotel Crook Rd, Windermere LA23 3JA T: 015394 88600 W: linthwaite.com

A hotel with a legendary afternoon tea, Linthwaite House overlooks Lake Windermere and has its own trout-filled tarn and croquet lawn set in 15 acres of wild woodland grounds. Chic, modern comfort with an elegant restaurant, this is a great location for a romantic weekend and featured on Condé Nast Traveller’s Gold List in 2006.

Stone Cottage Grove Barn, Hartsop, Patterdale CA11 0NZ T: 017684 82647 W: lakelandstonecottage.co.uk

Fancy staying in a self-catering cottage but can’t stand chintz? Then Stone Cottage is for you – it’s the five-star boutique-style version, with contemporary luxury in a beautiful location just 20 mins from Ambleside.

Fantastic 400-year-old Lakeland Inn where you can dine in the AA-rosetted restaurant, sample a prize-winning ale from the on-site Barngates Brewery, and stay the night in one of 16 spacious and comfy rooms. The pub grub is first rate too.

The Punch Bowl Inn Crosthwaite, Lyth Valley LA8 8HR T: 015395 68237 W: the-punchbowl.co.uk

This top quality Lakeland gastropub set in a tiny village near Kendal is great for a cosy country bolthole weekend. Has a nice vibe about it – the sort of place where old and new work together well, from the top notch foodie standards of the restaurant to the locals popping in for quick halves of beer.

The Sun Inn Kirkby Lonsdale LA6 2AU. T: 015242 71965 W: sun-inn.info

17th century Inn with all mod cons set in the attractive market town of Kirkby Lonsdale in the Lune Valley, an ideal spot for visiting the Lakes, Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales. Has kept all the traditional heritage elements of flag floors, roaring log fires and cask ales but combined it with high quality contemporary cuisine and rooms replete with Wi-Fi access and LCD TV’s.

This small and welcoming country inn is recognisable as that illustrated in The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck. Mrs Heelis, aka Beatrix Potter, used to live next door.

THINGS TO SEE Wastwater Wasdale Valley

Now officially crowned as ‘Britain’s Favourite View’ following its televised victory over 16 other UK beauty spots, Wastwater is a dramatic location where England’s deepest lake sits overlooked by England’s highest mountain. The steep-sided valleys seem to almost disappear into the lake’s glassy surface in one of Cumbria’s most unspoilt locations.

Aira Force Ullswater

Force is the Cumbrian name for waterfall and you’re unlikely to see a prettier one than Aira, sparkling and tumbling its way down a 70ft drop through craggy Lakeland slate. It can be viewed from stone bridges spanning the top and bottom of the drop.

Castlerigg Stone Circle Just outside Keswick

Even through it is dwarfed by the surrounding mighty peaks of Skiddaw, Helvellyn and Blencathra, this 5,000-year-old circle of 48 craggy standing stones has an awesome presence and dignity.

T: 015394 43360 W: windermere-lakecruises.co.uk

The best way to enjoy the beauty of Lake Windermere is from the water, with regular sailings daily throughout the year.

Ullswater Steamers Glenridding, Cumbria T: 017684 82229 W: ullswater-steamers.co.uk

Taking one of the atmospheric old lake steamers on Ullswater is not only a joy in itself, it’s a great way to access some lovely and not too taxing walks, including the popular lakeshore walk to Patterdale.

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway T: 01229 717171 W: ravenglass-railway.co.uk

Known affectionately as ‘la’al Ratty’, this is the oldest narrow-gauge railway in England. Originally built in 1875 to carry iron ore, it now provides an entertaining seven mile, 40-minute steam train journey that winds its way through the forests and fields of lower Eskdale.

THINGS TO BUY

Cumberland sausage, Kendal mint cake, Grasmere gingerbread, contemporary art.

GIVE IT A WHIRL… The #79 bus ride in Borrowdale Reckoned to be one of the UK’s most scenic bus rides, the ‘Borrowdale Rambler’ runs along the B5289, down the side of Derwentwater and through the dramatic valley of Borrowdale, stopping at various waterfalls, fells and hamlets along the way.

THE CULTURE LIST: The Lake District & Cumbria THEATRES & VENUES

Castlegate House Gallery

Brewery Arts Centre

Cockermouth CA13 9HA T: 01900 822149 W: castlegatehouse.co.uk

Highgate, Kendal LA9 4HE T: 01539 725133 W: breweryarts.co.uk

Voted one of the top 10 places to visit in Britain in 2007, the Brewery has an auditorium for theatre, dance and comedy, three cinema screens, an exhibition space, plus a suitably bohemian bar and restaurant. What’s more it attracts the sort of artists you might be surprised to find in Kendal, so it’s well worth checking out what’s on.

The Cumbrian scenery has long been a source of inspiration to artists and this has manifested itself for the 21st century in the area’s concentration of small, independent, contemporary art galleries. Castlegate House is one of the best, specialising in the work of Northern English and Scottish artists in a variety of media from paintings and sculpture, to ceramics, jewellery and glass.

Theatre by the Lake

MUSEUMS

Lakeside, Keswick CA12 5DJ T: 017687 74411 W: theatrebythelake.com

Hosting performances, concerts and exhibitions, the Theatre by the Lake acts as a bit of a cultural hub for the north Lakes area, a position which will get an additional boost after its major revamp, due for completion this year. Set in a fabulous spot overlooking a panorama of mountains on the edge of Derwentwater, it’s open all year round.

GALLERIES Abbot Hall Art Gallery Kendal LA9 5AL T: 01539 722464 W: abbothall.org.uk

The high-profile exhibitions at Abbot Hall have attracted national attention since it started its innovative partnership with the Tate in 2001. In recent years the gallery has hosted major exhibitions by artists such as Lucian Freud, Bridget Riley, Euan Uglow and Walter Richard Sickert. It’s also in a great location, housed in a lovely Georgian villa on the banks of the river Kent.

Blackwell Bowness-on-Windermere LA23 3JT T: 015394 46139 W: blackwell.org.uk

Blackwell is a superb example of a turn-ofthe-20th century Arts and Crafts house. Now lovingly restored and open to the public, it’s a living and breathing example of the distinctive architecture of the period as well as housing a fantastic and ever-growing collection of Arts and Crafts artefacts.

Dove Cottage & The Wordsworth Museum Grasmere LA22 9SH T: 015394 35544 W: wordsworth.org.uk

Wordsworth’s picturesque former home on the outskirts of Grasmere has been lovingly restored and features a whole host of the poet’s original possessions – from his marital bed to his ice skates. A stone’s throw from Dove Cottage is the new £3.15m Jerwood Centre, home to the Wordsworth Trust’s 59,000 manuscripts, books and prints relating to the English Romantics, plus the 3 Degrees West Gallery which holds exhibitions of contemporary art inspired by the poet’s work.

Brantwood Coniston LA21 8AD T: 015394 41396 W: brantwood.org.uk

‘There is no wealth but life’ said John Ruskin, and you can understand why he had such a great perspective on reality when you visit his wonderfully-sited home overlooking Coniston Water. The house and gardens are open to the public and there’s an ongoing programme of exhibitions and events to enlighten you as to the life and work of the grand old man of Victorian art and letters.

Hill Top Near Sawrey, Hawkshead LA22 0LF T: 015394 36269 W: nationaltrust.org.uk

Seriously quaint 17th century farmhouse where Beatrix Potter wrote her stories and where Renée Zellwegger got to practise her English accent again.

Tullie House Museum and Gallery Tullie House, Castle Street, Carlisle CA3 8TP T: 01228 618718 W: tulliehouse.co.uk

A positive cornucopia of things to do in the Northwest’s Visitor Attraction of the Year 2007, located at the heart of Carlisle’s historic quarter, next to the Cathedral and Castle. You can investigate its Roman collection as a gateway for exploring Hadrian’s Wall Country or enjoy its art exhibitions and interactive galleries of Cumbrian history and heritage. Or just simply while away an afternoon in Old Tullie House itself, a beautifully preserved Grade I-listed Jacobean building with delightful gardens.

Cumberland Pencil Museum Main St, Keswick CA12 5NG. T: 017687 73626 W: pencilmuseum.co.uk

We kid you not. A quirky museum devoted to one of the region’s oldest industries that developed around the naturally-occurring pure graphite that was mined out of the fells around Borrowdale. More than you’ll ever need to know about the art of pencil-making.

HERITAGE Levens Hall Sizergh, nr Kendal LA8 8AE T: 015395 60321 W: levenshall.co.uk

Elizabethan stately home dating from the 14th century but worth visiting primarily for its renowned topiary garden, the oldest in Britain and the blueprint for the 17th century formal garden. The on-site restaurant sells rib-sticking local fayre and it even brews its own spiced Elizabethan beer.

Holker Hall, Gardens & Lakeland Motor Museum Cark-in-Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands LA11 7PL T: 015395 58328 W: holker-hall.co.uk

Stately home that’s worth a visit for its 25 acres of justly-famous gardens plus its status as home to the Lakeland Motor Museum, exhibiting a range of historic cars.

PRIME SPOTS: England’s Northwest

COLOPHON

ACCOMMODATION RATINGS

All accommodation featured in Prime has been quality assessed by VisitBritain or the AA – look out for the star rating next to each establishment.

French spectacular arrives in Liverpool See page 14

Issue Four: where culture comes first

www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com Inside

LIFE’S A BEACH AT LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL PLUS THE LOWDOWN ON WHERE THE ART IS BEYOND LIVERPOOL IN 2008 INCLUDING THE CULTURE LIST FOR ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST