Archive for September, 2007

A public meeting will be held in Chester tonight to try and save the city’s former Odeon Cinema as a movie venue. The meeting will be held at the St Mary’s Centre and will start at 7 pm. It is being organised by local MP Christine Russell and will be attended by Sir Gerald Kaufman, a movie buff and MP for Manchester Gorton.

The Odeon Cinema closed in July 2007 and was purchased by the Brook Group, an entertainment company based in Yorkshire. It is understood they intend to transform the venue into a centre with a mixture of bars, restaurants and shops. Ms Russell hopes the Brook Group can be persuaded to sell the venue to another cinema group.

The Sex Pistols have announced they will appear at the Manchester Evening News Arena after tickets for three shows in London sold out within minutes of going on sale. They will return to the city on November 17, their first gig in the city since their legendary appearance at the Lesser Free Trade Hall (now the Radisson Edwardian) in 1976.

The reunited band will feature original members John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock. Tickets go on sale Friday September 28 at 9 am.

The Royal and Ancient has announced that the Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club will be the venue for the 2012 Open Championship. Steve Broomhead, Chief Executive of the North West Regional Development Agency, said ‘The return of the Open to Royal Lytham and St Annes means the region and England’s Golf Coast will once again become the focal point of the golfing world. As well as the 250,000 spectators heading for the Lancashire course, we will be reaching a massive audience around the world just as the country gears up for London 2012. The 2006 Open in Hoylake generated over £4.2million of coverage in UK newspapers alone.’

The award-winning Irish dance sensation, Spirit of the Dance, returns to Bolton next month as part of its 10th anniversary tour.

An international smash hit, Spirit of the Dance is one of the most successful shows ever to come out of Ireland and has been seen by more than 30 million people in 15 different countries worldwide.

The Albert Halls in Bolton will host the dance troupe for two nights only on Thursday, October 11 and Friday, October 12.

Tickets, priced £18 and £16 (concessions), are available now from the Albert Halls box office on 01204 334400.

The Southport Air Show will be held this weekend (September 22 – 23) with a programme that includes displays by the Red Arrows, WWII aircraft, helicopters, and parachutists. The Air Show Village will feature trade stands, flight simulators, and more.

Tickets can be purchased on the day for £7. The show is open from 9 am to 6 pm each day, with the flying programme starting around 1 pm and finishing at 5 pm.

The opening of Liverpool’s new cruise terminal on September 21 will be marked by a visit of the QE2 and the unveiling of a plaque by HRH the Duke of Kent. The new terminal at Princes Dock cost over £19m and allows cruise ships of up to 350 metres in length to berth.

Carol Marlow, President and Managing Director of Cunard Line, said, ‘We are delighted QE2 is officiating at the opening of the splendid new City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal. Cunard was founded in Liverpool in 1839 and the city was home to our Head Office for nearly 130 years so it’s always nice to come back home.’

The QE2 will arrive at 7 am, followed by the official opening of the terminal at 11.30 am. At 10.45 pm there will be a firework display as the QE2 departs Liverpool.

Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach was voted the UK’s top theme park in the amusement industry’s equivalent of the Oscars. It was judged to be the fifth best amusement park in the world in the Golden Ticket Awards, the annual awards given out by Amusement Today, a specialist newspaper for the amusement and theme park industry. The top spot was taken by Cedar Point in Ohio.

Wigan’s Market Place will be hosting a continental market between September 20 and 22. It will feature fresh produce and goods from across Europe including Dutch cheese, Belgian chocolates, Polish jewellery, and fruit and nuts from Turkey. The market will open between 9 am and 5 pm each day.

Councillor John O’Neill, Deputy Leader of Wigan Council said, ‘The French markets we have held in the past have been hugely successful and have attracted people from miles around. This time we wanted to offer a wider range of goods from all over the continent to bring a complete European experience to Wigan. The arrival of the continental market is proof of the changing face of Wigan and how we are enhancing the shopping experience. It is unique events like this that brings visitors to Wigan and allows them to see what else the town has to offer, encouraging them to return again and again.’

The Lake District received a massive pat on the back after Wastwater was voted the most picturesque spot in Britain by viewers of the ITV show Britain’s Favourite View. The popular beauty spot was backed by Coronation Street actress Sally Whittaker, who accepted the award on behalf of Wastwater and Cumbria Tourism.

Sheona Southern, Marketing Director at Cumbria Tourism, said ‘We are delighted that Wastwater has been officially recognised nationwide as being Britain’s Favourite View. This programme has reinforced what we already know and work hard to promote to visitors, and we hope that, by receiving this accolade, many more people will be inspired to visit Cumbria – The Lake District. Wastwater is just one of the many fantastic views that we have to offer. We live in a beautiful part of the world that is appreciated by around 16 million visitors every year and we are very proud to show it off to many more.’

With a depth of 258 feet, Wastwater is the deepest lake in England. It is situated in the Wasdale Valley and overlooked by Scarfell Pike, England’s highest mountain.

Penrith train station has been voted the best medium-sized railway station in the UK. It received the coveted trophy at the National Rail Awards 2007, held last week at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

All train stations in the UK were automatically entered into the competition and were judged on factors such as customer service, innovation, management, and standard of maintenance.