Archive for the ‘Chester’ Category

The Say Two Touring Company will be performing at some of the North West’s finest locations this summer with their production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Venues and dates for the open-air, evening performances are:

Pennington Park, near Wigan – June 21
Bank Hall, Bretherton, near Chorley – June 8
Kingswood College, Scarisbrick, near Southport – July 5
Brougham Hall, Penrith – July 11/12
Heskin Hall, Chorley – July 19
Chester Amphitheatre – July 26

Members of the public are invited to audition to take part in the show alongside professional actors. No previous experience is necessary.

For all enquiries telephone 01257 453956.

North West picnic lovers can vote for their favourite picnic spot in a competition being organised by Bolton-based bakers Warburtons. Ten sites in the region have been nominated:

Stanley Park – Blackpool
Lyme Park – Disley, Cheshire
Heaton Park – Manchester
Formby Beach – Merseyside
Beeston Castle – Tarporley, Cheshire
Barley Picnic Site – Pendle Hill, Ribble Valley
Jumbles Reservoir – Bradshaw Valley, Bolton
Beacon Fell – Goosnargh, near Preston
Fell Foot Park – Windermere, Lake District
Crook o’ Lune – Lune Valley, Lancaster

Votes can be registered at www.welovebread.co.uk until May 16 2008. All voters are entered into a draw to win a picnic in Central Park, New York.

The winner will be announced at the start of June and will go compete against the other regional winners for the title of ‘Warburtons Best Picnic Spot 2008’.

The Lowry Hotel hosted the Northern Hospitality Awards 2008 last week. The winners included:

Best Restaurant - The London Carriage Works, Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool
Best Hotel – The Lowry, Manchester
Best Bar – Barlounge, Chester
Best Chef – Lisa Allen, Northcote Manor, Ribble Valley
Best Wine Offering, Northcote Manor, Ribble Valley

Chester City Council has closed a section of the city walls near the Grosvenor Hotel for safety reasons after a monument collapsed last Thursday. Access to the Eastgate Arch and Clock is not affected.

Interested members of the public will have the opportunity to learn about the history of Chester’s Grosvenor Park next month at a lecture organised by Chester Civic Trust. Landscape consultant John Dyke will present ‘The people who made Grosvenor Park’ at the Grosvenor Museum on April 9 2008 at 7.30 pm. Entry is free of charge for Chester Civic Trust members, with a suggested £3 donation for non-members.

Last week Chester City Council submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to restore Grosvenor Park.

Councillor Eric Plenderleath, Chester City Council Executive Member for Culture & Community said ‘Grosvenor Park has an interesting history and is valued by many people. John Dyke is a real expert in his field and has been heavily involved with our funding bid to make sure that the park’s heritage is preserved as part of our proposals to safeguard its future. This lecture offers a one-off opportunity to find out more about how the park was created to provide the people of Chester with somewhere to enjoy the outdoors.’

Chester City Council is to spend £300,000 to protect the city’s historic Rows from vandalism and fire. The current CCTV network will be extended and video equipment replaced with digital technology. Heat detection equipment will also be installed in the walkways.

Councillor Neil Ritchie, Executive Member for Environment said, ‘The Rows are a vital part of Chester’s heritage so the council, with support from Chester Community Safety Partnership, is providing the investment needed to secure their future. Extending CCTV coverage on the Rows will help to improve safety for residents and visitors and heat detectors will play an important role in protecting lives and property.’

Blackpool Pleasure Beach was Britain’s most popular tourist attraction in 2007, despite visitor figures falling slightly from 2006. According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions the popular theme park attracted 5.5 million visitors, down 3 percent on the previous year. Other popular attractions in the North West included Chester Zoo (1.36 million), World Museum Liverpool (720,303), Tate Liverpool (649,029), Merseyside Maritime Museum (595,328), Blackpool Tower (466,545), Walker Art Gallery (253,987), Imperial War Museum North (223,000), Lady Lever Art Gallery (187,255), and the Anderton Boat Lift (114,853).

Antiques Roadshow, the popular BBC TV programme, will kick of its 31st series at Chester Cathedral on April 3 2008. Leading antiques experts will be available to offer free advice and valuations of antiques brought to the venue.

Those wishing to have an item valued before lunchtime are advised to arrive around 8.30 am, one hour before the doors open. The doors close at 4.30 pm with filming continuing to approximately 7 pm.

City centre restaurants in Manchester and Liverpool have failed to gain a coveted Michelin Star in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland published yesterday. The North West restaurants retaining their single star were Juniper in Altrincham, Northcote Manor in the Ribble Valley, the Arkle at the Chester Grosvenor, L’Enclume in Cartmel, and Sharrow Bay on Ullswater.

Chester City Council’s new Conservative administration are to freeze city centre car parking charges in an attempt to halt the drift of shoppers and visitors to neighbouring towns and shopping centres.

Councillor Stephen Mosley, Executive Member for Customer Services, said ‘It has long been suspected that constantly increasing car parking charges have literally driven visitors and shoppers away from the city centre and this decision marks a significant change in direction for Chester.’