Tickets for Manchester Pride, the city’s annual gay festival and parade, go on sale Thursday May 1. The Big Weekend, the highlight of the festival runs from August 22 to 25, at the Gay Village. Tickets are available from See.
The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence were held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool last night, the first time they taken place outside London. Winners from the North West were:
Gold Awards:
Tourism Website of the Year – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Tourism Information Centre of the Year – Liverpool 08 Place
Silver Awards:
Large Hotel of the Year – Radisson Edwardian Manchester
Meet England Business Tourism Award – Manchester Central
Caravan Holiday Park of the Year – Sunset Park, near Blackpool
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – Tullie House Museum, Carlisle
A discussion on the state of the Manchester restaurant scene will be held at the Circle Club next week. Organised by the Circuit Series the debate will feature a panel of esteemed connoisseurs including Ray King, food and drink writer for Cheshire, Lancashire and Lake District Life magazines, and David Heeley, founder of the Hi-Life Diners Club.
The debate takes place at the Circle Club in the Barton Arcade in Manchester at 6.30 pm on Tuesday April 22 2008. Admission is free for Rejuvenate and Circle Club members, and £5 for non-members. Dinner is available at £10 per head. To book email rsvp@thecircuitseries.com.
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’.
Manchester’s alternative shopping emporium Affleck’s Palace has been saved from closure. Many feared that the popular Northern Quarter haunt would close after founder Elaine Walsh’s 25-year lease expired last year.
Owners Bruntwood have taken over management and have vowed to keep it open without significantly changing its off-beat focus. It was re-launched on Saturday as ‘Afflecks’.
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
Barton Square at the Trafford Centre is now open. The £90 million extension is linked to the main shopping centre by a glazed bridge and features major furniture and domestic goods stores. Those already open include Habitat, Bhs, Next Home, and Dwell. There will be further stores opening in the next few months such as Marks & Spencer Home, Home Sense, and Natuzzi.
Moorfield Media have announced the nominations for the Northern Hospitality Awards 2008. The winners will be announced at the Lowry Hotel on April 7. The finalists include:
Best Restaurant
Brasserie Black Door, Newcastle Upon Tyne
El Gato Negro, West Yorkshire
Holbeck Ghyll, Cumbria
The London Carriage Works, Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool
The Peacock at Rowsley, Derbyshire
Best Hotel
City Inn, Manchester
Hilton Manchester Deansgate
The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
Malmaison, Liverpool
Radisson Edwardian, Manchester
Best Pub
The Bayley Arms, Lancashire
The Highway Man, Lancashire
The Q Bar, Cheshire
The Shoulder of Mutton, Harrogate
The Swettenham Arms, Cheshire
Best Chef
Lisa Allen, Head Chef, Northcote Manor, Lancashire
Paul Askew, Chef Patron, The London Carriage Works, Liverpool
David Kennedy, Executive Chef, Black Door Group, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Simon Shaw, Chef Patron, El Gato Negro, West Yorkshire
Eyck Zimmer, Executive Head Chef, The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
Best Wine Offering
The Devonshire Brasserie and Bar
Hillbark Hotel
Malmaison, Liverpool
Northcote Manor, Lancashire
Warehouse Brasserie, Southport
Brit Award Winners The Fratellis have announce a UK tour that includes appearances at the Morecambe Dome on April 9 and Manchester Academy on April 16.
Manchester-based boxer Ricky Hatton will defend his IBO Light Welterweight title against Mexican Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 24 2008. Tickets for the fight, dubbed the Homecoming, go on sale on March 14 at 10 am. Those unable to buy tickets will be able to watch the fight live on Sky Box Office.