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
Several new buildings and landmarks in the North West have been shortlisted for the 2008 Structural Steel Design Awards. The Liverpool Echo Arena, the Halo sculpture in Rossendale, the Singing Ringing Tree sculpture in Burnley, and the Turning the Place Over public art display in Liverpool will compete against the likes of Terminal 5 at Heathrow for the prestigious design award.
The winner will be announced at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on July 8.
Shellys Restaurant on Bold Street in Warrington has been crowned the North West’s best café in a competition organised by builders merchant Roof Shop. Owner Michele Butterworth received the award at a ceremony held in the Belfry in the West Midlands on March 27.
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.
A travelling theme park with over $10 million of rides and attractions arrives at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton tonight. The Great American Theme park features the UK’s largest travelling rollercoaster, a 100 ft Ferris wheel, a reverse bungee jump, and over 30 more rides and attractions.
The Great American Theme Park runs from Friday April 18 to Sunday April 27 2008. Unlimited ride wristbands are available for £4.99 (1 – 5 pm) and £7.99 (6 – 10 pm) on Sunday 20 and 27 April.
The International Slavery Museum in Liverpool has received a cash boost of £1.8 million from the Northwest Regional Development Agency. The money will be used to extend the museum from its current location in the Merseyside Maritime Museum into an adjacent building.
Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, said ‘The success of the International Slavery Museum so far can be measured by over 200,000 people that have visited since we opened in August 2007. The support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency will help take the museum to a new level, developing new facilities to continue its work as thought-provoking, stimulating and challenging.’
The Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston has been granted planning permission by South Lakeland District Council to move into larger premises. Owner Marion Grave expects the move from Upper Brook Street to a warehouse near Booths supermarket to take place at the end of the summer.
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 UK’s first Islamic pub has opened in Oldham. Local businessmen Azizur Rahman and Muzahid Khan have transformed the old Westwood Inn into the Halal Inn.
It houses all the traditional elements of a British pub, such as snooker tables and a darts board, but offers only soft drinks at the bar. Other features include prayer, study, and steam rooms.