The tour trundles on and the venue reviews keep on coming!…read more I was immediately sceptical when I arrived here, and rightly so. Large brick and stone buildings always struggle to deal with the sound of a band. However with a long soundcheck (we pretty much played the whole set) the problems were dealt with and the sound was fairly good after that. That said, my onstage monitor wedge was so loud it was moving away from me... From an aesthetic perspective, I love this venue. The exposed brickwork and rural surrounding which was in the most beautiful village..very Emmerdale! The hall itself looked like an old Railway shed which had been restored as a gig venue. It is a fairly large gig and I was hoping that the crowd would be of a decent size. My fears were allayed when it started to fill up with middle aged men in Ben Shermans, Desert Boots and cropped hair. The venue also started to fill up with what looked like a younger crowd..I saw countless pairs of "Jam Shoes" and parkas... Very enjoyable to be playing up north when the crowd gave a chant of "Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire"... The crowd were really into it here and in great spirits. A rarity for me, I was asked to sign some autographs at the end of the set and the boys and girls of the audience were very enthusiastic and polite. I did nearly come a cropper when I jumped off the front of the stage to hand out a drumstick (and a kiss) to a young lady... It is a much higher stage than I thought! All of the staff at the venue were first class - they looked after the audience well and treated us in the band brilliantly. So... one of the better venues I have played in this area. I would love to return, either in the crowd or on the stage. Good work Elsecar heritage centre.

A great place to take the kids…read more The centre includes a hands on style museum and crafts shows. Around Christmas time there is a steam train that runs from here, where you can meet Father Christmas!

Great place for a rainy day or to waste a few hours admiring the many exhibits available ranging…read morefrom Egyptian antiques to the amazing Giant Panda. Throughout the year, temporary themed exhibits are usually here and also add an extra interest for coming here. This is mostly an arty-museum with sculptures, paintings and objects from a variety of places but mostly from Macclesfield and also from Egypt. For kids such as on school trips or with parents, the tour is great and also allows them to do some drawings/hieroglyphic learning/rubbings making it perfect for the entire family to enjoy. Best part is its free entry for everybody to enjoy!

I took quite a few of my family here as part of the Rawtenstall Annual Fair combined, this year,…read morewith Dialect-i-Fest. It is a small, unusual museum with a fascinating selection of exhibits, including a lot of The history of Lancashire. It is set in stunning grounds with plenty of different areas to suit all ages and with superb views across Rossendale. There is ample on-site parking. Within the museum building are a bar and a café, both impressive in quality and service.

THIS PLACE IS WELL WORTH A VISIT…read more Set on the canal side in an old canal boat shed-(large brick building). It is like stepping back in time when you visit the old chippy and pub. Shops and pawn brokers have been recreated with al th old goods that were on sale many years ago. A bar of soap 4d. They have also recreated a church and school room. Well worth a school trip with activities for pupils. They are even taken back to the Victorian era in the old schol room and put through the 3 Rs by a strict looking teacher. She is great at acting out the roll . Down stairs are the more industrial machinery used locally 100 years or so ago. Theres a smal cafe and sovenier shop that is resonably priced. Best thing is that its free of chrage. A great visit for old and young alike

I love taking my son to this museum. It's all absolutely free and we get to chat about boats, watch…read morethe ducks and swans and see how things were 'a long time ago'. The museum caters really well for children with lots to keep them occupied - it's very easy to spend a wet afternoon playing and learning lots. I would also recommend a coffee in the cafe there. The staff are absolutely amazing and the food evebn better!

Its not far from home and one of those places you always drive passed the sign to but never go well…read morego! its a nice museum with the cotton industry and local history at heart. My 8 year old daughter enjoyed it, especially the water wheel. Theres lots of information, but not too much to bore the children. Its a good value morning or afternoon out in Lancashire. Would revist in a few years, but not quite a full day. Theres even a shop for the kids to spend their pocket money.

Good little museum, lots of working machinery from wool and cotton manufacturing... Friendly staff…read moreand full disabled access. I did find it a bit on the expensive side.. You can go to the country's top museums for free these days so I kind of resent paying for small museums that only fill around 3 hours.

I scorn people who whinge about Salford and claim that it's 'rough', 'scary' or 'crime-infested'…read more No more than any other city. Okay, maybe Shameless has given us a really dreadful name, but come on. Every city has its nasty parts and its good parts. I for one am a fan of Salford's university area, and one of the hotspots of that is the Museum and Art Gallery, located right in the middle of campus. I'm lucky to have lived with this historical and gorgeous building around the corner from me. Devoted to the history of Salford and Victorian architecture and art and with free admission, it houses temporary exhibition spaces as well as the LifeTimes Gallery (family friendly exhibitions about the history of Salford), the Victorian Gallery (boasting an impressive range of paintings and some spectacular marble statues), the Local History library where researchers and avid scholars alike can brush up on their Salford knowledge, and of course refreshments in the form of the Lark Hill Tea Rooms. Just stunning. Who says Salford is all stabbings outside pubs and teenage mothers. For true Mancunian culture, the end I live in is doing just nicely, thanks to places like this. Enjoy.

This is a relatively small museum and art gallery located next down to one of the Salford…read moreUniversity buildings. The place has some nice art pieces. I was not here long so only managed to check out the art gallery bit but some people commented on how the museum but was good. On the ground floor is a cafe (plus a shop). The cafe is pretty large in size with lots of seating. I can't comment on the food but a few people I was with had some cake which they liked. I just had a cup of tea.

Fabulous place to spend an afternoon for a walk or cycle…read more Lots of flowers and plants and a national trust house.

Lyme Hall is placed within the huge Lyme Park, just outside Disley and just falls within the…read moreboundaries of Greater Manchester and in fact has a direct train line to Piccadilly Station. I'm reviewing the hall separately from the gardens as their simply too much to see on one visit. Once you've parked up in the gardens you'll soon find a fairly steep incline towards the house itself (up some rather large steps set in the grass). The house is perched up atop a hill and the views are incredible. A short distance away from the house lies the 'cage' and old hunting tower recently restored - it's said on a good day not only can you see the city of Manchester but also Liverpool Cathedral. Although a gorgeous day on our last visit we couldn't quite see that far. However, Manchester was clear to see - the 47 storey Beetham tower helping in that respect. I was quite odd looking at the city from this highpoint: it was almost as if the entire population had left the city so quiet and eery was the experience (you can barely hear a thing on top of the hill near said cage). Back to the houseyou enter via a lovely courtyard - this is predominantly Elizabethan although a few hundred years after it's conception is was redesigned by an Italian architect to resemble a so called 'Palazzo' (Palace). Over the years the rooms of the house were redesigned. For me this is one of the most complete houses I've seen at a National Trust property. I have a particular aversion to Victorian interiors (I really don't like the look of those ghastly Victorian dolls!) so thankfully many of the rooms hark back to an earlier age. I was quite taken with the leisure room, it's wooden carvings are surreal. There is also a kind of living room which contains greek marble sculptures (saved from destruction as walk on gravestones in Greece) which adorn the wall, with ceilings go intricate they almost bring a tear to the old 'mince pie'. I sometimes find the NT ladies and gentlemen who 'guard' the rooms a little cold and despotic, but in Lyme Hall they are the most welcoming and informative folk you could ever wish to meet despite their upper class mouth movements. I spent at least thirty minutes chatting to one lady about the meaning of such ornate bedrooms! It was simply too much to see in one day so it's a case of going back time and time again, but with the park below and some creative picnicking you've got yourself a fine Sunday out.

This is an hidden gem of bradford as not many people remember this is here. There never was much…read moreadvertising when this opened either. The museum goes back centuries with the history of england and shows clothing, food, machinery, etc over the years. The main theme though obviously is peace and it covers all the great wars and is interesting. It shows the weapons used, the ways we lived, etc. There are a good selection of drawings and paintings all about war and peace which are interesting too. the building is an old church and they have kept some of the original features which in itself is worth going for. There is an eating area to eat your own food too. The place is nice and clean. The staff are very friendly. If i remember right there was no entrance fee but they do ask for donations.