I can't believe I didn't think to review this place sooner, The Waterside Arts Centre is one of my…read morefavourite places. There are no limits to what can happen here; it's a theatre, an art gallery, an exhibition hall, a comedy venue, a music venue, a cinema, a function room...the list goes on. Everything about it is so beautifully versatile, you can go to any one of the above events there and think that is the venue's sole purpose. I've been to see some fantastic original exhibitions there, I've been in tears from laughing at the comedy nights and I've taken my younger sister there for some of the great child-friendly events they regularly hold. If you're unsure, head down to their next open day when they have taster sessions of everything for free! Also check out the programme of events on their website, I bet you'll see something you like because they really do cater for everyone!

The Waterside Arts Centre was completed as part of the redevelopment of the Trafford Council…read moreOffices which resulted in some shiny new offices, a new bar beneath them, and the Waterside Arts Centre. The Waterside really amounts to a number of galleres and exhibition spaces, and the Robert Bolt theatre within it all, which is a reasonably intimate (i.e. small!) performance venue that I've been lucky enough to visit for a number of different performances. There is a full programme of events on here and in any one month there will be a variety of music concerts (ranging from small and relatively unknown folk acts, current chart stalwarts, ageing rockers, local classical musical ensembles and anything (and everything) inbetween. There's also a regular comedy night styled along the lines of 'Whose line is it anyway?', and regular theatre productions including an annual pantomime. I've been fortunate enough to see a few acts there in recent times including Hayseed Dixie (true Hillbilly Rock) and Glenn Tillbrook (guitar-god and songwriter extraordinaire of Squeeze fame), two gigs that saw the Robert Bolt theatre in both standing, and fully seated configurations (it is usually set up for one or the other!)... Both times, the size of venue allowed me to feel really connected to the performer in a true 'I could see into the whites of their eyes' kind of sense. In both instances, this certainly added to the quality of the experience! Drinks for gigs are usually provided via a 'bottle and can' bar, which can make for a slightly pricy night, but then, you're not going there to drink! The gallery spaces are spread around the building and seem to cater for most tastes, and provide opportunities for local artists alongside those who are better known. All in all, the Waterside is a great little venue and a top addition to a town that was in sore need of a place like this. Bravo!

This is such a beautiful building, and the perfect space for such a wonderful gallery. Dedicated to…read morepromoting originals from top UK artists as well as emerging artists, you can tell that a lot of care goes into displaying and maintaining the paintings. Hung on the tiled walls, they have works from my personal favourites, James Lawrence Isherwood and Arthur Delaney to name but two. Apart from the wonderful canvases, there's a bespoke framing service and a very large selection of cards and unique wrapping papers which I'm sure serves as the gallery's bread and butter in between artwork sales. A delight.

This is a lovely spacious old sandstone building with a high ceiling and a fine display of fine art…read moreprints and contemporary paintings. The guy that works in here is so chilled out, and will personally see to your art needs being carefully dealt with. There is a large counter which displays the wide range of bespoke frames offered here. On sale also is a good selection of greeting cards including the National Trust range and wrapping paper of various sorts. You can pick up a well framed unique piece of Art for around £200.

A very well maintained gallery - there is always good quality & interesting art available with a…read moregood rotation of works available. The staff are very friendly, knowledgable & helpful and a warm welcome always awaits, this gallery doesn't feel stuffy unlike some I have been into in other towns.

I love this little art gallery shop. It's all original paintings and other art, handmade items like…read morejewellery, decorative items, gifts, etc. The paintings vary in style, but there does seem to be an overabundance of fairy-related artwork. Someone must be a fairy fan. There is quite a variety of media as well, from paintings to drawings to collage art. The quality of this art is excellent, so I have no doubt that the prices are good for what you are getting. But remember, you're buying art, so it's not going to be cheap.

Visited on a weekday with my mum. What a lovely shop with a knowledgeable and friendly lady to help…read moreus choose. Wasn't expecting to buy but couldn't help it! A really good range of art and beautiful unique handmade crafts (a lot on my wish list!) and we found something in our budget that we can both enjoy for ever. A really lovely visit - could easily have stayed all day! We'll be visiting again as soon an possible. Worth noting - easy parking and public loo facilities in the complex which was a useful and welcome bonus.

Castle Galleries is a franchise with stores across the country, I've visited the Leeds, York and…read moreLondon branches as well as Manchester. They're all pretty similar and the staff are usually very friendly and happy to chat. There are two stores in Manchester, one on Deansgate and one in the Trafford Centre. As a student I frequently popped in to the Manchester store on Deansgate, I find they house beautiful pieces and the staff are very chilled out and helpful. Whether you buy or not is besides the point. Over the years I've been to various launches and events, drank copious amounts of free wine and even won a book in a raffle! So it was only fair that once I started 'adulting' (working, saving, being a grown up *yawn*) I bought my first piece from here - see attached picture. It wasn't cheap, but I adore it and it makes me smile every time I look at it. I found the painting online for a little cheaper than the gallery price and when asked they matched the online price which was excellent. I felt incredibly drawn to Bob's paintings from the first moment I saw his work. There was something warm and familiar, soothing even about his style. The almost gloomy settings appealed to me, I love the way he uses light and dark to bring the paintings to life. I came to learn that Bob Barker was born and raised in Bradford and that his workshop isn't far from where I grew up! His background is reflected through his work. This connection plus the fact that I love his style of painting meant I needed to own a piece! The piece I bought really spoke to me, I was going through a bit of a rough patch at the time I bought it and now whenever I look at it, it reminds me that I'll be ok, 'Whatever the weather' :)

Castle Galleries on Deansgate is the Manchester arm of a pretty big chain - the UK's leading art…read morestore according to their website.. I'd never heard of it before so went in to have a look at what they had to offer. Beats waiting for the bus across the road anyway. I saw some interesting stuff from a few artists - most notably Paul Corfield's Dorset inspired candy coloured landscapes and Jeff Rowland's beautiful, dark, rain filled scenes. Prices ranged from just over a hundred for glycee on paper to £300-£700 for canvases. If you're not in the market for a piece it is still worth having a look around; the staff here aren't all steely and unfriendly if it becomes obvious that you are not buying as with some art stores and small private galleries. They are a bit Bob Dylan mad at the moment - they have limited edition prints from his Drawn Blank Series. So if you are a fan of legends in one area of creativity branching out into another then you might consider one of these crazy pieces.

Well you'd be hard pushed to get in or out of Halifax without noticing the Dean Clough building…read more It's nationally renowned as a prime site in Halifax and it's not just a business emporium. It does house quite a few private businesses and office space but it has so much more to offer than that. First up take some live theatre and music. The Crossley Gallery has fast become a key place for many Jazz acts to come and ply their trade. You've also got the Viaduct Theatre which attracts classical music and of course live stage productions. If that's not your thing then the art galleries are pretty impressive. They get some really interesting exhibitions and change them about quite regularly. Add to that a nice design shop, café and a restaurant and it's a treat that you'd maybe not expect to find in these industrial looking walls. Loving your work here.

I work in this building and have to say - it's quite a nice place to be…read more The offices are a bit mixed - some are lovely and refurbished and some are a bit old and grotty but I think they are in the process of doing up the whole place. It's a nice central clean building. The viaduct cafe is nice and the Design House Restaurant is pretty decent too. I like the galleries here - it's quite nice during a stressful day to wander downstairs and look at the pictures or sculptures - helps calm me down and face the day. There is also a very nice gift shop.

I old my hands up I am no art collector but Unicorn Gallery still grabbed my attention for just…read moreunderan hour one Saturday afternoon in Wilmslow. This place is a family business with work from some very talented artists from the U.K and abroad. This place mostly sells originals but you will still find something no matter what your budget is. The staff are passionate about the art they display and are more than happy to help. I felt inspired to paint myself as I left Unicorn ...it lasted all of ten minutes before my mind was drawn to what I was having for tea that night but hey ho it crossed my mind.

Avoid...After sending a speculative enquiry about a specific artist we received a response saying…read morethey would 'try' to obtain some examples. We managed to contact the artist directly to have a painting commissioned for our wedding present, agreed the price and the painting was done. Shortly after the gallery contacted us to offer a similar painting but we politely advised we had been in contact with the artist direct and were awaiting our commissioned painting. We were then advised that the galleries agent had stopped our purchase as we had already agreed a commission via the gallery!! We had only sent an enquiry and a response of 'i'll try' hardly constitutes as a commitment. All said and done we now don't have the painting that was created for us. There are plenty of other galleries in the local area so will never use this one or that agent again....