Manchester Cathedral is in a pretty good, yet slightly hidden city centre location, just down…read moreDeansgate and it is pretty much behind Victoria Station. It is a rather impressive Cathedral overall which was built from the 1400s to the 1800s with a tower height of 135 feet. It really does feel that this Cathedral is trying to squeeze as much money as it can out of worshippers which is a real shame, examples include the photography permit" scheme really is ridiculous. To be able to take photos inside they charge a £1 fee, which is alongside a suggested donation to enter the cathedral of £3. I do think it is slightly hidden too and the gardens around the Cathedral obviously doesn't compare to others including Birmingham. For me, the cash-centred nature with staff inside who seem more interested in getting a few pounds here and there from visitors and trying their best at intimidating people rather than being friendly isn't what a Cathedral is about. 2* Review number #3200.

Staying on the subject of worship, I once went to see an all day music event at Manchester…read moreCathedral. A stunning church on the edge of Deansgate, it's an incredible piece of architecture inside and out. There's painstakingly carved elements around the whole building, lots of impressive stained glass windows and original sculptures. Whilst it's mainly used as a church, there are regular art exhibitions here and occasional multi-media events like the festival I went to where a group of electronic musicians matched the vision of the building with extraordinary sounscapes. One used so much bass it felt like the pews shook! For those wanting to worship over the festive season, there's a service and communion at 11.30pm Christmas Eve and a Christmas Day Euchachrist at 10.30am.

Another of the area's picturesque churches, Eshe Road church is a Grade II listed building of red…read moresandstone, it's turret and stained glass presenting very gothic architectural design. I have attended church fairs and book sales here which are very popular in the area. The events are frequently advertised through local media and are very well organised.

I was very privileged to attend the wedding of my good ski friend and fellow Yelper Lesley B to her…read morefiance Andrew at St Peter's church last Saturday. St Peter's has been her local church since living in the area and I've attended Sunday services here - I've always been made to feel welcome by the local congregation. The church building is postcard perfect for what you imagine a pretty English parish church would look llke. The Lord was smiling on Lesley on Saturday - the rain cleared up and the sun came out just as the service ended and it was time for photos. The inside is lovely too with exposed wooden beams. The wedding service was a joyful occasion shared with friends and family. The cupcake reception immediately after the service was a novel idea and helped to keep the guests entertained, fed and watered as the photos were taking place. The electric keyboard was of good quality. I was lucky to be asked to provide some piano music when the when register was signed. The regular members of the church made us guests feel most welcome. It feels like an active local church. Congratulations to Lesley and Andrew!

Wow. St Peter's Church is actually incredibly awesome. I think it's actually maybe called St Peter…read moreBolton-Le-Moors Church. I don't know. This is a huge, majestic church just on the edge of Bolton's town centre. It's a fantastic contrast to the tackiness of the town centre just a few metres away. The church is surrounded by a pleasant graveyard and grassy area. Inside, the church is fantastic. The roofing is all wooden, with exposed beams. It's bursting with character and actually better than Manchester Cathedral in my opinion. Great church. So big that I kept having to go back and back and back to take a picture of it.

Very nice church with excellent acoustics, and a large crowd. this was due for the…read moreAshton-In-Makerfield, festival. Very pleasant and warm welcome. much appreciated.

You might know but St Peter's Church hall, in sleepy old Woolton Village, helped change the face of…read moremusic on Saturday 6 July 1957. Despite being scouse I'm not a Beatles fan, but standing in the old church hall in the spot where John met Paul, talking to a man who was there at the time, I felt impressed. In awe even. Two normal scousers with a shared dream that went on to conquer the world. Talking to Dave, a friend of the lad who introduced "baby faced" Paul to beery-breathed John, gave me a sense of history. This was aided by original photos, recently dug out of someone's attic, showing the Quarrymen in action at the yearly village procession. Check-shirted John, scarily reminiscent of the actor who played him in Nowhere Boy, sitting down as he'd just almost fallen off the travelling van. Wander across the road to the church itself and you'll be moved by grandiose gravestones, some in need of repair, some almost untouched by time. One of those gravestones has just been reinstated, with the help of Dave who knew the lad that introduced Paul to John. The shared headstone of John Rigby, who died 4 October 1915, and his granddaughter Eleanor.

I'm almost reluctant to tell people how wonderful my experience was at this bizarrely obscure…read morelocation of Beatles' history in case it should become too popular and lose its innocent charm. I still cannot understand how it is that I got to spend an hour by myself inside the hall where John and Paul first met, with its humble memorial by local folks, with great letters, photos and drawings, unassumingly pinned to the wall, along with other artifacts and reminiscences, completely free of charge; meanwhile bigger Beatles fans than I were paying £15 to go through the "Beatles Story" in Liverpool's Albert Dock, unrecognizable from when the lads knew the area, or to buy overpriced souvenirs in the Cavern club that is not even the real Cavern club but a replica! From Liverpool Lime Street I took a train to Hunt's Cross station and then the number 81 or 89 bus up the hill to St. Peter's Church, where John Lennon was a choirboy. The church hall is across the street. Afterward's you can walk down Beaconsfield road, past the fake Strawberry Field gates on to the other side, and catch a different bus to another train station (I forget the name) to get back to Liverpool. On the church side of the road, second row in, is Eleanor Rigby's grave. I believe Woolton Village is also a stop on the organized Beatles tours from Liverpool, but I highly recommend getting there on your own steam as I did and having a bit of a wander. Had a pint at a local pub before heading back to Liverpool and it was just a great day.

St Mary's church has always been a great church for weddings, christenings and sadly funerals too…read moreof which I have been to many. The size of the church internally is ideal for weddings and seats hundreds of people. It stands proud on the outskirts of the shopping area and is always nice in the summer months with a clock you can see for miles. Bell ringing can always be heard across the valley and functions, services and clubs use the church on a regular basis.

Manchester is really a great city. It doesn't have infinite choice like London but that's pretty…read moreoverwhelming. Instead, it has enough cool places to keep you occupied for years but at the same time mean you can become a regular places with fomo. Plus, it still keeps surprising you. Manchester has some of the coolest event venues I've ever been to, such as Victoria Warehouse and the gorgeous Albert Hall. The Victorian Gothic Monastery perhaps out impresses even those venues. A Franciscan church and friary from the 1860s, it was formerly on the top 100 most endangered monuments in the world. Now beautifully restored, I entered through the lovely cloisters and was stunned entering the soaring nave, made even more striking with coloured lighting plus an aerialist display! I attended for a large work party of about 250 people. It's a really huge space so any less than this and it might feel a bit empty - imagine how big the weddings here are! We really enjoyed our salmon starter, which had a well-balanced lemon and caper dressing. The chicken supreme was standard but not dry at all and I thought good for a catered meal. The lemon tart for dessert was very nice, although too large portion for most If you're looking for somewhere really special to have an event, this has to be on your list.

When considering Liverpool's cultural highlights many of these sights include grand religious…read morebuildings due to the city's history of fervent religious support and tensions between Irish Catholic immigrants and native Protestant worshippers that fed in to the city's energy and need to make bold statements. However one such place that is overlooked is the Princes Rd Synagague on the outskirts of the city centre in Liverpool's Georgian Quater. Smaller than the two Christian Cathedrals, the Synagogue is no less impressive in fact precisely because it is much smaller it is an awesome experience that allows you to appreciate the great detail and ornate fixtures of the building. Being the oldest synagogue in the region it is one of the smaller but very important landmarks that demonstrate Liverpool's importance in embracing immigrants and the city's diverse heritage.

Wow oh wow is all I can say. The synagogue is beautiful, I particularly liked the very high and…read moredecorated ceilings. History wise, the synagogue survived both World Wars only to be victim to an arson attack in 1979 which left it needing significant repairs. With everything repaired the synagogue moved on and all went back to normal. Getting back to the present, the synagogue today! Do you fancy a look? If you don't fancy the services, there are tours offered throughout the week Monday to Thursday 9.30am -3.30pm, but you must book. Sunday tours are also possible by arrangement. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and is very worthwhile. We were given time after this to look around at absorb the beauty around us. There isn't a charge as such but we were asked to make a donation of £3.50 for the upkeep of the building.