Visit Lancashire

Michelin Star Cookery School Experience!

I was extremely lucky to be given the chance to experience first-hand the new Cookery
School at Northcote, the Michelin starred restaurant with rooms located in the heart of the Ribble Valley.

The Cookery School is nestled in the midst of the renowned Northcote kitchens. As the automatic glass doors slide open it’s a bit like stepping into another world, as you enter the calm of this beautifully designed and compact space and the hustle and bustle of the ‘real’ kitchen continues outside.  The school is intimate and cleverly set out and we were encouraged to explore all of the cupboards and drawers - home to every imaginable kitchen gadget I could ever need and more!  The oven doors were a particular favourite of mine you simply press a button and the door slides up and back!

From Lancashire to the World!

The Life and Times of Mitchell & Kenyon from Lancashire to the World, a brand new ‘play with songs’ opened last week at the Dukes in Lancaster – something I’d been looking forward to since last year when I’d first seen the evocative promotional trailer.

The Lancashire film making duo were long forgotten until a chance discovery in Blackburn in 1994 when literally reams and reams (and reams!) of now fragile film footage was found, restored, digitised and shown to the world by the British Film Institute. There were few who weren’t moved by the streams of mill workers caught on film leaving factories, or the ‘topical’ films showing northern seaside towns, football matches and village fetes. I found the films fascinating and compelling to watch. 

The World’s Largest Indoor Illuminations Experience

I was really happy to be invited to one of the very first viewings of Blackpool’s newest attraction for Illuminasia, before it opened to the general public on Good Friday 2014. As we know, Blackpool is famous the world over for its autumn display of lights along six miles of Promenade, but this is something very different indeed. Located within the historical Winter Gardens complex in the town centre, the Olympia room has been dedicated to an indoor light experience designed to thrill audiences of all ages and, as I found, it is a truly impressive addition to Blackpool’s grand line up of attractions.

Illuminasia is the resort’s first new indoor family attraction in over 20 years and cost £3m to develop, covering 4,000 sq mtrs and comprising 6 interactive worlds.  It was created by over fifty Chinese artisans and consists of hundreds of silk models attached to metal frames lit from inside by 35,000 LED lights.

Fun at Farmer Parrs Animal World

With thanks to Helen Davies, visitlancashire.com new regular guest blogger.

The sun was shining as we drove towards Farmer Parrs Animal World in Fleetwood Lancashire. Accompanied by my sister-in-law, friend and my 18-month-old niece, Arya, I was excited for a day on the farm.

We arrived at 11.30am and headed straight for the Pottery Studio where Arya chose a little ceramic dog to paint and we got to work. I'm not sure who had more fun, us or her! Whilst we painted, we had the opportunity to learn the story behind the project. The Pottery Studio is owned and run by the charity, Autism Initiatives, who give employment opportunities to people with autism. They make all of the pottery in house and it allows them to develop skills, both social and practical in a safe and friendly environment. Such a fantastic initiative!

After all that painting, we were hungry so headed off to the cafe for lunch! They had a great menu with everything from breakfasts and burgers to salads, sandwiches and my favourite, jacket potato with cheese and beans! They also had a children’s menu too, so there was plenty of choice for Arya.

Guest blog: Learning about taxidermy at Blackburn Museum

With thanks to Caroline Eccles from Huckleberry Films in Accrington for sharing his blog with visitlancashire.com.  

Just before Christmas I attended a 1 day beginners taxidermy course at Blackburn Museum. It was led by self taught vegan taxidermist Nicola Hebson, who has been practicing taxidermy since 2011.

Nicola welcomed us all to the class, and explained the techniques by demonstrating on a little white mouse.  I was a little bit queasy watching as she made the first incision - but it was a lot less messy than I’d expected, and really amazing to see how quickly she worked. Then it was time for us to put on our latex gloves and get started ourselves! We each selected our own mouse, and began to follow the same process that we had just watched. Nicola was really helpful, assisting with tricky bits and offering advice throughout.

Guest Blog: Lancashire Churches Stained Glass Heritage

With thanks to Daniel James Burke at  Lightworks Stained Glass, Clitheroe, for sharing his blog with visitlancashire.com.  

A series of articles featuring selected examples of stunning stained glass windows to be found through-out Lancashire’s churches

No 1: The Virgin Mary & Child, St. Mary & All Saints Church, Whalley

This modestly proportioned gem of a stained glass window by eminent arts & crafts stained glass artist, Christopher Whitworth Whall, can be found to the east of the main entrance door-way within the south elevation of beautiful Grade I* listed Whalley Parish Church.

Christmas at the Marriott

With the party season in full swing it was good to be invited to experience some festive fun courtesy of one of our Member organisations. The Preston Marriott party night starts when you step on the red carpet leading towards wonderfully decorated Christmas trees in the reception area - this really set the mood for what was a great evening of Christmas party fun, fantastic food, disco and casino gaming tables.

Guest Blog: BBC Autumnwatch comes to RSPB Leighton Moss

With thanks to Annabel Rushton at RSPB Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay nature reserve for sharing her blog with visitlancashire.com.  

I am delighted to be writing my first guest blog for Visit Lancashire as I have some incredibly exciting news. RSPB Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay nature reserve near Silverdale is going to be the home of this year’s series of BBC Autumnwatch! We are getting incredibly excited and cannot wait for filming to begin so we can showcase all that Leighton Moss and the surrounding area has to offer wildlife lovers of all ages.

Taste Lancashire Produce Evening at The Sparrowhawk, Fence

Lancashire food blogger Andrew Stevenson joined us at The Sparrowhawk in Fence for last week’s Taste Lancashire Produce Evening.
Here’s what he thought...

smoked haddock rarebit with Leagrams Lancashire cheese

This was the last in the current series of Taste Lancashire evenings, where Lancashire restaurants have been teamed up with a local producer to showcase both the restaurant and the producer. On this occasion the restaurant was the Sparrowhawk in Fence, and the producer was Leagram Organic Dairy of Chipping. 

SABBAT - A spell-binding drama inspired by the Lancashire Witch Trials 1612

Written by Richard Shannon, directed by Amy Leach and produced by The Dukes, Lancaster.

It could have been the long shadows growing across the solid stonework, the elongated pointed fingers of outstretched hands picking at the walls, the air thick with history in Hoghton Tower’s banqueting hall ... but Sabbat, The Dukes’ touring production about the Lancashire Witches, moved me more than any theatre piece has moved me for some time.

The 4 cast members owned the small performance space, with the room’s finery and antiques adding another character and dimension to the piece, slipping stealth-like around the audience and drawing us into the action. Such intimacy, when the performances are so equally matched, makes for truly engaging theatre but I have to admit (and I’m sure this is the skill of writer Richard Shannon and Director Amy Leach) that we are cleverly drawn to each of the characters in turn, have sympathy for them all and their social situation but ultimately know that some great wrong is being done here – and that wrong is meted most on Alice Nutter and Jennet Device.