Visible from miles around, the spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Lake District. Erected in the 1850’s, in Gothic Revival style, it remains a popular church among the Ambleside community, and occasionally functions as a concert venue.
Step into the majestic Blackpool Tower Ballroom for an experience like no other. With stunning architecture, live music and treats galore, Afternoon Tea here is highly recommended.
From £60.00
Come face to face with SEA LIFE Blackpool’s hungriest resident. This unique experience gives you the chance to feed Phoenix the green sea turtle and learn about this endangered species.
From £75.00
Mrs Claus needs your help with a festive Bake-Off like no other in this interactive children’s theatre show at The Octagon.
From £11.00
A heartwarming festive treat for all ages, this brand-new musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol brings Bolton’s stage to life with music, magic and Dickensian spirit.
From £15.00
Bringing music, laughter and a welcome dose of festive cheer, a brand-new adaptation of the Dickensian classic is the perfect festive treat for families this Christmas.
From £15.00
A play about families, grief, and the unreliable narratives we inherit. Directed by Bolton Octagon Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham. Starring Vicky Binns, Victoria Brazier, Helen Flannagan and Polly Lister.
From £15.00
The guided tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the brewhouse and state-of-the-art packaging plant, giving visitors a full sense of what “real Yorkshire beer” means today.
From £15.00
The UK’s most important visual art prize is back for its 2025 edition, with four new artist nominations in Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Art Gallery.
Free entry
Full of interesting and unusual objects, The Armitt is a museum that shares the history and heritage of Ambleside and its people.
A mock gothic castle, far from the usual Windermere crowds, with stunning grounds and a short walk to Claife Viewing station.
A high-end restaurant in the Lake District, combining traditional British ingredients with original modern ideas.
Attempt to hit a clay flying at 65mph or navigate the obstacles along a wood chip track on a Krazy Kart, at this Arts and Crafts style house in Cumbria.
Next door to Dove Cottage, Wordsworth’s first family home, is the Wordsworth Museum, which houses an unsurpassed collection of the Wordsworths’ letters, journals and poems.
From book launches to writing groups to poetry nights, there’s always something going on at Wordsworth Grasmere.
Dove Cottage is where William Wordsworth lived and wrote, and where the Wordsworth Trust continues that work today with poets in residence and public programmes.
Tucked away in a remote corner of the Lake District is Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbarn, an artistic epitaph to the avant garde ‘godfather of modern art’.
Lake District accommodation that manages to be luxurious and environmentally friendly at the same time.
We love the fantastic Forest Side Restaurant. Attached to the historic Forest Side Hotel in Grasmere, this is one of the best places to eat in Cumbria.
A luxurious four star hotel in Grasmere, in the heart of the Lake District.
Winter brings a huge haul of seasonal shows, as well as productions that resolutely veer away from the fairy lights.
Manchester’s closing out the year – and looking to the new one – with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.
There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.
Manchester’s family‑friendly scene is buzzing this season with storytelling, theatre, and hands‑on fun for all ages.
In galleries around the North this autumn, you'll find tactile sculptures, Treasures with a capital 'T' and plant magic.
Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
