So, why did they decide to create their own festival? “We ask ourselves that on a daily basis!” Anthony admits. “After working together for over decade on various other projects, we wanted to scale up to something we could really get our teeth into”.

After previously putting on shows in small music venues, a festival felt like the next step that would allow them to expand as they please. The pair have clearly put a lot into this project, and it has quickly paid off with The Brit Fest winning the Leading Live Event award at This Is Manchester Awards 2025. 

“Winning this award was a huge achievement and gives acknowledgements for all the hard work and all the team – everything that’s gone on behind the scenes,” says Anthony. 

Anthony credits this success with the festival gaining ‘keys of entry’ into Manchester. “We’re seen as an event that’s far away, but we’re also super close to Manchester, and since then we’ve had a lot of interest from lots of businesses. It’s been a very big open door for us,” he says. 

“Now it’s like the circus comes to town, and when that arrives people wanna be part of it.” 

Previous acts include The Bluetones, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young and T’Pau. And next year’s lineup features an equally impressive collection of British artists and bands who have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide. 

Acts on the Friday tend to be “typically more 90’s and indie-centric,” which Anthony is “more excited about” than the Saturday line-up, which caters more to the tastes of his brother Edward who is a “big 80’s fan” – “That’s sort of where the themes and guides came from,” he explains. 

With a big beaming grin, Anthony tells me: “My 17-year-old self would be so proud of being involved in something like this, it’s just massive”. It is immediately evident why after looking at the line-up. “It’s just heritage, these guys are absolute legends. It’s absolutely mega,” he adds.

Hosts Jenny Powell and Mike Toolan are returning for the third year running for a stellar line up: Happy Mondays headline the festival on Friday, Holly Johnson on Saturday and ABC on Sunday. Many other British music icons including Peter Hook & The Light, Altered Images and The Farm, to name but a few, are also performing with the full line-up listed on the festival’s website. 

Alongside household names performing, Anthony says this year the festival is welcoming smaller bands and performers. “We’re building a small indoor arena that will showcase the best of local upcoming and unsigned artists,” he says. “There will be a real platform for that”. 

In addition to the music there are a whole host of other activities planned for next year’s events, including firewalking, archery and axe throwing. And Anthony tells me that now you can even get married at the festival! 

“The great thing about a festival is that it’s so much more than just a gig,” he says. “You’re part of the village for four days. There’s so many things to do, so many people to meet.”

More than 70% of the festival’s traders and suppliers are based in the North West, ensuring the event’s economic benefits stay within the region. As well as an award-winning food and drink line-up including viral food truck brothers The Spud Bros, there are many options for accommodation at the festival. Choose from camping, glamping or a local bed and breakfast in the area with a free bus service available to and from the festival site. Accessibility is a priority for the brothers, with step-free access, dedicated viewing areas, and improved parking to make The Brit Fest open and enjoyable for everyone.

Although the summer seems a long way off Anthony says plans are already well under way and the brothers are working on it every day to make this year’s event “a fully inclusive festival where you can kick back, have a good laugh, and just dance.”

If that sounds like your thing, then the Brit Fest may just be the perfect festival for you. 

The Brit Fest is at Ashley Hall Showground from 2-5 July 2026.

All images courtesy of The Brit Fest

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In 1086, the land on which Fleetwood now stands was deemed in the Doomsday Book as part of the ‘Amounderness Hundred’, one of the six subdivisions of Lancashire.

During the reign of Henry VIII, a manor house situated at present-day Rossall, in the southwest of the town, was in the possession of the Allen family, but not for long. The Allens were prominent Roman Catholics, and Henry VIII repossessed the land. It was ultimately sold to Thomas Fleetwood, a senior finance executive of the Royal Mint,  and the land would remain in the family  for 300 years. Thomas’ son Edmund expanded the manor into Rossall Hall and many decades later this was to become Rossall School which still exists today.

By the 1830s, the house and estate were in the ownership of Edmund’s descendant, Peter Hesketh, MP of Preston and High Sheriff of Lancashire. Hesketh an entrepreneur,  he believed that the sheltered harbour and views over Morecambe Bay gave the area the makings of a busy seaport and popular resort for the less affluent.

At the time there were no rail links between London and Scotland, so, he set about encouraging a railway link from Preston. With a new career in Parliament to prepare for, he engaged Frederick Kemp as his agent – this appears to have been the beginning of his downfall. Hesketh originally considered naming the new town Wyreton or New Liverpool,  but when he was later knighted, he petitioned Queen Victoria to add his mother’s maiden name ‘Fleetwood’ to his own name.  Well who wouldn’t want a town named after them?

The railway initiative alone was a momentous task to take on, and  inevitable delays ensued. He also recruited the prominent architect, Decimus Burton (now that would make a great name for a town) to lay out what would be the first planned town of  the Victorian era. The construction of the first buildings and the railway line began in 1836.

By 1838, Hesketh-Fleetwood had run into serious financial difficulties, with costs for the railway in particular ultimately exceeding £300,000. He had numerous financial arguments with Frederick Kemp. Depressed, he gradually withdrew from the project, and by 1844 he had been obliged to sell much of his estate. In 1847 virtually bankrupt, Hesketh-Fleetwood retired to Brighton, giving up his parliamentary obligations. Meanwhile, Kemp’s influence expanded.

The single railway line from Preston to Fleetwood opened on 15 July 1840, following the formation of the Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Company.

The North Euston Hotel, still considered Fleetwood’s crown jewel by many, is a fine semi-circular building now providing 53 on suite bedrooms. On opening in 1841 it provided the perfect venue to serve overnight guests making the railway journey from Euston Station in London.  At the time, there was no direct rail route from London to Scotland along the west coast, the point of departure for the steamers to Scotland was close to the hotel. Travellers would arrive at Fleetwood and take the sea ferry to Ardrossan, then travel by rail to Glasgow. Breakfast at the North Euston was two shillings, a bedroom four shillings a day.

Wealthy visitors stayed in this hotel and surrounding  fashionable area for three weeks to three months. During Whitsuntide Week of 1844 thousands of trippers travelled to Fleetwood on the half fares offered by the railway company. In 1846 the largest Sunday School trip was a train of 56 carriages, pulled by two engines, carrying 4,200 people.

In the 1890s, the construction and expansion of rival cargo ports and the building of the Manchester Ship Canal heralded the decline of Fleetwood’s prominence as a cargo port. But this was more than offset by a period of rapid expansion of the fishing industry and  Fleetwood’s position as one of the three major fishing ports in England was cemented.

Fleetwood Pier, the last seaside pier to be built in the UK, opened in 1910. After withstanding a fire in 1952, sadly a fire in September 2008 led to its demolition later in the same month.

The first fully automated telephone exchange in Britain was put into operation to serve the town on 15 July 1922!

The 1920s, the fishing industry was at its height, employing over 9,000 people. Over the next few years, the sea front along the north shore was developed in resort fashion, to encourage visitors for whom the brashness of Blackpool was too daunting.

Fleetwood boasts three lighthouses, one now in disrepair. In their heyday, they safely guided  thousands of ships through the Wyre channel and into port. These bastions of the sea were unable to assist the town when it was hit by a huge flood in October 1927, which put 90% of the area of the town under water.

Sadly, Fleetwood was a hostage of the 1960’s and 70’s Cod Wars, over fishing rights between Iceland and the UK. As a result, commercial fishing has seriously declined. In 1982, the last deep sea trawler left the town  and now only inshore fishing boats fish out of the port. Trawlers registered in other places can still be seen taking advantage of the popular fish market were local restauranteurs  source all  of their produce daily at Fleetwood market. Fleetwood still has a smattering of remaining small ‘day boats’ and so the auction hall is still thriving with fish caught from them.

A beautiful and poignant reminder of lives lost and saved is undoubtably the pair of bronze figures, designed and sculptured by Anita Lafford. It stands on the promenade, by the pier, depicting the idea of families welcoming back the fishermen from sea. The statue was provided by Fisherman’s Friend assisted by Wyre Borough Council.

In 1995, the deserted Wyre Dock was developed into a marina, the then derelict dock landing area was developed into the retail shopping centre ,originally called Freeport Fleetwood. In 2018 it became ‘Affinity Lancashire’ personally I would have preferred ‘Wyre Dock’ but then I wasn’t asked!

The town’s most notable employer today is the firm, Lofthouse of Fleetwood, a British family-owned company based in Fleetwood. It was headed by Tony Lofthouse until his death in 2018; he was the fourth generation of the Lofthouse family to head the company. The company’s most famous product is the Fisherman’s Friend lozenge, which is exported around the world.It remains a family business and produces over 5 billion lozenges annually which are available in over 100 countries worldwide. U.K. variants include Original Extra Strong, Original No Added Sugar, Aniseed, Sugar-Free Blackcurrant, Sugar-Free Spearmint, Sugar-Free Honey & Lemon, Sugar-Free Cherry, Sugar-Free Mint and Sugar-Free Lemon.

As frequent travellers across the globe, my husband and I have always found the sight of Fisherman’s Friends lozenges on sale abroad, somewhat comforting. It all started when we noticed shelves and shelves of the brand, in an airport on the west coast of America, who knew that stars flying in to their Hollywood mansions might swan past or stop and buy from a whole array of various flavours of Fisherman’s Friends. Many flavours available that we certainly haven’t come across in the UK.

These days we silently smile and  nod to each other when we see the white packets lined up patiently waiting to be bought. Within our PR business we have clients from across the globe and finding out about their choice, whether it’s the salty version liked by our Stockholm clients, or the original which our Polish friends say are ‘cool’ or as we know our USA contacts, they just love them all! On meeting a client from the far east, he brought me a packet as a gift! For us, this little lozenge has become an almost shared value between us.

On our sojourn we passed the Lofthouse of Fleetwood HQ. I wonder how many visitors across the years have passed in their cars and pointed excitedly at the famous Fisherman’s Friend signage on the building?

From Spring 2020 until 28th November 2020 there is a  temporary exhibition about all things Fisherman’s Friend installed at Fleetwood Museum and we sincerely hope we can visit before then and find out more about the fascinating story of this world famous lozenge. At the time of writing, Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in August and the Museum is once again open.

Fleetwood Museum is an important component of the very fabric of Fleetwood and explores the rich history of this seaside town. The museum occupies Fleetwood’s oldest complete building. It was originally the Custom House, opened in 1838 it’s one of the oldest buildings still in use today. When Fleetwood became a Municipal Borough in 1933 it became the Town Hall. After being threatened with closure by Lancashire County Council, the museum reopened in April 2018 under the stewardship of Fleetwood Museum Trust – an independent charity.  The museum is proud to receive annual funding from the people of Fleetwood through Fleetwood Town Council.  Fleetwood Museum is largely volunteer run by passionate local people and is a true community museum and may it always remain so.

So, back to our beloved little lozenge, loved by many, including my family and reputedly the late Dame Margaret Thatcher also. In 1865, Fleetwood pharmacist James Lofthouse created his own menthol and eucalyptus liquid for local fishermen to take at sea, giving relief in the harsh and freezing conditions of the north Atlantic. Later made in lozenge form, what came to be known as ‘Fisherman’s Friend’ had been born. Originally sold in the local Lofthouse Chemist shop in Fleetwood, Fisherman’s Friend now produces over 5 billion lozenges annually in the Fleetwood factory, sold in over 100 countries around the world. 

The Museum exhibition tells the inspiring story of Fisherman’s Friend. It explores the original idea and creation of the product in 1865, charting the development and growth of this proud Fleetwood business. Ben Whittaker, Museum Manager, Fleetwood Museum, says: “We are really excited to be working with Lofthouse of Fleetwood Limited to create this exhibition.  Fisherman’s Friend is a real success story for the town of Fleetwood which we want to celebrate. 

“They have a fascinating history – James Lofthouse developed the product in response to demand from local fishermen, and their Chairman, Doreen Lofthouse OBE continues to be instrumental in developing Fisherman’s Friend today. Visitors to the exhibition will also be surprised to know how popular Fisherman’s Friend is around the world – with some exotic flavours only available overseas.”

Having read and researched more about Doreen Lofthouse, I believe a Damehood rather than an OBE would have been a more appropriate honour!

I am told that the exhibition features objects charting the history of Fisherman’s Friend and examples of Fisherman’s Friend memorabilia from over the years.  It also reveals, I am told, some fascinating secrets such as the story behind the famous fishing boat logo something I personally cannot wait to know.

The Lofthouse family are supporting the exhibition and Duncan Lofthouse. Managing Director at Lofthouse of Fleetwood Limited, says: “Over 150 years since James Lofthouse produced our first lozenge, Fisherman’s Friend is still a family-owned business. Fleetwood has always been – and always will be – at the heart of our story. That’s why we are delighted to be supporting Fleetwood Museum’s local exhibition that goes back to our roots and highlights historical milestones.”

My husband Bob and I are thankful that we took a wrong turn that day, in June this year, and began to discover more about the bygone and present charms of Fleetwood. Perhaps one good product of Covid-19 is that we cannot fly off around the world but, when possible, we can embrace and enjoy our local, regional, and national history. Who knew that Fleetwood is the only town in the UK with trams running the full length of its main street, sharing road-space with cars!

We have much to be proud of and one of those British icons is the modest Lofthouse Family’s delightful unassuming lozenge, which, takes its world fame with a certain grace that many others could only aspire to.

Fleetwood Museum is keen to hear from anyone who may have a piece of Fisherman’s Friend memorabilia they would be willing to loan or donate for the exhibition, or to share a story or memory related to Fisherman’s Friend that could potentially feature in the display.  To share a story or offer an object contact info@fleetwoodmuseum.co.uk or 01253876621.

Read about Lorraine’s visit to Blenheim Palace a breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Oxfordshire

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The competition, now in its fourth year, is the second largest national playwriting competition and provides a great platform for new comedy plays and writers across the UK.

Previous winners include Katie Mulgrew, Simon Bradbury and last year’s winner, Colin Downland whose script ‘Headless’, set in a primary school on the morning of an Ofsted inspection, is now in development with Liverpool’s Royal Court.

In addition to the winner’s prize of £10,000, further cash prizes are available for commended scripts. Gerry Linford, who picked up a highly commended award, for his play, ‘The Miracle of Great Homer Street’ has since gone on to write three new plays produced by the Royal Court with a fourth planned.

Royal Court Executive Producer Kevin Fearon is looking forward to judging the competition. “We have been delighted to be involved with the Playwriting Prize since it began in 2015,” he says. “We have seen a huge number of entries for the previous competitions from all around the country and we are looking forward to doing it all again. The quality of the scripts has meant that the judging is always a difficult process but it means that the very best are chosen for the award”.

Other judges joining Kevin on the panel this year include: Dr John Bennett from Liverpool Hope University; writer Maurice Bessman; comedian and actor Les Dennis; talent agent Kate Haldane from PBJ Management, and Out of Joints Artistic Director, Kate Wasserberg.

Judges are looking for new full-length scripts for no more than 8 actors, with a story that has comedy at its heart. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 who lives in the UK or Republic of Ireland who has an original comedy script that hasn’t previously been performed.

The deadline for entries is 31 May 2020 and the winner and runner/s-up will be revealed at a ceremony in April 2021.

“There are huge numbers of people from all industries who know that they have a book, a song or a play in them and we are already seeing that creativity coming to the fore on social media,” Kevin adds. “Can you imagine if you took this time to get that play down on paper and it ended up winning you £10,000?”

For more details of the competition and how to enter visit www.playwriting prize.com

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What is the story of Who Cares?

Matt: ‘Who Cares’ is a verbatim play adapted from over 200 hours of interviews with young carers in Salford made with LUNG, The Lowry and in partnership with Gaddum. It follows the lives of Nicole, Connor and Jade and what it’s like caring for a loved one. As well as exploring the reality of being a young carer in Salford, we get an insight into their every-day lives. We follow the young carers as they skive lessons, cut the lunch queue and getting the number 36 bus. We see them as normal teenagers at school but also get an insight into their lives at home. 

Are the characters portrayed real people?

Matt: ‘Who Cares’ is adapted from the real-life testimonies of a group of young carers. All the words spoken in the play, they said in interviews. The young carers also cast the show, fed into the set design and picked their favourite tunes to play throughout. It is made by, with and for young carers. 

How did you find working with young carers?

Matt: The whole experience has been eye-opening. I had no idea when we started the process 1 in 12 young people will care for someone at some point in their lives and they save the government £132 billion a year in the unpaid caring they do. This interview process first began in 2015 and I’ve been staggered by their commitment to the project. More than anything though, they are just normal teenagers. They are naughty and rowdy, just like everybody else. 

Why was it important to keep the script true to the young carers’ words?

Matt: From the beginning the young carers said they wanted the piece to be verbatim because they wanted to speak about their own experience and not have someone speak on behalf of them. Adults are guilty enough of that as it is… They also felt film and telly sometimes portray young carers and get it wrong. We wanted to make something that gave audiences direct access to the voices of young carers. Verbatim was the only way. 

What has been the response from the young carers involved and their families?

Matt: We’ve had a lot of tear-jerking performances. The shows where the young carers and their families have been in the theatre have been particularly emotional. They’ve also felt like a celebration of how incredible these young people are and what they’ve achieved.  

The project began in 2016, what has happened since then?

Matt: Since 2016, the play has been performed the schools, youth zones and young carers services across the UK. The play has already identified 28 young carers across the UK and they have been signposted to local services. We’ve also taken it to the House of Lords where the young carers spoke to effect social change. We are currently at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Summerhall and we’ve launched a parliamentary petition to try and improve services for young carers in Salford. 

What would you like people to take from the show?

Matt: If you are an adult, we invite you to sign our petition and stand up and fight for the rights of young carers in the UK. If you are a young carer, we have one clear message: ‘You are not on your own’ 

What is the Who Cares campaign and how can people get involved?

Matt: A young carer is someone aged 0-18 who looks after a relative with a long-term condition. 1 in 12 young people care for someone. They save the country £132 billion a year in the unpaid caring they do. We are asking Parliament to improve the quality of services available to them. Please sign our parliamentary petition – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/268610 and find out other ways to get involved by visiting whocarestour.org.uk

Who Cares from LUNG theatre is at Main Hall, Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Fringe from 3 – 25 August (not 12).

Read our review of Who Cares when it premiered at The Lowry in 2016.

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Norman Cornish’s depiction of mining life in north east England captured the working heart of pitmen and their communities. It was an industrial lifestyle and landscape that defined generations and yet within Cornish’s lifetime would transform beyond recognition.

The last North East deep mine closed in 2005, nine years before Cornish’s death in 2014. His paintings remain one of the clearest chronicles of both the economic and social history of the region and of the coal mining industry during the 20^th century.

As broadcaster, Melvyn Bragg explains: “Where is this community which was the engine of the greatest revolution in the world – the Industrial Revolution? These are the men who made the real British Empire in steam and engineering and shipbuilding, and fed it with a vital power of coal. It’s gone. It has been all but wiped from the landscape and we mourn it and are only just beginning to understand how much it needs to be celebrated. The work of Norman Cornish will lead us there.

“He stands as a magnificent Chronicler of one of the most important passages in English history.

“The paintings and drawing he brings to us of the hard-lived lives of a community which defied the odds will be enduring. He has not only preserved a life lived by millions of people in this country and others around the world, he has given it significance and permanence that only a real artist can achieve.”

Cornish’s talent for art seems to have been there from his earliest days. In 1923, on a on a pre-school visit to King Street Primary School, he won first prize (an old halfpenny) for his drawing of a lady’s boot. Despite a serious health set-back when he contracted diphtheria aged 7, Cornish excelled at school, passing the Eleven Plus to gain a place at The Alderman Wraith Grammar School.

At the age of 14, like most of his male contemporaries in Spennymoor, Cornish left education to join the Dean and Chapter Colliery three-miles along the road at Ferryhill. The pit was nicknamed locally as ‘The Butchers Shop’, owing to the number of accidents and there are 177 deaths recorded by Durham Mining Museum. Cornish once said of his first day: “When I signed on the dotted line the official said in his deep voice ‘You’ve just signed your death warrant son.'”

Cornish worked as an underground coal miner for 33-years and as part of Spennymoor Settlement Sketching Club recorded his experiences through art.

During his years in the pit, Cornish’s art work was exhibited both nationally and locally. The National Coal Board bought five of his paintings for their London offices and in 1962 he was commissioned to paint a 30-foot mural typifying life in County Durham for the new County Hall in Durham City, for which he was paid £1000 and given three-months unpaid leave from the colliery.

But despite this recognition it was only when a worsening back complaint forced him to leave mining in 1966 that he changed career to become a full-time professional artist.

Spennymoor at that time was changing rapidly and many of the street scenes that Norman painted are the only record of a time and place that no longer exist. The value of Norman’s work as a social-historical document as well as an artistic body of work was becoming apparent. His significance as a major contemporary artist was reinforced in 1974 when he was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from Newcastle University.

Further honours followed with an an honorary Doctorate in Civil Law from the University of Northumbria in 1995, to whom he presented a body of his work for their permanent collection in 1997, and an MBE for his contribution to art in 2008.

After his death, Cornish’s studio was donated to Beamish Museum, whose plans to develop a 1950s town include the re-creation of the Cornish family home from 33 Bishops Close Street, Spennymoor.

This year, 100 years since his birth, Cornish’s family has worked in partnership with curators, academics, artists, biographers, galleries and the community to draw together a centenary celebration of his life and work, with many previously unseen pieces on display in six exhibitions across County Durham throughout 2019.

In his hometown, a new exhibition at the Bob Abley Art Gallery in Spennymoor tells the story of his mural depicting the Durham Miners’ Gala.

The exhibition features a range of preparatory paintings, drawings, sketches and correspondence plotting the artist’s sometimes challenging journey from the commission of the nine-metre mural by Durham County Council to its installation at Durham’s County Hall, Aykley Heads where it remains.

In Bishop Auckland, the Mining Art Gallery, part of The Auckland Project focuses on community identity in Norman Cornish – A Slice of Life. The exhibition is co-curated by residents of Norman’s home-town of Spennymoor, alongside his children John and Ann, all guided by the gallery’s curator Angela Thomas of The Auckland Project.

“We felt it was important to give a voice to the communities Norman lived amongst and took inspiration from,” Angela says.

“We’ve invited them to choose some of their favourite works and think about what they mean to them today, highlighting how Norman’s work continues to resonate with all kinds of people. There has been a hugely positive response to Norman’s work from visitors since the gallery opened in 2017, and we hope the centenary celebrations encourage even more people to come and discover his unique point of view.”

Other highlights in the region include The Norman Cornish Trail in the artist’s hometown of Spennymoor. Here visitors can walk in Cornish’s footsteps guided by a free trail guide or app offering insights into many original locations which inspired his paintings – taking people back to a time when coal was once the life-blood of industry and of the communities who mined it.

The Story of the Durham Miners’ Gala Mural runs throughout the centenary year from 6 April 2019 to the end of February 2020.

Norman Cornish – A Slice of Life opens at the Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland Market Place on 6 April and runs until 5 January 2020.

Norman Cornish – The Portraits. Gala Gallery, Durham 30 June -1 September 2019.

Cornish – A Man of Destiny at The Greenfield Gallery, Greenfield Arts 10 October 2019 – 11 December 2019.

Norman Cornish – The Sketchbooks at Palace Green Library, Durham University 16 November 2019 – 23 February 2020.

Norman Cornish – The Definitive Collection at The Bowes Museum 16 November 2019 to 23 February 2020.

Norman Cornish’s Former Home Beamish Museum, permanent display.

Norman Cornish Revealed at Gallery North, University of Northumbria, 28 November to 20 December 2019.

For more details visit www.normancornish.com

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This global initiative from 1854 Media, publisher of British Journal of Photography, with Magnum Photos aims to use the power of photography to capture and celebrate the humanity that unites us all.

The competition, which is open photographers of any level, is searching for images which portray the unity of human beings around the world, by expressing the universal through the individual.

The aim is to create one of the greatest collaborative photography exhibitions in history, capturing the many faces of humanity, and documenting the universal expressions of life; laughter, courage, moments of reflection, journeys to work, first hellos, last goodbyes, and everything that happens in between.

Entries are open to all interpretations of portraiture; self-portraits, group pictures, street photography and close on 8 January 2019. Photographers of the winning three images will share $10,000 in grant awards to create projects that explore their interpretations of humanity.

The 200 shortlisted photographs will be featured in the Portrait of Humanity book and 50 winning images will be exhibited at various locations around the world from September – December 2019.

For more details on how to enter visit portraitofhumanity.co

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Living with autism he understands sometimes there can be barriers to accessibility that aren’t always obvious.

For 10 years the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain has been championing accessibility for all. This year for the first time it also includes reviews for visitors with hidden conditions such as autism and mental illness.

All places and venues in the guide have been reviewed by team of reviewers, who either have a disability themselves or visited the venue with a disabled friend or relative.

“From personal experience, I know that many people face particular barriers to enjoying a day out.,” says Chris. “The guide equips visitors with all the information they need to set out with confidence so they can simply concentrate on making the most of their day”.

The guide, available to read free online, includes more than 180 ideas for fantastic days out that are open to everyone.

Here are 10 of the best accessible days out in the north west:

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