Days Out

Let’s make the Bradford Playhouse accessible

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A screenshot of the Bradford Playhouse crowdfunder page for accessibility improvements

It was almost 11 years ago that I asked my blog readers to help save the Bradford Playhouse. The good news is that it was saved, and is still open. Unfortunately, being as it is a theatre from the 1920s, it’s not accessible – but its management team want to change that.

For anyone who can’t manage stairs, the building is essentially a no-go. There are stairs up to the main entrance, and once you’re inside, more stairs up to the seating or down to the bar. There is no lift, nor has there ever been one.

The good news is that planning permission has now been granted for accessibility improvements. There’ll be a new entrance, that much needed lift, and a facelift for the front of the building to restore its original art-deco appearance. In even better news, most of the money has been found to fund the improvements, partly thanks to Bradford being City of Culture for 2025. But there’s still a bit more money needed, and that’s where you can help.

Crowd funding

There’s a Crowd Funder, which needs to raise £10,000 by the 16th April. At the time of writing, they are 19% of the way there. Even if you can only spare £10, if another 800 people do the same, it’ll be enough to meet the target.

As regular readers will know, accessibility is something that is important to me and I include a section in all my newer days out reviews. Installing a lift at the Bradford Playhouse will open it up to many people who can’t manage stairs – not just wheelchair users, but others with mobility issues, and parents with prams. That way, more people can enjoy shows there, and it makes the venue more attractive to producers who currently may be deterred by its lack of accessibility. It would be fantastic if the funding target could be met, and the work completed before the end of Bradford’s year as City of Culture ends in 10 months time. I’ve already contributed; if you can, please contribute as well.

The Earth Centre, Conisbrough

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A photo of some of the Earth Centre buildings, taken in 2008 by Trevor Willis

In last weekend’s post about Magna, I mentioned that it had escaped the fate of another nearby Millennium Project, The Earth Centre, further down the Don Valley. The Earth Centre opened in 1999, but closed just five years later.

Thankfully, unlike Transperience (another failed museum near Bradford that I wrote about in 2010), I did manage to visit the Earth Centre whilst it was open. That being said, my visit was around 25 years ago. I don’t think I still have any photos of my visit, and even if I did, they would’ve been shot on photographic film as I didn’t get a digital camera until 2003. The image above is from Geograph and re-used under this Creative Commons license. This also means that my observations are from rather old memories.

The Earth Centre was a visitor attraction to showcase ways that we could be more sustainable, and reduce our negative impacts on the environment. There was a large solar panel array, and I remember there being a building with a small wood burner that could generate heat from fast-growing willow trees on-site. There were also play areas and things for kids to do. The architecture was modern too, and the buildings were designed to be highly energy efficient – many with grass roofs. A series of reed beds ensured that any sewage produced could be cleaned up before being discharged into the River Don.

It was quite a large site, and as well as walking around, I remember there being a kind-of ‘bike bus’ where every passenger could also peddle, so it didn’t consume any diesel.

Getting there

The Earth Centre was located near the town of Conisbrough in South Yorkshire, on the site of a former coal mine. The site was within walking distance of Conisbrough railway station, and visitors were encouraged to use sustainable forms of transport to get there. Indeed, the relatively small car park was located some distance away. That may have been one of the reasons why it struggled – getting there wasn’t easy. I know we went there by train, but whilst Conisbrough station is on the line between Doncaster and Sheffield, only local stopping services call there. Again, I can’t remember how frequent the trains were back then, but nowadays Conisbrough gets just one train an hour in each direction.

Reasons for failure

The main reason why the Earth Centre closed was a lack of visitors. In its later years, it closed to the general public and was only open to pre-booked groups (e.g. schools), but even that wasn’t enough. I’ve mentioned the difficulties getting there, but I also remember Jeremy Clarkson giving it a hard time on his TV talk show, Clarkson, which ran from 1998 to 2000. He was filmed taking his son there, and made it out that the Earth Centre was some kind of really boring theme park.

But I also think it was maybe ahead of its time. Our knowledge about the environment, and the effects of climate change, have significantly increased in the 20+ years since the Earth Centre closed. Maybe a similar attraction would do better if opened today – especially if it was built somewhere with better transport links.

Over in Wales, there’s the Centre for Alternative Technology which is kind-of similar, and indeed pre-dates the Earth Centre. Sadly, like the Earth Centre was in its later years, it’s now only open to pre-booked groups.

As for the Earth Centre’s fate following closure? For a while, it became an air-soft arena, was used as a filming location, and then in 2011 it became an outdoor activity centre. Although the company that now owns it went into administration last month, so who knows what will happen in future.

I remember my trip to the Earth Centre quite fondly, and for a while later I had a t-shirt from the gift shop which had been made from unbleached cotton (again, a novelty at the time). It was a shame that it closed.

Many more photos of the site are available on this article from the 20th Century Society.

Magna Science Adventure Centre

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A photo of the outside of Magna Science Adventure Centre

What if I told you that Rotherham was home to one of Britain’s best science museums? Well, it is, in the form of the Magna Science Adventure Centre. I feel like it’s somewhere that I would’ve written about before, but can’t find a previous blog post about it. We’ve been a few times – I went with my parents when it first opened, and I’ve taken our little one several times, including last weekend.

History of Magna

Magna was one of a number of visitor attractions funded by the Millennium Commission, to mark the turn of the Millennium. It opened in 2001, with high expectations – further down the Don Valley, the Earth Centre in Conisbrough had opened in 1999 and was already struggling to meet its visitor targets. The Earth Centre ultimately closed in 2004 – a shame, as I’d enjoyed my visit there and felt it was perhaps ahead of its time.

Anyway, the good news is the Magna was more popular, and is still open today. Indeed, it had something of a refit in 2022, so if you’ve been before, there are some new things to see. Magna essentially fills two roles: a history of the area and, in particular, steelworking; and as a more general science museum.

Magna is housed in the former Templeborough Steelworks, or ‘Steelo’s’ as it was known colloquially. This steelworks used electric arc furnaces to recycle scrap steel – relatively new technology at the time, and allowed a significantly higher throughput than coal-powered furnaces. It did require a lot of electricity, however – a staff member commented that, if it was still running today, the steelworks annual electricity bill would be around £100million.

Templeborough Steelworks was massive – housed in a building around 1/3 mile (530 metres) long. Most of the building is still there now – it’s not quite as long as it once was, but it’s still massive. The site closed as a steelworks in 1993, with much of the massive industrial equipment remaining behind in situ, and it wasn’t long before it re-opened as Magna.

A photo of some sparks flying during The Big Melt at Magna.

Four pavilions

The main ‘sciencey’ bit of the museum is split into four ‘pavilions’ – air, fire, water and earth. The Air pavilion is in what looks like a blimp, suspended from the ceiling; fire is at the main level of the museum, water is on the ground floor and earth is underground. Almost everything is hand’s on, in the way that the best museums for kids are these days, so there’s lots of things to press, push and twist. In the Fire pavilion, there’s a demonstration of a fire tornado approximately every 10 minutes, and at weekends there’s also a forge demonstration where you can see how a piece of steel can be melted and shaped.

The water pavilion teaches the water cycle, and lets visitors compare different ways of moving water upwards. Down in the earth pavilion, you can control a digger and learn about quarrying and archaeology, and up in the air pavilion, you can see how wind energy and vacuums work.

The other major indoor attraction is The Big Melt, which runs on the hour four times a day. It’s a big light and sound show, which simulates how the electric arc furnace would have worked in its heyday.

Outside, there is a huge adventure playground, and in summer, there’s Aqua-Tek, which is a small waterpark. Obviously, this being February, it was shut.

Our nine-year-old pretty much demanded a return trip to Magna, hence our visit, and it’s one of their favourite places to visit. I agree.

Accessibility

Having been opened in 2001, mobility access to Magna is pretty good – there are lifts between the different floors and no stairs to manage. That being said, there are some uneven floors in the Earth pavilion in places.

If you experience sensory issues, it may be worth brining ear defenders. Some parts, like The Big Melt, are very loud. Also, on a practical note, it’s worth bringing a change of clothes and some swimming gear for kids, as they will get wet in the Water pavilion and/or Aqua-Tek.

Tickets are cheaper if booked online, and automatically become an annual pass for free repeat visits.

There is a car park on site, but be aware that Magna also has a huge events space, and so the car park may be full at weekends. When we went, there was a junior boxing competition, and this weekend it’s the Camra Great British Winter Beer Festival, so you may need to park some way from the entrance if you’re driving. It’s not far off the M1 junction for the Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

If you want to get there by public transport, then you can catch the X3 bus from Sheffield, Meadowhall or Rotherham, and it drops you outside the back entrance to Magna. In the near future, you’ll also be able to get to Magna by tram, as the Supertram Tram-Train service from Sheffield to Rotherham passes by the site.

Jorvik Viking Centre

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A screenshot of the home page of the Jorvik Viking Centre web site

Last week, we took our nine-year-old for their first visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre in York. Now I grew up in York, and so have been many times over the years, but the last time Christine and I went was in 2012.

Jorvik is undoubtedly one of York’s best known tourist attractions, having opened celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. However, I’m writing about it now because, until the 23rd February, Jorvik is dressed up for winter.

Recreation of Jorvik ride

The main part of Jorvik sees visitors sitting in carriages that move around a recreation of York, or ‘Jorvik’ as it was known in the time of the Vikings. The carriages seat six, and feature a commentary in multiple languages. This part takes around 15 minutes, and the carriages rotate to highlight different parts of the recreated city. The buildings are laid out roughly as they were found when the site was excavated in the 1970s.

Before you go on the ride, there’s a glass floor to walk over which has a recreation of that 1970s archaeological dig. Previously, the site had been a factory for Cravens Confectionery, a now defunct sweet and chocolate manufacturer (alongside Rowntrees, now part of Nestlé, and Terry’s, now part of Mondelez). Local planning rules in York mean that an archaeological dig must take place whenever foundations are to be dug, and this large site resulted in a five year excavation that unveiled many artefacts of York’s past. Indeed, once the ride has finished, you can view some of the finds that were excavated, and find out more about how the Vikings settled in York.

As mentioned, Jorvik has been dressed up for winter, so at present there’s snow on all the recreated buildings and on the ground. If you’ve been to Jorvik recently, maybe give it another visit as it looks very different at present. I didn’t take any photos on my visit this time unfortunately.

Accessibility

Jorvik is accessed down some stairs, although there is a lift. If you’re a wheelchair user, you’ll need to book in advance by phone (not online), as only one of the carriages has been adapted for a wheelchair and the staff will need to give you a specific timeslot. However, all the carriages offer a hearing loop for hearing aid users, and subtitles for the commentary. Famously, Jorvik recreates the smells of Viking York and this is worth being prepared for if you’re sensitive to unusual scents. There’s an extensive accessibility page on Jorvik’s web site, detailing what you can expect and how they can help you.

The days of there being massive queues for Jorvik snaking around the Coppergate Shopping Centre are mostly gone, as you now need to pre-book. You should do this online if you can; you can book on your phone on arrival, but be prepared to have to come back later. We turned up without pre-booking and had to return after 45 minutes. However, the following day, there were signs up saying that all time slots were booked up and no more bookings were being taken that day.

A Max card discount is available.

Bolling Hall Museum, Bradford

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A photo of the outside of the Bolling Hall Museum in Bradford. It's a stone-built stately home.

Last month, we met up with a couple of friends to go to the Bolling Hall Museum in Bradford. Now, long time readers of this blog will know that I lived in Bradford between 2002 and 2010, and still work there, so surely I must have been here loads of times.

Nope. This was the first time I’ve been.

Bolling Hall is an old stately home that has been altered many times over the years. Parts of it date back to the 14th century, and in the early 20th century it was passed to what would eventually become Bradford Council, who run it as one of their museums. As various parts of the building date from different times, there is a variety of architectural styles on show.

Bolling Hall overlooks Bowling Park, to the south of the city centre, and is in what is now mostly the residential area of West Bowling.

A photo of a piano that belonged to Frederick Delius

Inside, the rooms have been mostly laid out as they would have been in Georgian times, including the kitchen and several bedrooms. There’s also a small exhibition about Bolling Hall’s role in the English Civil War; its owners at the time supported the Royalists, whereas the wider Bradford area backed the Parliamentarians.

As with most council-run museums, Bolling Hall is home to various objects in Bradford Council’s collection. This includes the first piano owned by Bradford-born composer Frederick Delius.

It’s not a big museum, and we spent about an hour there. Whilst there are gardens outside, these were mostly roped off when we went.

Amusingly, it was me who created its listing on Foursquare, thirteen years ago, so it was nice to be able to finally check in there.

Accessibility

Being a very old building that has been altered several times, accessibility is not great. If you’re unable to manage stairs, then you can use an accessible entrance to see some of the ground floor rooms, but there isn’t a lift and the upstairs rooms are on different levels.

Bolling Hall Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Entry is free. Parking is available on site, and it’s well-signposted. It’s served by bus 635 from Bradford city centre.

Spooky Skeletons at Lotherton Hall

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A photo of Lotherton Hall. It's a pebble-dashed stately home

At the weekend, I took our eight-year-old to Lotherton Hall and Estate near Leeds. We’ve been many times before (the last time I wrote about a visit was 2016), but this was the first time that we’d been during its Halloween event, Spooky Skeletons. Indeed, as Lotherton isn’t far from York, I’ve been coming since I was young. One of my earliest memories was one of my primary school teachers being on the receiving end of a flying bird’s defecation, which, when you’re not yet ten-years-old, is hilarious.

A photo of the inside of Lotherton Hall, showing two couches facing each other.

Spooky Skeletons

As well as being the first time that I’d been to their Halloween event, this was also the first time that I had been inside the actual hall. All the downstairs rooms have been decorated with lots of skeletons – some rather anatomically questionable – and there’s a general theme of a seaside funfair of the undead as you go between the rooms. It’s not as opulent as Castle Howard’s Christmas events (we went in 2022) and clearly done on a local authority budget, but there was plenty of whimsy.

Outside, there were plenty more skeletons, and the theme was fairytale characters. For example, Robin Hood (with an arrow in his mouth), Peter Pan and Hook, and Sleeping Beauty (both before and after pricking her finger). If you’ve ever been to Lotherton’s Christmas events, it uses the same woodland walk but there were skeletons all over the grounds, including the formal gardens.

Spooky Skeletons is running until this Sunday (the 3rd November).

A zookeeper feeding a group of humboldt penguins at Lotherton Wildlife World

Lotherton Wildlife World

When I was growing up, the main reason to visit Lotherton was the Bird Garden, which had a wide collection of different species of birds. A few years ago, this became Lotherton Wildlife World, and now has a wider range of animals, including tapir, capybara, wallabies and a nocturnal area with bats and cloud rats. Some parts are a little run down, but it’s also clear to see that work is ongoing to renovate it. We were lucky enough to see feeding time for the humboldt penguins.

Accessibility

Lotherton is normally open every day. It’s not far from Junction 47 of the M1 and there’s plenty of car parking. Public transport is more of an issue; the nearest bus stop is in the village of Aberford and then it’s a 20 minute walk. Micklefield is the nearest railway station and has regular trains from Leeds towards York and Selby, but again, it’s a very long walk.

The site is mostly flat, although there are some uneven surfaces. A changing places toilet is available. Tickets are slightly cheaper if you book in advance online. A Max card discount is available.

The Museum of Liverpool

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A photo of the outside of the Museum of Liverpool

So, after we caught the Ferry across the Mersey, we had a couple of hours in Liverpool before we needed to head back. And seeing as the Museum of Liverpool is right by the Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal, we decided to pop in.

All three of us have been before, back in Summer 2016, and if you’re good at maths then you’ll be able to work out how old our eight-year-old was then. So whilst it wasn’t technically their first visit, it might as well have been.

Like the name of the museum suggests, it tells the history of Liverpool, starting at pre-historic times and up to the present day. Some of the exhibits may only be of interest to locals, where these focus on specific areas of Liverpool, but for the most part there’s something for those who only know Liverpool for The Beatles and football.

Railways

Of particular interest to me is the story of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, which used to snake its way past Liverpool’s dockyards along the waterfront. Built in 1893, it suffered extensive damage during the second world war and was demolished in the 1950s. But it was the world’s first elevated railway, one of the first electric railways at a time when steam engines ruled, and one of the first to use modern colour-light railway signalling. In the museum, the one surviving wooden railway carriage is available to look at, on a recreation of the metal structure that carried the railway.

A photo of the steam engine Lion inside the Museum of Liverpool

This carriage isn’t the only rail vehicle inside the museum, and a large part of the ground floor is home to the steam engine Lion. It was built in 1838 for the then relatively new Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which was the world’s first intercity railway, to haul freight.

Whilst entry to the museum is free, some special exhibitions charge. The current exhibition is the Holly Johnson story – Holly Johnson probably being best known as the lead singer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Which would have interested me but probably not our eight-year-old.

Accessibility

As mentioned, entry is free apart from some exhibitions. It’s closed on Mondays, unless it’s school holidays, but open every other day of the week.

Being a new-ish museum, Changing Places and gender-neutral toilets are available, and there are lifts to all floors. Sunday mornings are dedicated quiet times in the museum.

James Street station on Merseyrail is the closest and is around a 5 minute walk away; the main Liverpool Lime Street station is about 20 minutes walk. It’s also close to the ferry terminal, so if you’re driving, you could do what we do and park there, and then catch the ferry.

Taking a ferry across the Mersey

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A photo of the Royal Iris ferry on the River Mersey in Liverpool

So, I mentioned in our visit to Eureka Science + Discovery that it’s located in the Seacombe Ferry Terminal in the Wirral, and that a typical visit lasts 2-3 hours. Therefore, that gave us a spare afternoon, and our eight-year-old decided that a ferry journey was in order.

The Mersey Ferries fill a double role. At peak times on weekdays, they offer a fast 10 minute crossing every 20 minutes for commuters. But at weekends and weekday daytimes, they take a less direct route and offer a 50 minute River Explorer Cruise with a commentary pointing out major riverside landmarks. And yes, you’ll get to hear that Gerry and the Pacemakers song too.

Boarding in Wirral, the first part of the journey took around half an hour. You pass the other ferry terminal in Wirral at Woodside, adjacent to the U-Boat Story museum – both are currently closed for renovations, but Christine and I visited in 2010. You then pass where the (much larger) ferries to Ireland depart, before the boat performs a u-turn and passes Liverpool Arena and the Albert Dock. You then arrive at the Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal (yup) in Liverpool.

The return journey to Wirral heads down the Mersey as far as the under-construction Everton Stadium, before again turning and passing Wallasey and onwards back to the Seacombe terminal.

The ferry we travelled on was the Royal Iris of the Mersey. Built in 1959, it’s seen a lot and various bands and artists have performed on it over the years – Elvis Costello, The Searchers, the aforementioned Gerry and the Pacemakers, and, yes, The Beatles. The on-board interior is rather sparse, but there’s a café which, thanks to a loophole (see this Tom Scott video), can sell alcohol without a license.

Currently the Royal Iris is the only ferry in use, but a new one is being built, to launch in 2026 – and it’s being built locally in Birkenhead.

Our eight-year-old really enjoyed the return trip. It’s not cheap – around £13 for adults and £8 for children. The ferries are accessible though as you can board and alight using ramps, and there accessible toilets on board.

Visiting the ‘other’ Eureka in Wirral

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A photo of the entrance to Eureka Science + Discovery in Wirral

Since 1992, Halifax has been home to Eureka, the National Children’s Museum. But in 2022, a ‘new’ Eureka opened in Wirral, just across the River Mersey from Liverpool, and I took our eight-year-old to visit a couple of weeks ago.

As we live near Halifax, we’ve taken our eight-year-old to Eureka a few times over the years, so we wanted to see what the new museum was like.

Eureka Science + Discovery

The ‘new’ Eureka is branded ‘Eureka Science + Discovery’, and is aimed at slightly older children. The original Eureka was groundbreaking at the time of its opening by being very hands on, when most other contemporary museums locked their exhibits away inside glass cabinets with ‘do not touch’ signs everywhere. Eureka Science + Discovery carries on with the same ethos, and there’s lots of things to touch and interact with. But there’s also more to read, in line with its older target age group of 7-14 year-olds.

Downstairs, you can learn about the body, and there’s an auditorium at the back. Upstairs there are two zones – one focussing on nature, and the other about science, especially in the home. Through a separate entrance is The Burrow, which is a play area for the under-7s and is included in the ticket, and of course there’s a shop and a café – again the café has a separate entrance and is open to the public.

We spent a full morning at the museum. Older kids may get more out of it, if they take the time to read the displays, but allow 2-3 hours for a visit.

A photo of the inside of Eureka Science + Discovery. There is a very large blue cat.

Accessibility

Eureka Science + Discovery is based in the Seacombe ferry terminal in Wirral, and so you can catch a ferry across the Mersey to Liverpool and back. It’s a bit of a walk from the nearest Merseyrail station at Hamilton Square, but there are buses. There’s also a pay-and-display car park, although if you are driving and aren’t using Google Maps or the like, make sure you follow signs for the Seacombe ferry terminal. Although Eureka has been open a little while now, there aren’t any ‘brown signs’ yet for directions.

Being a brand new museum, accessibility is top-notch, with lifts and a changing places toilet. Extra support is also available for those with sensory issues.

Pre-booking of tickets is required, but then they’re valid as an annual pass. Whilst it’s not yet listed on the Max Card web site, if you have a Max Card, then one adult and one child get in absolutely free at present. Tesco Clubcard vouchers are also accepted but can’t be redeemed for an annual pass.

Mr Fitzpatrick’s Temperance Bar

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A photo of the outside of Mr Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar in Rawtenstall, Lancashire

At one time in northern Britain, there were hundreds of ‘temperance bars’ – essentially pubs that didn’t serve alcohol. Nowadays, just one of the original temperance bars survives: Mr Fitzpatrick’s in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. We called in on the August Bank Holiday Monday, on our way to Gawthorpe Hall.

The Temperance Movement

The Temperance Movement came about during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century, as a way of steering workers away from the perils of drink. In England, the movement started in Preston in 1835 and spread across the newly-industrialised northern towns and cities. Followers of the temperance movement took a pledge to stay away from all alcohol, whether that be spirits, beer or cider. Therefore, temperance bars offered alcohol-free social spaces for the movement’s followers.

Temperance bars would offer a variety of flavoured non-alchohlic drinks, such as Sarsaparilla, Blood Tonic and Dandelion and Burdock. In our household, we’re heavy consumers of Vimto, and this fruity blend also came out of the Temperance Movement. Back in 2013, we went to an exhibition all about the Temperance movement at the People’s History Museum.

Mr Fitzpatrick’s

Nowadays, Mr Fitzpatrick’s is better known as a brand of cordials, which are on sale at many independent shops across the north of England and include the aforementioned flavours. They’ve hung on to this one remaining temperance bar, in the Lancashire town of Rawtenstall, where you can try their full range of cordials mixed with still or sparkling water. They also do milkshakes, and a decent food menu – we called in for lunch and our eight-year-old thought it was amazing. Upstairs, there’s a model railway suspended from the ceiling.

Whilst Mr Fitzpatrick’s is the last surviving of the original temperance bars, it’s an idea that seems to be coming back around. There’s a BBC piece about the ‘rise of the sober bar’ from 2019, and I’d argue that the various dessert bars that have popped up in majority Muslim areas in the UK are a response to the need for non-alcoholic social spaces. Many young Generation Z adults don’t drink, regardless of religious affiliation, and it’s nice to have bars that offer a wide range of interesting soft drinks. Even if you’re not teetotal, it’s a bit depressing when you’re not drinking and all there is on offer is cola or lemonade.

Accessibility

Being a very small and old building, accessibility isn’t great – the toilet is up a narrow, steep staircase although accessible facilities may be available at the nearby Rawtenstall Bus Station. Free parking for up to three hours is available nearby but you’ll need a Parking Disc (Sundays and Bank Holidays are free all day). Regular X43 Witch Way buses run towards Burnley and Manchester.

Rawtenstall is the northern terminus of the heritage East Lancashire Railway, which runs from Bury.