We Met Alex Winters at The Lowry

We love Manchester.  It's where my eldest daughter lives.  It's where Ella plans to go to university.  It's a home from home for us.  There is always so much going on and so much to do. 

The Lowry is a great spot to visit.  It boasts an art gallery, three theatres, a cafe, gift shop, exhibition spaces, activity workshops and as from today a brand new family activity space known as The Lookout. I was invited to the official opening today along with Ella, Kizzy and Freddy.

It's free to enter the building and families get a warm welcome with a focus on fun and learning for all ages.  The Lookout is a lovely, light and airy space where children can play, curl up with a book or practice their drawing skills.  It overlooks the Quays with excellent views to inspire budding artists. The Lookout is sponsored by Derwent who supply art supplies for kids to use.

The space is open everyday 11am to 5pm except on Saturday when it is open from 10am to 5pm, and is free to use.  It is a great place to enjoy whatever the weather, adding another reason to visit The Lowry.  There is a great play area for the under 5's with puzzles and story books.

The Lookout has a programme of family friendly activities.  Freddy enjoyed taking part in a puppet making workshop. The activity was demonstrated and then the children were able to create their own.

He made a great horse puppet using a paper plate and some arty bits and bobs, based on War Horse, a theatre production of which is coming to the theatre soon.  He called his horse Ben and was very proud of it!

CBeebies favourite Alex Winters came to the launch event and was on hand to entertain the little ones.  Freddy was very proud to show him his horse puppet!  Alex liked his golden tail.

Alex entertained the children with a fabulous interactive story telling session.  Freddy was really excited to join in with Alex's version of We're Going On A Bear Hunt, which he knows from nursery.  It was lovely meeting Alex and he was so good with the children!

Photo by Andrew Robinson

We had a brilliant time in The Lookout.  We were treated to lunch and were really impressed by the latest family friendly facility available at The Lowry, especially as it is free to use.  It was great to catch up with some of my blogging buddies and to meet Alex too!

For more information visit www.thelowry.com

A Day Out in Salford Quays

Last week we were invited to visit Salford Quays in Manchester to explore some of the attractions that make this such a great venue for a family day out.  We had a very hectic schedule with visits to Ordsall Hall, the BBC, The Lowry and Old Trafford.  In typical Manchester style, the weather was miserable, wet and windy, but it didn't spoil our enthusiasm for a fabulous day out.

Ordshall Hall

Hidden in the heart of Manchester stands this Elizabethan manor house which is beautifully preserved and lovingly restored to showcase its former glory.  We were given a private tour where we got to see the bedrooms, the kitchen, the servant's quarters and many original features, some dating back to the 1600's.  There was a lot of interactive elements to the tour.  We got to try on some old armour and experience some of the techniques that would have been used in an Elizabethan kitchen.  We even learned about the ghosts that are said to haunt the manor.  A room full of interactive games and activities was a big hit with the children who enjoyed getting hands on with history.  Freddy was really excited walking around the building and trying out things such as turning a spit roast and grinding spices.  He was enjoying being a little historian and discovering the story of Ordsall Hall.  Ordsall Hall has a lovely little coffee shop where we enjoyed a coffee and a cake!

http://www.salford.gov.uk/ordsallhall.htm

BBC Studio Tours

The BBC have relocated many of their operations to Media City in Salford Quays. The BBC offer tours where you can get to take a peek behind the scenes and even have a go at presenting!  Kizzy and I went on an Interactive CBBC Tour for kids aged 6 and over.  We had a guided tour across the buildings where we saw the Blue Peter studio, a radio drama sound stage and various props from BBC programmes.  Kizzy had a go at presenting Newsround, reading the weather and being a CBBC presenter.  She also got to take part in a diddy Dick and Dom play.  She loved seeing herself on a TV screen and using the autocue machines.  It was really interesting to go behind the scenes and we were able to take a look into the BBC Sports studio where everyone was hard at work.  It is a fascinating place and we loved the hands on experience.  Kizzy really enjoyed feeling like a TV presenter and was fascinated by the technology used such as the green screens.  She was also very interested to find out about the use of widescreen cameras to make the tiny Blue Peter studio look really impressive onscreen!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tours/salford_cbbc.shtml

The Lowry

The Lowry is an arts and entertainment complex set in a stunning waterside location.  There is a lot for families to do including theatre shows, activities and art galleries.  There are also plenty of temporary exhibits to enjoy such as the National Portrait Gallery Comedians exhibition.  We stopped there for lunch followed by a guided tour of the Lowry Collection.  Kizzy was enthralled by the 'What's in a Picture?' session where she was guided through the process of 'reading' one of Lowry's works.  The insight into his life, his work and  his personality was really interesting.  Unfortunately we were really pushed for time and had to dash off, but the Lowry is definitely somewhere I want to explore at my leisure.  It is free to enter and many talks and activities are available which help bring the collection to life.  There are also creative workshops for young children to enjoy.  Kids can borrow a rucksack filled with games, puzzles and activities designed to take them on an adventure as they explore the art on display in the magnificent building.  It is a really family friendly venue with easy access, changing facilities and with kids well catered for in the cafe.  There are some really good shows coming to the theatre next year including Horrible Histories and Sleeping Beauty On Ice.

http://www.thelowry.com/

Old Trafford Museum and Tour

Across the water from the Lowry stands the football stadium of Manchester United.  We had a 15 minute walk through torrential rain to get there but we soon warmed up when inside.  The stadium has a museum and holds guided tours.  We had a walk around the three floors of the museums looking at memorabilia, trophies, paper cuttings and football shirts from Man Utd's history.  Freddy loved looking at and handling the exhibits that included an old leather stitched ball and steel toe-capped football boot.  There was a really moving tribute to the Busby Babes who were involved in a plane crash in Munich which killed some of the team's most promising players.  The tour lasts an hour and takes you around the stadium, the changing rooms, the player's lounge, the tunnel and the stands.  Unfortunately, Freddy needed a wee half way round and we had to cut the tour short to find the toilets!  We made our way back to the Mega Store which sold loads of Man Utd merchandise.  Fans will love this experience.  It was very interesting, especially seeing the pitch in all its glory, but it is probably more suited for older children.

http://www.manutd.com/en/Visit-Old-Trafford.aspx


We finished our trip with a visit to the Lowry Outlet which is a shopping mall on Salford Quays.  It has loads of shops and restaurants and we enjoyed a hot chocolate at Costa before heading back home, exhausted after our family day out at Salford Quays.

Once Upon A Wartime

Today we visited Manchester's Imperial War Museum.  The magnificent iconic building is situated on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal in the Salford Quays area and is an impressive example of 21st century architecture with its free flowing forms and asymmetric geometry. It's a departure from buildings with traditional vertical lines and right angles!  Inside, the building disorientates you with its floor that reflects the curvature of the Earth's surface, but that somehow draws you into the exhibits which are based on the concept of a shattered globe, fragmented by conflict across the years.  It really is impressive.

The main exhibition space is home to a wealth of artefacts, documents, artworks and objects displayed around a timeline from 1914 to the present day.  Highlights include a Harrier Jump Jet, a T34 Russian Tank and a piece of the Twin Towers, which acts as a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict.

Twin Towers Steelwork

The powerful exhibits focus on the human stories, revealing the people, places, ideas and events behind the conflicts.  We are challenged to look at war from different perspectives, which enriches our understanding of the cause, course and consequences and the impact on human life.

This half term marks the launch of a major new exhibition Once Upon A Wartime which explores five much loved children's books about war.  The interactive and dynamic celebration of storytelling includes special guests, creative activities and performances.  Like the rest of the museum, the exhibition is completely free!

Moving tales of loyalty, separation, excitement, survival and identity are brought to life.  Adults and children can find out about the true events that inspired these powerful stories.  We can climb inside the pages and discover the stories with hands on displays that are both fun and educational.

The five books are Michael Morpurgo's 'War Horse', Nina Bawden's 'Carrie's War', Robert Westall's 'The Machine Gunners', Ian Serrailier's 'The Silver Sword' and Bernard Ashley's 'Little Soldier'.  With books to read, things to handle, hideouts to sit in, tunnels to crawl through and weights to pull, you are immersed in the world of the stories.

The Machine Gunners Fortress

Crawling through the Tunnel.

Hepzibah's Kitchen from Carrie's War

Pulling weights like a War Horse

Reading the Books.

The exhibit is really child friendly.  My older children were familiar with some of the books already, having read them at home or at school.  The exhibits added to their knowledge and fleshed out the words.  Freddy who is two, enjoyed the interactive elements of the displays and had the freedom to run around and explore.

From 1-4pm throughout the holidays the museum has a children's craft and storytelling activity which takes place in the purpose built Learning Studio.  With a range of toys for even the littlest visitors, the activity session is suitable for all ages. It is a fantastic facility for families. My girls enjoyed a story about the experiences of a girl in the Land Army in WW2.  They also made a lovely keepsake book box.  Meanwhile Freddy played with traditional wooden toys.

Craft Activity

Wooden Toys

 To end our visit we went up the Air Shard, a lift that went up to a 29m viewing platform giving great views of the Salford Quays.  Even though it was a foggy day, the view was quite impressive, but the see-through metal grated floor was a bit nerve racking if you have a fear of heights!! (a small fee applies)

The Lift Up The Air Shard

Salford Quays in The Fog

The Imperial War Museum is a great free day out for all ages and is open daily from 10am to 5pm.  The Once Upon a Wartime exhibition is open throughout half term and until September 2nd.

Pay and display car parking is available and there is a lovely restaurant with panoramic views of the quays plus a very well stocked shop selling a selection of books, toys, T-Shirts, posters etc.