Bridgewater Hall Mid-Day Concert

On Tuesday 15 November, the Scott Brothers Duo (Jonathan Scott – organ and Tom Scott – piano) entertained us with a fantastic mid-day concert.

It was an unmissable programme demonstrating the range of sounds available from this brilliant combination. Their programme included original works for piano and organ as well as the duos own arrangements of well known classical works.

Liverpool Town Hall Tour

The next day, fifteen of us gathered at Victoria Train Station to take the fast train to Liverpool Lime Street Station where we met two others. Here we split up as some settled for a meal at Wetherspoons and others wanted something a little more … well, a little more than Wetherspoons, and then we met up again at Liverpool Town Hall for a guided tour at 2.00pm.

The guided tour allows visitors an exclusive opportunity to explore one of the finest surviving town halls of the 18th century!

A base for the city’s Lord Mayor and all civic business, the Town Hall was established back in 1749 and is much revered, due to its masterful Georgian architecture.

Passing residents, visitors and commuters may have already admired the breath-taking exterior of this iconic landmark, which is crowned by a statue of Minerva and has all manner of decorative curiosities hidden in plain view. However, stepping inside will leave you with a whole new perspective of a building which has greeted Queen Elizabeth II, The Beatles and the Dalai Lama among many other esteemed guests.

From the impressive vestibule – complete with a decorative vaulted ceiling, a tiled Minton floor and an ornate fireplace – we were guided upstairs towards the upper level, where we were welcomed by the luxurious grand, sweeping staircase. We could view the city’s civic regalia – an exquisite collection of silver which only ever comes out of its display cabinet during major official functions.

Once upstairs, we admired the astonishing interior of the Town Hall’s dome, before ambling through an impressive collection of reception rooms, and leading through to the Main Ballroom. This sublime room comes with a maple sprung dance floor beneath a dazzling glow of chandeliers.

We returned to the ground level to the poignant surroundings of the Hall of Remembrance, which contains Liverpool’s official Roll of Honour and we could pay our respects to the city’s fallen.

We were then guided through to the distinguished oak and mahogany decorated Council Chamber, which serves as the epicentre for all civic business.

In the basement is the plushest, most old-fashioned working toilets in existence in which scenes from the popular BBC series Peaky Blinders was filmed.

So, if you’re in search of a visual feast, laden with history and civic importance, then look no further than the resplendent Liverpool Town Hall!

You can see some fantastic photos here.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance on 20 November that commemorates the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

Beyond The Rainbow’s Arch

Beyond The Rainbow’s Arch is a podcast written and produced by Harry Hansen in 2021. It features interviews with Bill, Ken, Lynn and Tony from Out In The City and Lawrie from Pride in Ageing at the LGBT Foundation.

Listen here.