/r/North_West_England
This Subreddit is Dedicated to the Region of the North West; including Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Merseyside!
This is a community of people from the North West of England. From Greater Manchester to the Lake District it’s all the North West!
/r/North_West_England
209 Subscribers
Im putting together a year of dates for me and my hubby but I need some specific ideas
We live in lancashire. I'm looking for new stuff for us to try and I'm giving gift vouchers for the places. I've chosen a few places already, e.g. the spa, cinema, somewhere to eat. So just the basics so I'm hoping for some things that are fun and different but with a budget of around £50 for each. Even like a comedy night or like axe throwing or something and I'd love to do a pottery class like from ghost 🤣 if anyone can recommend places I'd really appreciate it 😀 Thank you.
23:21 UTC
Perceptions of Liverpool
Hi everyone, I am a geography student at the University of Liverpool and I am writing my dissertation about Liverpool city centre’s urban transformation over the last 25 years. A part of this is focused on local resident’s perceptions on how the place meaning has changed. It would be very appreciated if people can fill out my survey on this, it is completely anonymous and takes just a few minutes. Thanking in advance
12:25 UTC
Mental Health on Social Media
[Academic] For my doctorate I am researching how people in NW England post about mental health on social media, and aim to identify if communities formed online are supportive or potentially harmful. The survey is now open until 30th September
I am looking for Further Education students across NW England to complete my survey. Please follow the link for more info & to take part
19:03 UTC
Step Back in Time at Moorforge Althing Festival – The Largest Viking Event in Cumbria! - 12th to 14th July 2024
Join Us for the Moorforge Althing – The Ultimate Viking Re-Enactment Event!
Prepare to step back in time and experience the Viking era like never before! From July 12th to 14th, come witness the Moorforge Althing, the largest Viking re-enactment event in Cumbria. This year's event is set to be the biggest yet, with over 150 re-enactors from the UK and Ireland bringing the Viking age to life.
Event Highlights:
🏕️ Massive Living History Encampment: Explore a sprawling encampment and see how Vikings lived, worked, and fought!
⚔️ Epic Battles: Watch as 70-90 warriors clash in thrilling combat demonstrations. Feel the excitement and intensity of Viking warfare.
🛡️ Crafters and Traders: Discover unique crafts and goods from talented artisans and traders. Perfect for picking up one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
👶 Kiddie-Vike: Let your little ones face off against some of the fiercest warriors in a fun and safe environment.
🔬 Weapons Demonstration: Moorforge’s own Science Viking will showcase the physics of Viking weaponry in a demonstration you won't want to miss.
Whether you're a history enthusiast, a fan of re-enactments, or looking for a fantastic family day out, the Moorforge Althing has something for everyone.
Event Details:
📅 Date: July 12th - 14th
📍 Location: Moorforge, Cumbria
🌐 Facebook Event Page: Moorforge Althing Festival
🎫 Tickets: Thank you for your support
If you enjoyed the photos, please check out our short promotional video: YouTube Link
Join us for a weekend filled with history, adventure, and unforgettable experiences. See you at the Althing!
10:11 UTC
Girls football club for sponsorship?
My company does a lot of work in the North West and has talked about celebrating international women's day, we would like to invest in where we work the most and sponsor some local sports clubs, can anyone point me in the right direction?
21:24 UTC
This is a safe space to talk without feeling uncomfortable.
As a minority in the North in general, our experience can definitely be an isolating one, but especially in Liverpool and the surrounding areas, where change is slow and it’s a majority white population.
I’d love to create a safe space for us all to share our experiences (both positive and negative) so we can look after one another and share our unique perspectives.
This could be discussing a great inclusive area to live in, like minded friends you might have made, and how you made them, isolation you might feel in your neighbourhood or a poor experience you might have had, anything at all.
I just don’t feel there’s a place for us to talk openly no matter where you’re from or what you believe in (whether you’re black, mixed, Asian, Muslim, Hindi, Hispanic it doesn’t matter here)!
I hope everyone feels comfortable and welcome here and I want to make it clear there is no invalid experience. No one should belittle or patronise anyone’s post, even if you don’t agree. Remember all our experiences are unique, we are not the same and won’t have the same stories to tell. Respect others always. This group isn’t meant to cause any divide, but is meant to unite us 🙂.
This is our safe space and you will be banned if you express racist, bigoted or sexist views.
14:57 UTC
Research: What beliefs do you hold about other people in your life? And how do those beliefs affect your wellbeing?
Hi everyone! My name is Helena, I'm a PhD student at King's College London seeking participants based across different locations of the UK to take part in my online survey!
This study will investigate the impact of our beliefs about other people on our mental health and wellbeing, and how those beliefs may be impacted by experiences of discrimination. It takes between 10-30 minutes (It is split into three sections so you can choose how much to do based on how much time you have available!).
It is anonymous and confidential, and has been ethically approved by the Health Faculties Research Ethics Subcommittee at KCL (Reference Number: HR/DP-22/23-35614).
Please do share with anyone you think would be interested in taking part!
Click here for info and to take part: https://qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_0MWoMu5C9rwROCi
14:49 UTC
What can't be missed?
Hello Northerners!
My partner and I are coming over from Denmark in August. I visited Manchester in April and fell in love with the northern charm.
We're looking to stay in different places around Manchester, currently considering staying a few nights in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Blackpool.
We're both in our 30s, we like great food and music, we're very into historical places, science and nature, and we appreciate unique and odd experiences when abroad.
Do any of you have insider tips on hidden gems that we absolutely can't miss in this area? We're using public transportation but we have an otherwise decent budget. Any tips are much appreciated!
21:53 UTC
Manchester free fishing lake
22:57 UTC
Not-White and Royalist?
Hi, I'm Fara, a German-Afghan journalist who reports on lifestyle and culture topics. I focus recently on showing the diversity of immigrant diaspora in white-dominated countries. They are often portrayed as a homogenous group, I would like to change that. In light of the upcoming coronation, I'I'd like to spent one day with an immigrant family who is celebrating the coronation. When the queen died, a lot of non-white voices came forward, especially in the young generation, pointing out colonialism and imperialism. But also some mentioned that their families, despite the historical negative impact, are true royalists.
Do you know any community this applies to? Or does it apply to you, your peers, or your family? I'd be happy to hear from you! Either here or by email: (farangies.ghafoor@tagesspiegel.de)
13:49 UTC
2 years ago today, during storm Ciara, 1 months rain fell in 24 hours, flooding much of the Ribble valley and surrounding areas
15:20 UTC
An eastbound goods train passing through Blackburn station in May 1967 with the Cathedral in the background, by Steven Hearne
13:52 UTC
Halton’s Mechanical Elephants, or The Polish-built Petrol-powered Pachyderms
Halton’s heritage
Just up the river Lune, a couple of miles from the Lancashire city of Lancaster, sits the historic village of Halton, once a bustling hub of industrial activity powered by the waters of the Lune, you can walk through what’s left of the area’s industrial heritage in this walk which I posted earlier this year.
In the area’s hay-days, which lasted from the 17th to 19th centuries, the water-wheel powered mills, the oldest of which was built in the 13th century, changed hands and usage many times, from milling corn through to forging cast iron and then weaving cotton. In the Second World War some were used as military barracks and stores, and afterwards a variety of small businesses moved in.
Enterprising Polish engineers
Halton mill, originally known as Middle mill, became home to an enterprising group of 25 Polish engineers, who had originally moved to Britain to fight alongside the allied forces. At the cessation of war they were not overly keen to return to Poland, as the Soviets had taken control of the country and the economy had been literally destroyed anyway. They let the mill from the MOD in 1948 and started up a company called Luneside Engineering.
Keen to try their hand at any means of turning their skills into money the men first worked at renovating cars, joinery and wood-turning amongst other things, investing as much as they could into metal working tools in order to focus on the engineering skills they had honed throughout the war.
Eventually the company, which grew to over 100 employees, became a leading name in precision engineering, making specialised components for major manufacturers including British Aerospace, British Nuclear Fuels, who operated a nuclear power plant nearby at Heysham, and Rolls Royce.
Petrol-powered pachyderms
One of the most peculiar contraptions to come out of the mill, which one of the engineers was inspired to invent after seeing a real one at Bellevue amusement park in Manchester, was an ingenious 7ft high mechanical elephant powered by a 250cc petrol engine and intended to carry up to 8 children, depending on weight. The first of the elephants left the mill in 1949 and by the early 50s a company called Macadese Entertainment Ltd operated the elephants all over the country, including at nearby seaside resorts Morecambe, Blackpool and Southport, where they became hugely popular amongst operators, children and adults alike.
Although no serious injuries or incidents involving the Polish-built petrol-powered pachyderms are recorded, the seaside rides, popular as they had become, fell out of favour over the decades due to both the cost of insuring them and the training and mechanical nous required to keep the oil-derivative fueled oliphants going. The decline in popularity of seaside resorts and an increasingly risk-averse society probably didn’t help the Halton born heffalumps either!
Crosby Carnival
In 2013 one of the elephants, called Rajah, made by Luneside engineering sometime in the 50s, was returned to his birthplace , he had been helping Crosby and district Lions raise funds since 1995 and every year had proudly led the Crosby Carnival. The people of Crosby, a seaside town in Merseyside just down the coast from Southport, had become very fond of Rajah over the years, with some remembering him taking them for rides along the beach as far back as 1952, but no one is entirely sure how he came to be in Crosby.
What is known is that Rajah was donated to Crosby Lions by the nuns of Nazareth House, a local hospice which used to offer short term respite care for children, they employed him to take the children for rides around the grounds, however, the nuns found it too hard to keep Rajah fit and running, so a new home had to be found.
Crosby Lions were chosen as they had helped support Nazareth house’s garden fetes and other events over the years, and the Lions promised to look after him and make sure he could keep on doing what he was made for; entertaining children.
Rajah’s return
The operation to return Rajah to Halton was organised by a former apprentice of Luneside Engineering, Chris Coates, one of the directors of Halton Mill an ‘eco-friendly enterprise hub’ providing workspace for local artists, community groups, small businesses and startups, in fact the management cooperative which runs the mill is called ‘Green Elephant’ in honour of Rajah and the rest of his herd.
Chris Coates had always known of the mechanical elephants and had made it his goal to track one down and return it to its birthplace, in the early 2010’s he heard about the one that Crosby Lions looked after and in September 2013, before an audience of nearly 300, including former employees and their families, Rajah was officially welcomed back home to his birthplace after a lifetime of service on the seafronts of the Irish Sea.
Rajah is now retired and cared for by the staff at Halton mill, although he does occasionally venture out on special occasions, it is though that he is one of only two of his kind remaining, the other being supposedly being somewhere in the South of England, it is hoped that one day they will meet up and reminisce about the good old days, elephants, even mechanical ones, are famous for having long memories after all!
10:39 UTC