I love the Dukes Cinema for several reasons…read more When i go to see a movie I don't necessarily want to see the latest blockbuster. And the Dukes has a fine program of arthouse and independent film that just isn't available anywhere else locally. However they do show popular films and have great Sing a Long nights where they show the Sound of Music etc. This cinema isn't about how much popcorn and coke you can ram down your face, it is about watching good films amongst likeminded people. Add to that the fact you can get a drink from the bar and take it in with you and what more could you want. Support this place and other local businesses. The Dukes is one of the things that makes Lancaster a decent place to live in

The cottage museum is right across from the castle and you might miss it if you're not looking…read moreclosely! It's only open a few hours a day in the summertime, but if you're popping in for a castle tour, it's worth a visit. They usually have a lady inside dressed in period clothing, explaining how someone would have lived in a cottage that size. The museum is very tiny (watch your head, especially into the loft) and very hands-on. Every time I go, there are children in there looking totally enthralled, and the guide is always very good with them.

Walk in the entrance of this Georgian building and the shop is located there, nice collection of…read morebooks, nick-nacks, and interesting postcards including black and white photos of people and old Lancaster. The rooms to either side are where the temporary exhibitions are located. They have an interesting variety throughout the year. Continue forward and take the stairs, which are lined with paintings and you are in the museum whose collection explains and shows the history of the local area from the Romans (including the recently discovered tombstones) to the 20th Century. Recreation of old Lancaster in part of the museum. It is also the houses the history and objects of the King's Own Lancashire Regiment. Lots of history packed into a small place. Not a piece of space is wasted here.

The Grand is your typical town theatre, playing host to the local AmDram socities productions…read morealongside a handful of touring shows. Situated near the town centre the theatre is easy to find with parking available right next to the building. It is only 5 minutes from the M6 so within easy reach of those coming from outside the town. The theatre is your typical two storey theatre with tiered seating and the lack of leg-room you would expect from a theatre of a similar age, but in everything it is pleasant enough, especially the added bonus of the half time ice cream seller. If I remember rightly, this is the oldest provincial theatre in the UK, so worth a visit just for the history. An enjoyable night out indeed.

We only visited to see the Northern Ireland exhibition. It's a very light touch. I wouldn't…read morerecommend it to anyone seriously studying our horrible history. We lived through this civil war for about 30 years. There's no sense from this exhibition that the British Army murdered 13 innocent people in Derry and it took over 50 years for a British prime minister to apologise after failed cover up and repeated denials. There's nothing about State sponsored murders. There were no CS gas canisters on display although they were routinely used and impacted many innocent folks living in their homes. The rubber bullet on display isn't the first generation I saw used - the ones I saw were far thicker and larger and I saw them fired at head height which wasn't permitted. The murderous IRA and their loyalist equivalents aren't condemned either. Northern Ireland was a hopelessly divided place from its creation over 100 years ago and I'm not convinced it's changed much for the better.

Wow, I was thoroughly impressed with this museum. It wasn't somewhere I was particularly keen to…read morevisit, but it's free and we had some time to kill in Salford Quays, so we thought we would have a quick wander around. Well, to be honest, I didn't want to leave! The museum presents a history of war from World War I until present day Afghanistan. This is done in such an informative and interactive way it will appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds. I have to admit that I didn't even know how WWI started until I visited here (the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia if anyone's interested). The items they have on display are fascinating and emphasise the written words immensely well. My favourite interactive item was the mystery smells from the trenches - uumm, is that mustard gas or smelly feet?! There were models of planes, tanks and barrage balloons. There was exhibits about the role of women in WWII, there was information on the Cold war, the Falklands war, the Gulf war etc etc. It was a little depressing to watch history repeating itself over and over again but in a world full of politics, religion and greed (and oil) this is consistently going to be the result. The shape of the building is also unusual so you never really know how far around the museum you are. The building design from the outside is beautiful and contemporary but at the same time fits well into its surroundings. They usually have a special exhibition - this one was on war correspondents, but unfortunately I ran out of time to look around. There is a coffee shop and gift shop at the end, and plenty of staff available if you need to ask any questions. Best of all, the museum is free to enter, they just ask for donations and you can also buy a guidebook with all proceeds going towards the running of the museum.

The Maritime Museum is a small-ish but interesting museum that offers a glimpse into the history of…read moreLancaster as one of the most important sea ports in the North from the late 18th to the late 19th century. Various major and minor items of sea life - and everything that's connected to that, including the slave trade - are on display, and there's a lot of "further reading" on the many, many info boards. Truth be told, there's a whole lot more to read than to see here. That said, it's certainly worth your while on a rainy day - especially considering the very modest entrance fee [UKP 3 for adults, concessions available] and the pleasant presentation. Is it worth visiting when you're in Lancaster? Absolutely. Is it worth travelling to Lancaster for? Not really.

Launched just a few weeks ago as part of the Manchester International Festival, the Biospheric…read moreProject is years in the making, and like nothing you have ever seen before. The Biospheric Project is part urban farm, part research project and part genius. Built (and grown) in a disused mill in a sunny spot on the River Irwell in Salford, the Biospheric Project is a living laboratory investigating new ideas for farming and food production in urban environments. The project has taken over three stories in the disused mill, as well as the roof and surrounding land in a small and radical farming project. Using connected systems like aquaponics, hydroponics and forest farming, the project is combining radical techniques and inventing new technologies to farm food and feed the planet's growing needs. All of the different elements of the 'biosphere' are connected, as they are in nature, and you can see the entire ecosystem from start to finish - from the earthworms creating new soil to the produce being harvested and sold locally in the community. (They even have an indoor/outdoor beehive, and chickens on the roof!) The Project is wonderfully presented, with information boards explaining the different elements and ideas, as well as the researchers themselves who offer exceptional guided tours and explain their projects fluently and passionately. You are watching people's PhD projects unfurl before them, and it is hard not to get excited with them about the fantastic and groundbreaking research they are conducting. The Project is closed to the public for a few weeks whilst the team there take a break after unveiling their work at MIF. But never fear, the Project will be growing and developing over the next ten years, so there will be plenty of opportunities to take a look. Check their website for details of upcoming talks and tours. (There are also lots of activities for schools and groups).

Royal Northern College of Music is a bit of a jewel in Manchester's crown…read more Situated inbetween university buildings on Oxford Road, it's a well respected college where amateur singers, musicians, composers and conductors study to become professionals. What distinguishes it from similar facilities across the country is there's a big research centre within the building where students can learn composition, musicology and practise-as-research. Though one of the courses is keyboard and piano orientated, most of them revolve around classical music, jazz and opera. Handily, RNCM also has a large auditorium which doubles as a music and performing arts venue for students and professionals. There's special seasons devoted to particular composers or styles and one off concerts from visiting orchestras, jazz, soul and world music artists. Occasionally, the RNCM also host excellent spoken word events. I saw Chuck D waxing lyrical here many moons ago and was involved in a reading Armistead Maupin did for The Big Gay Read / Queer Up North. Both were sold out and had the audience on the edge of their seats. Handily, the RNCM also has a cute cafe-bar on the ground floor where you can have coffee, tea and snacks in the day and wine and beer at night.

So, you're a music buff. You want to watch important, intelligent music, or you want to become a…read moreBachelor of Music, a Master of Music, or become an instrumental or performing arts educator. Where else can you come but one of the most prestigious music colleges in the country? The college is divided into the schools of academic studies, composition, keyboard studies, strings, vocal and opera studies and wind, brass and percussion. There are also departments for conducting, jazz, period performance and an international chamber music studio. It's also a venue for some of the best music around, from recitals to operas, theatre to ensembles. Occasionally you get a non-music event though, and this was why I was at the Royal Northern College of Music. One of my most beloved authors, Bret Easton Ellis, was doing a reading, Q&A and signing here, and it was the perfect excuse for me to down a cocktail for Dutch courage but still end up giggling like an eleven year old schoolgirl. Oh well, you win some... you lose some. The theatre and space itself is more than impressive and I'd happily see any performance here.