This is a fantastic little volunteer run air museum. Staff extremly helpfull & friendly. We went on…read morea Sunday arfternoon & was pleasantly supprised at the access to the aircraft, especially the Vulcan Bomber. There is a well informed museum, It was a pleasure not to surrounded by hordes of people. Good athentic location next to Carlisle Airport. I didn't realise there was a voucher availible untill writing this review but am more than happy to support volunteers efforts. No cafe but the reception did provide hot & cold drinks, crisps.

The place is okay, but the altitude ! Urrrgh! The lady from gift shop ORDERED me to throw my drink…read moreaway before entering the shop. She could have asked nicely and explained that. Instead, she forced me to throw it away and when I asked if I can leave it at the counter, so that I can continue my purchase, she said that the counter (which the cashier and some pamphlets are on) is too valuable and forced me to leave instantly. Does customers look like shit to her, or she is just being racist? Either way, I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone I know. Very bad experience.

Ah, the Atkinson. Again, just another Southport landmark full of childhood memories for myself…read more Yep, my father used to bring me here regularly to ensure I had a lovely cultural upbringing, and it's a marvellous gallery housed in a terrific building right in the centre of the seaside town itself, opposite Lord Street and the band stand. Admission is free but donations are encouraged as every gift helps, no matter how small. And once you've walked around this spectacular yet strangely humble gallery you'd have to have a heart of ice not to want to give a little something. It has a varied and rather extensive collection, ranging from LS Lowry to John Piper, John Collier to Ernest Normand and many more. The Friends of the Atkinson Gallery are an organisation which helps to drum up even more interest for the gallery. It's currently closed for refurbishments but plans to reopen bigger and better than ever as part of a Southport cultural overhaul, so get involved as it's bound to increase in popularity after its makeover. Southport might not quite rival Brighton yet in the seaside artsy stakes, but it's getting there, and with the help of the Atkinson it'll get there a lot faster!

This is now an entertainment/cultural centre, with the art gallery, an auditorium, civic hall and…read morebotanic museum all within the grade 2 listed building. The entrance/foyer is welcoming and strikingly clean - statuary and paintings being the first things I saw. The bookings and information desks are unobtrusive, yet easy to find as the signage throughout is very clear. There are interesting display cases throughout. Up the impressive staircase are the toilets, the superb but expensive bar and the entrances to the auditorium. As I was there for a music concert, this is the area I saw best. A superb setting for Fairport Convention as they attract a fair number of fans, yet like to connect with their audience as intimately as possible. The seating was comfortable and gave us all a good view of the band. The sound was just superb.

Interesting museum showing history of Leyland trucks and commercial vehicles.read more

Excelent museum run by enthusiasts and retired truckers with stories galore. There is a good…read morearchive and many exhibits from the earliest days to modern commercial vehicles. Well worth a visit. Parking is free outside, and there are many cafes, supermkts,shops etc. in Leyland town centre next to it.

Was in Carnforth for the weekend and decided to go on a little day trip to the motor museum…read more So glad we did. It was an absolutely amazing collection of cars, motorbikes and push bikes throughout the years. There's also all sorts of old motor memorabilia from old signs to old gas pump's and much more. You don't have to be a car buff to enjoy this place excellent day out

Cars, motorbikes and cycles everything you would expect to find in a motor museum but this one also…read morehas displays of the old industries of the area. The gunpowder mill, the blue mill (which coated everything blue), shops and contents. Something for everyone in its 30,000 objects. The perfect place to while away a rainy day. Also has a well stocked shop. The museum has only been at this location since 2010 so some things like the 1920s motor repair garage display is undergoing an update. There also seems to be, from a notice, things arriving from the reserve collection. The museum is situated by the River Leven just off the A590 at Backbarrow and is easy to access. It is on two levels (with good disabled access) There is a largish cafe by the waterfront, which on a warm sunny day would be nice to sit out by the river. As it was a cold showery day, we stopped inside only venturing out to look at the froth of water coming over the weir.

On a typically stormy night in Cumberland, more than 400 years ago, an oak tree crashed to ground…read morein Keswick. The split earth gave up a wealth of black lead, known locally as wad and soon to be renamed graphite. It was the purest graphite in the world and gave rise to riches, skulduggery and the world's first pencil industry. This tale is told by Professor Henry Petroski in The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance (1990) and laid out in admirably simple style in this quirky museum, off a side road in the town. Everything you ever wanted to know about pencil manufacture (but were afraid to ask) is answered here, from how early artist's pencils were made to why the Napoleonic Wars broke the Cumberland monopoly on pencil production. Budding and successful artists can hone their skills in a small workshop at the back of the museum.

You know when something is so naff, that it comes full-circle and actually becomes quite cool? Yes?…read moreWell, that's the pencil museum. It's a museum. And it's full of pencils. We went along because it was raining, and we needed something to keep us out of the pub for an hour. On entering and paying your £3, you receive a free pencil. Now, how many museums give out demos of their exhibits like that, eh? The last time you walked into the Natural History Museum, did they hand you the thigh bone from a woolly mammoth to take home and decorate your mantel with? I'll bet not. Point 1 to the Pencil Museum. Clutching your cedar-smelling new pencil, you walk through a kind of papier mache tunnel (graphite mine) into the museum: a small set of rooms with case after case of pencils. From the humble origins (writing with dirty lumps of graphite), through the evolution of the wooden holder, and on to the colourful array of pencils we all take for granted today. I know. Case upon case of pencils - I can see you stifling a yawn - but, remember, it's got to be truly rubbish to be able to swing round full circle. Highlights: clever secret war pencils with maps and compasses inside, and a big photo-opportunity pencil to stand next to with a sign saying 'This is me a the Cumberland Pencil Museum'. Brilliant.

This is a review of the Via Ferrata Xtreme climb which is based at Honister Slate Mine…read more(http://www.honister-slate-mine.co.uk/via_ferrata_at_honister.asp). After an induction in the equipment room, the climbing instructor provides everyone with a harness and helmet before the group (maximum of 12 people) walks up part of the miners' track to start the guided ascent. Via Ferrata means 'Iron Way' and you'll soon see why as there are iron rungs, supports and a continuous metal cable all the way along the route. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted as you are high up on a cliff face but it's extremely safe as you have two carabiners (strong metal clips) on your harness and you keep one locked to the cable at all times as you move carefully along. You climb independently and aren't attached to anyone else. The whole experience will take 2.5 to 3 hours and it's a combination of short walks through pitch-black mine shafts, cliff edge ladders, vertical climbs, a Burma Bridge (hanging wire bridge) and cargo net crossing. It's quite tough-going but you can take your time and the instructor was really encouraging of everyone, we had a great laugh with her the whole way. Our group had a big age and ability range. After all this, the summit of Fleetwith Pike awaits (it's over 2,000 feet high) and the views of the magnificent Lake District are breathtaking. Thankfully you don't have to go back the way you came (!!) and there's a walking track all the way down to the centre. You will feel fantastic (albeit knackered) after you complete this, so go for it! Tip: no cameras or phones are permitted on the climb for safety reasons, but the instructor will take photos of everyone with their camera at key stages on the route. You can buy the CD of the photos for £15.

What a great visitor attraction this is, perched on the crest of Honister Pass. There is no museum…read moreas such but you can take 1 of 3 different mine tours lasting about an hour. You get the chance to go deep inside Honister Crag. Make sure you have a coat/fleece as it tends to get rather chilly inside. Kids love it. The more adventurous can do a Farrata track accent with a guide. If you are in the north lakes give it a look, we enjoyed the experience.

I have a friend that works at Farfield Mill, so when she suggested I take a (very scenic) walk…read morethere, have a gander at the art and crafts then enjoy some home made cake and a coke at the cafe, on went the pack-a-mac and hiking boots. My friend was right, the walk to Farfield from the nearby town of Sedbergh is delightful. The old converted textile mill is set near the majestic Cumbrian fells, perched next to a picturesque river and now showcases the wares of local artists and craftsmen/women. Their creations are for sale and you can see and buy everything from beautiful glass-blown perfume bottles and watercolour paintings to wooly blankets and books about fashion design. It's really quite something, though not exactly cheap. The top floor of the mill is an exhibition area. This week, live weaving demonstrations could be seen for a small fee, but I'm not too fussed with weaving so gave it a miss. On the bottom floor, you can read about the mill's history and see how it would have looked long ago, walk around the art gallery and then head to the cosy cafe. It boasts a small outdoor seating area overlooking the river - perfect for dog walkers or those who want to soak up those rare northern rays (I'm told they do make an appearance every now and then). I ordered a piece of homemade toffee sponge cake, which was absolutely lush, soooooo moist and moreish. Hats off to whoever baked that, it was the perfect way to refuel for the walk home (around 2 miles). This is a gorgeous spot for lunch, a coffee or a simple nosey at some incredibly inspiring. And if you're into photography, take your camera along - you're bound to get some good snaps on the way there.

My visit to the Mill was the highlight of my stay in the dales. The quality of the resident artist…read morewas fabulous and diverse. Most inspiring especially if you are a creative person. I must have stayed for 2 and a half hours. Everyone was very friendly and the history of the mill was fascinating as well. Well worth the modest entrance fee, and the tea room also a delight. Highly recommended. I shall definitely return and take my friends with me.