The Well Barn comprises a small collection of local businesses in the heart of Litlle Crosby, a…read morequaint village just outside of Crosby and under ten miles from the centre of Liverpool. There is an authentic rural feel here as the winding roads have restricted speeds and there are no street lights. The Well Barn courtyard is easily located off the main street and houses a diverse mix of shops including: a craft shop, a holistic therapy and well being store, Corinthian furniture and a plumbing company. The stableyard itself is often used s an event space for community gatherings such as the recent summer fete. It's a really beautiful area with a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The Well Barn is easily accessed from Liverpool or Southport but retains the peace of the countryside.

I was actually embarrassed the other day to admit that I had never ventured to the Baltic Triangle…read morearea of Liverpool. After being told it was 'far away from the city centre' I was surprised to find us there in no more than 10 minutes from Liverpool One - have people forgotten how to walk? We were there to check out the 'No Homers Club' exhibition, to which my attention was drawn via Twitter. Now, anything Simpsons related is bound to get me excited, and the name alone was enough to have me arranging a day out to the 'Pool. Heading into the city anyway for a hen do, it was great to find something else to extend my visit (and have an excuse to take the other half with me for some lunch company!) The exhibition space itself is somewhat hidden, so keep your eyes open for any signage. It hosts a number of events throughout the year, including live music and djs, so there is a fully stocked bar at the front. Lots of people were going for coffee, served in takeout cups, or beer. The interior is large and white, making it perfect for people who want to make their mark, with two sets of toilets available. Regarding the 'No Homers Club' - well, I wanted everything! An eclectic, pop culture experience that would have any Simpsons fan grinning. From the 'draw Milhouse from memory in a minute' activity for an upcoming zine to screen printing, it was a brilliantly curated collection and a great way to spend some time. I'll be keeping my eye on this venue to check out some more events in the future!

Dec 17th 2015 - a busy Thursday night at Constellations. Dave McCabe and the Ramifications were…read moreplaying, and supported by Mark Frith, Lying Bastards and Familiar Looking Strangers. Like all Liverpudlian nights out, this one had a good atmosphere. The creative scene here is stronger than anywhere else I've been mainly because it's the norm. Constellations and similar Baltic region converted warehouses have created a new dimension to the well established basement bar scene on central Liverpool. Within this relatively new venue ceilings are high and decorated with falling diamonds and golden leaves. The smoke from the machine rises. The bars are new and clean, but they haven't lost any sense of authenticity. This place means something, and it means something new. Full of musicians with serious credentials and even better personalities. You can meet at least ten new people without even trying - oh and as to be expected they've got to be some of the most stylish people I've seen in a while. I fitted right in :) I haven't eaten there yet but the photographs alone are making me hungry for more. A far cry from the post war Beatles diet, this new landmark is representing how it feels to be alive now in a scene that's ripe for success for those with talent. As always, much more than just a night out. Inspiring times!

Tros Yr Afon is a cluster of self-catering holiday accommodation cottages in Beaumaris, Anglesey…read moreand was the location for the wedding of close friends. Originally a manor house and farm buildings built in the early part of the 19th century - they are set around a pretty, gravelled courtyard. Ty Mawr, the Manor House (which sleeps 18) is grand and spacious whereas the cottages are more rustic and cosy sleeping between 2-8 people. It really was the perfect place for a wedding, as the huge gardens easily accommodated a large tepee where the reception was held. The weather was glorious for the entire weekend, so the ceremony itself was held on the lawn in front of the Manor House and then drinks were served in the courtyard whilst photos were being taken. It was fantastic to have a self-contained large space to celebrate well into the night/morning. Most of the cottages have their own private gardens but there are also the woods to explore and a large trampoline (yes, we went on that after quite a few beers). Their land spreads to some six acres in total, including a tennis court. The local pebble beaches are only a short walk and quaint Beaumaris town is just over two miles away. There are a number of good cafes, restaurants and pubs here. We couldn't get over how truly gorgeous this place was; we're hoping their wedding anniversary parties will return here!

We stayed here for a friends wedding and first off I have to say I was really impressed all round…read more The owner James was a really good guy and from the moment we arrived until we left on the Sunday he was great. A load of holiday cottages all surrounding a main house - it's the perfect place to hold a big celebration, wedding etc and with us and a load of others taking over the whole compound for 4 days it really felt great to be in such an enclosed but spacious place. The ceremony took place around the back of the house, the garden had a large enough area for a giant tipi taking over 100 guests and the front was great for a reception. Lovely fauna and foliage - this place was the great and we even got some sun - nice work James ;-) A 5 min drive from Beaumaris, probably a lot longer to walk up and down hill - a real hidden gem and with it only being 2 hours drive from Manchester is perfect for a weekend or longer away!

Firstly, in any way that we can endorse Bryn Tanat Hall as an intimate wedding venue, or a weekend…read moreretreat for friends and family, we will gladly oblige without hesitation. We held an intimate wedding weekend celebration, which included a large evening reception on the weekend of 21 April 2012. The Hall and the grounds were immaculately designed for comfort; formal, without feeling stuffy. Every guest that joined us for the weekend commented on the beauty of both the Hall and the grounds. The photographs on the main website do not do the Hall justice, with each room having its own character and personality. Despite being demanding clients, every detail we requested was executed meticulously to our specifications. Even at the last hour, the team at Bryn Tanat Hall managed alterations and used their skill and expertise as true hoteliers without compliant. We still are not quite certain how they accomplished this feat, but it made it seem effortless to our eyes. Susan and Peter: in addition to this review, please ensure the family and the staff receive the appropriate recognition for their commitment in delivering a truly personable service. Your team provided nothing short of a seamless service which left us, our house and reception guests feeling that they attended the "wedding of the century". Thank you, Susan and Peter, for making everything so very special; rarely is perfection ever exceeded.

Love the hotel, the room and walking around the village. Sitting in front of the fire in the…read moreevening and just relaxing. We visited last year and had issue with the restaurant breakfast. Last year my eggs royal were served cold and by the time I could get the servers attention it was too late to order something else and his comment "you didn't have to pay for breakfast so what's the issue" This year we went down earlier and again I looked forward to trying eggs Royal. Again they came out barely warm. This time I chased down the manager and got a different breakfast. Last year we had room 2 in the hotel. Loved that it was a corner room so we had water front and village view. This year room 1. Just as lovely but no river view. Also they've done away with the free slippers being embroidered with the logo. Yes they still have slippers but they are unadorned. I know I know sounds petty but they were such a nice touch. We were there for the food and art festival again but not the hotels fault, the wind storm closed it down for Saturday. Sunday it was opened. Another less than stellar interaction was from the "guards" at the entrance. We had to check out Sunday and we were given a lift to the car park and went to enter the fair. We were supposed to get a plastic shopping bag but the guard refused saying the driver got two bags for the man in an orange coat. Hubby was wearing an orange coat but we didn't get bags from driver. They argued that we must have put the bags away and just wanted more. I don't steal and don't like being accused of stealing a silly bag. We checked the car and there were no bags. We managed to get a single bag grudgingly I know I know again petty but it does add up to be annoying.

The Good The Bad and The Ugly…read more The Good This was a bucket list wish trip. We've been wanting to get to see Portmeirion for 30 years and this was the year!!! We booked a room in the hotel and it included breakfast and we decided against having dinner there because as luck would have it the yearly Christmas craft and food festival was going on at the grounds. We enjoyed the fair and in the evening we sat in front of one of the fires. Husband reading and me knitting. Wonderful relaxing visit. The public rooms were old world gracious and cozy. The bar had a nice selection of drinks to enjoy. Our room was beautiful and we had two windows. One over the river and one up to the village. It was cold and rainy during our visit but believe it or not we came for this weather, being from Florida we kind of miss the cold. The Bad First morning breakfast was a full Welsh breakfast and was good but the second day, the last day and the one we will remember was horrible. I got the salmon eggs Benedict and husband an omelette. His breakfast came out steaming, mine - I almost had to chip off the ice. Okay there wasn't ice on my eggs but there was not a degree of warmth over room temperature and the room was cold. Couldn't catch the eye of a server. They were too busy cleaning up getting the room set for lunch. I had one bite of my eggs and pushed them aside. I went to fix my cup of tea and there was only two sugar cubes in the sugar bowl. What???? Thank goodness the table next to us was empty so we just swapped out. No salt and pepper on the table either. You would think the servers would notice that the food hasn't been eaten and ask about it. The Ugly Finally got the attention of our server. I told him my eggs were cold and inedible and if he had checked on us it could have been corrected during breakfast hours. (Breakfast was over by the way). He then got snippy and said there is no check because breakfast is included in the room. What the heck??? Just wish our last memory was better. Would i return?. That's a good question. The facility is beautiful, the room was great. Walking around the village was interesting but leaving hungry wasn't how I wanted to end our trip. Honestly if breakfast service is any indication of meals there I'm glad we didn't spring for dinner.

I may be slightly bias as the owners are my sister-in-law to be and her husband. It has been open…read morefor about a year now. This is only the second time I have eaten here, they are very accommodating. We had our engagement party there and they were both helpful and professional. The restaurant occupies the bottom floor with a cocktail bar on the top floor, which has a fantastic lighting and music system. An equally amazing cocktail list to match, my personal personal favourite STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI, which takes me straight back to my holidays! We ate there Tuesday night with two good friends from Chorley, we had a drink in the bar then made our way to the table. There is a normal menu with starters and mains along with a tapas menu. I had the meatballs off the tapas as my starter, I was not let down by the juicy, succulent homemade meatballs. Main course normally I have a steak when we eat out, I thought I'd break the habit so I ordered chicken breast stuffed with garlic and basil, wrapped in pancetta services with new potato's (which were slightly roasted and amazing) along with a creamy tomato and chorizo sauce. Which was to die for!!!!!! After all that I was too full to have a pudding! Defiantly worth a visit!

Really liked it in here. Didn't know they do food so will definitely try that next time. the…read moreoutside bit is cool as well for those who wanna sit n smoke. Not me. No way. In the warmth upstairs. Reminds me of a cool little wine bar from the 90s. The waiters are nice eye candy and good and cocktails. And they are cheap. Music was good. Didn't check the toilets out which is unusual for Me. Would defo go back. Was very busy for Saturday. If you at loose end in chorley. Get your butt down here

It's hard to review Rivington Barn without mentioning the reason why weekend finds this place so…read morebusy. Simply, it's set in some of the most beautiful countryside in the country. It attracts motor bikers, not the 'shoot you on the motorway' variety, but the colourful character types. But apart from them, you'll find walkers', runners', hikers' and mountain bikers' next to casual moochers', many of whom have been doing what they love around the Rivvy Hills and are recuperating with a hot drink, scone, meal or some other traditional delight. The barn provides all of this, along with an array of small stalls and, as this is Lancashire, some respite from the rain. There is a small museum next to the barn that is well worth a look. One of the stories it tells is about a plane that crashed during the war, killing all on board, on one of the hills. In the picture attached you can see the monument they erected in their memory. The picture does not do the area justice - get up there and see it. You can buy guide books from the Barn and toddle off on all manner of walks.

Rivington Hall Barn is set in the beautiful surrounding area of Rivington, it is a lovely black and…read morewhite traditional building, full of character and has lots of charm, beautiful to look at inside and out. A pleasure to visit. Inside of the Hall Barn it has lovely beams from the roof and hanging from these are fairy lights that are lit for wedding receptions etc and are a stunning effect. There is a bar serving alcholol at one end, chair and table in the centre and seats around the edges, some standing areas. At the other end is a carvery area and hot and cold food area. On Sundays and Bank Holidays the Barn Hall is a popular destination that attracts bikers and walkers and families etc, the atmosphere is great and the barn opens on Sundays to serve food and drinks. It is a wonderful sight outside on the forecourt of the Barn Hall when the motorbikes are all parked up, they are wonderful machinesamazing to see and such a great atmosphere, very friendly bunch. The food that is served in the Hall Barn is of a very high standard, there are lots of tablesbe there before 2pm for lunch as they stop serving at approximately that time or just later. There are a few stalls inside too on Sundays offering cards, socks, jewellery and pictures to name a few. The toilets are recently updated and are a good facility, ultra modern. The Barn opens on Sundays and Bank Holidays normally but is also available for private functions and sometimes there are dances in the evening or live bands. The Hall Barn is a beautiful venue for a wedding. One of my favourite places to be and so I do Highly recommend Rvington Hall Barn.

I went to a wedding at Arley Hall last week and it was a spectacular venue to get married…read more The only reason I'm marking it down to 4* is because as a non-driver and a singleton it would have been very expensive to get there myself, as the public transport links aren't great. Luckily, I got a lift to and from the venue with friends but otherwise it would have been £50 in a taxi each way. So that's the moan out of the way. The rest was brilliant and to anyone looking for a wedding venue, you should definitely consider here. The main house, where the ceremony and meal were, was very pretty. The food was very tasty, particularly the sticky toffee pudding. Service was also very good. The back where the pictures were taken is gorgeous and provides a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos - official or unofficial! The evening do was in the Olympia Hall which is a nice size. Has a bar, nice area for DJ/dancing and an upstairs bit with sofas and room for a photo booth. I'll put up a few photos shortly.

Although we didn't pay to go into the hall and gardens themselves, even through cafe alone is well…read moreworth a visit if you're in the area. My friend and I had been on a 6 mile hike that started and ended at the hall, and it made for the perfect finish. The celeriac soup was delicious, but everything on offer looked great. Be mindful that they do stop hot food at 3, but we turned up at 3.20 and as they hadn't turned anything off yet they were more than happy to serve us. The cakes looked lovely too and if I'd have had room for dessert I would have had one without hesitation!

Oooh this pub is looovely, especially on sunny days when you can sit outside in their garden…read more They seem to cater to both locals (lots of old folks) and people like us who were driving though. The staff were all very welcoming, and we were all really impressed with the friendly, efficient service. The menu was full of English comfort foods...and they executed everything beautifully. Just look at my photos to get an idea...I tried the goats cheese and caramelised onion strudel, which came balanced on potatoes and perfect ratatouille. If you ever find yourself in this part of the country, it is definitely worth popping in here for some lunch! *Pro tip: It sounded like they get very booked up in the evening, so ring ahead to ensure you get a table!!

A very busy Old English pub doing Great food and Great Beer(Cask Marque)…read moreYvonne and Gary run a first class pub and have a great team working with them. If going for a meal ring and book it gets busy at the weekend!! always a good sign.