The Sun came out to smile on special new bench in the gardens, yesterday to commemorate cllr Neil Trafford’s efforts to make a difference. If you’ve got time and would like to visit a small park with the most amazing unusual trees – Marie Louise Gardens is an exceptionally special place. Its ward Councillors (Neil, Graham and Mark) and MP John Leech worked tirelessly with residents to save it from years of neglect as well as a developer …… its being restored at the moment and looks so very different to the secret garden I used to visit with Brenda and children from East Manchester – where they had their annual Teddy Bear’s picnic!

Friday evening saw Andrew and I dining with North West LD members, councillors, MPs, MEP as well hopefuls at the Holiday Inn, Lime Street – yes – Liverpool. It was a super evening and I hope that we do as well as we’d like to. Andrew adn I stayed over and enjoyed St George’s Hall (Andrew didn’t leave me in the cells) and Walker Gallery, both well worth a visit, before heading home. Its amazing that you can explore so much for free and also get a great cup of coffee!

was coffee and scone at what I call the ‘Hockney Gallery’ in Saltaire. Although I could have spent a fortune on jazzy note books, I managed to resist! Their web site is simply amazing – you need to give it time to upload and then relax with a coffee, you need your volume control on, just wait, watch and enjoy!

When our Spring Conference is in Harrogate, we try to eat at BED. It’s a quirky bistro with a menu that tells stories about your food or makes funny connections with sleep – I like humour! The other highlight away from conference was our first visit to the Turkish Baths. I’m non too good at relaxing and sitting still unless I’m doing something, so I was a little concerned that the event would drive me crazy. It was fun – initial shower then steam to open pores – with another shower to wash the muck away. Then the cold plunge pool – which you can swim in (four breast strokes each way) to pluck the courage up to doing. Then you alternate between steam room with three different temperatures (sauna) and plunge pool. It was clean and staff very friendly. The funniest bit was the pre-event shop for trunks for Andrew as he’d forgotten his – Harrogate sells everything you want but there’s not much male swim-wear choice!

We’d planned a Ferry Enjoyable day – for the last few hours of our Spanish visitors stay but with a rather billowy and choppy Mersey, they opted for the Beatles Museum and I had a super few hours in the Maritime Museum. The Slavery exhibition is superb, sensitively constructed and well-worth a visit. We all met up again to explore Tate Modern – which was every bit as good although smaller than its sister in London. So sheets, towels and washer later, it’s time for business as usual – leaflets and case work beckons!

I couldn’t recommend Simthills Open Farm, Bolton more highly. We took 31 16-19 year olds there the other day. They mucked out, bedded-down and fed animals, rounded up sheep, watched milking and enjoyed super food in the café. If you’ve got young people who need to see and experience what goes into farming, it’s a great day out. See link enc.

Organising trips for my students can be time consuming. This afternoon, with a colleague, we were doing a risk assessment pre-visit at an Open Farm in Bolton. It was great – friendly and enthusiastic staff and a recommendation to look at the Hall too – meant we also had the opportunity for an impromptu visit there too. The Hall is owned by Bolton Council – both have super enthusiastic, friendly staff. So, if you’re over in the area – check them out! I am now looking forward to my trip with 32, 6th formers for a taster day with live animals!