We were fortunate to spend a few days in Athens this month, a city we'd been meaning to visit for a while and we weren't disappointed.Aside from the big sights (as good as we imagined), we really enjoyed exploring the many different neighbourhoods that make...
How can we create happier places? Everyone has different measures for happiness, but according to the World Happiness Report in 2022 happiness levels depend on a number of factors, including financial security, perceptions of social support, place of living, work, feelings of personal freedom, and much more. According to...
Shakespeare North Playhouse opening marks another milestone in Prescot's revivalPrescot is a small town in the borough of Knowsley located approximately 10 miles outside Liverpool. With a history focused on watch making and more recently as the former site of BICC Cables it has had...
Winner of ‘Best large indoor market’ at the Great British Market Awards in 2022.Having visited the temporary market in Warrington a few years ago for a NABMA meeting, I was keen to see the new, permanent market.The market is in the new build Time Square...
Behind the scenes in the City's newest parkRecently we took part in a fascinating tour with The London Society of the City’s newest public park, Exchange Square with architecture, urban design and research studio DSDHA and landscape architects FFLO.Tucked away behind Bishopsgate – we weren't even...
The image shows an unchanged view of Liverpool over the years yet the city and this area has changed enormously. The view is not about looking back but in considering how the old and new work together. Particularly post-Covid it’s not all about reinvention and...
UK Cities of Culture tripsThe UK City of Culture title is relatively new, with only two events having taken place so far. The first was Derry/Londonderry in 2013, a city I’ve visited, but not during their year of culture. In 2017, Hull had the accolade,...
The end of 2021 marked 10 years since I left my job, to set-up what is now known as The Assembly Line and what an interesting time it has been! With a few jobs in regeneration/place related roles throughout my career, I’d also spent several years...
With Christmas just literally a few days away, there have been many initiatives, campaigns and tactics used to drive people to shop local, but could it be easier? Especially now, as small businesses are more impacted by the new variant which is deterring people from...
Recently I’ve been exploring the North West and finding out about local projects in the larger towns and cities. So far, I’ve visited Lancaster, Bolton, Preston and Wigan (more soon on those) and there’s plenty more places to go! My first trip was to Lancaster, a...