Author: Uncover

In the latest instalment of Buried Treasure, John Maguire explores Edward Lear’s remarkable connection to Knowsley Hall, where frustration, imagination and a fondness for parrots helped inspire some of the world’s best-loved nonsense verse. From The Owl and the Pussycat to his fantastical “nonsense botany”, he uncovers the local roots of Lear’s wonderfully absurd legacy.

Did you know that some of the world’s most famous nonsense poems were written right here in Prescot at Knowsley Hall?

Who by? Edward Lear.

Edward Lear was born in The Old Smoke, London, on 12th May 1812, the twentieth of twenty-one children. His father, Jeremiah, fell into financial difficulties, losing a fortune on the stock exchange in 1816. He was sent to live with his eldest sister Ann, an accomplished artist, who encouraged his artistic talents. She was the tinder to his creativity. Educated mostly at home due to childhood health struggles, including asthma, bronchitis, and epilepsy. Does ill health make the sufferer super focused on the work when well? Doing so with the fear that sickness could return. This is then the catalyst to create in the now, while they physically and mentally can? Mr Lear had a vivacious appetite for knowledge and viewed life as an endless voyage of discovery, evidenced by the portfolio of mixed media and legacy he leaves behind.

Famous for his nonsense poetry and particularly the poem The Owl and the Pussycat, he was also famed back in the day for his pioneering zoological drawings and illustrations. In June 1830, Mr Lear applied to draw the parrots at the Zoological Society of London in a meeting chaired by Lord Stanley. He went on to publish Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots (1830–1832), the very first book to focus on a single family of birds, created by working directly from living creatures rather than taxidermy specimens. The artist loved parrots with their fine feathers, finding their colours absolutely mesmerising, alongside landscape art and botanical plants.

Mr Lear spent a great deal of time in the early 1830s (specifically 1831–1837) staying at Knowsley Hall. The 13th Earl of Derby (who Lear had first met as Lord Stanley), who became his good friend, also loved plants and parrots; in fact, Derby’s private collection of animals was the start of what we now know as Knowsley Safari Park. Regular readers of this column will be aware that I often wax lyrical about the Liverpool City centre architecture and the treasures it holds; I had the privilege of seeing first-hand the origins of the Knowsley Safari Park, in the sketches of the artist drawn to illustrate the Earl of Derby’s growing collection of exotic animals.

He produced over 100 detailed life portraits of the estate’s rare mammals, reptiles, and birds. Mr Lear liked the Earl, but some of the people who hung around him, his guests, were like fleas on a pedigree dog’s back. Always moaning and groaning, talking about other people. Sartre has it right: hell is other people. Their inane conversations drove Mr Lear quite mad, with the bourgeoisie saying they were bored, yet only boring people get bored. This distaste in the company kept would eventually transform his negative inner bitchy commentary, the shade, into little pieces of rhyme satire.

At Knowsley Hall he’d visit for a planned few days and then stay for months, years, a guest from hell in my opinion. I love visitors, but I also love when they leave. However, to be fair, Lear was a working guest, tutoring the family and drawing commissions on site, plus it’s not like the Hall is a two-bedroomed council flat.

Finding himself in a country house, he’d pen his frustrations down in funny poems and little ditties to amuse the Earl’s children. He wrote under the pseudonym Derry Down Derry.

Such nonsense poems like:

There was a young lady whose bonnet came untied, when the birds sate upon it, but she said, “I don’t care, all the birds in the air are welcome to sit on my bonnet.”

There was an old man with a beard, who said, “It is just as I feared! Two owls and a hen, four larks and a wren, have all made a nest in my beard.”

First published in 1846, in A Book of Nonsense, which became a massive success. He also endured the universal trait for most artists: commission chasing and the impending doom of running out of money, with poverty always on the horizon.

He saw lots of real plants on his many adventures travelling, keeping detailed records and sketches in his journals as he visited Greece, Italy, and Corsica, to name a few.

He later combined these lifelong passions, NONSENSE POETRY, painting, and plants, to create NONSENSE BOTANY. Lear was poking fun at a botanist from Sweden called LINNAEUS, who made a classification system giving complex names to plants.

Enter FLORA NONSENSICA: a cluster of everyday objects, books, brushes, tea kettles, guitars, watches, magically transformed into flowers, given much more serious names.

A pioneer perspective is hard to imagine in the modern world. An influence that is far-reaching: absurdism and satire in theatre; Lear influenced comedians like Spike Milligan, The Goons, Monty Python, and we can see his touch in the likes of Roald Dahl’s characters and stories, like Revolting Rhymes and Tim Burton’s The Death of Oyster Boy.

If you want to experience a bit of that nonsense magic yourself, Mr Lear will be at Shakespeare North Playhouse on Saturday 22 August as Part of the Serious Nonsense Festival 2026.

Step into the absurd world of Edward Lear, the master of nonsense verse and author of The Owl and the Pussycat. His faithful, grumpy, and beloved cat, Foss, needs your help to grow a brand-new, nonsense plant in their garden!

In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore local history and the playful rhythms and hilarious rhymes of Mr Lear’s classic work. Then, it’s your turn: let your imagination run wild as you help us invent a new botanical marvel.

Purrrfect for creative minds of all ages.

Potty Plants with Edward Lear and Foss, His Curious Cat
Saturday 22 August 2026 (11:30 am and 1:15 pm , 45-minute sessions)
Tickets

Since ArtsGroupie began in 2016, it has brought overlooked stories to life through theatre, heritage projects, walking tours and community work across the Liverpool City Region. At the heart of everything it does is the belief that arts and heritage should be accessible to everyone, regardless of income, background or previous cultural experience.

Uncover Liverpool readers may already know co-director John Maguire through his regular Buried Treasure with ArtsGroupie features, which explore fascinating people, places and lesser-known stories from Liverpool’s history.

ArtsGroupie’s commitment to accessibility and creative excellence was recently recognised at the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards, where it became the inaugural winner of the Creative / Media Organisation of the Year award.

We spoke to John about ArtsGroupie’s beginnings, breaking down barriers to culture and preserving stories that might otherwise go unheard.

Take us back to the start. How did ArtsGroupie first come about and what inspired you to start the CIC?

We had been working collectively as ArtsGroupie in 2016 – when our first production Hotel was staged at the legendary Lantern Theatre during its last season. After securing Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant Funding funding for what would become our magnum opus, Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse, we officially incorporated as a Community Interest Company. Our late friend, Jill Smith, who sadly passed in 2025, joined myself, and my partner Mikey Garland, as the third director. We choose a CIC structure as we wanted the company to serve high deprivation communities across the city region. We initially ran the company whilst holding down full time jobs, and squeezing in ArtsGroupie in our spare time. It’s incredible have far we’ve come.

Your theatre productions such as Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse, Weave, The Liver Bird Show, A Portrait of William Roscoe, The Signalman, Who’s Afraid of Mikey Garland and Ghost Stories for Christmas all explore very different themes and periods of history. How do you decide on which stories to bring to the stage?

The productions have evolved naturally. As a collective of creatives, we all have ideas and as our mission is to really tell invisible stories, platform working class voices and make theatre more accessible, each production has fallen within this value set orgnically. It comes easy when you write from lived experience, and you genuinely believe in what you trying to achieve. We’ve never policed what we put on stage, and we trust the creative practitioners we work with to create work that champions forgotten, or rarely heard voices in theatre, we never have to force it.

Your productions often shine a light on overlooked people, working-class history and marginalised communities. Is preserving these stories one of ArtsGroupie’s core missions?

Absolutely. washhouse pioneer Kitty Wilkinson’s story was the catalyst for this approach. Her story is so inspirational, and so very Liverpudlian, that everything else has branched out from there. We’ve always staged original work with both historical and contemporary stories, but our plays that cover the lives of under-celebrated historical heroes have arguably been our most popular. This has also led us to the heritage sector for example our partnership with the Liverpool Irish Festival for the international project around the Liverpool Irish Famine Trail, to ensure that more people understand An Gorta Mór (or The Great Hunger). The impact has a profound effect on Liverpool, being the main portal that the Irish fleeing went through to either start a new life here or onwards to America, Canada and the rest of the world. We never thought we’d be involved in so many heritage projects, but it was a natural extension of what we were already doing, championing the city’s rich history.

Alongside theatre, your heritage walking tours have become another major strand of your work. How did Mersey Trails develop from the theatre side of the organisation?

We were working with The Bookworm Players, adapting the short story The Liver Bird. I stumbled upon a book from the 90’s called The Little Book of Liver Birds when I was researching for the story. It saddened me that so many Liver Birds on the buildings in Liverpool had gone. As part of the capital of culture there had been a SuperLambBanana safari, where you could have fun wandering around and spotting the super lambs in the field. I had previously worked part time as a walking tour guide so I thought what if I write a new tour and we use it to promote the play. This worked well and allowed us to develop an audience and raise monies towards the play’s match funding. We didn’t create them to compete with any other tour operators in the city so it’s never been a huge enterprise. Our sole aim is to highlight history that is rarely talked about. We focused on getting the research right and the quality, rather than expanding. It was this quality that earned us commissions from other organisation’s which was our door into the heritage sector despite being small. Our Co-Director, Mikey Garland, designed a walking tour that delved into the city rich music history, often of Black music origin, that goes beyond the Beatles, and a tour on Liverpool’s links with America. When we started these tours, no on else was covering this history in the city, but is now being widely emulated. We take this as a compliment, we often catch walking tour operators on our walks carrying notepads! We’re glad to help this history spread and be accessed by all.

Your tours cover everything from Liverpool’s theatre history and music heritage to William Roscoe, Kitty Wilkinson and even the city’s Liver Birds. What do you think visitors discover about Liverpool that they might otherwise miss?

The city is like one big open air museum, every street is layered with histories and intriguing facts. Every time we create a new tour it allows us to reveal a new side to Liverpool. For example working on our Theatre History Exhibition in 2024, when we led walks showing where the old theatres used to be, as part of that project, finishing at the exhibition in the Hornby Room, Central Library, it sparked so many people to reminisce about Liverpool. This is why we aren’t offended by anyone pinching our research, we’re able to do the deep work work to uncover neglected areas of history and come up with new tours. They don’t have a commercial purpose, every penny we do make gets reinvested to deliver free cultural activity in the community, and there’s always something new to uncover. We’ll be launching two new tours in 2027.

Community has always been central to ArtsGroupie, whether that’s creative writing workshops, working with schools or bringing performances to communities with limited access to the arts. Why is accessibility so important to you?

Both Mikey and I are from challenging backgrounds. I came from a really rough council estate and access to the arts was hard, as I felt that it was not for me, galleries and theatres were intimidating. My whole PhD thesis focuses on breaking this class ceiling. Sometimes people have to make choices and if the price of a theatre ticket is more than a weekly food shop, it’s obvious what is going to come first. It is most important that people can access the arts, experience the arts and make it a part of their daily life. The restorative benefits could take up a whole other interview, but I’d encourage people who are interested to read Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt. and Culture is Bad for You by Orian Brook, Dave O’Brien, and Mark Taylor. Access to libraries is key, my local library in Huyton was a portal to cultivating my imagination and volunteering at The Unity as an usher allowed me to see lots of free theatre when I was a teenager. Mikey Garland is formerly homeless, and his own work has extensively explored this through ArtsGroupie. There’s a lot of gatekeeping in the industry, and we just want to clear a path so that working class kids don’t have the same struggle we had. The right to work within culture shouldn’t be reserved for any particular class, only when stories can be heard unguarded and unfiltered in the arts can we be inspired to understand the full breadth of the human condition. It gets stale when it’s just one perspective and safe commerical choices.

What other productions, heritage projects or tours are you currently working on that you’re particularly excited about?

Both Mikey and I are writing two separate books over the summer. We are researching for our next Exhibition, preparing for the return of The Hammer and Helena in October at Shakespeare North and our annual Ghost Stories for Christmas tour, as well as preparing for the next part of the Liverpool Irish Famine Trail in 2027. We were astounded when in 2023 we were featured in the New York Times reviving the Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmastime on a theatre stage. The tradition in theatre had mostly died out, and was seen as commerically unviable, but we took it from one-off novelty event that some people were doing elsewhere, into a viable and annual live, ticketed, theatrical ghost story readings. Liverpool now has one of the strongest markets in this regard.

Winning the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Award must have been a special moment, particularly as the inaugural recipients of the Creative / Media Organisation of the Year award. What did that recognition mean to you?

My Co-director Mikey Garland really summed it up: “ArtsGroupie were honoured for the first time last night at the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards.

We made history as the first winners in a new category: Creative/Media Organisation of the Year, sponsored by The Guide Liverpool. Thank you to the judges for recognising our work.

We were dressed up to the nines, but our personal favourites for Best Dressed were Dr Emma Roberts, and Ngunan Adamu, who really turned it out. It was a joyous night with the Black Women’s Health Forum Dancing Queens giving the event so much energy.

To say we are thrilled, doesn’t quite capture the feeling. Our winner’s interview devolved into babbling due to our shock, so we’d like to make a statement here.

ArtsGroupie as a grassroots organisation only exists because a collective of talented working-class freelancers came together with the same goal of accessibility, creative excellence, and dismantling gatekeeping in the arts and heritage sectors, and the people who have supported us along the way.

We got our start at the Lantern Theatre, then run by Margaret Connell and Siobhan Noble, who were supporting new playwriting and fringe work at a time when there were almost no alternatives in the city. While some have later arrived in Liverpool with the claim of having brought this to the city for the first time, the Lantern stands as a genuine beacon of artistry in a long line of historic arts hubs which have always existed in Liverpool.

When ArtsGroupie incorporated in 2018, we found a dream team when Margaret Connell agreed to direct our plays, and actress Samantha Alton as our star player. Those first few productions built the company, particularly our magnum opus, ‘Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse.’

Since then, we have had the pleasure of working with some of the finest actors, photographers, producers, and lighting technicians in the region, including Liz Barker, Xenia Beyer, Zoran Blackie, Tom Browning, Sally Britton, Andrew Ab, Ellis Murphy, and The Bookworm Players.

When David Griffiths – Author & Director came on board, we made new strides in theatre, including reviving the Victorian tradition of live literature readings through ‘Ghost Stories for Christmas’ amongst other popular productions, gaining us recognition with The New York Times.

Thanks to the support of theatres like Shakespeare North Playhouse, and Unity Theatre, we have built a large and loyal following from audiences and participants who we greatly love and appreciate.

After gaining footing with heritage walking tours, our close partnerships with Liverpool Irish Festival, and Liverpool Libraries and Information Services have made us respected professionals in Liverpool’s heritage sector.

We’d like to thank Denise Jones, Vicki Caren, and Emma Smith for trusting us, training us, and helping us build a name in heritage work, so we can reach even more people with cultural activity.

Now, thanks to the generosity of time and effort from the illustrious Catherine Cole, we have entered academia, giving us the ability to share arts best practice and to highlight working-class barriers to culture on an international scale.

We’d like to thank the entire faculty of Liverpool Screen School at Liverpool John Moores University, LJMU RILCH, University of Liverpool, Dr Emma Roberts, Helen Tookey, and Prof Ian Fillis for working with us over the years.

All of you are ArtsGroupie, from the people we work with to our fantastic audiences.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the public funding that makes our mission of culture accessibility for all possible. We’d like to thank Arts Council England, The National Lottery, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Liverpool BID, and The Royal Society of Literature for awarding us with the funding necessary to reach communities across the Liverpool City Region.

Liverpool, we love you. Only in a city like this could we work with the likes of Louise Waller Ceramics, Zoë Howe, John Maxwell, Eli Randle, Eithne Brown, Gina Ware, Powerful Beyond All Measure, DaDa, Pagoda Arts, LUMA Creations, Culture Knowsley, Culture Liverpool, Uncover Liverpool, and too many more to mention.

John Maguire and I grew up in high deprivation areas, and our dream is that other working-class artists can stand where we’re standing in the future with a little bit of support. We will be committed to that until our dying day.

As always, we dedicate this award to our late great friend, co-founder and sister in life, Jill Smith. We know you would have been beaming last night. We miss you and love you lots.”

To find out more about ArtsGroupie CIC visit artsgroupie.org.

Summer is in full swing, and this month’s guide to events in Liverpool and across the city region features everything from family-friendly activities and open-air theatre to live music, creative workshops and free community events. Here are ten unmissable picks to add to your calendar this August.

1. Women In Translation Liverpool Online Book Club (1 – 31 August)

August marks the global Women in Translation Month, and to celebrate, Zest Event Management and Wordscape have created a new online book club for readers across Liverpool City Region. It’s a chance to discover women’s writing from around the world, swap recommendations and there’s a few real-world surprises planned along the way.

Follow Women in Translation Lpl on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook for book recommendations, community favourites and festival updates.

2. Dr Alimantado, Future Yard (6 August)

Legendary Jamaican reggae artist Dr Alimantado is returning to the UK for his first live performance here in two decades! A hugely influential figure in roots reggae and dub, he is best known for his 1978 cult album Best Dressed Chicken in Town, created with equally legendary names including Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and Scientist. Dr Alimantado brings his show to Future Yard on 6 August—Jamaican Independence Day.

3. Open Air Theatre, The Reader at Calderstones Park (6 & 23 August)

The Reader is bringing open-air theatre back to the beautiful setting of Mansion House Garden in Calderstones Park, with two lively takes on much-loved classics. Illyria kicks things off with a swashbuckling production of The Three Musketeers on 6 August, followed by the HandleBards’ hilariously high-energy version of Macbeth on 23 August—expecting plenty of laughs alongside Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

4. The Almost Complete History of Britain, Shakespeare North Playhouse (14-15 August)

Join the critically acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company for a fast-paced and wonderfully inaccurate journey through British history. In under two hours, they’ll transform Henry VIII’s life into a romantic comedy and the Spanish Armada into a light operetta, with live music, audience participation and plenty of brilliantly silly surprises along the way.

5. Family Weekend, Bluecoat (15-16 August)

Bluecoat’s popular Family Weekend returns with two days of free creative activities for all ages. This time it’s inspired by Debjani Banerjee’s colourful and playful exhibition Jalsaghar. Families can try badge making, block printing and textile crafts, explore their dreams and make a handmade journal. It’s completely free and there’s no need to book—just drop in between 1pm and 4pm on 15 or 16 August.

6. Tea Dance, The Atkinson (17 August)

Head to The Atkinson for a feel-good afternoon of live music, dancing and entertainment, all while raising money for Sefton Opera. Aimed at the over-50s, the monthly Tea Dance features Elvis, resident band Memory Lane, dance routines from The Bootle Belles and a variety of special guests. Whatever your dancing ability, everyone is welcome to come along, get involved and enjoy the afternoon.

7. Nile Rodgers and Chic, Salt & Tar (17 August)

Nile Rodgers & Chic bring their unmistakable disco-funk sound to Bootle this summer, promising a feel-good live show packed with timeless hits. They’ll headline Salt & Tar’s Music Weekender on 16 (sold out) and 17 August, which is heading ‘on tour’ to a new location at Lock & Quay for 2026.

8. The Great Race- New York To Paris, Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre (21-22 August)

Buckle up for a brilliantly chaotic journey around the world as The Great Race – New York to Paris arrives at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Based on the strange but true story of a 1908 motor race, the show features five actors playing 45 different characters, an original ragtime soundtrack and plenty of laughs and mishaps along the way.

9. Wonder In The Street, St Helens (22 August)

Church Square in St Helens will come alive with a free day of outdoor entertainment for the whole family, thanks to Wonder Arts. Wonder in the Street features the big beats and lively energy of Liverpool’s Katumba and HUG, a colourful mix of aerial dance, circus and physical theatre that celebrates connection and the simple power of a hug.

10. LGBTQIA+ Creative Wellbeing Event – Clowning, Community, Comfort Food, Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre (28 August)

Ugly Bucket is hosting a free LGBTQIA+ creative wellbeing day at Bidston Observatory, bringing together clowning, community and comfort food. The day includes a gentle workshop exploring how clowning can support wellbeing, a shared meal and an afternoon campfire, with time to wander around the hill, explore the observatory’s domes or simply find a quiet spot to relax. Places are free but limited, so email uglybuckettheatre@gmail.com to book.

For even more things to do in August in Liverpool and the city region check out our What’s On Listings.

Liverpool City Region’s museums, galleries, theatres and cultural spaces contain far more than visitors can discover during an ordinary visit.

The best arts and culture venue tours in Liverpool and the city region reveal the hidden histories, remarkable collections and fascinating people behind some of the region’s best-known cultural spaces. Some occupy historic buildings with stories stretching back hundreds of years, while others offer a glimpse into the architecture, ideas and creative work behind contemporary culture.

From exploring the Grade I-listed Bluecoat to stepping inside Shakespeare North Playhouse’s timber-framed Cockpit Theatre, these guided tours allow you to experience Liverpool City Region’s cultural venues from a completely different perspective.

Bluecoat Heritage Tours

Bluecoat is a familiar part of Liverpool city centre, but even regular visitors may not know the full story of its remarkable building.

Originally built as a charity school in the early 18th century, Bluecoat is the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool. Its story stretches from its beginnings as the Blue Coat School to its reinvention as the UK’s first arts centre.

During Heritage Open Days, Bluecoat’s Director of Cultural Legacies, Bryan Biggs, leads special tours of the Grade I-listed building. Visitors can learn more about its architecture, the people who have passed through its doors and its place within Liverpool’s cultural history.

The 2026 tours take place on Sunday 13 September and Tuesday 15 September. They are free, but advance booking is required.

Find out more about Bluecoat’s Heritage Tours.

The Reader Heritage Tours

The Reader’s home in Calderstones Park brings together literature, nature and several thousand years of local history.

Its free Hidden Heritage guided walks explore some of the park’s most significant and surprising landmarks. Along the way, visitors can discover what makes the ancient Allerton Oak so special, hear the story of Jet of Iada and learn what the Mansion House reveals about the changing life of the park.

The walks take place on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month and last approximately one hour. They are free to attend, with donations welcome.

The Reader also offers a separate weekly tour of the Grade II-listed Mansion House. These tours explore how the rooms were used when the building was a private residence, their later role under council ownership and how the house has been transformed into The Reader’s public home.

Mansion House tours take place on Tuesdays from 2pm until 3pm and are free to attend.

Discover The Reader’s heritage tours.

Shakespeare North Playhouse Guided Tour

Shakespeare North Playhouse may be one of the Liverpool City Region’s newest cultural venues, but the history behind it reaches back more than 400 years.

Prescot was home to the only purpose-built indoor playhouse outside London during the Elizabethan period. Today’s venue celebrates that theatrical history through its architecture, performances and striking timber-framed Cockpit Theatre, inspired by a 17th-century theatre built to designs by the celebrated architect Inigo Jones.

Its guided tour takes visitors through the award-winning venue while exploring Prescot’s connections to Shakespeare and the history that led to the Playhouse being built.

The tour includes the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, Cockpit Theatre, Learning Centre, Exhibition Gallery and community spaces. Lasting around one hour and 15 minutes, it also provides an opportunity to ask questions about the building and its work.

Find out more about guided tours at Shakespeare North Playhouse.

Liverpool’s Royal Court Heritage Tour

From its striking Art Deco design to the famous names who have appeared on its stage, Liverpool’s Royal Court has played an important role in the city’s entertainment history.

The current Grade II-listed theatre opened in 1938, replacing an earlier building that had been destroyed by fire. Over the decades, it has welcomed performers ranging from established theatre stars to major music acts, before becoming the home of distinctly Liverpool-focused theatre that audiences know today.

Its heritage tours take visitors around the building, including areas that are normally hidden from the public. Led by an experienced guide, the approximately two-hour experience explores the theatre’s architecture, history and stories from both onstage and behind the scenes.

Money raised through ticket sales supports the continued restoration of the building.

Find out more and book a Royal Court Heritage Tour.

Sudley House Highlights Tour

Tucked away in Mossley Hill, Sudley House offers the rare opportunity to experience a major art collection within the Victorian home created to display it.

The house belonged to Liverpool merchant, shipowner and philanthropist George Holt. Its rooms remain home to the collection assembled by Holt, including paintings by artists such as JMW Turner, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds and members of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.

Highlights tours for groups explore the history of Sudley House, the Holt family and the artworks and furnishings found throughout the property. As well as introducing individual works, the tour helps visitors understand what life was like inside the house and how Liverpool’s mercantile wealth shaped its creation.

Unlike many of the tours in this guide, the Sudley House experience is intended for pre-booked adult groups.

Find out more about Sudley House Highlights Tours.

In this month’s Buried Treasure, ArtsGroupie CIC’s John Maguire explores Liverpool as an open-air museum, uncovering the historic objects, architecture and hidden stories found across the city’s streets.

As the British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) prepares to gather in Liverpool this July, it’s led me to reflect on the Victorian legacy that defines our city. But first, what exactly is BAVS? Founded in 2000, BAVS is the UK’s premier multidisciplinary organisation dedicated to the study of the Victorian period, bringing together over 1,200 International Scholars, curators and historians. The BAVS Annual Conference 2026 is being held at Liverpool John Moores University. Their arrival is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the living history of our streets.

We are lucky here in Liverpool to have such fine art galleries, like the rich collections at the Walker, opened since 1877 and arguably the first to allow free access to the general public. When it comes to first-class museums, National Museums Liverpool do a sterling job in platforming progressive new work and honest reappraisals of their collections.

The great thing about the pool of life is that there are also many fascinating objects on display that we walk past daily. An outdoor open-air archive easily at our disposal. Liverpool’s sprawling city streets form one vast in situ museum. Around corners, we see echoes from the past, battle scars and triumphs from when Liverpool morphed into the Second City of the Empire. We can see where the wealth was injected into the city. Like the opulent Castle Street, where the world’s banking representation held court, with architectural ostentatious statements, each building trying to outdo the next.

An immersive trudge around the spatial psychogeography, you are never far away from buried treasure. One of my favourites is off Dale Street – Dale and Castle Street are the last two of the seven streets that made up Liverpool in 1207. Off this busy road is Hackins Hey – what a name. It sounds like it has been lifted off the pages of a Charles Dickens novel, like Sweeting Street and Leather Lane. The Teagle Crane is an artefact you have probably walked past without even recognising its significance and historical importance. It is a belt-driven counterweighted mechanism invented by engineers Frost and Stutt in 1835. They created the system that was then adapted by local firms across the land.

The Teagle Crane was used to drop barrels and crates off the delivery carts, to lower directly into the cavernous cellars used for storage. With business rates being so expensive (something that has not changed), this allowed merchants to use all the space that their property had to offer in streets that were mismatched and narrow, particularly those routes that would not allow for bigger cranes like those down at the docks.

This simple street furniture is a monument to the evolution of industrial labour. Topped by a pineapple, a symbol of the exotic items that may have been stored at the premises, but possibly an indication of wealth, as our Town Hall railings are decorated with many golden pineapples. Pineapples, to our travelling readers in modern times, take on a completely different meaning. I found this out only recently when a walking tour participant pointed out, in plain terms, the modern-day symbolism of the fruit. I’d just purchased a summer shirt adorned with hundreds of the exotic items and was so glad that this had not been worn.

From objects to buildings, the architecture is another story, too. One particular building has left me ecstatic this month. LJMU has recently announced that it is to rename the Henry Cotton Building as the Kitty Wilkinson Building. An Irish immigrant to Liverpool in the 18th century, Kitty is revered as the ‘Saint of the Slums’. Having studied for my PhD at LJMU and staged my play Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse,  I know well that in her lifetime, she was never recognised for being the great community champion that she was. She did receive a teapot from Queen Victoria, but I’m sure she would have pawned that teapot to be able to give somebody a meal. Her legacy of unity and community is exactly the kind of buried treasure that defines our great city.

I will be encouraging our BAVS guests this July to ensure they not only spend time in our wonderful cultural assets, but also make time to see the hidden histories on our streets, too.

With the summer holidays fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to start planning how you’ll keep the kids entertained. If you’re looking for the best summer holiday events in Liverpool City Region, we’ve rounded up some fantastic family-friendly days out, creative activities and unforgettable experiences to help you get organised before the school gates close.

From free events to ticketed attractions, here’s our guide to some of the best family-friendly things to do across Liverpool and the region this summer.

1. Debjani Banerjee: Jalsaghar, Bluecoat (11 July – 6 September)

Jalsaghar, the solo exhibition by Debjani Banerjee, explores the relationship between the artist’s Bengali heritage and her 1980s upbringing in England. Across film, sculpture, and installation, her work playfully merges traditional craft, religious imagery and modern culture, encouraging audiences to think about what it feels like when different ways of life interplay.

The title Jalsaghar means ‘music room’ in Bengali, and comes from Satyajit Ray’s 1958 film of the same name. Banerjee reimagines this idea of a ‘music room’ and transforms the gallery into a sensory space where you can reflect with music, stories and artworks that connect the past and the present.

Additionally, don’t miss Bluecoat’s Family Weekend (15-16 August) for two days of free family-friendly fun, including creative activities inspired by Debjani Banerjee’s exhibition, suitable for all ages.

2. Ancient Egypt Galleries Tour, World Museum (Tuesdays & Fridays)

Step back in time with a guided tour of the World Museum’s fascinating Ancient Egypt gallery, where families can discover 5,000 years of history, incredible artefacts and stories of mummies, gods and pharaohs. It’s a great way to bring the museum’s Egyptian collection to life for curious kids and adults alike.

In fact, the World Museum makes for a great day out for families with five floors to explore, including the aquarium and the planetarium. Read our floor-by-floor guide to the World Museum before you go.

3. Make It! Summer Craft Workshop, The Atkinson (23 July – 27 August)

Be inspired by The Atkinson’s museum, gallery and theatre programme in a Make It! Summer Craft Workshop suitable for all the family. There’s something for all ages, with all materials supplied and all for free!

Drop-in any time between 11am – 3pm and get creative. Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult. First come first served. You may be expected to wait until a space at a craft table becomes available.

4. LAAF Family Day 2026, Sefton Park Palm House (26 July)

Taking place on the final day of the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, Sunday 26th July, the long-established LAAF Family Day is a celebratory showcase of Arab arts and culture.  Creating a moment of togetherness and community, Sefton Park’s Palm House will play host to a free afternoon of music, performance and authentic Arab culture, complemented by a range of stalls offering Arabic and Middle Eastern food, arts and crafts, traditional practices such as calligraphy and dance, as well as activities for children, including storytelling and workshops. 

5. Summer Drama Workshops, Unity Theatre (27 & 28 July)

If you are looking for somewhere to drop your kids off for the day, look no further! Unity Theatre’s Summer Drama Workshops offers participants the chance to spend a  few days exploring drama, meet new friends, enjoy games, create characters, puppetry and more with brilliant practitioners.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a theatre expert! All abilities are welcome for children aged between 9-12 years old.

6. Storybarn Holiday Club, The Reader (27 July – 21 August)

Discover Storybarn’s Holiday Club, a holiday club with a difference.  Every day they will venture out into the gorgeous Calderstones Park, dive into the realm of storytelling in the magical  Storybarn, play games and much more.  Every ticket purchased  helps support their charitable work with children and young people across the UK.

Children will embark on new adventures with their Storyhunters, inspired through their diverse range of picture books. They will use their imagination to create new story worlds and characters as part of a team.

7. Open Air Theatre & Cinema: The Reader at Calderstones (27 July – 31 August)

Grab a picnic, settle in under the open sky, and enjoy an unforgettable afternoon of theatre at The Reader with The Three Musketeers. Join the daring Young D’Artagnan on a swashbuckling outdoor adventure as he sets out to prove he has what it takes to become one of the King’s legendary Musketeers. Packed with thrilling sword fights, daring escapes and plenty of laughs, Illyria’s fresh take on this timeless classic is perfect for the whole family.

Additionally, The Reader’s Open-Air Cinema is returning to The Mansion House garden this summer, with feel-good films, and food & drink flowing throughout July and August. They have a packed programme of kids films this summer, including the classics – Zog and the Flying Doctors, Back To The Future, The Scarecrows’ Wedding, Jurassic Park, Tabby McTat and more.

8. National Children’s Orchestras American Concert, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (1 August)

Join National Children’s Orchestras American Concert featuring musicians from In Harmony Liverpool Philharmonic for an afternoon of glorious American music. For NCO’s eldest musicians, just 13 and 14 years old, this concert is the culmination of their final week-long NCO residential of the year, which has included rehearsals, creative sessions and more.

NCO’s concerts are for everyone, join them to appreciate the sheer joy that can be experienced nowhere else than in the presence of a wonderful children’s orchestra and be part of supporting the next generation of musicians. Expect a warm, welcoming audience and to be dazzled by really remarkable young musicians.

9. Pipes & Poo, Shakespeare North Playhouse (19 August)

Have you ever wondered what happens to a poo after you flush it down the loo? Head down to the Shakespeare North Playhouse for a delightfully disgusting interactive game-show exploring the extraordinary world of water, Pipes and Poo. A brand new show from award-winning children’s theatre company One Tenth Human. Featuring ridiculous dance moves, competitive flushing, real toilets, and some very disgusting poo, this brand new adventure will delight everyone aged four and up. 

You can discover plenty more evens happening across the Liverpool city region by exploring our What’s On listings.

By John Maguire

In the latest instalment of Buried Treasure, ArtsGroupie CIC’s John Maguire explores Bootle’s layered and often overlooked heritage, uncovering the stories, landmarks and community spirit that continue to shape the town today.

For this month’s Buried Treasure, I am in Bootle and have been astounded by the hidden heritage uncovered here. Local landmarks tell a fascinating story, from the historic Bootle Baths, a generational hub for swimming clubs and water polo proudly tied to Bootle-born Olympic swimmer Margaret ‘Maggy’ Kelly MBE, to the town’s oldest house at 1 Merton Road. Built in 1773, this building was originally the kitchen wing of the Earl of Derby’s Hunting Lodge, sitting just across from Christ Church, which has served the community since 1864.

It’s like a labyrinth and you can turn a corner and be struck by a ghost from the past. Take the industrial history on display by Well Lane and Waterworks Street, where the Bootle Tanning Company Factory was built around 1900. This factory, along with several others in the area, was established due to the abundant local water supply. 

I also had the pleasure of exploring In Another Place, located right inside the Strand Shopping Centre. Here, a dedicated team of volunteers were busy sewing and crafting world flags to decorate an amazing community showcase, the Bootle International Festival. An event led by the community for the community. A true factory of creativity, and with my own passion for the theatre, having the chance to peep inside their prop cupboard left me feeling like a kid in a candy store. Digging through their collection, I encountered Mr Tumnus from Narnia, a sleeping apostle, and even a couple of dragons. 

The festival returns on Saturday, 27 June 2026, from 12pm to 4pm, transforming the Strand Shopping Centre into an international celebration of culture and community roots. The event originally evolved out of the Eurovision celebration in 2023, which served as the foundation for this annual showcase before the official first festival under the ‘International’ name launched at nearby Salt & Tar in April 2024. This canal-side events space is named after Bootle’s historical salt trade and the Hawthorne Road Brotherton Tar Distillery. 

The choice to host this year’s festival inside the Strand carries deep historical significance. Opened in 1968 alongside the Netherton Girobank development, marking Bootle’s charter centenary year, the shopping centre sits on the historic site of a demolished Victorian housing estate affectionately known as ‘Little America.’ Where shoppers now walk, once ran old neighbourhood tracks like Delaware Street and Vermont Street.

While the concrete mall was famously home to generations of retailers like Woolworths and originally erected to bring post-war commercial progress to the town, it has like most high street retail areas faced challenges, particularly as the way people shop continues to change. It has evolved from its 1980s transition into an American-style mall to facing the challenges of the recent pandemic. Nearby, the cutting Office Block Triad building, completed in 1974, reminds me of the infamous Nakatomi Plaza building in the great Xmas film Die Hard. It still cuts into the skyline as one of the region’s few remaining brutalist architectural treasures, that you either like or loathe.

Today, the shopping complex integrates not only In Another Place, but community hubs like Strand By Me and Kingsley and Co. In June 2026, as old storefronts are being cleared to make way for a sustainable new Mons Square, hosting the festival here honours the site’s legacy as a monument to community building, bridging Bootle’s retail past with its future as a hub for cultural identity.

Reviving the site’s original goal as an accessible civic hub, this completely free, fully accessible, and family-friendly event eliminates financial barriers. It invites diverse local communities together under one roof to show mutual appreciation for the town’s rich diversity. Visitors are welcome to explore international crafts, play giant games for all ages and enjoy a diverse line up of performers.

Maggi Aslet from Sefton CVS notes that the festival is a brilliant opportunity for the community to come together, looking forward to an exciting and inspiring day shaped by a rich mix of workshops and activities. Annie Spiers, Creative Director at In Another Place, adds that the event offers a wonderful way for families to sample global culture without ever having to get onboard an airplane.

Visitors can expect an exciting lineup of cultural performances, including African drumming, Bollywood dancing, samba, and Ukrainian choirs, side-by-side with a vital spotlight on talented local musicians and dance groups. This harmonious blend celebrates Bootle’s modern identity, reinforcing a collective ‘Made in Bootle’ pride right where generations of local families have walked.

To find out more about Bootle International Festival visit inanotherplace.com/bootle-international-festival-2026.

Uncover Liverpool is giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets to this year’s Africa Oyé festival, one of the UK’s most vibrant celebrations of African and Caribbean music, culture and community.

Taking place in Liverpool, Africa Oyé brings together an incredible line-up of live artists, DJs, food, and atmosphere across a weekend that has become a staple in the city’s summer calendar.

How to enter

There are two ways to be in with a chance of winning:

• Comment on the Uncover Liverpool Instagram post and tag the person you’d bring with you.
• Or complete our quick entry form.

That’s it — simple as that. Good luck!

Competition Terms & Conditions

1. Closing Date: The competition closes at 11pm on Wednesday 17 June 2026. Entries submitted after this time will not be counted.
2. Prize: The prizes are redeemable on the specified event, Africa Oyé festival 2026. No cash alternatives will be offered.
3. Winner Selection: The winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries and contacted directly via the details provided.
4. Eligibility: Open to UK residents aged 18 or over. Only one entry per person is permitted.
5. Contacting The Winner: If the winner does not respond within 1 days of being contacted, The Culture Network reserves the right to choose an alternative winner.
6. Data Use: Personal data supplied will only be used for the purposes of this competition and in accordance with The Culture Network LCR’s privacy policy.
7. Acceptance: By entering, participants agree to these terms and conditions.