Free Museums in Chorley & South Ribble District General Hospital

"A superb collection of British art and a hefty number of European masters are the highlights at the city's top art gallery. It's home to the best assemblage of Pre-Raphaelite art as well as a permanent collection of pre-17th-century art, mostly by Dutch and early Renaissance masters. It also hosts exciting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. The gallery runs a free hour-long highlights tour from 2pm to 3pm Thursday to Sunday."

"Housed in a beautiful building with wrought-iron staircases, this splendid collection includes pieces by luminaries such as Valentin Serov, Ilya Repin and Vasily Tropinin, as well as a good sampling of socialist realism, 14th-to-18th-century icons and European old masters. You’ll also find portraits of Princess Maria Tenisheva, who created the Flyonovo estate outside town. There are some English captions throughout."

"Come to Manchester Art Gallery, conveniently nestled in the centre of the city, if you want to take a walk through Manchester’s art history. Here you will find works that go back to the pre-Raphaelite period as well as works by famous local artists like Lowry (see more below). It’s most certainly one of the best things to do in Manchester if you love a big slice of culture."

"National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 3BG - Visit now. Learn all about the history of the beautiful game in the world’s largest football museum with optional Football Plus experiences to put your penalty shootout skills to the test. The clever folk at the museum even help pocket money budgets go further with free weekly Match Attax swopsies sessions."

"Home to two of Europe's top football teams - Man City and Man United - Manchester is a great place to pay homage to the country's favorite sport. First stop should be the National Football Museum. This football shrine features fascinating memorabilia related to the sport, including such gems as the very first rulebook, as well as historic trophies and clothing."

"Manchester is renowned for its football, the giants of Manchester City and Manchester United call the city home. Naturally then, so too does the National Football Museum. Some of the footballing world’s most important artefacts are here."

"Part of the University of Manchester, The Whitworth acts as a bridge between the university and the people of the city by providing a space to meet, play and learn. The gallery has been named Best Emerging Cultural Destination in Europe and includes gallery spaces, a study centre, learning studio and collections centre."

"The famous waxwork museum will enthral your children with life-like figures of all their favourite stars, from Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande to Prince William and The Queen!. They will also love taking pictures next to their idols, including all the Marvel Superheroes. In short, a fun experience for a rainy day and a winning thing to do with kids in Blackpool."

"If it’s action, adventure and celeb selfies you’re after, then Madame Tussauds is the place to go. There’s a new Marvel Comics attraction, which feels just like you’re stepping into a comic strip and coming face to face with your heroes. Our boys loved attempting to lift Thor’s hammer and a New York taxi Hulk-style!"

"1 km from city center 5 out of 10 places to visit in Blackpool. A museum of wax replicas, this place consists of about 150 wax figures of eminent personalities including film stars, TV personalities, sports persons, pop singers and royalty."

"It may not look like much from the outside, but inside two Victorian villas on Nelson Street you’ll find The Pankhurst Centre – a heritage site of women’s activism. Once the home of local Manchester political campaigner and icon Emmeline Pankhurst, who lived at 62 Nelson Street from 1898 to 1907, it’s here that the very first meeting of the suffragette movement took place. Cut to the present day and visitors can now drop by to explore the story of women securing the right to vote."

"Birthplace of the suffragette movement in 1903, the Pankhurst Centre is an excellent place to learn about the fight for women’s right to vote. There are people who guide you through the house to help you learn about the history. The museum is open to the public from 10-4pm on Thursdays, and on the second and fourth Sunday of the month."

"Contemporary Six – The Gallery is a leading independent art gallery located in the heart of the city centre of Manchester opposite the beautiful Town Hall. Established in 2010 by Alex Reuben, the gallery is known for offering a warm and friendly welcome to art enthusiasts, collectors, and new visitors and explorers to the city. Specialising in original paintings, landscapes, portraits, abstracts handmade prints, sculptures, and ceramics."

"From Darrell Evanes’ scrap metal sculpture to Matthew Bourne’s natural abstracts, Contemporary Six’s repertoire is all encompassing. Having outgrown its former location of Royal Exchange Arcade, the gallery - founded by Alex Reuben in 2010 - now occupies an airy space on Princess Street, where it represents around 40 artists. Best feature: Contemporary Six offers the Own Art Scheme, which allows buyers to pay in monthly instalments"

"The Grundy Art Gallery is something of a hidden gem in Blackpool, although it is located only steps from the Promenade. Featuring a variety of exhibitions and artwork from established and emerging artists, it also displays historically important artwork loaned from important UK institutions. Blackpool has a very strong cultural history and a lively pop culture, which the gallery sets out to explore in whole new ways, making it the leading visual arts centre in the northwest."

"The Grundy Art Gallery is a historical gallery located in Blackpool. The Gallery was established in 1911. It contains paintings and artworks of local artists and UK artists."

"The Beach Hut – Vegan Caribbean cuisine. They specialize in Jerk Jack fruit and ital curries and also offer patties, fresh smoothies, vegan cakes and brownies."

"If you’d prefer a more relaxed environment away from luxurious hotels, Spa Satori is located in the heart of Manchester’s hipster neighbourhood. Offering a variety of treatments for both men and women, the spa focuses on beauty treatments such as facials, waxing and brows alongside a variety of massages, holistic treatments, acupuncture and detoxing procedures. Opt for their Ultimate Stress Relief massage if your day-to-day life has left you feeling tense and exhausted."

"Satori Northern Quarter is an ultimate sanctuary to rest your tired and weary body. Managed by Jennie Lawrenson, a highly qualified therapist, she is dedicated to providing the ultimate wellness for all her clients. Passionate in helping all customers to reach their optimum health and wellness, she provides different services and treatments that are sure to aid you and take away all the pain that you are feeling in your body."

"Spa aficionados who have “been there, done that” might want to try Spa Satori. These guys cater to both men and women with seriously necessary signature treatments like Moody Cow, Men Are From Mars, and Hangover Recovery. There’s also a selection of Ethical Body Wraps, specialist treatments like Reiki healing, reflexology, and colonic hydrotherapy."

"Doing lots of little things right” is a definition of perfection – and this simple seafood restaurant in Chorlton is just that. The kitchen’s Essa grill is masterfully handled by co-owner (and former Lead Station chef) Recep Canliisik, who churns out char-grilled whole squid and seabream, Thai-spiced monkfish tail and possibly the best calamari in the UK."

"This cute little neighbourhood restaurant in Chorlton specialises in super-fresh seafood and are known for grilling whole fish in their charcoal oven. The wine list is also excellent. Menus change weekly depending on what is fresh and seasonal but you can view samples on their website to get an idea."

"Visit the award-winning Assheton Arms with a loved one while in the local area. The pub is set in a stunning, Grade II listed building and specialises in hearty meat dishes and fresh seafood specialities. Popular meals include Morecambe Bay plaice, Persian chicken and venison haunch, plus a variety of mouth-watering puddings."