Manchester has always been a city known for its science and technology. The Manchester Science Festival, which takes place this year from Saturday, 24th October to Sunday 1st November 2009, is a great opportunity to find out more about science in an entertaining and informative way.

In excess of 150 science related events are planned.

Events are taking place at the Museum of Science and Technology in Manchester (Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4FP) as well as locations right across the Greater Manchester area.

Event venues include central Manchester locations such as The John Rylands Library, Deansgate, the Friends Meeting House, Manchester and Manchester’s Urbis. There are also events held in locations further afield such as at The Trafford Centre, Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive, the Central Art Gallery, Ashton-under-Lyne and Touchstones, Rochdale.

There are four festival themes in 2009 – Manchesticity, ‘mind and body’, ‘our planet and beyond’ and ‘bright ideas’. This is a varied Festival which includes walks, talks, workshops, shows, comedy and exhibitions – there is plenty of paid for and free events to chose from.

There is a great website to support the event. The site has a searchable database of the 150 kids and adults events that make up the Festival – so you can find one that is at a time and location suitable for you. So don’t delay, and visit the Festival website to find out whats going on.

CreativeTourist.com describes itself as ‘Manchester’s guide for the creative tourist’, but I think the website will be just as interesting to Manchester’s own arts and culture loving communities, of which there are many.

The website is split into a number of sections including news, features, art, and city guides. There is also a blog, photo-stories, a section called backstory which explains Manchester’s history and an arts news section.

All together I was particularly impressed at the depth and range of arts covered by the site.  The site is developed to a high standard and covers a diverse range of arts media.

The site is edited by journalist Susie Stubbs, who amongst other things, writes the 2008 Manchester Blog Award winning, Travels With My Baby.

Creative Tourist was established by a consortium of 9 museums and galleries who got together to set up a website that promotes Manchester’s creative and artistic soul and its rich historical legacy. The website sums up its aspiration, as follows:-

“”………..We are rightly proud and passionate about this city of ours; we hope that, by reading about some of the things happening here, and finding out more about our outstanding historic collections, you’ll start to feel the same………..”

The nine organisations involved are listed below and they are the most higly respected arts and culture venues in Manchester. They are all well worth including in any visit to the City.

Cornerhouse, Manchester’s centre for contemporary visual arts and film
70 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 5NH

Imperial War Museum North, The northern venue of this group of museums, located in various parts of England.
The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1TZ

The Lowry, which includes theatres and an art gallery that includes the work of Salford artist L.S. Lowry
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ

Manchester Art Gallery, possibly Manchester’s best known art gallery
Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL

The Manchester Museum, A museum that is part of the University of Manchester
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL

Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), The museum of Manchester’s scientific and industrial past.
Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4FP

People’s History Museum, a museum covering the history of working people in Britain, is currently under redevelopment and will reopen in late 2009.

Urbis, Manchester’s innovative exhibition centre of city life.
Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG

The Whitworth Art Gallery, shows modern and historic collections.
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER

There is a lot to celebrate about Manchester and the arts and cultural scene may well be the best outside London. So a site picking up the best of Manchester’s scene is long overdue.

Although, Creativetourist.com has only been up and running for a short time, it looks like its doing all of the right things.

If you are from Manchester, don’t be put off visiting because the site has been developed for tourists visiting Manchester. The site has lots to offer regardless of whether you are visiting or local.

The hall is a fine example of an Elizabethan black and white half-timbered manor-house. With a history that dates back nearly 700 years, Ordsall Hall is likely to be the oldest surviving building in the Greater Manchester area.

Unfortunately, Ordsall Hall will close to the public for a comprehensive programme of renovation and restoration work that will result in an even better visitor attraction. However, there is still a little time left as the closing date has been set for Saturday 21 February 2009. It will will reopen in Easter 2011.

Closing week events are planned and you can find out more at the Ordsall Hall website.

Update 25/01/09: Ordsall Hall is planning some special half term attractions for children.

A mass clearing up session is being held at the historic hall to put the much-loved building ‘to bed’ in advance of its £4.1m lottery-funded renovation.

Clean up sessions are planned for Wednesday February 18 and Friday February 20 and the sessions will form a key part of the fun and educational activities taking place at The Quays over the half term holiday. For further details contact Ordsall Hall on 0161-872 0251.

Even though Ordsall Hall is closing, The Quays area is home to many other great attractions that are worth visiting, including the Imperial War Museum North, Lancashire County Cricket Club, The Lowry Outlet Mall and The Lowry.