Northern Soul

We connect with individuals who live, work, and enjoy leisure in Northern England, exploring the area for captivating tales, rich histories, aspirations, and events. Interested in a well-written piece about a quirky museum or a glimpse behind the curtain of a prominent organization? You’ll discover those stories here. Curious to read an interview with a notable figure from the North or learn about an exciting new project? You’ve come to the right place. And if you love beautiful images showcasing the charm of the North, we’ve got plenty of those too.

International

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#1923644

United Kingdom

#183731

Arts and Entertainment/Arts and Entertainment

#1950

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

An extraordinary survivor: Clarion House in Nelson, Lancashire

1 week ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Helen Nugent

Up beyond the old Lancashire mill towns of Nelson and Barrowford is a simple single-storey clubhouse. It is an extraordinary survivor, the last Clarion House of its kind in Britain, part of an important social movement which swept the North of England (and particularly Lancashire and Yorkshire) at the end of the 19th century. This was a time when working people had a new opportunity to escape their densely-packed towns and cities at weekends and get out to the countryside.
'the big surprise were the kelp pakoras' Vermilion, Manchester

2 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Chris Wallis

When I was asked to review the 18th anniversary menu at Vermilion, self-styled as ‘Manchester’s most glamorous restaurant’, I thought two things: (a) after 18 years, why haven’t I heard of it? And (b) given Manchester’s propensity to bling, that’s quite a claim. I set off to investigate. Now I have the answers. I probably hadn’t heard of it because it’s a bit off the beaten track, in an industrial estate in Hulme Hall Lane, not far from the new Co-op Live arena.
'a romp' North by Northwest, HOME, Manchester

2 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Chris Wallis

Well, that was fun. Emma Rice’s stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 movie from a script by Ernest Lehman is a pleasure from beginning to end. Even more so if you know the movie, because much of the pleasure is in watching how this intrepid team of actors tackle what would seem to be unstageable filmic set pieces. I give you the crop duster plane attack on Cary Grant in the middle of the prairie for one.
'a riot' Gods of Salford, Lowry, Salford

2 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Chris Wallis

The Lowry in Salford Quays is 25-years-old this year. It decided to celebrate its community outreach programme, one of the largest in the country, with a youth theatre production led by Not Too Tame, the Warrington–based company committed to working-class culture created by working-class artists, and ‘a good night out’. And it is a good night out.
Krapp's Last Tape, York Theatre Royal

2 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Chris Wallis

This is as fine a production of Krapp’s Last Tape as you are ever likely to see, which is quite a feat when you know it was designed, directed and performed by one person: Gary Oldman. With this new staging, Oldman has come full circle. He began his career at York Theatre Royal in July 1979, just two months after I started my first job as a director there, running the Young People’s Theatre Company.
Where do we get inspiration from? Adam Frost on gardening and music

2 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Helen Nugent

When I told my aunt that I was interviewing Adam Frost, she was very excited. “Ask him if he’ll come and live in my garden shed,” she said. This wasn’t on my list of questions but I understood her enthusiasm. The BBC Gardeners’ World presenter has a large and devoted fan base who admire his award-winning show gardens, books, and ability to convey a passion for horticulture to amateurs and professionals alike. Add in Frost’s easy demeanour and cheeky-chappie grin, and, well, you heard my aunt.
Theatre Review: Boys from the Blackstuff, The Lowry, Salford

2 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Andy Murray

It’s certainly easy to see why Boys from the Blackstuff has been adapted for the stage. Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 TV serial made an almighty impact and is still remembered today as a vivid portrait of Liverpool at the time. But that’s not quite the same as the idea being a good one, a successful one, one that works. If you go in to the stage show with reservations, the chances are you’ll come out with those same reservations intact.
Are you having a larf? The secret of "XS Malarkey's" success

3 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Andy Murray

Manchester’s comedy scene is thriving, with new nights springing up all the time. What’s remarkable, though, is that one city centre comedy night is fast approaching its 30th anniversary, and many comedians on the national circuit regard it as something truly special. In fact, Joe Lycett called it “the best comedy club in the world”, and he knows what he’s on about.
Theatre Review: The Moth, The Lowry, Salford

3 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Chris Wallis

It’s 1997 and two men meet on a train. A white man and a black man. They drink some beer. Six hours later, towards the end of the journey, the white man tells the black man a story which makes the black man very angry. The black man writes a story about the encounter which is published in The Guardian, and sets him on the road to fame and fortune as a journalist and writer. Some 20 years later the white man turns up unannounced at the black man’s Hampstead house.
Gardening: a new beginning

3 weeks ago | northernsoul.me.uk | Helen Nugent

Moving house is a bag of mixed emotions. There’s the anticipation of a fresh start, the lure of unfamiliar surroundings, and a chance to make your mark on a new home. But if you loved your previous place and, like me, spent time and money shaping and nurturing it, moving is a bittersweet experience. And while you can pack up your belongings, taking the garden with you is not so easy. In many ways, I’m a victim of my own success.