Hard Days Night Hotel, Liverpool

“We thought we’d be really big, in Liverpool” - Paul McCartney

Having been born and raised in Liverpool, it’s safe to say that the Beatles music has featured heavily In My Life. As such, I was very excited to receive an invitation to visit Hard Days Night, the world’s only Beatles themed hotel. 

It is set in a grand, Grade II-listed building in the heart of Liverpool’s city centre, two minutes away from Liverpool One shopping. Just around the corner is Mathew Street and the world famous Cavern Club, where the Beatles rose to fame. The hotel is filled with Beatles memorabilia, from exclusive photographs and artwork on the walls and a Yellow Submarine jukebox in the lobby. 

Beatles music, as you would expect, features throughout but not too much. Just enough to create a feel-good atmosphere and a buzz in the bar area. Underlying the musical theme is excellent service, contemporary interior decor and, most importantly, a stylish cocktail bar serving aptly named cocktails such as All You Need Is Love and Strawberry Fields. 

I took my mum along with me who is a huge Beatles fan and who wanted to join me as a Day Tripper to visit the hotel. When we arrived we took a seat in the Lounge & Bar for a light meal. We each chose a sandwich and cocktail. My Grilled Halloumi and Tomato Fondue ciabatta (£6.76) was so tasty and much better than the usual bar food you receive in hotels, as was mum’s Roast Beef and Creamed Horseradish (£6.75). Both accompanied with a side of the most delicious chunky chips!

The Lounge & Bar is located in the heart of the hotel. With stunning imagery and artefacts of The Beatles all around. It’s where guests can also enjoy the hotel's famous afternoon tea and is also one of my favourite places to go to in the city to meet friends for a cocktail. On this occasion I had a Cosmopolitan and mum had a White Album Mojito, both £8.00.

Once we’d finished eating we went up to our room on the 4th floor. I was pleasantly surprised at how spacious the room was for a city centre hotel. There are 110 rooms in total ranging from luxury to deluxe. Despite being a themed hotel, the decor oozes class and sophistication. Taking pride of place above the bed was an original piece of Beatles inspired art names ‘Let it Be’, mum’s favourite Beatles song.

All of the rooms are equipped with free WiFi and an interactive LCD TV. Initially the technology in the room got the better of us and we considered phoning reception to ask for Help! but we persevered, promising ourselves We Can Work It Out. Sure enough the TV soon sprang into action and out blasted some classic hits while we enjoyed the view across the city from our private balcony.

The bed in the room was so comfortable, I slept like a log. Four Liverpool lads famously sang that Money Can't Buy Me Love, but it can buy you a thoroughly relaxing stay in this gorgeous hotel. If you really wanted to splurge, £650.00 will buy a night in the Lennon Suite, a stunning white room with it’s very own white grand piano.

The following morning I woke up feeling refreshed and thinking I Feel Fine. I went out onto the balcony to watch the sun come up before heading down for breakfast in Blakes restaurant. 

Blakes is named after Sir Peter Blake who created the iconic sleeve for the Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album. The restaurant houses original Beatles artwork including a centrepiece display of 60 images of icons from the album's sleeve.

After a hearty breakfast we collected our bags and bid the doorman Hello, Goodbye before setting off on the Long and Winding Road home. 

Do you want to know a secret? Q Park in Liverpool One offers a discounted rate for Hard Days Night guests and is just a two minute walk away. 

Hard Days Night Hotel

0151 668 0486

Central Buildings, North John Street, Liverpool, L2 6RR

Cocktail Saturdays was a guest of The Hard Days Night Hotel.

 

Penhaligon’s, Chester

"Find your perfume before you turn thirty. Wear it for the next thirty years.” - Caroline de Maigret, How to Be Parisian

Throughout my 20’s I rotated between three fragrances, Chanel No. 5 for evenings and Alien or Flowerbomb for daytime. As much as I still love these perfumes, I felt it was time to find something a little bit more special to take me through my 30s. Unsure of where to begin, I was pleased to learn that Penhaligon’s in Chester offer a fragrance profiling service to help people find their signature scent. 

Penhaligon's is an exclusive British perfumery which dates back to 1870. William Penhaligon launched a barbershop in London where the fragrances were sold. The first perfume, Hammam Bouquet, was inspired by the heady, musky aromas emanating from the neighbouring Turkish baths on Jermyn Street.

The original shop disappeared in 1941 when it was destroyed in The Blitz during the Second World War, but the fragrances remained. Many of the original scents have since been modernised and the company remains committed to using the finest perfume ingredients. There are over 32 perfumes in the collection, both men’s and women’s, in addition to several unisex options. All of the fragrances are made in England and have even earned a Royal Warrant. If it’s good enough for The Royals it’s good enough for me!

I was recently invited by Penhaligon’s to visit the Chester store to experience the profiling service. Fragrance profiling explores which scents you like and dislike and then helps you build a profile to establish the exact type of perfume you are looking for.

The store is perfectly situated in the old Chester Rows. I arrived with my friend and was greeted by the lovely Meghann who is a perfume expert. She showed us around the shop and explained the history of the brand before offering us a cocktail each. Walking around the shop was like stepping back in time, old cabinets house candles, soaps and of course the beautiful fragrances.

We were then taken through to a private room at the back of the store where we were seated on a chaise lounge with some Rococos Chocolates to enjoy while Meghann explained Penhaligon’s history and philosophy. 

Laid out in neat rows on a table before us were lots of little Penhaligon bottles, each filled with individual scents. The bottles are based on William Penhaligon's original design, clear glass adorned with ribbon, which adds to the apothecary atmosphere. 

We told Meghann what our favourite perfumes are, she was then able to decipher which of the scents we would most likely enjoy. She gave us countless fragrances to try, explaining the different notes in each and the history of how they were formulated. One of the most interesting scents was Juniper Sling which was inspired by one of my favourite drinks, Gin! 

Meghann summed the experience up perfectly when she told us that fragrance is “liquid emotion”. Each scent unlocked a different feeling or memory, reminding us of people and places from our past. The sense of smell is tied to the centres in the brain responsible for memories and emotions, which is why we are often transported back in time when we smell certain scents. 

Whilst we were sampling the fragrances, Meghann paid careful attention to how we reacted and made a note of any we liked. After half an hour or so of oooohing and aaahhing at the beautiful perfumes, Meghann was able to narrow our choices down to four each. She then placed a drop of each on our scent points (wrists and inner elbows) and told us to let the fragrance settle for 15 minutes or so and then come back to them to decide. We ate some more chocolates while we deliberated over our choice.

It’s amazing how fragrances take on completely different characteristics once applied to the skin so it is important wear the scent for a few minutes to see how it works on you. Two of the perfumes I had previously liked just didn’t suit me and I was then left with my two favourites to choose from, Vaara and Equinox Bloom. 

Vaara is an Oriental fragrance which can be worn by both women and men. It was launched in 2013 and has top notes of rose water, carrot seeds, coriander and saffron; middle notes of rose, freesia, magnolia and peony. The base notes are honey, white musk, cedar, sandalwood, benzoin and tonka bean.

Equinox Bloom is a recent addition to the collection. It was inspired by high tea and Spring flowers. Notes of Chantilly, Frangipani and Brown Sugar are blended with violet leaves, orange blossom absolute and jasmine sambac, rounded with the deep, Oriental richness of Benzoin Siam and Ambrox.

Having left the scents to settle for some time, there was a clear favourite for me, Equinox Bloom. It has a delicious sweetness to it which then develops into a heavier perfume. Meghann explained that the top notes contain the smallest molecules and are the quickest to evaporate, usually after about 20 minutes. Middle notes generally last about 40 minutes and the base notes, which evaporate the slowest and contain the largest molecules, can last the whole day.

We honestly could have sat there all day chatting with Meghann. She had an incredible knowledge of the fragrances and was able to help us identify our favourite scents. It was such a relaxing and enjoyable experience in beautiful surroundings. Especially so when you have delicious chocolates and cocktails to enjoy at the same time. We left two very happy ladies with a little bit of Penhaligon’s to take home with us wrapped in a lovely gift-bag.

Thank you to Meghann and the rest of the Penhaligon’s team for such a wonderful experience. I can highly recommend fragrance profiling to anyone interested in buying an exclusive perfume. It would make a lovely, memorable gift for a loved one. We thoroughly enjoyed trying the different fragrances. The service is complimentary but is subject to appointment and generally lasts between 45-75 minutes.

www.penhaligons.com

22 Eastgate St, Chester CH1 1LF

01244 318 905

The Conrad Algarve

I've just returned from a lovely trip to the Algarve in Portugal. I was already familiar with the area having holidayed there since I was young but we have always stayed in large family villas rather than hotels. On this occasion it was just myself and a friend travelling so we wanted to stay in a secure hotel with everything we needed close-by. We decided on The Conrad in Quinta do Lago. 

The hotel is just a twenty minute journey by taxi from Faro airport. The car passed through fields of citrus trees - the Algarve produces the tastiest oranges - to the hotel’s large gates and long, fountain-lined drive up to the entrance. It’s an imposing hotel spread over six floors, with 154 rooms. The architectural theme is ice and fire. Brilliant white walls and flaming torches light up the entrance, like something out of a Bond film. It oozes grandeur and 5-star luxury.

Inside is just as glamorous. A large glass atrium floods the lobby with natural light. There are contemporary art works throughout with the hotel hosting exhibitions from international artists. The latest exhibition took the artist four days to install! 

The room was huge with a large private balcony. It had everything we could possibly need during our two day stay including a 42" HD flat screen television with in-room entertainment and media centre, mini-bar and Wi-Fi.

The bathroom was stunning, fitted with an inbuilt television over a large deep bath and a separate rain shower. Our only qualm was that there was no lock on the door which isn't ideal when you're sharing the room. 

Something that really impressed me was the Conrad Concierge mobile app which you can download to your phone. From selecting your preferred bath amenities or ordering your breakfast to be ready just as you arrive, you can customise your stay before and during your visit. If you’re looking for somewhere to be waited on hand and foot this is the place!

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Source: The Conrad

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There's a great range of restaurants and bars, from fine dining to more relaxed settings. Gusto, by Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, is a contemporary Mediterranean restaurant with Scandinavian design. It features a Cuban Cigar menu, cocktail bar, extensive wine list as well as an alfresco terrace.

Louro offers Portuguese cuisine of local dishes. Dado is great for cocktails and a South American influenced menu. Lago Lounge is also worth a visit for drinks, offering everything from classic cocktails to Sri Lankan teas. We mostly opted for Sereno which offers light bites by the infinity pool, as well as the most delicious cocktails.

There are an array of pools some of which feature underwater music for guests. All have outstanding poolside service with fresh juices, water bottles in ice buckets and cold flannels arriving at your sun-lounger the moment you arrive.

If you fancy venturing beyond the hotel, the Quinta Shopping is opposite, a luxury, open-air shopping mall with more than 20 designer boutiques, cafes and restaurants as well as a supermarket for any home comforts you might have forgotten to pack. Also situated here are the world famous golf courses of Quinta do Lago.

If you want something further afield, the beautiful Algarve beaches are only a shuttle ride away (the Conrad puts on a complimentary shuttle service throughout the day). The Ria Formosa Natural Park is just a short journey as well as beautiful orange groves and quaint Portuguese fishing villages if you have a bit more time than we did to explore the local area. 

The most indulgent aspect of our stay was a trip to the spa. We both opted for the Reflexology treatment which was incredible. The therapists are brilliant and the treatment rooms are the perfect place to relax with the sound of waves surrounding you during treatments.

Each treatment room has an outdoor spa option with it's own private cabana. The outside relaxation terrace leads you to an infinity pool with beautiful views across the Algarvian countryside, it's the perfect place to catch some sun in-between treatments. The spa also has an ice fountain, cold plunge pool and sauna but we were happy basking ourselves in the Portuguese sun to want to deviate from the temperature. 

If you're looking for an indulgent few days of pampering and cocktails in the sunshine, this is the place!

CONRAD ALGARVE

Estrada da Quinta do Lago , 8135-106 Almancil, Portugal

www.conradalgarve.com

Cocktail Saturdays was a guest of The Conrad although all food, drinks and spa treatments were paid for by ourselves. 

 

The Pen Factory, Liverpool

Throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, industry in Liverpool flourished, it even became the world leader for cotton production. Today, the city has plenty of buildings which have been renovated from former factories to give them a new lease of life. 

One such building is The Annex on Hope Street, which is now home to The Pen Factory. The restaurant’s name is a nod to when The Lang Pen Company produced fountain pens in the building. 

A huge, sliding iron door in the foyer leads you into the basement where the restaurant is located. Everything inside appears to have been recycled or reclaimed. Bare brickwork, exposed metal piping, old church-hall chairs and a wood burning stove retain the industrial feel. Yet, it still manages to provide a warm, laid back atmosphere which makes it a lovely dining space.

The menu is primarily European in style, seasonal small plates and tapas style dishes are served throughout the day and into the evening. Everything is cooked fresh in an open plan kitchen and the plates arrive at the table as and when they’re cooked. 

To accompany the food, the bar serves a wide range of drinks, an extensive wine selection and a bespoke seasonal cocktail list. There is a lovely terraced garden to enjoy drinks outside in the sun. 

We visited last Saturday and ordered a selection from the small plate menu to share. 

Baked Camembert served with Red Onion Marmalade & Sourdough bread (£8.00). Look at that gooey goodness.

Patatas Bravas (£4.95)

Spanish Chip Butty served with a fried egg on top (£5.95)

Asparagus, Pea & Wild Garlic Risotto (£5.95)

Leek & Manchego Arancini with Pesto (£5.95)

King Prawns in Garlic Chilli and Lime Butter (£6.20)

Chicken Thigh with Chorizo, Potatoes & Aioli (£6.20)

My favourite of the veggie options was the Arancini which was creamy and beautiful. Least favourite was probably the chip butty as the bread was a little soggy from the sauce, still, it was very tasty and I liked that it was served with an egg on top. 

As we paid our bill the restaurant manager, Hannah, told us about the history of the building, explaining that it was also used to manufacture the radiators for spitfires and that when it was renovated lots of gold nibs from the fountain pens were found under the floorboards. She took us outside to show us an old advert for The Lang Pen Company which hangs pride of place in the foyer, a little reminder of the inspiration behind the restaurant today. 

I love it when a bar or restaurant has a story about how it came to be and I’ve since discovered that our family has a personal connection to this particular building. When I told my mum about our visit, she recalled that her two aunties had worked in the factory as young women making the fountain pens. 

That’s the beauty of Liverpool, it has become a modern, vibrant city filled with the best bars and eateries but it’s underpinned by fantastic historical buildings with a rich heritage. 

The Pen Factory

0151 709 7887

13 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BQ

Go Ape, Delamere Forest

If I told you that I knew of a way to burn 1,000 calories in less than two hours and that afterwards you will have had so much fun that you will want to do it all over again, you'd probably think I was joking?

My sister-in-law, May, visited Go Ape Tree Top Adventure at Delamere Forest and had such a great time, I asked her to write a guest post about her trip....

We began the day being fitted into our safety harnesses followed by a comprehensive safety briefing at which we were informed that 1 in 1,000 visitors require some form of first aid treatment. There's nothing like a bit of danger to focus the attention! 

The Tree Top Adventure staff are excellent. They take their time to talk you through the safety procedures and really emphasise that, although you're there for fun, safety must always come first.

You're provided with a legal disclaimer to sign to state that you understand that there is danger involved - after all, you are hanging out of trees - and that you promise to follow the instructions of the instructors and pay attention to the safety signs found at each stage.

If you have any concerns the instructors are always nearby and you're provided with a safety whistle should you require their attention.

The location in Delamere Forest is beautiful. We were the first group of the day and there were very few people around. Mist was still on the ground and the sunlight was just breaking through the trees. The course takes you through the forest and to the edge of Blakemere Lake.

Arriving early did have one downside: it was pretty chilly and we had to buy woolly hats to stay warm: I'd recommend bringing a bobble hat and fingerless gloves if you're visiting during the colder months.

During the course you will climb rope ladders, swing like Tarzan, grapple along cargo nets and balance on wobbly bridges. All great exercise. Many of the stages have two routes, a difficult route and an easier option.

You do need a reasonably good level of fitness. If you can climb a flight of stairs twice in quick succession without being too out of breath you will be just fine, and if the going gets tough you can quite easily skip a stage. 

There are five stages in total with the final stage being the toughest.

During Stage 5 you climb to almost twice the height of any of the other stages and the zip wire at the end is the fastest and longest. 

I highly recommend that you wear old clothes and trainer shoes with a thick sole. The landing areas for the zip wires will catch you out (everybody in our group elegantly landed on their bums instead of their feet and as a result ended up covered head to toe in tree clippings and mud!) and the tight ropes could hurt your feet if you wear flat shoes or plimsoles. 

Go Ape is magical. You begin the day climbing into the trees with the worries and trepidation of an adult, yet by the end you've been transported back to your childhood; exhausted, but giggling uncontrollably with the adrenaline rush.

Plan to spend anywhere between 2 to 4 hours there. You'll be having such good fun that the time will (literally!) fly by. 

We booked at short notice and paid £33 per head, so it's not cheap, but it is excellent value for money. 

I can't wait to go back!

Go Ape

0333 220 4361 (there is a £3 booking fee if you book via phone)

Forest Park, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 2JD

And the proof of the pudding: