National Museums Liverpool (NML) are implementing a number of additional safety measures at their venues in response to the risks posed by the Omicron variant and the government’s new restrictions. Mask wearing is now mandatory in all of NML’s museums, galleries and shops (unless exempt), which continue to operate at reduced capacity in order to maintain social distancing. Hand sanitisers are available at entrances and key points, while venues are cleaned regularly throughout the day.

While the hope is that these additional measures will be short-lived, the worry is that rising infections could lead to the return of lockdowns and the temporary closure of museums and galleries. The other issue is that the festive season is a crucial period for most public venues and institutions in terms of income generation. Falling visitor numbers and cancelled bookings are already posing challenges for NML’s museums and galleries, which have already experienced an exceptionally difficult 20 months dealing with the impact of the Covid pandemic.

Some of the city’s most renowned museums and galleries including the Museum of Liverpool, World Museum, the Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum, the Lady Lever Art Gallery, and our special friends and partners at the Walker Art Gallery face a challenging winter, meaning that public support is more important than ever in helping to create and maintain memorable experiences for everyone. National Museums Liverpool offers individual, joint and family membership options, with exclusive benefits including free entry to exhibitions and the Planetarium, invitations to exclusive events and discounts. Donations and corporate support are also welcome.

Something to look forward to next year from our friends and partners at the Walker Art Gallery is The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics exhibition, opening in Liverpool on 21 May 2022 and running until the end of August. This major exhibition will feature almost 70 of the most famous portraits from the National Portrait Gallery’s Tudor collection, paintings from the Walker Art Gallery’s own collection and a selection of additional loans, making it a rare opportunity to discover and explore the Tudors from a range of perspectives.

The Tudor dynasty reigned over England for over 100 years, and produced two of history’s most iconic monarchs in Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth. Other celebrated figures from the period featured in the exhibition include Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Mary Queen of Scots and William Shakespeare. One of the highlights will be a rare portrait of Henry VIII’s third queen, Jane Seymour, and aspects of black history and LGBTQ+ history from the period will also be explored.

The exhibition will feature around 100 objects in total, including the Westminster Tournament Roll celebrating the birth of Henry VIII’s son with Catherine of Aragon in 1511, which has not been displayed in public for almost 20 years. Thought to be the only surviving item from Elizabeth I’s wardrobe, the Bacton Altar Cloth has been loaned to the Walker Gallery for the event. Finally, the Armada Maps, recently saved for the nation and illustrating the famous Spanish naval attack on England in 1588, will also be on display.

This will be the first time that so many of the most renowned paintings from the National Portrait Gallery’s Tudor collection and objects of unique historical interest from the period have been exhibited outside of London, making The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics a major event in the city’s cultural calendar, as well as a considerable accomplishment on the part of the team at the Walker Art Gallery.

This coming Sunday 28th November at 5.30pm, Liverpool Cathedral is once again holding its spectacular From Darkness to Light service to mark the first Sunday of the Advent season.

The service begins with the entire Cathedral in total darkness, and as the procession, accompanied by music, slowly wends its way from the west end to the east end of the building, the darkness is gradually transformed by more and more light from the candles held by the procession’s participants and the Cathedral’s natural lighting.

When the procession reaches the Altar at the east end of the building, the Cathedral is bathed in light, creating a warm, welcoming and stunning effect that symbolises both the daily rhythms of our lives, and the light which Christ and the Word of God bring into the hearts and lives of Christians. At the end of the service, the procession retraces its steps signifying Christ’s second coming.

The From Darkness to Light Advent service was not held last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making this year’s service all the more special and heralding the start of a more typical festive season at Liverpool Cathedral. Admission is free and no booking is required. The Cathedral doors open at 4.30pm, and bell ringing will take place before the service from 4pm to 5.30pm.

Bartletts Solicitors are proud to be long-term supporters of Liverpool Cathedral, with Thomas Bartlett, a direct ancestor of the firm’s owners, leaving a bequest for the construction of the array of 13 bells for the new cathedral which was then being built in 1912. We wish our friends and partners at Liverpool Cathedral all the very best wishes for the upcoming festive season!

The Museum of Liverpool is reopening its popular Wondrous Place gallery next Friday, 26th November, showcasing and celebrating Liverpool’s internationally recognised roll call of creative talent in music, sport, cinema, TV, comedy, art, poetry and more. New displays and immersive experiences help visitors better understand the city’s array of trailblazing talent, and its genuine influence around the world in different creative spheres.

The new Stage and Screen display looks at how Liverpool has been used as a backdrop for Hollywood blockbuster films and award-winning TV shows, and also explores some of Merseyside’s less well-known cultural creators, including writers, producers and performers. Among the famous items of costume on display are iconic Beatles’ suits, one of Lita Rosa’s favourite stage dresses, a Melanie C stage costume worn on the Spice Girls’ 2019 Spice World tour and Cillian Murphy’s cap from the BBC gangster drama Peaky Blinders.

Liverpool’s sporting legacy is not overlooked, with Bill Shankly’s trademark overcoat taking pride of place alongside other more recent items such as 2019 heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s running shoes, Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore’s racing silks and Natasha Jonas’ Team GB boxing shorts. The Wondrous Place gallery also examines the region’s gaming industry and offers visitors the chance to play some of the iconic games developed in and around Liverpool.

The Wondrous Place gallery reopens on 26th November 2021. The Museum of Liverpool is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am – 4pm. Visitors can explore Liverpool’s fascinating, diverse history in this magnificent waterfront museum.

Zoë’s Place Baby Hospices in Liverpool, Coventry and Middlesbrough are hoping to repeat the success of last year’s 30 in 30 Challenge during October this year, and raise vital funds to enable the independent registered Children’s Charity to continue to provide its free services to families that need them most.

The 30 in 30 Challenge invites individuals or teams to cover 30 miles in 30 days by walking, jogging, running, swimming or cycling, and to encourage friends, family and colleagues to donate and reward participants’ efforts. You can also set your own distance target if you think you can manage more than 30 miles during the month of October.

The 30 in 30 Challenge is a great way to get fit, have fun and make a much-needed contribution to Zoë’s Place, and the services it is able to provide to infants aged 0-5 years with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. Zoë’s Place has lost hundreds of thousands of pounds during the pandemic due to cancelled events and a drop in donations, so now is the perfect time to get involved and help secure the charity’s future.

To give an idea, it costs £30 an hour for respite care for one child at Zoë’s, while £45 provides one hour of music therapy for a child, and £100 would cover a day out for four children. Every donation helps provide short-term regular care with dedicated nursing staff, in a home from home environment to give parents and carers a well-deserved break.