Whitworth Art Gallery

There's a two tier system when it comes to art galleries, or that's the way I see it. Over the last few years I've taken in some of the top galleries on 3 continents. I've ducked inside seeking shelter from the rain in Hamburg, the wind in Chicago, the sun in Brisbane and the Japanese tourists in Vienna. I've shopped and eaten and explored some of the most famous pieces of art work known to man. And I've enjoyed doing so, in what have invariably been top-tier galleries. Then there are the other ones - the galleries that people don't talk about, don't drop into conversation at dinner partiers, don't parade around with shopping bags from. This may be because they're ...

One of the nice things about Manchester is the free places to visit, especially when its your child that wants to go. Whitworth Art Gallery is a lovely place, full of paintings, individual displays by artists, a section on how damage can be done to art pieces by light, bugs, damp etc, and how they restore them. It takes a couple of hours to look round and everything is very well displayed, and signs tell you exactly what you are looking at. There is access for wheelchair users, although I am sure they would find it hard getting to the disabled toilet through the cafe, without asking people to move tables. There is a shop where you can ...