North West Sound Heritage

An interactive sound map of Manchester & Salford cinematic history. Hear evocative recollections of the many flea pits and picture houses in these two cities. Now hidden in plain sight, this walk consists entirely of cinemas long since closed to the public ensuring memories of screenings past are kept alive for future generations. This tour is suitable for listening whilst walking the route or can be enjoyed in its entirety from the comfort of your own home. Time to complete walk in person - 60-90 mins approx Accessibility - Although Manchester is well paved and signposted, the walk will take the participant from one side of town to the other. This may not be suitable for those with motor or visual impairments. However, the walk is designed so that it can be completed from home as a virtual experience. Created by Kirsty Jukes, Hub Rights Officer for Unlocking our Sound Heritage Project in association with North West Sound Heritage, North West Film Archive and the British Library. All clips taken from North West Film & Cinema collection, held by the North West Film Archive (full recordings to be published in due course). All images taken from https://images.manchester.gov.uk/ apart from the following - Arena 7 image taken from Cinema Treasures website, uploaded by David Simpson - http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/25897 Cover image - M62803 - Oxford Street, Manchester, looking South towards Portland Street, 1970.

Step back into the early 1960s to uncover the emerging Liverpool music scene, Merseybeat. Visit the clubs, venues, and shops that became important meeting places for ideas and music to be shared and where bands formed. Some of these spaces are long gone, while others continue to play a part in Liverpool’s long musical heritage. In 2021 the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project digitised three radio documentary series made by Music Journalist and Broadcaster Spencer Leigh for BBC Radio Merseyside. These documentaries form part of a larger collection of Spencer Leigh's work held at Liverpool Record Office. 'Let's Go Down The Cavern' was a weekly series of twelve episodes, first broadcast in 1981. ‘Soup & Sweat & Rock & Roll' was an 8-part series made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cavern club in Mathew Street, Liverpool, broadcast in 2007. Audio from these two collections have been used for the Merseybeat Liverpool sound walk. Many thanks to Spencer Leigh and the BBC for permission. Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Accessibility note - This walk will take participants across Liverpool city centre, along roads and pedestrianised areas. The route is mostly flat with a slight gradient down from the first few stops. After the Radio Merseyside stop on Hanover Street participants will need to plan their route to the NEMS stop on Whitechapel. Please be aware that there are steps at the end of College Lane before the junction with Paradise Street. An alternative, sloping route is available via Manesty’s Lane.

Welcome to Sound Sites of Southport, a walking tour around some of the much-loved seaside town's locations. Pairing oral histories and archive images with modern soundscapes recorded in situ, we hope you will feel connected to Southport's past as well as part of its future. Whether you're able to walk the route in person or are listening from home, this immersive experience will allow everyone, regardless of location or ability, to enjoy Southport's sites. As this is an interactive map you can either stream the walk from beginning to end, listening as it was intended, or download the walk and start from anywhere you please if you're short on time. Please download 'Sound Sites of Southport' on the Echoes app, press play and then either walk into the area marked on the map or select the menu on the top right, turn off autoplay and scroll through the sites at your leisure. Curated, Created and Narrated by Kirsty Jukes, Hub Rights Officer for Unlocking our Sound Heritage Field Recording Tech by Sian A. Williams, Digitisation Manager for Unlocking our Sound Heritage Oral Histories ©️ Bolton Library and Museum Services, Lancashire Archives, Manchester Libraries, and the North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University in association with Archives+ and The British Library - https://northwestsoundheritage.org/ http://www.archivesplus.org/ https://www.bl.uk/projects/unlocking-our-sound-heritage# Echo Images ©️ Sefton Libraries Information Services courtesy of Sefton Looking Back - Image Archive - https://www.sefton.gov.uk/schools-learning/libraries/local-archives-and-history-information-services/sefton-looking-back-image-archive/ Cover image ©️ Kirsty Jukes