THING OF THE WEEK  

STEAK WARS… Forget the culture wars, Liverpool has a conflict brewing that is altogether meatier. The city is preparing to welcome two new steak restaurants – which may or may not have beef with each other – within the space of a week next month. Hawksmoor and Gaucho will be vying for the affections of meat lovers across Liverpool and beyond. Gaucho, located at 7 Water Street, is due to open on 28 November just four days behind Hawksmoor’s India Buildings venue. Bring on the meat sweats.

Credit: Place North West

HOVERBOARDS… When speculating about the future of the office, it seems anything is possible. Panellists at Place North West’s offices and workspace update this week mentioned all of the usual things you would expect to come up – sustainability, smart tech, social spaces – but it was Dan Hyde, development director at MEPC, who pushed the envelope the furthest when he suggested that future offices should be designed to accommodate workers arriving on hoverboards. Hyde’s tongue was placed firmly inside his cheek but if the last two years have taught us anything, it is never to rule out the outlandish. 

Truss lasted just 44 days. Credit: House of Commons

A LACK OF TRUSS... Speaking of outlandish – few would have predicted such a brief tenure for outgoing PM Liz Truss. She departed Number 10 after just 44 days, the same length as Brian Clough’s doomed stint at Leeds United. Clough was replaced at Elland Road by Blackpool legend Jimmy Armfield, who immediately guided the club to the European Cup final. Let’s hope that whoever replaced Truss in the hot seat has similar success.

We are delighted to announce that this evening we have successfully bid for LS Lowry's Going to the Match at Christie's. For more information please visit: https://t.co/fJ7yeZsafT pic.twitter.com/xYuvRpSsk7

— The Lowry (@The_Lowry) October 19, 2022

DENNETT’S DONE IT… It has been a good couple of weeks for Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett. First, he asked that plans to block up a riverside path as part of LGIM’s Ralli Quays development be reversed – which they were – and more recently launched a campaign to ensure that LS Lowry’s Going to the Match, remained in the Salford, where the artist was born. The famous painting, which depicts Lowry’s signature matchstick men making their way to Bolton Wanderers Burnden Park, was up for auction recently. Dennett was worried that a sale to a private collector would mean waving goodbye to the masterpiece. However, he needn’t have been concerned. Representatives from the Lowry Art Gallery attended the Modern British & Irish Art Sale at Christie’s in London, where they successfully bid £6.6m to buy and keep LS Lowry’s Going to the Match in Salford, thanks to the support of The Law Family Charitable Foundation. 

Credit: via This Generation.

LEGACIE LEGACY… Go to any new residential development in a city centre these days and you will be struck by the focus that is being put on amenity space. Take Legacie Developments’ Parliament Square in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle for example. The developer has built a rooftop spa that features a swimming pool, gym, sauna, jacuzzi, relaxation zones and a plush bar. All of that comes at a price, £2.5m to be precise. But you cannot put a price on arguably the best part of the facility: the views that stretch out as far as Snowdonia.

Credit: via Aver PR

MAKE-UP TAKE UP… Charlotte Tilbury has opened its first standalone UK store outside of London in Liverpool this week. Taking up 1,000 sq ft on the corner of Paradise Street in Liverpool One, the beauty brand promises customers a “beauty wonderland”, complete with a “beauty boudoir” area for treatments and private events. And if you weren’t familiar with the brand’s signature Pillow Talk shade before, you will be after visiting the store – the pink hue is found throughout the interior design. Fab!