THING OF THE WEEK

FLOWER POWER… Liverpool’s long-awaited floating restaurant bar is due to open next month. The brainchild of entrepreneurs Philip Olivier and Joshua Boyd, the Daffodil’s £3.5m transformation is now complete. The venue has been created within the former Mersey Ferry, MV Royal Daffodil and will be moored at Canning Dock.

The scheme has been in the works since 2019 when Boyd and Olivier, who rose to fame as Tim “Tinhead” O’Leary on the Liverpool-based soap opera Brookside, acquired the boat. Olivier said: “Daffodil is not just another venue. It’s an iconic piece of Merseyside’s history reborn for a modern audience.” Alcohol on a boat, what could go wrong?

Iberica reborn. Credit: PNW

IBERICA… What’s this then? After years of vacancy, the former Iberica unit in Spinningfields is being brought back into use for the festive season. Pop-up Miracle on the Avenue will see the space used for the first time since 2020 as a Christmas-themed bar. Details are few and far between but it is probably safe to expect tinsel and mulled wine.

Credit: Pete Swift

LEGO… The memorial service for Sir Howard Bernstein was held at The Bridgewater Hall this week and brought together giants of the public and private sector for an evening to remember Manchester City Council’s former chief executive. The event included speeches from Bernstein’s family as well as former chancellor George Osborne, who lavished praise on Bernstein for his impact in Manchester. As part of the celebration, guests were each given a Lego figurine depicting Bernstein in the kit of his beloved Manchester City.

Credit: Meelan Bawjee via Unsplash

FISHY… Fancy becoming the owner of a highly regarded fish and chip shop in Blackpool? Yorkshire Fisheries – and the apartments upstairs – are up for sale for just under £1m. Alan J Picken has been appointed to market the takeaway and has waxed lyrical about the opportunity. The Rightmove listing describes the Topping Street business as having a “rich history and a loyal customer base” and suggests it could go from strength to strength as the result of development nearby. The under-construction civil service hub on King Street will eventually be home to thousands of civil servants all in need of hearty lunches to sustain them in their pursuit of benefit cheats.

The 13,000 sq ft hub could host gym classes and craft fairs. Credit: Virtual Planit

ROOFTOP… If you are in Chester and looking for something to do this weekend have you considered hanging around on the top level of a multistorey car park? If you haven’t, maybe you should. But if you do make sure it’s Pepper Street car park, otherwise you might get a bit bored. IKO Projects’ 13,000 sq ft Rooftop Social Club opens on the roof of the MSCP today offering festive fun, food, and drink, as well as decent views over the historic city. IKO won approval for the scheme more than a year ago and, after a bit of a wait, is ready to welcome visitors to enjoy is private – and, more importantly, heated – cabanas.