It's Raining Men in Liverpool

Tate Liverpool's latest 'blockbuster' exhibition opens this weekend  - and it's going to be a sure fire winner. The sheer scale of the exhibition is impressive - I can't remember seeing so many works of art by a single artist at the same time. But this is also an accessible exhibition, with popular appeal that will interest even the most reluctant gallery visitor. Many of the images will be familiar, with fluffy clouds in blue skies, apples and bowler hats as recurring images.

Pre sales of tickets are ahead of expectations and I am sure that the once the neighbouring Museum of Liverpool opens in mid July, there will be large numbers of additional visitors to the waterfront. Tate Liverpool and the Albert Dock will undoubtedly benefit. A new national advertising campaign, coordinated by The Mersey Partnership, also kicks off this weekend, aimed at generating visitor interest in Liverpool as a shortbreak destination.

Judging by reactions last night at the Preview, Tate Liverpool has pitched this new exhibition at exactly the right level, and there has already been significant interest and coverage by the the national media.

I can't even pretend that I understand the meaning of many of the images, but that didn't detract from a great visit - and now I can't get that song by The Weathergirls out of my mind!

www.tate.org.uk/magritte

I bumped into Cheryl Cole Last Night

You know how it is......I was just walking down the Prom in Blackpool and who should I see, but Cheryl Cole. Well, not one to miss an opportunity, I quickly got a photo.

Turns out that she is part of the show at the new Madame Tussauds on the Golden Mile in Blackpool. The attraction has had a major makeover and is now rather good. People who remember playing "Guess who it is supposed to be" at the old Louis Tussauds will be pleasantly impressed! No problem now in identifying Gok Wan, David Beckham, Barbara Windsor and other 'icons' of popular culture.

A few things particularly impressed me about the new operation: the staff are, without exception, brilliant. No wonder that the attraction is top of Merlin's international league of all of its facilities in terms of customer satisfaction. And the new owners know how to generate secondary spend - the shop is excellently merchandised and there are upteen opportunities during the tour for visitors to buy add-ons. Other attraction operators would be wise to go and see how it's done!

www.madametussauds.com/blackpool/