They say moving home is one of the most stressful events in your life... and I can tell you that moving office is every bit as stressful!
Thanks to the valiant efforts of our staff it was done in a weekend and apart from some hiccups with the computer connections - beyond our control - it all went quite smoothly. I should add an extra vote of thanks to Tim Owen, husband of our office manager Tracey, who was brilliantly organised and drove the van!
We did not move far... just over half a mile down the road to the Novas Scarman Contemporary Urban Centre (CUC) in Greenland Street. We have a nice compact office on the second floor and it already feels like "home".
It's that big former warehouse that stands opposite Cain's Brewery on Parliament Street. It stood vacant and was covered in buddleia plants for years - so much so that it was known as The Buddleia Building.
But of course when it was renovated the buddleia plants had to go and now it has blossomed (pardon the pun) into something of a "hidden gem" of the city.
It has an excellent performance area where the Christmas panto, seemed very popular.
The staff are very friendly and welcoming and the spacious cafe serves a great range of meals and snacks in a relaxed atmosphere. The lounge is a great place to entertain business clients since it boasts comfortable leather armchairs and includes free internet access.
The café features on its menu the very best bowl of Scouse I have ever tasted. Served with red cabbage or beetroot and a couple of slices of bread at the superb value price of £2.99p it is a real treat.
I'm not joking about the "best Scouse" either. We are talking about a large deep dish plate packed with marinated beef and including chuck of sweet potato. It's just sensational and this alone makes it well worth making the trip to Greenland Street.
There is also a pub on the premises. "The Beer House" serves an impressive range of lagers and ales on draught and alongside that is a restaurant with exotic decor that deserves to be better patronised.
But there lies the rub in being a "hidden gem". Novas Scarman is a charity and the CUC is described as "an arts, entertainment and social justice hub" with a remit to assist disadvantaged and excluded members of society.
It is a worthy aim and the building holds great promise, but until it gets a bigger and better budget for advertising and public relations it is going to remain a hidden gem and that is a pity. It deserves to be better known.
So, spread the word and take a trip off the beaten track to get down here to sample what's on offer - including the best Scouse in the world!
Closure of the CUC in Liverpool - sad day
(Tue 03/01)
Banksy the religious bigot
(Thu 29/12)
The Big Yin is on his way... I can't wait
(Thu 10/11)
A tale of two museums
(Tue 30/08)
Rosie Cooper - we need more politicians like her
(Mon 06/06)
