Four streets within the North West have been shortlisted for Google’s Street View Awards.
Liverpool's Hope Street and Mathew Street are amongst those chosen by a panel of experts which includes VisitBritain, Lonely Planet, TV presenter Julia Bradbury, Fashion Designer Jeff Banks and Editor of Glamour, Jo Elvin.
The Google Street View Awards are a celebration of Britain’s best-loved streets, as voted for by the public in a nationwide poll.
Manchester’s Wilmslow Road and Hope Street in Liverpool have been nominated for Britain’s Best Foodie Street. While Mathew Street in Liverpool and New Cathedral Street in Manchester nominated for Britain’s Best Fashion Street.
The awards, for Britain’s Most Picturesque Street, Best Foodie Street and Best Fashion Street, have been created in anticipation of further imagery being added to Google’s revolutionary Street View tool, which currently allows users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery in 25 British towns, including many of those nominated for the Street View Awards. Later this year, Street View will be rolled out to cover additional streets from around the UK.
Justine Mills, owner and buyer at Cricket boutique, Mathew Street, Liverpool said: "Mathew Street has been at the cutting edge of fashion since the 1960s, from the Beatle’s walking to the Cavern Club in their Winklepicker Boots to the modern day footballer’s wives shopping at Cricket in their Christian Louboutin heels.
"Cricket are delighted to be positioned on this enigmatic street and are excited to be included on the shortlist for Britain’s Best Fashion Street."
Mary Colston, Creative Director, The Hope Street Hotel said: "The London Carriage Works is enormously proud that Hope Street has been nominated, but then we are enormously proud of our street and our neighbours on it!
"Hope street has more culture, including a legendary theatre and international concert hall, history and architectural icons in the 5 minutes it takes to walk from one iconic cathedral to the other than most cities from one end to the other!
"Hope Street has no less than 12 independent restaurants, brassieres and cafes, using fresh local produce and seasonal menus that offer a fantastic range for all visitors and locals."
The North West proved popular with Google’s panel of experts who nominated a total of four streets across the three categories. Editor of Glamour, Jo Elvin, nominated Manchester’s New Cathedral Street for Britain’s Best Fashion Street. It will compete against Mathew Street in Liverpool, home of the boutique arcade Cavern Walks and WAG shop favourite Cricket, which was nominated by Daily Mirror Fashion Editor, Amber Morales.
Both Manchester and Liverpool compete again in the Best Foodie Street category, with Richard Harden, Co-Editor of the Harden’s Restaurant Guide, nominating both Hope Street in Liverpool and Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, which is Manchester’s famous Curry Mile.
Shortlisted nominations for each of the award categories have been compiled by a panel of experts from the worlds of food, fashion and travel including VisitBritain, TV personalities Julia Bradbury (Countryfile), Jeff Banks (The Clothes Show) and Brix Smith Start (Gok’s Fashion Fix), leading journalists Jo Elvin (Editor, Glamour) and Nicholas Lander (Restaurant Correspondent, Financial Times) and authors David Else (Editor of The Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain) and Richard Harden (Co-Editor, Harden’s Restaurant Guide).
The experts were asked to nominate streets that fulfilled a pre-set criteria for each category. Their nominated streets highlight a series of British treasures ranging from famous tourist attractions such as London’s King's Road, Royal Crescent in Bath and The Shambles in York to hidden avenues and courtyards such as Gold Hill in Shaftesbury and Pen Cei in Aberaeron, Wales.
The four streets within the North West will now battle it out against 46 other streets in a nationwide public vote. Voting opens from today, and closes on Sunday 28th February.
The winners will be announced in March. To vote, go to www.maps.google.co.uk/beststreets
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