Social Events
BESS Members Dinner - Wednesday 4th June 2008 – London Carriage Work Restaurant
This intriguingly named restaurant on Hope Street is the latest boost
to Liverpool’s growing reputation as the North West’s finest dining haven. The London Carriage Works is the venture of chef patron Paul Askew, who is already renowned for his success with the Philharmonic Hall’s restaurant, The Lower Place which he still operates and has won several awards for.
The recently opened restaurant is located on the ground floor of 40 Hope Street, an elegant edifice built in the 1860s in the style of a grand Venetian palazzo but which housed a huge warehouse in which coaches and carriages were built and repaired. During the construction of the restaurant, the original wording, London Carriage Works, was uncovered in the stonework hence the origin of the restaurant’s unusual name.
Décor-wise, glass is a big feature – aside from the entrance doors, the sides of the restaurant are glass, allowing diners to follow the goings on of life on Hope Street. There is also a striking glass sculpture-structure 
that runs from floor to ceiling behind which a couple of tables are partly hidden. The whitewashed ceiling is studded with soft spot lights and dark wooden beams, and furniture is a mix of low leather sofas and stylishly understated dining tables and chairs. The general ambience is chic but laid back.
It is worth noting at this point that it is the restaurant’s policy to make use of as much local produce as possible, and to contextualise this, there is indeed a general philosophy of embracing the culture and traditions of Liverpool as a city. Paul Askew has made it clear that his menus reflect the “world in one city” and describes the cuisine as modern international with a touch of Liverpool.
Overall the dining experience at London Carriage Works is very enjoyable, combining culinary sophistication with a friendly attitude and down to earth approach.
COST - £60.00 per ticket available to BESS members only.
BESS Conference Dinner - Thursday 5th June 2008 – St. George’s Hall
St George’s Hall opened its doors to the public in 1854, over 10 years after it was
commissioned. It’s been a central feature of Liverpool’s architecture ever since, and has been called ‘The best example of Neo-Classical architecture in Europe’.
After the courts moved in the 1980’s to their current buildings, St George’s Hall was left unloved, unused and under funded for nearly 20 years. Then in the early 1990’s money began to trickle in to attempt to repair the crumbling building. It is soon to be closed in parts for complete refurbishment to return it to its former glory.
The foundation stone of St George's Hall was laid in 1838 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria, but the actual building of the hall did not start until 1842. The idea for the hall came from
Liverpool citizens who were concerned about the lack of a place for the triennial music festivals. To fund it a subscription list was set up with shares available at £25 each and by January 1837, £23,350 had been raised. However as usual, when building work commenced it went over budget. At the same time a venue was being sought for the Civil and Crown Courts and fortuitously the same architect was employed to design both buildings so it was decided that one building would serve all needs. It is possibly the only building in the world where you could be tried for murder, have a ball or listen to a concert all under one roof.
The BESS Conference Dinner is available to all Conference delegates at no additional charge.