About Us
Our History
If you love the North, this is the website for you. Written in the North of England, Northern Soul is a celebration of culture and enterprise, from theatre, music, authors and art to heritage, small businesses, food and leading figures, as well as everything in-between.
We talk to the people who work, rest and play in the North of England and scour the region for interesting stories, histories, ambitions and events. Want to read a carefully crafted article about an oddball museum or go behind the scenes of a leading institution? You can find that here. Fancy checking out an interview with a major Northern personality or discovering the inside track on a new initiative? Look no further. Like looking at lovely pictures of Northern goodness? We have them.
Northern Soul is not a listings site. It is not an exhaustive guide. Plenty of those exist already. This webzine is a collection of really good stuff to do, reflect on and ponder North of the Watford Gap. Although we are based in Manchester – and love waxing lyrical about our glorious city – you could just as easily find us musing on the attractions of Leeds, the appeal of Keswick or the darn right wonderfulness of Newcastle. If it’s Northern and it’s good then it’s here.
But, and it’s a big but, we believe that our stories have universal appeal. Yes, we’re based in the North of England, but our articles can be enjoyed anywhere, from Timperley to Timbuktu.
Northern Soul was borne out of a desire to read some proper good writing about where we live. We also wanted to see images that do our urban and rural landscapes justice. In a world where anyone with a keyboard and opposable thumbs can call themselves a writer, we believe there is a desire for quality compositions. Check out the contributors’ page and see the collective pedigree of the Northern Soul team. And, if the mood takes you, why not have a look at our articles where you can read about everything from Yuri Gagarin’s visit to Manchester and the Northern independent presses to the ubiquity of black pudding and saucy 19th century vicars. We also have specialist columnists whose individual passions include film, opera, music, gardening, art, sport, and poetry. In addition, we have a weekly Northern Soul newsletter.
A last word
Although our intention is to showcase the hidden gems of the North and talk to the people you want to know more about, you will also find well-known venues and events on this site. There are no hard and fast rules on Northern Soul – if we think you might want to hear about something or someone, we’ll tell you. As we have grown over the past decade, so has the breadth and depth of our coverage. We’d love it if you joined us on our journey.
Number of Articles
Number of Writers
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Our Age
Northern Soul logo designed by Paul Irwin, www.pointwellmade.co.uk
Main image of Manchester Town Hall Clock Face, copyright Mark Waugh, www.markwaugh.net