Places features

Someone once said that "there's no such thing as a free lunch", but I prefer the old adage, "the best things in life are free".

Winter Gardens feel like summer in Sunderland

Having never paid a visit to the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens before, I didn't know quite what to expect. In fact, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise and the first surprise was that it was free!

It is beautifully located beside Mowbray Park and, on the day I went it, was bathed in sunshine, the ducks idling their way on the pond, people escaping from their lunch breaks to soak up the colours and the greenery.

The museum has two facades joined together, old and new. The old being a more traditional stone frontage welded to the modern glass entrance. This sums up the museum, a great fusion of Sunderland past, present and future!

Exhibitions in the Sunderland Museum

My heroes

It is a cliché to say that there is something for everyone, but that fits the bill at this visitor attraction. If you want to wallow in our glorious nostalgia and heritage, there are sections devoted to our north-east of England industries; glass, textile and mining all have fitting tributes. A whole area is devoted to Sunderland in the 20th Century.

The art rooms had me most interested as I am a fan of L.S. Lowry (who himself was a fan of holidaying in Sunderland). There is a fine collection of his matchstalk men, and matchstalk cats and dogs, but as this exhibit beautifully demonstrates there is a lot more to him than that.

There are always temporary exhibits providing something for returning visitors. At the moment, I recommend you go and see the collection of black and white photographs of British comedians from the 1940s. It was quite something for me to be surrounded by so many of my TV and movie heroes.

Relax while watching the fish

Before you visit the gift shop or the café you must pop into the Winter Gardens. I've pencilled this down as a fine area suitable for sitting down and gathering your thoughts or reading a book while surrounded by tropical plants, waterfalls and coy carp swimming peacefully in the tastefully designed pond.

Sunderland should be proud of such a welcoming, well thought out, relaxing facility!