I’ve loved the Hancock museum since I was a little girl and luckily the renovations it underwent a few years back did not diminish its charm. I’m lucky enough that my daughter has also loved it and even though now nearly a teenager, we found that the new items on display as part of Which Way North were still interesting and cool enough for her to warrant a visit with her mam.

I was particularly interested to see John Lennon’s Record Plant piano. Being a long time Beatles fan it was wonderful to see although so sad, as it’s the instrument he played on the day of his death. I got all my old vinyl records out when I got back home and played a lot of the early Beatles stuff that I hadn’t listed to in years.

Damien Hirst’s tiger shark in formaldelyde was pretty eerie. He reportedly said he wanted a shark big enough to eat you and real enough to frighten you – well he definitely achieved that!  Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water – so we played with the cuddly sharks in the gift shop on the way out. 🙂

I also loved Dame Vivienne Westwood’s Pirate Outfit and my daughter (and me, yes okay I admit it) were also excited to see the Eleventh Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver.

There are 10 items on loan in total as part of the Which Way North series at the Hancock, all of which are on display until Sunday 9th September. They all underpin the Great Exhibition of the North’s themes of Art, Design and Innovation. Well worth a visit, no matter your age or how many times you’ve visited the Hancock previously.