Members of the Out & About group had a very informative and enjoyable tour of The Atkinson, Southport’s Atkinson Library, Theatre and Art Gallery.
The tour covered the (very) early days of Southport, when it grew virtually overnight, from nothing to a bustling seaside town. Wealthy mill owner, William Atkinson, from Knaresborough, donated almost £14,000 in 1875 (over £2 million in 2025 equivalent) for the building of a free library and meeting rooms in Southport. The buildings bear his name in honour of the donation.
Our tour guide was extremely knowledgable and tempered the historical facts with some nice touches of humour, as she guided us around the gallery, theatre and museum.
The Atkinson is a beautiful building and well worth visiting.
