The stuff of music legend, you can’t mention Widnes Station to anyone without them referred to Paul Simon and the track Homeward Bound.

Forget Wembley and stadiums, Widnes holds a cheeky early chapter in Freddie Mercury’s meteoric story.

By the late 1990s, Widnes wasn’t exactly known as a cultural hotspot. But for six glorious summers, Victoria Park became the beating heart of a grassroots music revolution.

Think Beatlemania was all London glamour and Liverpool grit? Think again. The Fab Four’s autograph history hides a gem: out of just four official record signings ever, two happened in Widnes.

Established on 5th September 2021 Market Fest was the daytime festival, that was a part of the Celebrate Halton Music three-day event for Halton’s first ‘Borough Of Culture’ within the Liverpool City Region.

If you’ve ever strolled into The Derby in Widnes, you’ve probably heard the name Johnny Rocco whispered with a grin and maybe a story or two.

Owned by Colin Hirons, ex Widnes Rugby League player, The Music Shop supplied pre match and half-time music at Naughton Park (DCBL Stadium).

Elvis Costello, singer songwriter and record producer, performed in Widnes Four whilst in his early band Rusty, between October 1972 and February 1973.

The Queens Hall has been described as the most significant venue in Widnes and also as a local factory of curiosity and expression.

Known to many as their Ceramics Lecturer at Halton College, now known as Riverside College, Jaki Florek describes those 18 years as “like being part of a big family”.

Set up by Ade Sleigh and his dad Stan, Pentagon was a recording studio and rehearsal room from the mid 80’s to mid 90s.

Spike Island is the now a legendary location and subject of a feature film of the same name, thanks to The Stone Roses landing there on 27th May 1990.

Zen Baseballbat didn’t just pop up, they crashed into the mid ’90s like a ska-punk grenade from right here where you stand in the industrial belly of Widnes’s West Bank.

In the pantheon of British soul, few names resonate like The Real Thing. Born in Liverpool’s Toxteth district in the early 1970s, and rumoured that Dave Smith spent his formative years here in Runcorn.

Born in Liverpool in 1942, Frank Murphy (1942-2025) saw many of the city’s club bands that eventually became household names including The Beatles.

Just off High Street stood a building with stories to tell. It opened in 1913 as the Century Picture Palace, a grand cinema complete with its own café.

When Girls Aloud burst onto screens in 2002, Nicola Roberts, with her fiery hair, quickly stood out. Her story begins right here in Runcorn, where she was born and raised, attending St Chad’s High School before making her mark in pop history.