Changing  Places ---- Blackburn 

(  Click  on photos  to  bring  them to  full size )

One of  the purposes of  the  old Lancashire  Re -united website was to  get out  and  about in the county  and show  ex pats  of  towns they  had moved  from what  changes  where happening  in there  home towns.
This morning  ( 23 Jan 2014 )  I  took a hour or so in Blackburn and captured a few shots I  hope you  will enjoy  seeing  , even if your  not  from Blackburn .
 Shot  one shows the BOULEVARD where  buses and  in olden times trams would scurry to  and  fro but is now being  redeveloped as part  of a major  Cathedral Quarter plan where  the building  of  new offices , apartments , hotel and  shops is taking  place.

In Shot  can also see in shot  2 how they  have unearthed the old tram linesas well as this  a service pit  was also  found while excavations where taking  place which  has held up work  on the site

A walk  to  the other side  of  this  area where  the old market  once stood and  you  can now  see preparations being  made for  the building  of  a new multi  million pound  bus station which  is due to  be ready I  believe at  the back  end of  this  year

Onwards  up  CHURCH  ST , past  the mutli  million pound  extension to  the MALL shopping  center  which  now  houses the NEW BLACKBURN MARKETS

You can see the THWATIES brewery in this  pic we in this area  thought  we would be losing to  a massive supermarket  but  it  looks like agreements  cannot  be reached so  for  now the STAR  brewery  a local  land mark  is saved

On wards to  another  area  of Blackburn that is having  millions of  pounds spent  on it ,and now is becoming  a sprawling  area
Off Feilding  St  is where a new Swimming  Pool /Sports cumpus and   other class rooms for  Blackburn Collage / University of  Cumbria are  being  built

Its  now  onto  Montague St

 and  from here  you  can see how this  area  is changing  as its  on the Orbital route which is now due to  be completed now  the old Police station on King William St  has been demolished (pic below) and  the graveyard  to  the rear of  it is being  cleared of  those resting .

Its  at  this  point  I  recall that  some of  my  longstanding  facebook friends  and  ex members  of  the old website  lived in the BANK  TOP  AREA so  its  off I  go  to  capture  some shots  there . This  one shows just  one of  the many  schools in  the town have been rebuilt and  are  now ACADEMIES  . Its  St Winifreds (  now why  does that  GRANDMA WE LOVE YOU  SONG  KEEP  POPPIN INTO MY  HEAD ) 

Further  on I  walk  not  noticing  how far  I am walking  , but  noticing the shops around here are  split  between Polish  grocers, butchers etc  and  Asian kabab shops , shish cafes and  barbers 

One thing  those who  lived here  will be please to  know  is  the old GRIFFIN PUB is still going  as you  can see in the distance of  this  shot 

Time now  was catching  up with  me so  time to  turn around and  head  back , up to back  into  the center of  town past  the building  on KING WILLIAM ST that  have been brought  back  to life ,

And back  into  Flemming  Sq another  area  of  change a night  spot  gone new apartments  and  offices built , oh  the changes that  have happened here  in the 24 years  I  have been back  in this  area (  how many  more  can other remember ) 

So  its  back  in the car  and  before  I  leave Blackburn another change I  thought  ex pats  would like to  see . The old  INFIRMARY now  long  gone and  new houses on an estate called THE ROYALS springing  up . Yes Blackburn is changing , kind off make you  wonder  what  it  will be like in the next  24 years .

I  hope you  have enjoyed  reading  the blog , look  forward  to  doing  another soon from some else in the county soon 

John Earnshaw

 Walking on the Lancashire  Packhorse Route ( Click  on photos to view at  full size ) 

Feeling  the need to  escape the tedium  of  a bleak Sunday  sat  in front    of  a Tv  I  along  with  my  wife decided to  venture  out into  the Lancashire countryside
 Many  a time I  have said  that  living in  the part  of  Lancashire that  I  do  offers me the chance to  walk  in a great  many  beautiful  places and  where we walk last  weekend is  one such  place

 Way  back  before  the advent  of the railways goods where transported between Lancashire  and  Yorkshire via pack horse and a walk  up  on  the hills above Clowbridge Reservoir takes you  back  to  those times

The Reservoir  itself (  formerly  known as Hapton Reservoir offers a great  relaxing  walk or  a spot of fishing  as well  as being  used by  the Rossendale sailing  club . It  was man made and  one of  my  favourite  places to  unwind  from the stresses of  our modern world
 But  it  was up  on to the moors  we wanted  to  be and  its  not  long  before  a few chest  pumping strides offer  you some fantastic views

I  have to  marvel  at  the way  in which people in the old days would walk  with  a  pack  horse or  two  loaded  with  goods and  travel from Hebden Bridge to  Clitheroe on this  route  . How long  must  it  have taken them to  get  to  where  they where  going  and how  long  to  trek back , But  who  would mind with countryside  like this  to  look  at

Walking  further we can see that  the signposted  paths splinter  off  in all directions which  will give us  more reason to  return to  this area once the days get  longer  and the sun gets  warmer .

Time now, as the days  sun begins  to face to  begin our  descent , our feet  beginning  to  get  increasingly  wet and sore ,  as through puddle after  muddy  puddle we splash

  Back  down the hill we venture until Clowbridge reservoir comes into  view 

Time we thought  for one last  30  minute  circuit  of  the water before  heading  home , watching the fishermen fish and  the sailors sail , longing to  return to  this  rugged but beautiful  part  of Lancashire again 

One fantastic day in Liverpool

 Its been a while since my  last  blog but every now and again events  happen that are to  good to miss ,so  it was over the weekend of the 20th-22nd  of  April 2012 .
A  French  street  theater company where in Liverpool  telling the  story  of a young girl  looking  for  news of  her  father who  had sailed on the TITANIC  an uncle who  had  dived to  the spot where  the ship  lay to  bring a letter  to the girl .

 Having  been told  on  TV  that  the best  way  to  get into  the city  was by  train we left the car at  Accrington boarding for  our  onward  journey with  a change  at  Preston ( pic) it was now  that  you  sometimes begin to  realize why  you  do  not  use trains as much as maybe you  should as a group  of  football  supporters embarked to  head for a local  derby in Blackpool 
Our  onward train  heading to  Liverpool duly arrived and was soon packed with people heading to  the  city ,Glaswegian lasses on a hen weekend  shoppers and  parents and   children all packed in like sardines  in a tin heading to  the Mersey  coast .

On arriving and heading  out  of the  concourse a buzz of  excitement  greeted us  and  it  wasnet  long  before part of the reason  why  arrived at as at  2.30pm the music  blared out as a 50ft  marionette arrived to  bring  gasps from the waiting  hoards

  All  the  way  from  Stanley  Park  and  past the  football  ground  of Liverpool  the giant  uncle had  pounded the streets to  arrive .Its difficult to  explain why  you  got the  feelings you  did as you  watched this  spectacular  sight  before you  eyes and  the way  you got  wrapped up  in the  unfolding  events .

At this  point  it was time to allow a foot sore  giant time to  rest along with the  puppeteers and as we past  by to  make  our  way  down to  Pier  Head  and  leave behind the sound  of the  giants snores

Liverpool  is a city  I  have  grown  fond of and  is always  throwing  up  wondrous views of  new building in the  changing  faces  of the  building sprouting  up along the  sea front  down to  the  river Mersey .The  old and the  new seem to  be in  harmony as the  21st  century moves on

Down past the  MARTIME  MUSEUM  along the  cobbles we strolled in as the  chill wind  of the  late  April day blew in off the  River Mersey along with  magical  smell  of the sea

Albert  Dock was packed with  tourists taking in the  many  shops and  galleries  the place now  has to  offer  and  after  taking tome to  purchase some  hot  Tomatoe  soups it  was time to  make our  way  to  Pier head

Again the changing  face  of the  city can  be seen as we approach the three  graces .How  beautiful this  area looks with the new museum  of Liverpool ( which  one day  I  am going in ) and  new office  buildings looking  spick and  span along with the  newly  completed terminus for the Leeds /Liverpool  Canal .

Time then to  sit awhile and  take in the building and the  atmosphere which  was building as the second  part  of the  street theater  grew near 












4.30pm  and  as the  excitement  grow the  sight  of the little  Giant girls  dog  thrills the  waiting  crowd which  had now grown to be the largest  gathering  I  have seen in some time and  then  came the  girl  thrilling the masses and some how bringing a lump  to  the  throat as you  wished her  well  in her quest  for  news of  her  father ---all the  time forgetting this was a puppet




As she past  it  was then you  saw the  skill  of the puppeteers at  work  in bringing the  girl  to life .
It  was time now  to head back along the city  streetswhich  where  packed with more  and  more crowds  waiting  for  the chance to  enjoy the spectacular sights unfolding











Back along the city  streets  past the Liverpool  one shopping  complex to  meet  more  crowds coming  in the  opposite direction who  had  just  witnessed as we had  earlier the  50 ft  Giant 

Now  back at  Liverpool  Lime  St  to  head  back  home on  packed on a packed  train to  Preston  ----so  packed both  myself  and  my  wife  had  to  STAND all the  way  to  Wigan with  not  one man  doing the gentlemanly  think  in giving a seat  up  for the wife and  not  one parent  telling a child to  let someone sit  down ,reminding  me yet again why  I  do  not  really  use trains .But  still  we arrived  back in Accrington with memories  of one unforgettable day  out in  Liverpool that  will  stay  with  us forever 

Video footage of the  Final  day as the Giants  say  Goodbye to  Liverpool 

 

Wonder if they are still out there ?

It was great today to hear from Ron Boyd one of the former members of the defunct website --of the same name as this blog page  I created some years back .
Ron commented on  a post I added  on to  the Southlakes Websites forum page  where I added a link to the Barrow photos I posted earlier on here

 Ron wanted to know if I was still retailing the Polo Shirts I had produced along with some LANCASTRIAN & PROUD car stickers to fund trips around the county taking photos .Sadly I do not any longer but I wonder if they are still around tucked away in someones draw -

Pic shows Member Bernice Melrose -----Aka Georgeslass ( Formerly from Blackpool ) with dad George Hindle out in Australia---wearing there LANCASTRIAN & PROUD  Polos ---and here one of the Car Stickers which also went world wide 

A trip back to Barrow In Furness --with panoramic photos ( click on pic to see in full size )

Took a journey up the M65, M61 ,M6 and A590 to the town I grew up in  and the town  County Palatine  Lancashire town I once called home at the weekend ----the town of Barrow In Furness.
Visits up here are increasingly few and far between these days as the years pass but when I do get up I like to get out the camera and have a look round at how the place is changing and remember times ,people and places I use to frequent .

Dalton Rd ( Picture taken from the Crellin St End ) is ---or should that be was once the main shopping street when I lived in the town and used to be a hive of activity  but sadly  like the shops I remember from the old days times have changed and they are no longer around .Oh for the days of meeting up in Bruccianis Cafe and going in Wells or Kellys music shop ---you could spend a whole afternoon down town once  memories abound

As do the memories of the old buildings along the dockside --now as well long gone now a new skyspace .Sadly to now just a  memory are times when at 12 noon and 4.30pm could be seen the spectical of what I heard Max Boyce call the working mans tour de france as men on bicycles would pour out of the shipyard gates ---and wobetide  anyone getting in the way

Further down  Michelson Rd to what we call Barrow Island and the Glasgow style tenement blocks Memories here of one roasting hot July afternoon and the time as a member of St James choir we took part in a recording of Songs of Praise at the Church of St Johns .time to turn left and head off down Ferry Rd

 
 Standing on Jubilee Bridge which is the only way to get to Walney Island by road I can see more changes .The skyline has lost the view of the steelworks and associated slag bank to be replaces by modern offices , Industrial units and a rather nice promenade walk  the times I walked or traveled by bus on this bridge going to school ---my old school books ended up in here when left in 1975 ---ah well time to move on

 Along North Road and what we used to call the Low Rd where if you where on a bike you would dice with death as you wheels would get stuck in the tracks of the old railway lines to another load of changes  Hollywood Park --and area of a Cinema and fast food outlets and retail units has replaced the old Corporation Clensing department and scrapyards ---there used to be a flipping big chimney hear that I once painted along with a mate when I work for the Council ----I can still smell the fear now as we did it off 1 ladder --happy days eh
 Time to head back and get on with the duties of the day Passing the old where the old bus depot used to stand and where I took my cycling proficiency at the John Winnerah   institute then left up Abbey Rd and then up Dalton Rd 

Just a brief stop here to remember the old Abbey Baths --now where the courts stands and the old ABC ( Ritz ) picture house now replaced by an office block ---long gone are the days of me living here ---as it is for many a Barrovian ----Memories are all some of us have now as the place changes---its not home anymore but like we say you can take the boy out of Barrow In Furness ----But you will never take Barrow in Furness out of the boy
PLEASE NOTE 
All pictures where taken on a Sunday ---hence why its so quite

-Welcome HOME to LANCASHIRE RE-UNITED

Welcome to  the  LANCASHIRE RE-UNITED BLOG 

This page is designed to show Lancastrains around the world to keep in touch with the changed that are happening in the towns they once used to live .Many friends have been made through out the years that the LRU site has been around and many memories rekindled about times spent in the county .The site has featured on BBC RADIO LANCASHIRE and others through out the Northwest So sit back and enjoy