Lancashire Re-United

  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