Broadgate Is Great

Rob Roy

2010-11-22T17:28:00.002Z

"I had hardly joined our English friends when I became sensible that our cause was lost. Our numbers diminished....and at length we were cooped up by a superior force in the little town of Preston. We defended ourselves resolutely one day. On the next, the hearts of our leaders failed and they resolved to surrender at discretion. To yield myself up on such terms were to have laid my head on the block. About twenty or thirty gentlemen were of my mind. We mounted our horses and placed my daughter, who insisted on sharing my fate, in the centre of our little party. My companions, struck with her courage and filial pity, declared that they would die rather than leave her behind. We rode as a body down a street called Fishergate, which leads to a marshy ground or meadow, extending to the river Ribble, through which one of our party promised to show us a good ford. This marsh had not been strongly invested by the enemy, so that we had only an affair with a patrol of Honeywood’s dragoons, whom we dispersed and cut to pieces. We crossed the river, gained the high road to Liverpool and then dispersed to seek several places of concealment and safety."

Can there be any doubt that Sir Walter Scott had actually ridden or walked down Fishergate Hill and was familiar with the terrain before he wrote that passage from Rob Roy.

I was aware that the passage existed and thought it timely that I should devote a column and bring it to your attention. However, I couldn’t find the words during a flick through the pages. And I’m so glad that I could not. I resolved to read the book and what a story it is. The language ( though at times unintelligible ) is quite wonderful. Here’s a typical example of one of the characters:
For rather than any good action should walk through the world like an unappropriated adjective in an ill-arranged sentence, he is always willing to stand noun substantive to it himself.

The book is a quite thrilling adventure story but not, as it happens, about Rob Roy but mainly about the youth of one Francis Osbaldstone who discovers that the love of his life Diana Vernon has many dangerous secrets in her native county of Northumberland and the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland just prior to the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. And what a character Diana is – it is difficult to believe that this was written in 1817.

Having said that it is an adventure story it is also a brutally honest account of what life was like for Scottish people during that time. The novel was incredibly popular when it came out in three volumes and it is said that one ship travelling from Leith to London carried nothing but this book as cargo.

Robert Louis Stevenson, who loved it from childhood, regarded Rob Roy as the best novel of the greatest of all novelists and even today I think it stands with anything written over the last 200 years.

Mile Stones

2010-08-10T19:41:00.000+01:00

In the last column the solution to the strange stone marker on Broadgate was revealed. It marked the eastern boundary ( EB ) of the Legal Quays ( Lc ) of the Port of Preston Customs Area. So this month I thought I’d knock off the other marker just in front of it and then I could move on to pastures new.

No such luck. One thing leads to another - which in this case is the sound of my head hitting the desk in frustration. However, let’s start with my glass half full and write down what I have found out so far.

At the end of last year I went to the Records Office and found a map dating from the mid 1800’s where a Milestone was clearly marked at the spot where this stone thing is.

So, what is a Milestone. The Romans laid good metalled roads to move soldiers and supplies quickly across their Empire. The Latin for thousand was ‘mille’ and the distance was 1618 yards; the eventual British standard mile was 1760 yards. After Roman times, roads developed to meet local community needs: in 1555, an Act of Parliament made local parishes (or often townships in the North) responsible for their upkeep and boundary markers became important. In 1697, the Justices were ordered to erect guideposts at cross-highways and on the moors. From 1767, mileposts were compulsory on all turnpikes, not only to inform travellers of direction and distances, but to help coaches keep to schedule and for charging for changes of horses at the coaching inns. The distances were also used to calculate postal charges before the uniform postal rate was introduced in 1840. At the height of the turnpike era, there were 20,000 miles of roads with milestones.

That’s pretty clear isn’t it. At the end of Meath Road, on Broadgate, there is a Milestone. If you look on the top you will a distinctive mark. It is called a bench mark and is an Ordnance Survey arrowhead sign found on walls, bridges, churches and specially erected triangulation pillars where the altitude above sea-level has been accurately measured by surveyors. The arrowhead points to a horizontal line above it which marks the exact altitude.

It’s pretty obvious that it marks the distance of one mile from here to the centre of Preston. But does it? I’ve had a look in the centre of Preston and can’t find its counterpart. I’ve walked down Leyland Road to try and find a Milestone there. I can’t find anything. Actually that’s not true. I found a stone marker with FP 66 on it and I’ve no idea what that is.
And that’s where my glass becomes half empty. I’m left with the mystery of when our Milestone was put there, did it measure the distance into Preston, did it measure the distance South across the river over the old bridge or some other route earlier in time before 1759.
Answers gratefully received before it drives me round the bend.

A Voice for Broadgate

2010-05-30T21:13:00.002+01:00

The Lancashire Evening Post has just posted a link to 'Broadgate is Great' from their blogs page.
They describe us as 'A community blog written by one man for Broadgate Preston'.
In fact the blog is written by 4 men, myself, Terry, Faron and Chris, and there's always space for anyone else who wants to write here about some of the great things going on in Broadgate -and we could certainly do with a few female bloggers to make up for our gender imbalance.
If you're a budding Broadgate blogger, pass us your article, and it shouldn't be long before you see it up here!

stone marker

2010-04-16T19:18:00.001+01:00

First of all I want to make it quite clear that I was guided by Geoff Tyrer to the photo which can be found on the flickr website under ‘Stone Marker, Broadgate’. It was taken quite recently by ‘Nog Tow’ who seems to be a mine of information about the history of Preston.

Let’s go back a bit. I started off wondering about the stone marker against the river wall opposite Meath Road. I couldn’t find anything in the Reference Library, couldn’t find anything on the Internet, couldn’t find anyone who knew what it was. So what next?

What next is what I should have done in the first place. I asked in Broadgate News for information. First of all Kath Wallace told me that she’d been told that the stone was there to mark the end of the jurisdiction of Preston Docks.

Then George Cameron remembered ( somehow ) that there had been something in the Lancashire Evening Post back around 1990. He was pretty sure that the article in the paper mentioned that the inscription stood for Eastern Quay Legal Boundary. This ended the limit of Port Dues.

And finally Geoff handed me a print out containing the above photograph together with the following ( and many thanks to everyone for their help ):

This stone marker ( one of two – the other is missing ) marked the eastern boundary ( EB ) of the Legal Quays ( Lc ) of the Port of Preston Customs Area that was set up by the Ribble Navigation Committee in 1844. The way the ‘4’ was represented had yet to be standardized. It was common to see it backwards now and then. There are at least 2 gravestones in Preston churchyards with backward ‘4’s. – Nog Tow.

Broadgate Wordled

2009-07-03T19:29:00.001+01:00

Click on this picture to see a Wordle of the Broadgate is Great blog.

Umberto's and the Monks

2009-05-14T20:04:00.003+01:00

I know it's not quite in Broadgate, but it's not far, and today, at about 7pm I spotted two heavily bearded monks in brown cassocks running across Fylde Road and diving into Umberto's. Does anyone know who they were and what they were doing at Preston's most famous Fish shop?

No jokes about chip-monks please...

HyperLocal Blogging is the Future

2009-05-07T17:08:00.004+01:00

Clarissa Sebag Montefiore explains the phenomenon known as 'hyper-local blogging' in this BBC article.

Hyper local blogging is any blogging that focusses, almost obsessively on a single town, community or even street, and it's taking off in a big way.

Broadgate is Great is one of those 'Hyper-local blogs', using our closeness to the community to give a unique viewpoint and voice to people who otherwise would not get heard, we're delighted that fellow hyper-local blog 'Preston Blog' got a particular mention as a shining example of what a local blog can achieve. We can testify that their coverage of the Penwortham Leisure Centre Fiasco has so far been second to none, so they fully deserve their place in the national spotlight.

Invisible Car From Broadgate

2009-05-04T19:12:00.004+01:00

If you're driving round Broadgate, here's another reason not to go too fast - Broadgate student Sara Watson's 'Invisible' car:

At Broadgate is Great, we're pretty impressed with this particular vanishing act accomplished by UCLAN student Sara Watson. We're wondering what Sara could do with Crystal House.

Russians In Lancashire

2009-04-28T20:39:00.006+01:00

A new blog has been set up for members of the Russian community in Lancashire

It's authors are Andy and Elena.

They say:

This blog is for the Russian speaking communities of Lancashire in the north west of England. (Русская версия данного блога здесь)

We plan to publish a wide variety of material about our meetings, events, experiences and interests. We hope that Russian speaking people visiting Lancashire will find useful and interesting information and will want to share their experiences with us.

We will try to keep you informed of forthcoming events and please let us know of anything you would like to see listed here on the blog.

We hope to raise the profile of people from Russia and the Republics in the north west of England and we are happy to hear your ideas!

you can read the English Language version here: http://russianlancashire.wordpress.com

The Russian Language version is here: http://russianlancashire.blogspot.com

Penwortham Leisure Centre

2009-04-25T14:48:00.007+01:00

The threat of closure to Penwortham Leisure Centre is one which Broadgate residents will take very seriously, as it is the easiest leisure centre to reach from our area, the others require at least two different buses to get to, and a long trip through Preston's usual state of traffic gridlock.

Last thursday night, a public meeting with over 400 people was held, with feelings running high. South Ribble Borough Council and Priory High School are failing to reach an agreement, and unless they can, a valuable community facility could be lost.

Ed Walker provides really excellent in depth coverage of the background to the issue, and of what was said at the public meeting over at 'Preston Blog', this is superb material which shows the very best of what local bloggers can achieve.

Click on the links below for the finest coverage of the Penwortham Leisure Centre dispute:

Public meeting called over leisure centred closure threat

The people's views

The council and the school state their positions

Let's support the people of Penwortham and the leisure centre workers in their campaign to keep this essential facility open, and hope that those in responsible positions feel enough hot breath on their necks to quickly work out a common sense way of delivering this.

Latest from the Continental

2009-04-17T16:17:00.005+01:00

While the rest of Preston sinks into gloom, with more shop closures, a swathe of redundancies in different industries, and now some signals that the £750m Tithebarn scheme that the council had pinned all it's hopes and strategies on for the past decade may now be on dodgy ground, Broadgate is staying sunny and optimistic.

We actually seem to be bucking the national economic downturn, Broadgate has had several new businesses opening in our area such as smart sandwich bar 'Obertellis' and Indian Restaurant 'The Spice Lounge'.

One pub that's making Broadgate a really desireable place to be is 'The New Continental', with it's eclectic mix of art, literature, poetry, theatre, music and techie events, not to mention some excellent beer.

They've sent out their latest update of forthcoming events, and it looks really exciting, here's what it had to say:

Thanks to everyone who dropped in over the Easter weekend - we all had a fantastic time, and the weather was fabulous - a taste of the coming summer, we hope.

Taking us up to the end of April, we can't move for great events here at The Continental. May is filling up quickly too - keep an eye on the events page for an update in the very near future...

Next week, we've a two-night run of Stephanie Ridings' acclaimed one-woman show, Me, Mum and Dusty Springfield. The highlight of last year's Royal Exchange Blue Six festival, Ridings' comic monologue explores the mother/daughter relationship with insights we'll all relate to... all cut through with a liberal sprinkling of Dusty's lyrics. Shows are at 8pm on 23rd and 24th April, and tickets are priced at £7, or £5 concessions.

Also next week is Preston Writing Network's first event, Word Soup: Three published authors will be reading from their own work on the subject of Risk. Featured writers on the night are cult novelist Steven Hall (author of The Raw Shark Texts), alongside Preston's own Jenn Ashcroft (A Kind of Intimacy) and Chris Killen (The Bird Room) - backed up by bloggers Socrates Adams-Florou, Sally Cook and open mic from The Continental Collective. Plus musical interludes from the fabulous Ottersgear! Entry is only £3, and it all kicks off at 8pm on Tuesday 21st April. Those of you with a literary bent may also be interested in a new beginners Creative Writing Course which will be starting in the pub next month - drop us an email to info@newcontinental.net if you'd like to take part!

Music-wise, we've a full weekend - Tonight (17th April), we've a performance by Manchester-based nu-folk sensations Ivan Campo - they'll be taking over the snug for an evening of foot-tapping folk-pop, with a keen ear for catchy tunes. They pack us out every time they play, so it promises to be a smashing evening - the gig kicks off at 9pm.

Tomorrow (18th): Martin Carthy - this is now sold out, but there might be a few returns on the door if you want to come down anyway - but no promises! Monday (20th April) sees an album launch gig from Preston's dark electro-rock combo Playing Violet, with support from Stephen J Buckley and the Feverdreamers - Entry is free, and starts at 9pm in the events space.

Next Sunday (26th) is the last of the month, which (of course) means The Continental Jazz Club. This month sees the return of the ever popular (and evergreen) saxophonist Harold Salisbury, with Tom Vernon on Guitar, Norman Helm on Bass and Tim Franks on Drums. As always, we'll be launching proceedings from 9pm

The Beer List is currently being typed up for the Second Continental Beer Festival, which will be running from 30th April through to 4th May - we'll be sticking it up on the website as soon as it's done, and trust us, it's going to be fantastic - 5 days of the best beer, cider, food, music and (fingers crossed) weather Preston can offer!

Don't forget our book club - the next meeting is on the 20th April in the snug - email catherine.cable@talktalk.net for more details if you'd like to join in - the current book is Morvern Callar by Alan Warner. Yoga will be starting in the next couple of weeks after work on Thursdays - get in touch if you've not put your name down already with info@newcontinental.net and the start date will be finalised next week.

Alll the best,

The Continental Team

Workers Memorial Day, Preston and Chorley

2009-04-14T23:35:00.008+01:00

Workers' Memorial Day, International Workers' Memorial Day or International Commemoration Day (ICD) for Dead and Injured takes place annually around the world on April 28, an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), across the world:

Each year, more than two million women and men die as a result of work-related accidents and diseases

Workers suffer approximately 270 million occupational accidents each year, and fall victim to some 160 million incidents of work-related illnesses

Hazardous substances kill 440,000 workers annually – asbestos claims 100,000 lives

One worker dies every 15 seconds worldwide.

6,000 workers die every day.

Work kills more people than wars.

In a world, where on occasions death, injury and illness at work are hidden away and taken for granted, Workers' Memorial Day is an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace accidents and ill health and to promote campaigns and union organisation in the fight for improvements in workplace safety. The slogan for the day is:

Remember the dead - Fight for the living.

Although the 28 April is used as the focal point for remembrance and a day of International solidarity; campaigning and other related activities continue throughout the year right around the world.

Preston is no exception, and there will be a memorial service held in Chorley too:

Preston - March and rally on Saturday 25th April 11.30 am at Preston Flag Market for more information about it, please contact: WMD c/o Trade Union Education, 5th Floor, Buckingham House, Preston PR1 3LS, Chair: Andy Birchall, 01772 223112 www.lancashiretradeunions.org.uk

Chorley - Chorley Branch of Unite the Union are holding a multi-faith memorial service at the Unite Workers Memorial Tree in Astley Park, Chorley, on Friday 24th, April at 6pm Meet at the Park gates (Park Road) at 5:50pm, all welcome. For more information Steve Turner (Branch Secretary) Mob- 07859369492
www.chorleytradescouncil.co.uk

This years memorial day will be particularly poignant, as millions of workers internationally have lost their jobs as a result of the catastrophic world recession.

JuggleCon1 Avenham Park

2009-04-09T15:02:00.004+01:00

Easter Monday is the day Prestonians traditionally head for Avenham Park to roll their eggs.

This time the event will be enhanced by "Jugglecon1" a self organised event by local people.

Here's what's happening:

* Juggling
* Circus (if you've got a Unicycle or anything Circusy please bring along)
* Food
* Games (please bring along anything you think we'd love)
* Fuzzies
* Easter Egg Rolling
* Fun!

According to 'Visit Preston'

The annual Egg Rolling or Easter Fair on 13th April 10am to 3pm dates back to Victorian times although its exact origins are a mystery. However, the tradition has continued to modern times and continues to capture the imagination of all generations.

Learn Essential Zombie Survival Skills In Broadgate

2009-04-07T21:02:00.009+01:00

With climate change, the credit crunch, celebrity culture, unhealthy diets and MP's expenses claims all getting worse, it's only a matter of time before the undead rise from their graves and slake their unholy thirst with the blood of the living.

That's the claim of Dr Dale Seslick, leader of a crack team of Zombie Apocalypse survival consultants, who will be visiting Broadgate this Friday, to host an Essential Zombie Apocalypse Survival Skills course at the New Continental.

According to the New Continental's website:

Seslick's popular Seminar deals with such sensitive issues as: What is a Zombie? Am I a Zombie? Is she a Zombie? Is he a Zombie? Are you a Zombie? Are they a Zombie? and of course the age old question - est tu un Zombie?

The impending threat from the legion of the undead is one that has been all too long ignored by the political establishment. Attempts to alert members to the danger of a crowd of stinking and rotting corpses asserting their diabolical will over the land of the living have made little impression in the House of Lords.

This is a course no Broadgate resident should miss, learning zombie survival skills, while supping a pint of real ale at the Conti, is far preferable to watching your own intestines being ripped out by lumbering cadavers.

Dr Dale Seslick is stopping in Broadgate as part of a national tour that will equip the whole country with zombie survival skills, a tour that will culminate in Edinburgh, city of Burke and Hare, the infamous body-snatchers. The seminar in Edinburgh coincides with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

For live video footage of Dr Dale Seslick's teaching, see fellow Preston Blogger 'The Temple of the Matmos'

Grafton St To Shut Down For 6 Months

2009-04-06T21:19:00.005+01:00

Grafton Street in Broadgate is to be closed to traffic, and even resident's parking for up to 6 months. The whole street will resemble a massive building site, as it will be open only to contractors vehicles, the work is scheduled to begin in May, and may last until October.

Broadgate residents are preparing themselves for months, if not years of traffic chaos, as the work will continue along Strand Road, and involve the sinking of several tunnel shafts.

The crucial work is part of the Preston Tunnel Project, a major piece of civil engineering by United Utilities which will allow, when it is finished, for the storage of up to 30,000 cubic metres of storm water overflow, and will include 5 kilometres of pipework which will transfer waste water to the Clifton Marsh Water Treatment Works.

While residents are concerned about the inconvenience, noise, dirt and dust, most are aware of promises by the authorities that this work will significantly improve Preston's flood defences, as it enables much more effective drainage of storm waters that create the kind of flash flooding we're now all too familiar with, as well as improving water quality in the River Ribble, and in the Estuary.

The tunnels in Preston will follow the paths of existing roads and will not travel under buildings apart from those owned by United Utilities. Restoration will also be carried out after the underground work is complete.

Three shafts will be dug at Watery Lane, Marsh Lane and Fishergate Hill to allow digging machines to travel 26m underground to create a tunnel between the sites.
From Preston the pipes will travel under the river to a new pumping station in Penwortham, before passing beneath farmland and the river to Clifton Marsh.

The project has been planned to help the river comply with European legislation on bathing water quality.

Once complete, improvements should be seen to shellfish waters along the estuary and to beaches at Southport, Ainsdale, St Annes and Blackpool.

'Broadgate Is Great' Reverberates Across The Blogosphere

2009-04-05T16:58:00.012+01:00

"Who looks upon a river in a meditative hour, and is not reminded of the flux of all things? Throw a stone into the stream, and the circles that propagate themselves are the beautiful type of all influence" Ralph Waldo Emerson

The internet is like a constantly flowing body of water. If you chuck a big enough rock in, you can send ripples right around it.

Broadgate is Great is a very little blog, about a small, but pleasant, part of Preston, which is an ex-town trying a little bit too hard to be 'the third city of the North West'. You'd think a blog with such a small footprint would seem barely relevant to other people in other places.

Even so, in the short time it's been in existence, 'Broadgate Is Great' has certainly sent out a few ripples, and been noticed by quite a few people, and it is really nice to be noticed.

It's even better to be noticed by decent writers, and Jenn Ashworth is certainly that, she's Preston's brightest literary flame since Robert Service and Angela Brazil.

Jenn was kind enough to say about this blog:

Broadgate is Great does what is says on the tin. As a community news portal specific to the Broadgate area, this blog is hard to beat. The writing is clear, informative and characterful, and the look and layout of the blog make the most out of the template and include some amazing pictures of the area.

Read more of Jenn's opinions on our, and other Preston Blogs at Preston Writer's Network

A lot of people liked the post on '85 ways to build community', which got featured in the Britblog Carnival on Redemption Blues Here's their opinion on that post:

Riversider at Broadgate is Great, drawing on Professor Robert Putnam’s initiative across the Pond, lists, in a creditable effort at transplanting it to British soil, 85 Ways to Build Community. Predictably (though not without justification), "Turn off your TV or PC" features as admonition number one (on the original American list, top spot goes to "Organise a social gathering to welcome a new neighbour". Switching off the goggle box is to converse with friends or family occupies 71st position only). "Go outside" comes in at number two. Interestingly, "Say hello to strangers" is number 51 (85 in the US version). People still where I come from and it is part of the charm of the place, but nowadays chiefly the preserve of the older generation. "Join in to help carry something heavy" would be a non-starter in Waffleland, where nobody would dream of giving up their seat for a white-haired matron on a bus, never mind a pregnant woman.

Even our article on the Broadgate Flood Wall repairs made an impact on the blogosphere. Greentime said this;

Global warming brings with it heavier floods in traditionally flood-prone areas. Are our local flood defenses up to the challenge? Follow one example of posing and answering this question at Broadgate Is Great: Broadgate Flood Wall Repairs.

Closer to home, the admirable Preston Blog took up our post on the threat to build a 'Super Surgery' over the Hartington Courts play area.

The latest blog to feature an article from Broadgate is Great is The Soul of Rock and Roll the blogger there suggests our coverage of Damo Suzuki's gig at the Continental will lead him to seek this experimental underground rock adventurer out.

Lots of other blogs have also posted links to Broadgate Is Great, and we always try to reciprocate. If you look at the bottom of the right hand sidebar, you'll see the very latest posts from some of Preston's most excellent blogs.

Broadgate is Great has just been going for a few months, but we're already getting the word out about some of the great things happening in this area. We're proud to belong to a community that's starting to make some pretty interesting and exciting things happen for itself.

Riversway Blog Probes Sport

2009-04-03T18:25:00.006+01:00

Blogging gives ordinary people a voice that otherwise might not be heard.

It is with this in mind that 'Broadgate is Great' welcomes the new 'Riversway - Labour and Industry' blog started by Callum D'Souza, a postgraduate journalism student at the University of Central Lancashire.

Callum has big ambitions for his blog, he says the blog will be

"about industry and the labour force, there is only one print correspond for labour and industry in the whole of Britain"

The first aspect of Industry and the Labour force Callum is probing is Sport.

He explains:

I am going to look at the sports industry in Preston. Looking at how sports centres in Lancashire will become a training base for the London 2012 Olympics. Fiffteen Pacific Island countries including Fiji, Paupa New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga want to make use of facilities in Preston, Myerscough and Clitheroe. This means that Preston will financially 'get a piece of the action'.

So far Callum has blogged about how the Pacific Island Countries are all set to use sports facilities in Preston - despite the fact we do not have an olympic size swimming pool.

He comments:

It seems strange that a country would specifically choose to use a swimming facility which does not match the length of the Olympic sized pool.
Although there are plans to build an Olympic size swimming pool in Preston, this is unlikely to happen in the near future.

Athletes which represent the Pacific Islands will have little or no access to swimming facilities in their own country.

So the facilities which are presently available in Preston are still considerably better than in the Pacific Islands.

Other blogs set up by journalism students include: 'Preston Town Centre Health and Social Services at http://prestonisacityofjoy.blogspot.com, authored by 'pocket venus' who's been focussing so far on the closely linked subjects of alcohol, sex and pregnancy. Pocket Venus's blog has the innate advantage that you can read about sexual misbehaviour in it without feeling guilty, because it's basically for your own good.

We wish both bloggers lots of luck, and great futures as journalists.

Easter Events In Broadgate

2009-03-31T13:31:00.013+01:00

One of the many great things about Broadgate, is that we have an unusually high number of people who do the hard work of organising a hugely diverse amount of community events.

A few days ago, we reported on the many events happening at the Gujurati Hindu Society, these include courses in holistic living, vegetarian cookery, exercise and yoga, hair and beauty, Bhagavad Gita, and computer classes click here to find out more.

If you read the current issue of 'Broadgate News', the free local newsheet that is written, printed and distributed entirely by local volunteers from BRAG and PACT, you will find out about many more local forthcoming events.

Here are just a few:

On 5th April, 9am - 1pm there's an indoor car boot sale at the BAC/EE Club on South Meadow Lane in Broadgate, it's 50p to get in, and you get a cup of tea or coffee chucked in free! Why not book a stall? find out more at http://www.baceeclub.co.uk

If you're more into dancing than scrabbling through bric-a-brac, the BAC/EE club has a FREE DISCO on Easter Monday, 10th April, between 1 and 5pm.

If you're prepared to take a little trip across the river, to the Penwortham Sports and Social Club, then Friday nights for you could be sorted. Here are the acts on each Friday in April:

3rd April; Eric Jones (brilliant vocal, come and have a good laugh)
10th April Steve Power (the man with the voice)
17th April Johnny Grimes (a welcome return)
24th April Lee Nelson (brilliant male vocal)

The fantastic 'New Continental', at the bottom of South Meadow Lane, nestled snugly between the Silver thread of the Ribble, and the mighty arch of the railway bridge, has a shedload of really interesting things happening in April:

2nd April - In Transit: Contemporary Performance from Chris Fitzsimmons and Krissi Musiol (£4)

7th April - the city's finest experimental music night Ear Whacks returns (free entry)

10th April - How To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse: survivalist comedy (£7, £5 conc.),

18th April - Martin Carthy (£8), 23rd & 24th April - acclaimed one-woman comedy drama Me, Mum and Dusty Springfield...

from April 30th - May 4th: The Continental Beer Festival!

Preston Writing Network's first event Word Soup launches on the 21st April: showcasing a writer's open mic, plus Sally Cook, Socrates Adams-Florou, and 3 North-West published writers - Preston's own Jenn Ashworth (A Kind of Intimacy), Chris Killen (The Bird Room), and cult novelist Steven Hall (The Raw Shark Texts). With a musical interlude and a literary short film. See www.prestonwritingnetwork.blogspot.com

And don't forget the book club - the next meeting is on the 6th April in the snug - email catherine DOT cable AT talktalk DOT net (replace the DOT with a . and the AT with an @ , writing it like this makes it harder for autobots to send her loads of spam) for more details if you'd like to join in!

Plus, if you're interested in joining a regular Yoga Class at the pub - Thursday Lunchtimes or after work - get in touch: email info@newcontinental.net for details.

There's an even fuller list of events at the New Continental Here.

Events at the Gujurat Hindu Society

2009-03-27T20:43:00.007Z

One of the most beautiful buildings constructed in the last decade in Preston has to be the Gujurat Hindu Society Temple, with its magnificent and intricately carved marble dome.

Inside there are a whole host of activities going on.

Tomorrow, there will be a 'Health Mela', an event with over 80 stalls promoting different aspects of health, everyone with health needs is welcome, which basically means everyone.

Other events include:

HOLISTIC LIVING COURSE - 30th March 2009

INDIAN VEGETARIAN COOKERY CLASSES - Starting soon - Register immediately.

Exercise Sessions for all - Every Thursday 5.00pm to 7.00pm - FREE

Hair & Beauty classes every Monday - 6.00pm to 8.00pm - FREE

Yoga for all starting from Feb 9th - 6.30pm to 7.30pm

Bhagavad Gita classes - Every Wednesday

Yoga for elderly - every Tuesday 1.00pm to 3.00pm - FREE

Computer Classes -Every Monday & Wednesday - 6.30 - 8.30pm

Registrations open for Sewing , Hair & Beauty, Aerobics, Holistic, Harmonium, Classical dance, Tabla, Gujarati Classes for Adults

Contact Activity Officer Ms.Dipti Thakkar for Registrations on 01772 -253912

You can find out much more about the Gujurati Hindu Society at their website: http://www.ghspreston.co.uk/index.html

Down by the River

2009-03-22T09:43:00.005Z

Arguably one of the best things about living in Broadgate is the view.

No matter where you turn, especially when walking down by the river, there’s usually some gorgeous setting that captures the eye. Like these, for example.
Arguably one of the best things about living in Broadgate is the view.

No matter where you turn, especially when walking down by the river, there’s usually some gorgeous setting that captures the eye. Like these, for example.

Damo Suzuki sets Broadgate Alight

2009-03-21T13:05:00.010Z

Ex-CAN rock star Damo Suzuki played the New Continental last night, with backing from the Three Dimensional Tanx. I was there to see it, and I met my old friend WB there. He's emailed me this review of the gig, he seems to have enjoyed it even more than me:

Hi River,
great to hook up with you again after all this time. I wrote this as soon as I came down from the Damo Suzuki gig, I wonder if it's the kind of thing you'd like to put up on the 'Broadgate Is Great' blog?

Damo Suzuki and the Three Dimensional Tanx played a blistering gig at the New Continental last night. Noone would believe that they had never played together before.

The night began with a gaunt, bespectacled guy creating ambient sound with his electric guitar, looping it artfully to create layer after layer of texture, emotion and power. I found myself gradually, imperceptibly, drawn into his vibe - a cool spacy mellow harmonic playground for the mind. I felt the audience applause was not adequate for the skill and musical instinct displayed by this guy, had his work been enhanced by video images or polychromatic lighting effects I guess more people would have understood the journey he was taking. I wish I knew his name, he's one to look out for in the future.

Then the great legend Suzuki took to the stage. Like a long haired Japanese Napoleon, his charisma instantly grabbed hold of the audience like a bailiff grabbing an old man's throat. 3D Tanx started laying down a sound rocking muscal platform that Damo quickly began to build on.

The musical alchemy took hold within minutes, dark insatiable beats began to take the audience to dangerous psychic places, a thrusting thrumming rhythm that for whole periods of time began to make the whole room vibrate in harmony with the universe. The 60's time traveller opened a pathway back to 68, and the souls of the greats, Janis, Jim, Jimi could be heard mingling their voices into Damo's sideways thrusting lyric.

The audience twisted and flickered like flames, consumed in a cosmic moment where we were locked into experimental infinities, as the boundaries of music, space and time were pushed back, ever so slightly.

Before it even seemed to have begun, the night was over. Slowly we came back to reality, the coolest and most beautiful people in Preston, gathered together in one performance space, each knowing we had witnessed and experienced something that would leave an indelible mark on our essential selves until the heat death of the cosmos.

WB

Wow! Loads more great gigs coming up at the New Continental - it's making the Broadgate the place that everyone wants to be.

Batman in Broadgate?

2009-03-19T16:32:00.005Z

The man behind a slew of well-known comic books and graphic novels comes to Broadgate next week to deliver a talk at The New Continental.

Bryan Talbot, creator of well-known comic books such as The Adventures of Luther Arkwright (currently being adapted for a big screen release rumoured for 2010), will be appearing as part of the Continental’s on going series of “and talks on controversial, topical and fascinating subjects”, to speak about his work, with a particular focus on his Eisner Award-winning One Bad Rat graphic novel.

The writer and artist first broke into the world of comic books in the late sixties and since then has gone on to produce work for notable series such as Judge Dredd, Hellblazer and of course, everyone’s favourite black-clad vigilante, Batman.

o Bryan Talbot appears at The New Continental, South Meadow Lane on Saturday March 28th at 8pm. Entry is £3.

For more on Bryan Talbot, visit http://www.bryan-talbot.com/
For more on The New Continental visit http://www.newcontinental.net/

Preston Writer hits the web

2009-03-18T21:51:00.008Z

Preston writer Jenn Ashworth has been featured on Waterstone's website as a 'new voice for 2009': http://www.wbqonline.com/feature.do?featureid=255

Jenn is the author of 'A Kind of Intimacy', in the article she recounts how she slowly found the narrative voice of the novel's main character:

I wanted Annie to tell her story in her own words – the ‘I’ in the novel is insistent, self absorbed and trembling with self-righteousness and indignation. The things she does are unusual and yes, sometimes frightening, but she has a sense of humour, she’s worried about her blind spots, and she’d like to settle down with someone she can talk to without misunderstanding. Isn’t that, in her words, ‘the same as anyone else wants’?

Jenn will be one of the key figures at 'Word Soup' on the 21st April, at the New Continental, the emerging hub of the literary, poetic, technological, gastronomic, theatrical and real ale appreciating communities of Preston.

Discuss the Preston Tunnel Project at the Central Area Forum

2009-03-14T12:43:00.008Z

A huge tunnel project that will improve storm water overflow discharges into the River Ribble from the Preston and Penwortham area will be one of the key topics under discussion at the 'Central Area Forum' which will be meeting at 7.00pm on Tuesday 24th March at the St Walburge's Parish Centre.

The Multi Million pound project is being undertaken to comply with the European Water Framework Directive, and will help improve local bathing and shellfish waters within the Ribble Estuary and along the Fylde Coast.

Construction work is planned to commence in the autumn of 2009.

At the meeting, the public will be able to quiz representatives of United Utilities who will provide an overview of the project. The ambitious project includes approximately 30,000 cubic metres of storm water storage, several tunnel shafts, a new pumping station and over 5 kilometres of pipeline to transfer waste water at Clifton Marsh Water Treatment Works.

Here's how the Lancashire Evening Post recently covered this project: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/114m-water-pipe-project-to.4952233.jp

Other subjects under discussion at the meeting will be the erection of a new police communication mast at Lancaster Road North, Ethics and Standards and the Role of Local Councillors, a chance to talk to a Neighbourhood Services representative from Preston City Council about street cleansing, recycling and grounds maintenance, Local Policing, and a chance to ask any questions to the various Councillors, County Councillors, PCT reps, the police and other organisations that usually attend these meetings.

If you want more information about the forum, a copy of the agenda, or if you can't attend but want to ask a question, the guy you need is Nigel Heckford, the area forum manager. He can be contacted at the Town Hall on 01772 906372, or by emailing n.heckford@preston@preston.gov.uk

Writers and Readers Flock To Broadgate

2009-03-13T17:28:00.004Z

Broadgate is rapidly becoming Preston's throbbing cultural hub - not only is it the venue of the first ever Preston Tweetup, it's also going to be the site of Preston Writing Network's first ever event "Word Soup".

This will take place on the 21st April at the New Continental in Broadgate.

It will showcase a writer's open mic, plus Sally Cook, Socrates Adams-Florou, and 3 North-West published writers - Preston's own Jenn Ashworth (A Kind of Intimacy), Chris Killen (The Bird Room), and cult novelist Steven Hall (The Raw Shark Texts). With a musical interlude and a literary short film. See http://www.prestonwritingnetwork.blogspot.com/

Those who prefer to read rather than write will be interested in the New Continental's book club - the next meeting is on the 6th April in the snug - book in advance with the new continental: info@newcontinental.net

First Preston Tweetup In Broadgate

2009-03-13T17:14:00.005Z

The most excellent Preston Blog has announced that the first ever Preston Tweetup will take place at the New Continental in Broadgate.

You need to register for the event which will take place on the 17th March 2009.

According to the sponsors, Stage 9 Marketing,

A tweetup is where people come together, bring along their wi-fi enabled laptop and/or mobile phone and meet other people. People also twitter during the course of the night, so even if you can’t make it you can see what’s happening and contribute, by following #prestontweetup.
At Preston Tweetup we’re going to be discussing ‘How can the web can be used in Preston Guild 2012?’ As the last Guild was held in 1992 and back then broadband and widespread laptop ownership was a twinkle in a very rich man’s eye.
Wi-fi access will be provided free of charge. The first 50 people who register for the event will be able to receive a free drink, up to the value of £3, on production of their printed ticket.

The plan for the night is to start around 7 PM, allow half an hour for drinking and making the wireless access work. At 7.30 PM we’ll introduce the night’s topic and then break off into smaller groups to brainstorm (you’ll be allocated a number as you arrive) and then around 8.30 PM one person will feedback to everyone what their group came up with. The rest of the night will be free for socialising, idea bouncing and networking.

Looks like an interesting night for those who want to use new technology to it's fullest potential, happy tweeting and twittering to everyone who goes!

Hartington Courts and the 'Super Surgery'

2009-02-28T13:36:00.005Z

Hartington Courts is a popular local facility in Broadgate among the local youth and elderly alike. There are facilities for basketball, or a kick around, there's a bowling green, and Carl Ingram and the other Community Police Officers have a base there.

A while ago, we managed to prevent this site being taken away and replaced with a Fire Station.
Now however, it seems that there are new plans being pushed to develop the area, by putting up a new 'Super Surgery', based on combining together the Doclands Medical Centre in Ashton, and the Fishergate Hill Surgery.

At first glance it seems strange that when so many of our modern ailments are caused by a sedentary lifestyle, our healthcare providers should be planning to take away one of the few spaces left where people can take healthy exercise. The area is also very low - lieing, and must be close to the boundary of the flood plain.

Local Councillors Jack Davenport and Carl Crompton are quoted in the Lancashire Evening Post as suggesting that local people should go for a 'compromise', by not opposing the development, if the bowling green is turned into a better sports facility.

It's also worth asking, what will happen to the existing surgery buildings? Someone with foresight and energy might justifiably suggest these could be ideal to convert into Youth Clubs or some other form of community facility, such as a 'drop in' for our elderly residents.

There will be another opportunity for local people to discuss this issue on Wednesday, at the PACT meeting which will take place at 6.30pm at the Gujurati Hindu Society on South Meadow Lane. If you have a view to express, make sure you get there!

85 Ways To Build Community

2009-02-20T17:04:00.006Z

What makes communities like Broadgate work?

People like Robert Putnam have researched the 'social glue' that holds communities together, reduces crime and makes people feel happier, and actually be healthier, and live longer lives.

The good news is, the things that hold communities together can be simple and easy, and don't have to cost a lot of money.

Here are a few suggestions, culled from an even bigger list published here: http://www.bettertogether.org/150ways.htm

How many have you done in the last month?

1. Turn off your TV or PC
2. Go outside
3. Attend a BRAG/PACT meeting
4. Support local shopkeepers
5. Volunteer your special skills to a community organisation
6. Give blood (with a friend)
7. Work in a community garden
8. Surprise a new, or favourite neighbour by taking them food
9. Avoid destructive gossip
10. Help another person, outside your home with something
11. Attend local school or children's athletics, plays and recitals
12. Get involved in Scouts or Guides
13. Sing in a choir
14. Attend a party at someone else's home
15. Get to know your local shopkeepers
16. Audition for community theatre, or to support a production backstage, or volunteer to usher
17. Attend a lecture or concert
18. Give to your local food or clothing bank
19. Play cards or games with neighbours
20. Walk or bike to support a cause, and meet others
21. Participate in a political campaign
22. Attend a local festival or parade
23. Do something for your Trade Union, outside work
24. Find a way to show personal appreciation to someone who builds your local community
25. Coach or help out with local (youth) sport
26. Offer to help a neighbour with garden work, shopping or a lift
27. Start or participate in a discussion group, book, or film club
28. Start or join a car-pool
29. Plan a 'walking tour' of local historic areas and beauty spots
30. Tutor or read to children, and have children read to you
31. Run for public office
32. Invite neighbours over for a meal
33. Host a party
34. Offer to serve on a committee outside of work
35. Form a ramblers group, or a swimming group, with at least one other person, then encourage each other
36. Play a sport
37. Go to church, temple or mosque
38. Ask an older person to teach you something
39. Host a Jacob's Join
40. Take dance lessons with a friend
41. Become a school governor
42. Join a campaign and take action that brings you into contact with others
43. Gather a group together to clean up a local park
44. Bake something for new neighbours or work colleagues
45. Plant trees
46. Volunteer at the library, primary school or a charity shop
47. Call an old friend
48. Sign up for a college course, and meet your classmates
49. Accept or extend an invitation
50. Go for a walk in the park
51. Say hello to strangers
52. Find out more by talking to a neighbour you don't know very well yet
53. Collect oral histories to discover the interesting things people around here have done
54. Join in to help carry something heavy
55. Make gifts of time
56. Greet people
57. If you think someone needs help, ask to find out, and then do what you can
58. Fix it, even if you didn't break it
59. Pick up litter, even if you didn't drop it
60. Attend gallery openings, and art exhibits
61. Organise a neighbourhood car boot sale
62. Read or listen to the local news
63. Write an article for this blog, or for Broadgate News
64. Help deliver the Broadgate News
65. Attend a public meeting, and speak out on local issues
66. When inspired, write a personal note, or send a card to friends
67. Offer to watch a neighbour's flat or home while they are away
68. Bring next doors bins in for them
69. Help out with recycling
70. Start talking to people you see regularly
71. Listen to the children you know, and find out what matters to them
72. Ask to see a friends photos
73. Invite a local politician or official to speak to a group you belong to
74. Plan a reunion of family, friends, or people with whom you have a special connection
75. Hire local young people for odd jobs
76. Write a letter to the editor
77. Join a group that is likely to lead to making new friends of a different ethnicity
78. Sit on your doorstep
79. Fight to keep your essential local services
80. See if your neighbour needs something when you run to the store
81. Be nice when you drive
82. Find out more about another culture, by talking to a neighbour from another culture
83. (Add your own here!)...............................................
84. ....................................................................................
85. ....................................................................................

Come on, what are you waiting for! If you don't do it, who else will?

Angela Brazil - A Ripping and Blossomy Broadgate Author

2009-02-11T21:03:00.003Z

Can you imagine the fuss if the author of the Harry Potter books, JK Rowling, had been born in Preston. There would be a blue plaque and, perhaps, the house would be open to the public. Well, in the first half of the 20th century an author was equally as successful in writing children’s boarding school books although they were about and for girls.
Angela Brazil ( for some reason pronounced Brazzle ) was born at 1, West Cliff here in Broadgate, the youngest of a family of four with two brothers and a sister, on the 30th November 1868. Her father Clarence worked in the Lancashire cotton trade and moved around this area as a result. Her mother, Angelica, was determined that her daughter would not be sent away to boarding school so she attended the Miss Knowle's Select Ladies School here in Preston.before moving to Wallasey.
Angela was over 30 before she began to publish with The Fortunes of Phillipa based on her mother’s experiences of boarding school. She went on to write 47 other school stories which brought her wealth and fame. She is credited with inventing the girls’ school genre although that is not strictly true. What she had though was determination and a prolific output.
Her best works are considered to be ‘ A Fourth Form Friendship’, A Pair of Schoolgirls’, ‘The Youngest Girl in the Fifth’ and ‘For the Sake of the School’. A typical synopsis of her work can be summed by ‘The Head Girl at the Gables’ published in 1919.
"Lorraine wasn’t head girl material – at least that’s how all the girls at The Gables felt. She was too quiet and withdrawn. But Miss Kingsley, the headmistress thought differently. So Lorraine was appointed and her hard struggle to win over the girls begins. She organizes a School Show, finds a new ally in the artistic Claudia and takes command in a surprisingly effective way. And woven into her school life is her newly discovered talent for painting – which leads to her the unmasking of a dangerous spy ring!"
Another original aspect of her publications are the covers which are colour and striking in their perception of girls having a life other than the stereotypical limp heroines of previous books for children. They are camping, trekking, adventurous, playing sport – not at all what the 1900’s had been used to being seen. No wonder they were such a spectacular hit with the young girls of the day. I’m not certain but I think that a copy of these early editions in good condition can fetch a decent price in the collector’s market.
One of the oddest things about Angela Brazil’s books is that at one time they were considered dangerous for young girls by Headmistresses with their slangy words like ‘ripping’ and ‘blossomy’. Unbelievably they were burnt to prevent them being read.
Other writers of childrens stories of the time nowadays attract adult enthusiasts but, it seems, that Brazil does not, possibly because she did not create stylish plots and characters ( according to Hilary Clare ) but when Brazil died in 1947 she had had an enormously successful career.
So that’s a brief summary of the books and life of Angela Brazil born in Broadgate.

flood wall

2008-12-03T14:29:00.001Z

The restorative work on the river defence wall along Broadgate has started and apparently the work will last a couple of months. It got me thinking as to what it would have been like before the wall was built so I went along to the Library to see if there are any flood records.

The earliest records I could find were from 1771, 1799, 1833 and 1840 when on the 17th August Preston experienced ‘a perfect hurricane’. In 1866 on the 16th November the most serious and wide spread damage for 200 years was experienced. ‘The Ribble and the Darwen are one’ and ‘the old portion of Avenham Park was filled up and rose much above the level of the lake in the park’ ( what lake would that be? ). In Broadgate there was a sea of water with houses jutting out of it. Occupants bundled furniture upstairs and sailed off to Fishergate Hill. People in the centre of South Meadow Lane were hemmed in on all sides to a depth of 3 to 4 feet. Some houses were flooded at the bottom of Grafton, Lauderdale and Beech Streets. Water overflowed the end of Ribble Place and ran in the end of Taylor Street. The Regatta Inn had 4 foot of water flowing past its door. Workmen had to abandon Strand Road and move to Fishergate Hill. At its peak at 10-30pm water was running down Elm Street. In Fishergate water had risen as high as the base of Stanley Terrace.

After the flood subsided it was said that Strand road looked like the bed of a river. The foundations of the Pleasure Boat Inn were exposed ‘to the very bottom’.

In 1880 flood water washed against the houses of Broadgate.

There were other floods through the years at regular intervals and I don’t intend to just give a list of dates. However, I did find an interesting snippet in The Preston Guardian of 1921. It was dated the 31st December and there was a photograph of the river bank in Broadgate during a flood and the picture shows a street lamp standard half submerged. The words describe ‘ a big fresh down the Ribble, the water travelling at a great rate. A sixth of the West Cliff Cricket Ground was under water.’

What I couldn’t find, however, was the background to the building of the original Broadgate wall. This was partly as I would like to leave that for another month but mostly because I found it difficult to drag myself away from the adverts in the papers of the time.

One of my favourites was for ‘correct and distinctive Dress Wear from Austin Reed.’

‘Dress ties – the latest dress tie is the Regent tie, it’s the latest word in simplicity and an explanatory diagram is supplied’

‘Discerning men appreciate that Austin Read Dress Wear is not only correct in style and detail but possesses a distinctive, quiet simplicity rather than any suggestion of the extreme.’
I rather like to think that this would also describe this columnist.

Broadgate Stories

2008-11-08T20:32:00.000Z

Sitting in the Reference Library and wading through old books is fine but it’s a bit remote from real life – not to mention the numb feeling that spreads after a few hours on hard seats. So it was a real pleasure to be able to relax at Geoff and Joyce Tyrer’s house where Geoff gave me some insights into Broadgate over the years.

It’s never been clear to me where the boats used to be moored around the Continental area but I think I’ve got it now. Apparently there used to be a jetty opposite the side gate entrance to the pub but that was moved down river a bit to a ramp opposite Ferry House. Geoff said that when he was a boy the owner, Mr Cooton, used to let him and his mates bale out the boats after it had rained and in return they would be allowed to take one of the boats out up river where they would turn and come back bouncing down over the rapids – while Mr Cooton would be waving wildly from the bank to tell them off. Interestingly you can still make out the landing place for the Ferry on the other side of the river. It’s right at the end of the wall where it dips down to the water.

All that area was subject to flooding and he remembers well the date and time of the worst. 11-30 at night on the 20th November 1977. He’d checked the tides and went out with his children to check as it wasn’t too bad at the time and as they were watching a bore of water just rolled up South End flooding the road. As a result the wall was built in 1979.

Much to my surprise Geoff said there used to be a detached house on the site of the BAC club grounds near the river and half way to the Continental. No sign of it now or Mr Eccle’s orchard which also used to be on the site before the club was there. You can still see the entrances just along South Meadow Lane where tracks used to go into scrub land marked of by a big hedge which zigzagged across to the river separating it from the orchard and also the market garden which used to have flower beds – scrupulously avoided by a young Mr Tyrer and his mates when hunting for the odd apple.

He also told me that before South End was built the land was used as a Strawberry Gardens. And that Meadow Court was Saul’s Nursery with next to it Billy Lee’s field where the shopkeeper from South Meadow Lane used to keep his horse. Indeed the nursery stretched across South Meadow Lane into Hassock Close and further up nearer to West Cliff. You get a real feeling for how almost rural this area used to be not very long ago.

In the middle of all this the Victoria Bowling Club must have been a majestic sight with its Pavilion and car park where Woods Green is now with the Rolls and Bentleys
arriving to play a game. Which makes the fact that Preston Cricket Club has kept its land and historic Pavilion all the more commendable.
I’ve come to the end of this month’s column and we’ve only got as far as the middle of South Meadow Lane so rather than squash more stories into a couple of sentences we’ll leave them for another time. Many thanks to Geoff and Joyce – and for a large malt I won’t tell about the biscuits.

poem

2008-11-08T20:31:00.000Z

remembrances

at
eleven
there’s a pause –
Feeling one’s heartbreaks
one’s breaths
rise
&
fall
some
Elevens,
there’s…
a
pause.

John Francis Osborne orig. November 2001

The Continental

2008-10-25T19:43:00.000+01:00

A few words about alcohol this month. A subject that I feel qualified to write about since sneaking into the ‘Men Only’ snug at The Swan in Yardley, Birmingham at the age of 15. The Swan was the largest pub in Europe at the time but has now been knocked down – interesting fact number one.

I have no interest in The Continental other than as a consumer. If, indeed, a Pub can be viewed as just a seller of commodities. But I seem to remember in my very first column that I bemoaned the lack of pubs in the area and the fact that pubs in general had lost the plot in what they were trying and failing to sell. They hadn’t done any market research as to what would attract me away from the delights of Meath Road on a wet September evening.

Equally I recall my first visit to Broadgate back in the winter of 1995 and passing the windows of The Continental as I tried to find an area of Preston in which to live. I was smitten when I saw a comfortably crowded pub with all parts of society chatting away, reading books and reading papers. It was great. And eventually Tess the dog agreed and would automatically turn right on the way back from our walks.

Which brings me to the reason for these words i.e. the re opening of The Continental in August. I went with Jed, Ann and Val on a Friday night and mid way during the evening one of us said something like ‘this is what it used to be like’. And we all agreed.

No big screen, no noisy one arm bandits, no pool, no loud music. Comfortable chairs, a selection of quality beers, a background hum of conversation. This is what a local should be about. I stress again that I have no connection with the owners or management of the pub.

I also have no connection with the management of the new Pavilion in the Park. If I had I would have argued long and hard against them putting in for an alcohol licence. An alcohol license for 7 days a week and from 1000hrs in the morning till 2000hrs in the evening.

I haven’t got a problem with people having a traditional picnic in the park with a hamper and a tartan blanket. But I do have a problem with this application. I just don’t believe that it will be a case of a small glass of sparkling Californian white and a cucumber sandwich. It will be all day drinking in the park and then a short cut through Broadgate home. No thank you.

At the BRAG/PACT meeting several people raised the problem that the Pavilion needed a licence if it was to host weddings or special events. Everyone realised that this was necessary as it is a beautiful setting for such occasions and such applications for one off events should be encouraged. It is the 7 day,10 hour license that was worrying.

The more observant of you will have noticed that the spelling of the word ‘license ‘ varies through this column. There is a reason for this.

wishful thinking

2008-08-31T20:38:00.001+01:00

In July there was an open meeting organised by Bikhu Patel to discuss proposed developments for Winckley Square. Over a hundred people attended and it was a splendid example of democracy in action. Personally I felt that at the end of an evening of heated debate the differences came down to whether a fountain and a shelter should be included in the design. The majority seemed to be against them.

But the whole evening got me thinking about what, if any, improvements could be made in the Broadgate area. I started off on the basis that they should be low key, sustainable and affordable but then veered off into a dreamlike state where the North West Development Agency gave BRAG £3,000,000 as well as giving it to Winckley Square.

But I’ll come to that later as there are a few things that I wouldn’t mind developing now. The first being that patch of land opposite the Ribbleside Inn which seems such a waste hidden away behind a not very attractive hedge. Don’t get me wrong – I like open spaces that hang around and don’t seem to do much but that space seems to attract just drunks and the entire pigeon population of central Lancashire.

I’d like to turn a couple of green areas into allotments that would help people as food and energy prices rise. That linear path that used to be the old railway would be one. Then there is the area on the left going up Fishergate Hill and the spaces around Fitzroy Street. People could sell the surplus to the Continental as the new owners want to source local produce.

I’d ban cars from parking on one side of Broadgate and make it a cycle lane.

I’d convert all the pubs that have closed down into sports and leisure centres for the kids to use.

I’d love the shop that used to be the bookies to re open as a greengrocers or Broadgate Cycles again.

And then for my, sorry our, three million pounds I’d build a walkway under Penwortham Bridge to link up with a paved and lighted path along the Ribble with a level crossing to get to the cinema.

If there was anything left over I’d build a small station at the Strand and open up the railway through the tunnel to Preston station and have a regular steam train service running along it.

And, of course, if we did get three million the BRAG Chair and Secretary would have to go on a fact finding mission to the Cayman Islands to investigate..err…well… facts.

Rebirth of A Much Loved Preston Pub

2008-08-13T15:13:00.004+01:00

I got this newsletter from the 'New Continental':

Lets hope for sunshine on Saturday 16th August, so that we can sup in that beautiful beer garden and remember all those glorious summer days of the past!

Hello again and welcome to Continental's second newsletter. Some very exciting news this time; that's right, we now have a definite opening date.

Mark 12 noon 16th August (yes, that's this Saturday!) in your diary and we hope to see you then.
If you read the first newsletter you may recall us mentioning the opening was dependent on the flooring being completed on time?
Well, our gallant team is working through the night to ensure that this happens and we have every faith in them.
It has been hugely exciting for us seeing the place gradually come together. The furniture has arrived, the light fixtures have been installed and the conservatory now has windows, which is always a big plus in our book. We've also had bicycle stands fitted, got the garden up to scratch and 'Captain Coconuts' has now well and truly left the building - so long, sailor!
Best of all though, we have taken delivery of large quantities of quality beer, wine and spirits for your delectation and supping pleasure!
Our expertly trained chefs are on the premises, preparing the kitchen to deliver that mouth-watering menu we promised, and, believe me, I've seen it, it's going to be fantastic. The garden is looking rather fabulous (if we say so ourselves) and if we're lucky enough to have some good weather you'll be able to sit out and enjoy it for yourself. Failing that (this is 'The Great British Summer' after all) the outdoor covered area is ready and waiting, but the pub is looking so great on the inside that we think you'll be quite content to spend your visit indoors.
So, Saturday it is hope to see you there and tell all your friends.
Be excited now!

The Continental Team
PS: Don't forget to keep up with the latest news on Ruth's blog on
http://newcontinentalcouintdown.blogspot.com/
and on our website at
http://www.newcontinental.net/

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

2008-07-17T23:36:00.009+01:00

What are you doing this Monday Night? (21st July 2008 at 7pm)

Perhaps you'd be interested in this wildlife walk organised by the Preston Birdwatching and Natural History Society?

Heres the message they sent to 'Broadgate is Great':

Would your readers be interested in a wildlife walk from the Tram Bridge, probably through the trees to Vernon's Lodge area, presumably part of the area that will constitute the new Country Park?

It's just one of our series of Monday evening ambles, but we'd be glad to see anyone who would like to come along with us - It's free. We'd be back by the river by 9.15pm at the latest, but anybody who needed an earlier finish could make their own way.

We leave promptly at 7pm, but we probably wouldn't take a lot of finding - we don't walk fast.

Hope to see you soon.

Steve Halliwell - Preston Bird Watching & Natural History Society.

Why not give it a go - what else is there to do on a Monday night?

Broadgate News Production Team: New Members Wanted

2008-07-16T20:25:00.012+01:00

Have you ever wondered how the 'Broadgate and District News' gets to land on your doormat?

Why not come along when our production team is in full swing?

At the moment BRAG is looking for new people to join it's highly skilled team of newsletter folders.

This dedicated group meets in St Stephen's Church, Bird St to fold, staple and sort that month's edition of 'The Broadgate and District News'.

Now we're announcing a unique opportunity to join this elite band of community-spirited individuals.

People who come along will be subjected to a rigorous selection procedure, and then given intensive training in the art of folding. Truly promising candidates may even, in exceptional circumstances, get to use the stapler.

Once the newsletter has been printed, folded, stapled and sorted it is delivered across Broadgate by volunteers.

The whole process is fueled by free cakes and brews, courtesy of KM Grocers (on Taylor St).

It's also a unique chance to catch up on local gossip - for instance, tonight I learned that the Ribbleside on the corner of Broadgate and Taylor St may soon re-open - as an Indian Restaurant.

Future folding sessions happen at 7pm on August 20th, September 17th, October 1st and November 5th (we're going to have fun that bonfire night!)

If you prefer listening to the latest news and views on Broadgate and District issues to folding and stapling, come along to the BRAG/PACT meetings, every first wednesday of the month at 6.30pm.

Forthcoming meetings are on:
August 6th, at BAC Club, South Meadow Lane
September 3rd, Empire Club, Hartington Road and
October 1st, BAC Club, South Meadow Lane

Hope to see you there!

Robert Service

2008-07-10T19:40:00.002+01:00

On Christian Road you can find a blue plaque marking the birthplace of Robert Service. Service was born on January 16th 1874, his father a bank cashier and his mother the daughter of a rich distillery family. At the age of five his parents sent him to live with his Scottish grandfather. He composed his first poem at the age of six and subsequently went on to become the highest earning poet of all time and it is often claimed that he was the most widely read poet of the twentieth century.

After being educated in Scotland he decided to move to Canada where he spent the next few years drifting from place to place and job to job until he eventually went into banking with the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Victoria in 1903. The following year he was transferred to the Yukon Territory. It was there that he started writing poems about the Klondike gold rush, inspired by the places he saw, the people he met and the tales he heard. In 1907 his first book of poems “Songs of a Sourdough” began life as a 100 book print run to be given to friends and relatives. Such was its success it was reprinted fifteen times before the end of the year and by 1940 had sold over three million copies and earned half a million dollars in royalties. He has been called the Bard of the Yukon and the Canadian Kipling.
One of the best-known poems in the book is “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” which captures the atmosphere of the gold rush and the characters involved in it. This is the opening verse:

The Shooting of Dan McGrew

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in the Malamute saloon;The kid that handles the music-box was hitting a jag-time tune;Back of the bar, in a solo game, sat Dangerous Dan McGrew,And watching his luck was his light-o'-love, the lady that's known as Lou.When out of the night, which was fifty below, and into the din and glare,There stumbled a miner fresh from the creeks, dog-dirty, and loaded for bear.He looked like a man with a foot in the grave and scarcely the strength of a louse,Yet he tilted a poke of dust on the bar, and he called for drinks for the house.There was none could place the stranger's face, though we searched ourselves for a clue;But we drank his health, and the last to drink was Dangerous Dan McGrew.

There are many who will decry this poetry and dispute its value, but there is no doubt that it has been read and enjoyed by many who would not give T S Eliot or John Milton a second glance.

In 1909 Service was rich enough to resign from the bank and write full time. He departed for Europe as a war correspondent in the Balkans before settling in Paris in 1913 and marrying a French girl. During WW1 he was a war correspondent, ambulance driver and finally attached to the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He lived in France for the rest of his life apart from a spell in Hollywood in the 1920’s when some of his poems and novels were made into films and also during WW2 when he made his acting debut in 1942 in “The Spoilers” with John Wayne and Randolph Scott. In a scene with Marlene Dietrich he played himself 40 years younger.
Returning to France after the war this native of Broadgate lived in Brittany and on the Riviera until his extraordinary life ended on September 11th 1958.

With thanks to Mike Cracknell

Broadgate PACT Meeting July 08 - The Minutes

2008-07-07T19:38:00.006+01:00

PACT/BRAG minutes 2nd July 2008

Held at Empire Services Club, Hartington Road, Preston

Present:

PC3908 Wayne Marsden
PCSO 7283 Suzie Waite
PCSO 7745 Faye Kellett
Kash Kamal
Terry Quinn – Secretary
Doreen Sanders – Eavesbrook Housing Association

Councillor Bhikhu Patel
Councillor Jack Davenport

Apologies:

PC360 Carl Ingram

Members of the public were in attendance.

Introduction

The meeting was opened by Kash, acting as chairman. He introduced a representative from St Matthews who gave a talk about a young person’s group called Jigsaw, which run activities for children and young people. Their objectives are to promote participation in youth activities. This summer they are setting up a three week pilot play scheme, which will take place three days a week for 7-11 year olds. The activities will be held in the area, whilst the youthclub is based in Fishwick. From September onwards they are hoping to offer activities, including training for young people up to the age of 21. Packs were left for people to take away.

Policing Report:

PC Wayne Marsden and Faye Kellett went through the police report. For the period 4 June to 2 July there have been 33 crimes, which is considered good for this time of year.

Car safety packs were also made available for people to take.

Update on last month’s PACT priorities:

Parking on the footpath on South Meadow Lane, near the Continental Pub

During the month the police did several patrols in the area and 30 cars were noted, with five being given penalty tickets. Near the Continental Pub was noted as the worst area. There is supposed to be restricted waiting in the area but this is a Council matter. Parks maintenance has been asked to cut back the bushes/hedges in order for more room to be available for pedestrians on the pavement.

PC Carl Ingram also did a couple of days down Kingswood Street, focussing on parking. He issued 12 letters of warning during this period. Most of the cars were non-residents, with the majority being County Hall Staff. PC Ingram has asked County Hall to issue an email to staff asking them not to park there.

Letters of warning on Broadgate will be issued explaining about parking restrictions.

General behaviour – people hanging round drinking openly on the streets with cans.

Anti-social behaviour is less of a problem now at the top of Fishergate Hill. A drugs warrant was issued for a flat at 98 Fishergate Hill, where four people were caught with drugs and drugs paraphernalia. The police were accompanied by a housing manager and the residents were evicted and the flat has been locked and secured.

Stone throwing during the month accounted for 5 out of the 6 criminal damage incidents mentioned in the police report. The police think they know who it is and it was mentioned as a possible PACT priority for the coming month.

At the recent Polish PACT meeting a resident mentioned concerns about the anti-social behaviour at the top of Fishergate Hill. PC Marsden thinks this is historic but they will keep monitoring the situation.

Speeding

A couple of operations were held during the month with PC Marsden and Jack conducting operations. The highest recorded speed was 38 mph. People were given verbal advice. The speeding devices appear to be working in slowing traffic down. Councillor Bikhu Patel has additional funds for a further device and this will be available in the next couple of weeks. There are currently devices on Broadgate, Hartington Road and they are hoping to erect several more posts, including one on Bow Lane and two on Fishergate Hill.

Community Issues:

Grafton Street has now been cleaned up. PCSO Faye Kellett and PCSO Suzie Waite assisted with moving cars in order for the road sweeper to clean the Road. Linda Compton helped organise the sweeper.

The Continental Pub: the new owners of the pub were in attendance, Ruth and Jeremy. They explained that the pub was currently being refurbished and that they wanted the pub to be an integral part of the community. They want people to voice any concerns/suggestions they may have and are going to put questionnaires through people’s doors in order to get some feedback. They are hoping to open at the beginning of August. The refurbishment involves both internal and external areas. They are hoping to make the pub more upmarket, with a focus on good food and cask ales and continental larger, with coffee and tea available during the day. There won’t be a pool table or bandit machines and they are hoping the absence of these will deter the wrong sort of people. They are aiming to be a family friendly pub and will be redeveloping the play area and having children’s theatre. They want to open up the pub to events and have function space and invite community and touring groups, which will include performing arts and possibly some exhibition space. They are also hoping to have bands in and comedy nights. If you want to find out anything further or organise anything, feel free to ring them on 07708 615 877. Their current licence is 11 am -1 am at weekends and 11 am -12 am during the week.

Councillor Bhiku Patel welcomed the owners of the Continental Pub to the community.

Crime and Punishment: PC Wayne Marsden asked if anybody would be interested in listening to a presentation on ‘Crime and Punishment’. It is a joint venture by magistrates and probation officers. It lasts about one hour and has already been given to a range of community groups around the county. The majority of people at the meeting were in favour and so PC Marsden will try to arrange it for the next meeting.

Issues Raised by the public

Parking at the bus-stop on the junction of Broadgate and Fishergate Hill: People are currently parking there all day. PC Marsden explained that letters have gone out to people, although it is an ongoing problem but he is hoping the word will get round that people shouldn’t park there. Unfortunately the main problem is that people are usually parked there by 8 am and the police normally have a briefing at this time. However they will continue to monitor the situation.

Westcliff: It was hoped that more could be done to encourage Westcliff residents to come to the meetings and get more involved in the community. PCSOs Faye Kellett and Suzie Waite explained that they had tried to get residents more involved but without much success, however, they will keep trying. Councillor Bhiku Patel suggested an open van, from the Council, manned by the police in order to get the residents more involved. Currently there are new housing association flats, around 24/25, and people are gradually moving in, the police will make themselves known to the residents.

Distribution of the Newsletter: Although there are 2000 addresses in the Broadgate area, the newsletter currently reaches around 800 houses. In order to deliver to everybody, more people are required to deliver the newsletters and approximately £3,000 per year would be required to fund the printing costs. Councillor Bhiku Patel said that the Council had £1,000 available if the committee put a proposal together. Jack and Joanne will email Councillor Patel with the proposal.

Flood Risk Action Plan: Matthew Marsh, who has produced a report on flood risk in the area, gave a brief talk about flood risk in the area. The areas from Grafton Street to Broadgate and Hartington Road down to the river are all at a high risk of flooding. People still need to be aware that Broadgate has always been a high flood risk area. It is within the top 25 areas of risk in the North West. Preston County Council has just issued their flood risk management programme. Matthew proposed that a group be formed to look at the document, which needs community involvement. He is hoping the first group will meet at the end of July/beginning of August. Councillor Jack Davenport has offered his services in this respect. If anybody else is interested in becoming part of the group, please contact Matthew on matthew.marsh@blueyonder.co.uk.

The Blog: Max gave a brief talk about the blog, explaining that it is now up and running, with many interesting articles already online. The aim of the blog is to be a positive force in the area, showing how good Broadgate actually is. The address is http://broadgateisgreat.blogspot.com/ and people are welcome to contribute with articles about the area and any pictures that they feel show a positive side to the area.

PACT Priorities

Stone throwing.

The next meeting will be on 6th August 2008 at BAC Club, South Meadow Lane

Broadgate Flood Wall Repairs

2008-07-01T00:49:00.009+01:00

One of the most contentious issues at the Central Area Forum meeting at the Gujurati Temple on the 19th June was the discussion on the repairs to the 80 year old flood wall running between Broadgate and the River Ribble.

Local residents have been raising concerns about this wall for some time, and now the Environment Agency have commissioned a survey by Arup Consultants Limited, and will be taking action this Autumn to prolong the life of the wall (at least cosmetically), basically by touching up areas of 'spalling', renewing the filler in the movement joints, and repainting the wall.

A local resident raised his concerns with Matthew Connor, from the Environment Agency's Asset Systems Management Division.

He told 'Broadgate is Great':

"I raised my concerns at the meeting on a feedback card about the tree roots that can be seen by anyone walking alongside the wall that are coming from the river side of the wall and poking up through the pavement on the road side of the wall."

"I received a very prompt reply through the post, which was full of details and photographs. It answered not only my question, but the other questions and concerns raised by residents at the meeting, I have to say I was impressed by this level of clarity and accountability, which is not my usual experience of contacting official bodies!".

In the letter Matthew Connor says:

As I stated at the meeting, the structural assessment of the wall carried out by Arup Consultants Ltd, concluded that the wall was structurally stable and could withstand the load put on it if the river reached the level of the top of the wall. However Arup did recommend the following measures to prolong the life of the wall:

- All areas of 'spalled' concrete are to be repaired
- The movement joints are repaired and re-filled with a compressible joint filler
- The wall is painted to prevent further chloride attack/carbonation

These recommendations have now received financial approval for implementation and will be carried out by contractors working for the Environment Agency in Autumn 2008.

At the meeting, concerns were raised regarding tree roots affecting the structural stability of the wall. Due to the wall being supported by piled concrete foundations with reinforcement bars, tree roots were not deemed to be a threat to the wall's stability by Arup.

In addition, it was suggested that a 'hole' in the flood defences protecting Broadgate existed at the location of the pipebridge, just upstream of the Penwortham Old Bridge Footbridge that crosses the River Ribble... While it appears lower than the Broadgate wall, it offers the same standard of flood protection, given that the natural elevation of the land is slightly higher on that side of the bridge.

Moving further upstream, (there is) a section of low wall which again is built to the same standard of protection as Broadgate Wall. This is the point at which the 'new' wall protecting the southern end of Broadgate commences...

This new wall is around twenty to thirty years old and was built to a higher standard of protection than the older downstream wall. This was due to the natural elevation of the river bed being higher as you move upstream, meaning that a flood event of a given magnitude would be at a higher level in this location than at the areas downstream protected by the older wall. It is also likely that the observed river levels would have been higher when the new wall was built than when Preston Borough Council constructed the older wall some eighty years ago, due to the effects of climate change and increased development starting to become noticeable. This would have prompted the engineers involved to construct the wall to a higher standard of protection, explaining why it appears that the area around the pipebridge has a lower standard of protection than the area immediately upstream. However, this area has the same standard of protection as the area downstream protected by the Broadgate flood wall.

Whan the Environment Agency replaces the older Broadgate flood wall, we will take into account the latest climate change guidance from Defra relating to sea level rise and river levels. This will ensure that a wall is built to a level sufficient to take into account predicted river level rises in the future.

The letter itself does not say when the older flood wall will be replaced rather than merely repainted, though at the meeting Matthew suggested a timescale of the next 5 - 10 years.

In the meantime do we have any choice other than to accept the reassurances of the Environment Agency and Arup Consultants about the soundness of our flood defences?

Broadgate People's History 1927 and 1953

2008-06-25T19:26:00.002+01:00

Thanks to Bill Pinder I’ve come across a fascinating Directory of Preston and District published by Barretts in 1927. It features all the roads in Broadgate and who lives in them and most interestingly what they did for a living.

Naturally I plunged straight for Meath Road, where I live, but curiously it doesn’t list Meath Road as existing. It follows Broadgate along and correctly states that between 42 and 43 is Ardee and between 52 and 53 is Balderstone. Nothing between 46 and 48. Ardee starts at number 10 and a J Selby lived at 22 and he was a car finisher – whatever that was.

The Directory also lists churches with a brief history and accordingly St Stephen’s was built in 1888 in the early English style from designs by Mr Joseph Harding. Owing to limited funds only a portion of the church had been completed i.e. the nave and the south aisle and cost, including fittings, was £4,500. The original design included nave, chancel, north and south aisle, transept, organ chamber, vestry and tower of 92 feet. The walls are faced with Yorkshire parpoints in diminishing courses ( no, I don’t know what that means ) and red sandstone dressings. It contained 393 sittings (?) all free. There was a vicarage held by the Rev Oswald Albert Peach MA. It was a successor to the Bairstow Memorial Chapel built in 1869. I’ll try to find out some information on this in a future edition.

It would be a bit boring just to list the roads and occupants so I’ve chosen a few which are a bit different like at somewhere not numbered but past 13 Riverside where a Mr T A Cooton lived who was a boat builder. Mr William Bee had the Hotel Continental.

The lucky devil at number 12 South Meadow Lane was a Mr S Burgess who was an Engine Driver – my dream job. At 6 Fishergate Hill there was an L Welcome, Dentist. And between Beech Street and Elm Street was the L.M. and S. Railway Company’s engineering department.

I’m not sure whether Mr W McKillop of 26, Hartington Road would be pleased to see himself advertised as an Excise Officer. Christ Church Street had a few interesting professions in 1927. There was a picture framer at 58, a violin maker at 46, several engine drivers, a mariner and not least a dress maker.

Bill also provided me with the Directory for 1953 and it was interesting to read how the professions in the area had changed a bit over the years. 48 Broadgate now has a Mr Pickup who was a traveller. The Salvation Army had its HQ at number 38. There was a radio dealer at 38 Fishergate Hill and a Messrs H & G Gooizee, Confectioners at 55. Bring that one back.

I think that at some point in the future I’d like to take one small street and trace the occupiers and professions over a longer period of time. If anyone could help with that it would be appreciated.

Incidentally – Meath Road is in in 1953. There was a Mr J Howson at number 3 who was a watchman (?). A body builder called Dean at 5, several policemen, an electrician called Aspden at 8 and over the road at number 6 a clerk by the name of Helme. This is a bit addictive.

What Do You Like Best About Broadgate?

2008-06-23T21:38:00.005+01:00

There's lots to like about Broadgate. At it's best, it's a peaceful leafy enclave between the city, the River Ribble and Avenham Park. It's so convenient for a quick hop on the bus up to town, or an energising stroll up Fishergate Hill, or alternatively to wander along the Ribble Banks, to admire the Ribble Steam Railway, the wildlife of the Ribble, and the beautiful countryside along it's southern bank.

Some of us like the housing, mainly traditional terraces that still hang on to a sense of community, and others like the people, from so many varied backgrounds that live here together, and most of the time get along just fine.

If you scroll to the bottom of the blog, you'll find a poll, where you can vote for the things YOU like best about Broadgate. Make sure you vote!

Homelessness and the Alma Hotel

2008-06-22T20:01:00.007+01:00

The Alma Hotel, at the top of Fishergate, was closed down a fortnight ago. The hotel, almost on the doorstep of County Hall, was regularly the source of all kinds of problems for local people and the police. The hotel was badly managed, with many rooms being sub-let. It had become a destination for many people living on the margins of society, including ex-prisoners, drug users, alcoholics and people with many other kinds of problems.

BRAG and PACT worked hard to get the Alma hotel closed down. PC Carl Ingram spent months collecting a catalogue of examples of anti-social behaviour, drug and alcohol related disturbances and event after event that had made the lives of neighbours an unrelenting misery. Some members of BRAG showed particular courage and leadership by standing up and speaking out in the witness box in court, despite the real possibility of repercussions, when the Alma case was heard.

At the BRAG meeting where the Alma closure was announced, BRAG members passed a vote of thanks to Carl Ingram for the work that he put in to making sure that the Alma was closed.

Sensationalist press coverage of the closure, which claimed that residents were 'celebrating' the closure of the hotel has however provoked a backlash. In reality most people felt it was a sad neccessity, and regretted the fact that some people were made homeless. Some people blamed the landlord more than anybody, as his management of the hotel had allowed it to go completely out of hand, and while residents lost their homes as a result of the closure, all he lost was 3 months rent.

Greg Smith, who has devoted his life to working with the homeless, feels that some voices have not been heard. he said

Personally I found the headline "Crack House Closed Down" totally unnacceptable, as was a lot of the press coverage of the case of the Alma Hotel. It suggested everyone in the community was jumping with glee at what the police and the courts had done.

I for one wasn't.

I know it was a difficult problem and I know the local police acted in good faith thinking what was the best solution all round, and they tried very hard to find shelter for the people who lived there. But despite all that there was too much "collateral damage" with lots of people ending up homeless, proabably about half a dozen added to the total of rough sleepers. What's more as I understand it none of the residents was charged or brought before the courts for any crime.

In Britain the law is supposed to presume people innocent until proven guilty. But in this case it seems a pretty rotten law that can deprive anyone of the only home they have without proving that they have done anything wrong, leaving them without any rights to be rehoused. Headlines like the one in question push us all into thinking that everyone involved was a notorious criminal. It just ain't fair and it just ain't true.

Greg wrote the following article to express his views in response to the coverage in the Lancashire Evening Post and the Broadgate News:

The recent closure of the Alma Hotel has highlighted some of the uncomfortable issues facing some of those trying to make a home in our community. When for whatever reason you are poor and vulnerable you get ripped off all round, by landlords, by drug dealers, by cider sellers and by your own mates. You get stressed out and start behaving badly and then you get blamed by everyone. Before your know it you are being moved on and you benefit gets stopped and the police are after you. You might go to jail for a while and then when you come out with nothing, the cycle starts all over again.

What the story should lead us to is great sadness and increased concern for those who are on the edges of society. There are plenty of rough sleepers, homeless and near homeless in Preston and the type of properties at the top of Fishergate Hill have tended to concentrate them in our neighbourhood.

Last week someone (probably homeless) was found dead locally there. http://www.homelessinpreston.btik.com/news/18108115725.ikml Most days when I walk my dog through the fields near the river I see people sleeping in tents, or in bivouacs. The other day we disturbed a chap sleeping in the open in the long grass, I thought at first it was a dead body. And they say there is not a huge problem of rough sleeping in Preston, when they tried to do an overnight count they've only found half a dozen or so, but that's because its only within the city centre, and rough sleepers tend to hide pretty well anyway.

In my day job I work with and have become friends with some of these guys and girls who are destitute, who come to drop ins at various churches or who sell the Big Issue. Whatever any of them have done, however they behave and smell, they all have a story, often a sad story of how people and society has failed them and rejected them. Above all they are all human beings and deserve to be treated with dignity. As a Christian I always try to ask "How would Jesus deal with them?" and the short answer is "with compassion not with contempt."

When people get into such trouble it is usually a great long struggle to turn their life around. We have known many who have failed, others who have taken two steps forward then one back and a few who with proper support and the help of good services have made it back into mainstream community life and to earning their own living. We should be thankful that in Preston there are a group of agencies who care and work hard to make a difference to such people, working together through the network of the Preston Homeless Forum. If you want to know more about this and how best to do something to help the homeless contact the forum through its website at
http://www.homelessinpreston.btik.com or via The Foxton Centre, Knowsley St.,Avenham, Preston PR1 3SA, tel 01772 555925

Greg Smith

What's your view of the Alma closure?

Are you glad it's closed because this makes life better for local people?
Are you concerned that it just shifts the problems somewhere else?
Are you worried about those who now sleep rough as a consequence?
Are you worried that we will get more of the same when the 3 months' closure is up?
Was there really any alternative to the closure?
Is there really no way to help people out of the spiral of drugs, crime, prison and homelessness?

Please let us know what you think by posting your comments below.

North Union Bridge

2008-06-20T19:35:00.001+01:00

If you had been walking down Broadgate in September 1835 you may well have been puzzled as to the amount of activity taking place on both sides of the river. Over the next three years your stroll would have witnessed the building of one of the finest bridges in England.

The North Union Railway Bridge opened in October 1838 to great excitement as it opened the way to a means of travel never before seen. The company that built it was the result of the very first amalgamation of two railway companies – the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway. They joined forces and became the North Union Railway and on the 1st November 1838 the first journey into Preston was accompanied by ‘loud huzzas, the bells sent forth their sonorous peals…and a band of music played’.

I like to think that the cheers were also for the bridge itself which is and was an amazing structure. It was 872 feet long, 28 feet wide and 68 feet above the bed of the river. The cutting at the northern end through ‘The Cliffe’ was 29 foot deep and the embankment on the southern side was forty feet high on a base ninety feet wide and contained 464,431 cubic yards of earth. It contained 675,000 cubic feet of rusticated ashlar brought from quarries in Whittle, Longridge and Lancaster and cost £40,000. I use the past tense as the original bridge has been modified twice, in 1879 and 1904 but it still is recognisably the same structure you can see in the early photos.

In the reference library there is a description of it as being ‘light and elliptical and extremely well built with elliptical arches of a 120 foot span each. From beneath the dry arch on the north side a singular and powerful echo repeated many times is evoked by the utterance of a few words at an ordinary pitch of the voice.’

It was built by the firm of Mullins and Company to a design by Charles Vignoles. And this is where the background reading I was doing on this subject took me off on a branch line. Charles Vignoles was born in 1793 in Ireland, he emigrated to the USA where he became a soldier, later becoming a surveyor and in 1823 returned to England. In 1826 he was working with George Stephenson on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway but they didn’t get on and he left. But after working on our bridge his career really took off and he built the Kiev Bridge over the River Dneiper and the Tudela & Bibao Railway in Spain. He also worked on Ireland’s first railway between Dublin and Kingtown. He became a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and its 15th President in 1869 He became a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society on 9 January 1829. In 1841he had become the first Professor of Civil Engineering at University College, London and in 1855 was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society and published Observations on the Floridas (1823, with valuable map). He died in 1875 in Hampshire.

A truly amazing man and career. And one of his first works was the bridge on Broadgate.

The New Continental

2008-06-20T00:08:00.008+01:00

Broadgate, and now the rest of Preston is abuzz with rumours about the 'Conti', once one of Preston's most popular pubs. One day the owners simply seemed to disappear, and the doors shut for months, but now the pub is again a hive of activity as builders come and go.

In a bid to learn the facts about what is happening behind those builder's fences, Pete and Liz have met up with the new owners, Ruth and Jeremy, Jeremy is from Preston, knows the Conti's positive and more recent negative history and has a real vision for the place!

Jeremy, the new 'Mr Continental' is a young guy, 30 ish - really into music. He's funding the entire refurbishment himself in return for a peppercorn rent to the brewery. This means he can do as he wants and that includes the beers he serves, not tied to brewery beers only, so Greg's prayers for some decent real ales may be being answered!

He and Ruth have ripped out whole of the inside and the old Captain Coconuts is to become a music venue where he is hoping to attract local acts.

The garden is being transformed as well as the interior, and the pub will be serving food. Apparently they are bringing in a Manchester lad to manage it who has a lot of experience.

The new management is keen to attract local people who will want to come back and is keen to prevent its old druggy underage drinking culture.

The New Continental now have their own blog: http://newcontinentalcountdown.blogspot.com/

The 'New Continental Countdown' says:

The redevelopment will see the New Continental become a haven for fine food & drink lovers, with locally sourced produce and a wide range of cask ales, interesting wines, and soft drinks.

The landscaped garden will host weekly summer BBQ’s, alongside a new children’s play area, and sheltered seating areas for al fresco dining.

The on-site barn will become a multi-functional arts space, where you can catch a studio theatre performance, live music session or some stand up comedy.

Whether you are a early bird, popping in to use the wifi for an informal business meeting over quality coffee and cakes, a office worker in need of some feel-good lunchtime food, a family who wants to dine together in the relaxed conservatory, or a group of friends gathering for a glass of good wine and a gossip in our chic snug, you will find a home at the New Continental.

Exciting! Can't wait to sink my first pint on a sunny weekend in the Conti's beer garden!

What Future For Broadgate's Pubs?

2008-06-08T01:40:00.000+01:00

In this contribution, Greg Smith analyses the attrition of pubs in Broadgate and the changes in the way we drink that might be causing it:

What's happening to all the pubs in Broadgate? When we moved here in 2002 there were at least four plus the Bridge Inn just across the river. Now that is the only one left open and even it has a sign up saying "To Let".

The Conti has been closed for a year or so but at least now the builders are in and there are some signs of refurbishment. Does anyone know what is planned or if and when and in what style it will be reopening?

Why are they all closing down? Not just in Broadgate but throughout Preston and across the country. In March 2007 The Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) said its survey, pointed to 56 pub closures every month.

It's not as if people have stopped drinking. In fact doctors are extremely concerned with the increasing damage alcohol is doing to the nation's health. The number of alcohol-related deaths more than doubled from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,758 in 2006.

Rather it's that the culture of boozing has changed. A few decades ago people (mainly men) tended to pop down to the local for a "quick half" two or three times a week and maybe had a few pints at the weekend. These days people of both sexes are more likely to go up town on Friday and Saturday night and drink themselves sick in bars and clubs which stay open till the early hours of the morning. While another kind of drinker buys as much as they can as cheap as they can from the off license or supermarket and brings them home to consume in front of the telly, or out in the streets.

Maybe it's just that alcohol is too cheap, in the shops and in the city centre bars so that pubs just can't make a profit. Some people also blame the smoking ban, though for some of us it was smoke filled rooms that used to deter us from going in or staying long in many locals.

There probably never was a golden age of the British pub. In the 18th and 19th Centuries gin palaces and public houses were responsible for much suffering and degradation. Joseph Livesey set up his Temperance Movement in Preston in March 1832 and spent the rest of his long life crusading against the evils of drink.

However, at its best the local pub did and could provide a friendly hub for local community life. It would be good to think that Broadgate could support at least one such place where people could get together for a drink and a chat, maybe a game of darts, and a simple meal, without the need to get paralytic. I hope a reopened Conti might be something as good as that. and please let's hope it serves some decent real ale.

Improving Avenham Park

2008-06-05T16:42:00.000+01:00

Greg Smith wrote this letter to his local councillors, and asked for it to be included in this blog:

I walked through Avenham park this morning and found it disgusting with all the bins overflowing and litter and discarded picnics strewn all over the hillside. My dog enjoyed the experience as a compulsive scavenger though it took ages to bring him back on the lead.

I'm afraid to say this is a frequent occurence whenever there is a warm weekend and people go out to enjoy the park and given that Avenham and Miller parks are treasured by residents and being promoted by the city as a tourist attraction it is just not good enough.

In my view most of the blame lies with the members of the public who fail to dispose of their litter properly, although I suspect that the devastation this Sunday morning has been compounded by the vandalism of the wandering drunken hordes who are encouraged to get wasted in the city centre each weekend.

However I would suggest there are a couple of things the council could do to improve matters.

First the size and number of bins provided is insufficient to meet demand at peak times such as a sunny weekend. Could the council not arrange to have a temporary commercial size bin or two delivered and collected from the park whenever the weather forecast suggests there is likely to be crowds sunbathing and picnicing.

Secondly if park rangers were on duty on such days until sunset at least, and had powers to impose on the spot fines for litter louts, many people would be deterred from this anti social behaviour. It might also be a good idea to extend the ban on consuming alcohol in the streets to the park, and to make it a criminal offence for publicans and off licenses to sell alcohol to people who are evidently inebriated might also help.

I'd be glad if you could look into this problem to see if my suggestions or other solutions to this horrible problem might work.

Greg Smith
Broadgate

My new blog: http://gregsnewblogcredo.blogspot.com/
SAVE THE RIBBLE http://save-the-ribble.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Broadgate is Great

2008-06-05T00:28:00.000+01:00

This is a blog that will keep everyone up to date with what is happening in Broadgate and the work of the Broadgate Residents Action Group. It will also give Broadgate people a voice, a place where they can speak about the issues that affect their lives.

Broadgate stretches from the Continental Pub, all the way to the docks including Hartington Road and Marsh Lane, and up Fishergate Hill to County Hall. All kinds of wonderful people live here. It's a place people stay once they've found it.

As Broadgate people, we need to find ways to cooperate, to face the many challenges that affect our community.

We need to start caring about each other, and about our environment, and rebuild and strengthen our community.

Broadgate means everyone in Broadgate, no matter where you started out, no matter what your colour or creed, no matter whether you are young or old.

Let's find ways to live together and make our area the best place to live in Preston.