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public sector workers strike flag market

Preston’s public sector workers join biggest strike in 30 years

30th, November 2011 by

Over 1,000 public sector workers from Preston and the surrounding area today took part in the biggest national strike for 30 years. Several council buildings and schools were shut for the day, and services like bin collections, leisure centres and certain clinics at Royal Preston Hospital were reduced as nurses, teachers, civil servants and police joined the walkout over government changes to public sector pensions. [...]

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By Yewtree on Flickr

November 30 Public Sector Strikes – How they affect you

29th, November 2011 by

Tomorrow will see teachers and other public sector workers strike on a day of action across Lancashire and the UK. Members of Unite and Unison and many others have voted in favour of industrial action in reaction to the government’s policy towards public sector pensions. Below you can see a map of all the services that will be affected tomorrow. Preston City Council has several [...]

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free hugs samaritans

Local students raise awareness of Samaritans

21st, November 2011 by

Five UCLan students have been raising awareness about the local Samaritans by offering free hugs to anyone around the university campus. As part of their public relations course, the students are working with the charity to help them raise awareness of the organisation that offers confidential, emotional support to anyone in despair. Petra Opelova, the online coordinator of the campaign, said; “The Samaritans are a [...]

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preston motion picture project

Preston Motion Picture Project release new trailer

10th, November 2011 by

Preston Motion Picture Project today released their next trailer, entitled “Rhapsody in Preston”. It features a black and white jaunt through Preston taking in the fireworks, the flag market, Avenham Park and other well known sights around Preston. We first wrote about the project back in October, it was set up independently by Matt Stanton, and his idea is to create a feature film that [...]

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winckley square green

Video: Why we need to make Winckley Square a good community space

7th, November 2011 by

Last month I wrote about the Winckley Square Community Interest Company, a partnership that formed to build recommendations and a community planning model for the future of Winckley Square. Established in July, they’re now asking for your views in the form of an online questionnaire and also at future consulation events. David Gill, chairman of WSCIC, said: “The founding members wanted to create an inclusive [...]

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preston bus station

Online petition calls for referendum on future of Preston Bus Station

4th, November 2011 by

Campaigners fighting to save Preston’s Bus Station have launched an epetition on the council website calling for a referendum to decide the building’s future. The petition, put forward by John Wilson who tweets as @SaveBusStation, was initially rejected by the chief executive of Preston council but has since been reworded and approved. The wording on the petition states: We the undersigned petition the council to [...]

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jonjo kerr x factor

X Factor star joins Christmas Lights Switch On

1st, November 2011 by

Preston’s Business Improvement District (BID) have added X Factor finalist Jonjo Kerr to this month’s Christmas Lights Switch On. He joins soul singer Beverley Knight, Corrie stars Ryan Thomas (Jason) and Helen Flanagan (Rosie) and Sam Clark (Ringo from Neighbours) at the Flag Market on Saturday 19 November. Jonjo said: “I can’t wait to sing in Preston, it’s a place I know well coming from Chorley. [...]

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boundary commission speakers

Ribble Valley MP brands idea to move Fishwick out of Preston as a “glaring anomaly”

24th, October 2011 by

The proposition to move Fishwick out of the Preston constituency and into the Ribble Valley is a “glaring anomaly”, according to Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans. Speaking at today’s Boundary Commission public hearing at the Tickled Trout hotel, Evans agreed with Labour’s Mark Hendrick that making Fishwick part of the Ribble Valley would be an ill-advised move. “It would be the only ward of Preston [...]

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hendrick councillors cropped

Fishwick would be an “orphan ward” under boundary changes, says Preston MP

20th, October 2011 by

Fishwick would become an “orphan ward” under changes proposed to the Preston constituency by the Boundary Commission, according to MP Mark Hendrick. The move, which would see Fishwick become part of the neighbouring Ribble Valley constituency, was opposed by Hendrick as well as councillors Marytn Rawlinson and Tom Burns. Speaking at a public meeting held yesterday at Fishwick Ramblers Working Men’s Club, Hendrick said: “It [...]

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anti social video

Police raise awareness of anti-social behaviour with viral video

20th, October 2011 by

This afternoon we recieved a direct message to the Blog Preston Twitter account from Lancashire Constabulary that looked suspiciously like one of the spam messages that’s been going around. If you’re on Twitter, you’ll have seen them; “Someone’s written a bad blog about you”, “You have to see this photo”, etc. After clarifying with Lancashire Police that it indeed wasn’t a spam link, I checked out [...]

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Buses parked outside the station in 1980. Photo by Sou'wester on Flickr.

Opinion: Bus station debate shows how Preston has fallen behind

18th, October 2011 by

This is a guest post by Steve Ratcliffe. You can find him on Twitter here, and he also blogs here.  To be clear I am neither Pro-Tithebarn nor Pro-Save Preston Bu Station, I am Pro-Preston, I have lived here all my life but have travelled extensively for over 10 years and I continue to do so across many major UK towns and cities. I have seen them [...]

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guild 1922

Preston Guild – A view from the other side of Lancashire

14th, October 2011 by

Thursday was the first day of the Arts Development UK conference at Blackpool Winter Gardens. The programme included a number of study tours to arts, cultural and heritage venues in Blackpool and Preston. Being Blackpool based, it made sense to go and see what our neighbours were up to at the other end of the M55. So following a visit to the Harris Museum and Art [...]

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Blog Preston - Harris Museum Frontage

Harris Museum begins revamp as building work commences

11th, October 2011 by

  In 2010 the Harris Museum & Art Gallery was successful in its bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a new history gallery for the 2012 Preston Guild – now work is ready to commence. The project, also supported by the Harris Trust and Friends of the Harris Museum, will create a new space filled with art works including the 12,000 year old [...]

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