Opinion: Bus station debate shows how Preston has fallen behind

Observations

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 Steve Ratcliffe

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 [...]

Roads close for Preston’s heaviest load

10th, March 2011 by David Stubbings

THERE were just inches to spare as the heaviest load to ever be carried on Preston’s roads was delivered without a hitch. Crowds awoke early to see the first instalment of a new electrical transformer be delivered to the National Grid power station in Penwortham. The transformer, which weighs 276 tonnes, formed part of a 70 metre-long convoy which weighed more than 500 tonnes. Due [...]

Environment vs. jobs: Lancashire’s shale gas drilling investigated

12th, February 2011 by Jake Ryan

Just outside a leafy village, not far from Preston, the horizon is broken by a chunk of towering white plastic – a façade for one of Europe’s first shale gas drills. With the decline of natural gas reserves, shale has become big business across the Atlantic. It now accounts for nearly 15 per cent of the United States’ annual gas supply. The West Bowland shale [...]

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University urging students to be greener

10th, February 2011 by Melvin Rao

The University of Central Lancashire has launched a week long scheme encouraging students to be greener. But the people responsible for running the project are parading around campus in a fuel-guzzling red double decker bus which is used to promote their eco message. The bus is driven between its depot in Blackpool and the university every other day – adding up to more than 188 [...]

Vegan month: an eye-opening first week

10th, January 2011 by Mike Morrison

With only a week gone in my month of being a vegan, it’s too early to come to a verdict about its advantages and disadvantages. What I can say with some ease is that this week has opened my eyes with a sudden, sharp shock of the world of veganism. I spent the first week researching pro-vegan and anti-meat arguments, with the intention of looking [...]

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The aftermath of Christmas: I’m turning vegan

7th, January 2011 by Mike Morrison

It all started with a conversation during Christmas dinner. Conversation was flowing just as quickly as the bucks fizz, and talk soon turned to the year the father-in-law had bought a live turkey, killed it, plucked it, cooked it, sat down ate it – which, according to some sat around the table, is ‘disgusting’. They said it as they tucked into a shop-bought turkey. It [...]

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the mass busking jam session on Preston high street

Video: Mass Christmas busking in Preston city centre

24th, December 2010 by Ed Walker

Eagle-eyed student Daniel Bentley spotted this mass busking session on Christmas Eve in the city centre. The video above was taken at 1pm on Fishergate on Christmas Eve as the city’s buskers joined forces for a mass rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’. Have you seen the mass buskers? Let us know in the comments below

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Ribby Hall Village: a winter wonderland

7th, December 2010 by Lisa McManus

It’s not every morning breakfast is interrupted by a troupe of ducks waddling past your window, usually it’s the sound of a car alarm or a bus thundering past the house. But then we weren’t in central Preston when our feathered friends popped round; no we were taking a short break near Wrea Green. Yes, holidaying just nine miles from sunny Preston. It may seem [...]

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Some of the chainsaw-sculpted trees in Ashton Park, pic courtesy of Tony Worrall.

Preston’s parks celebrating National Tree Week

5th, December 2010 by Andy Halls

Ashton Park Rangers led a guided walk through the park in celebration of National Tree Week. Mike Ashmore and Steve Smith had originally planned to hold a community tree planting event. This would have run on from their participation in the BBC’s attempt to plant one million trees in an hour last year. Unfortunately the minus seven degree conditions put a stop to any planting. [...]

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The scene several hours after the fire began. Pic: Jess Edwards

Police cordon off Deepdale area as blaze rages on

3rd, December 2010 by Andy Halls

A former warehouse has been evacuated and a 500 feet area cordoned off after a four-storey building was engulfed by flames. The building, on Kent St, is home to the Iqra education centre and the Biker Asylum motorcycle shop. Children were seen leaving the building barefoot, having been evacuated by fire-fighters. Eye-witness Pete Switzer, 36, described how he heard “two little explosions” adding the apparent cause was an electric heater. [...]

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Video: EDL and UAF Demonstrations

29th, November 2010 by Joseph Stashko

I’ve edited together the short clips of video that I got from Saturday’s demonstrations in the town centre. The quality isn’t broadcast-standard, but I still think it gives a good depiction of the day’s events. More posts from our EDL & UAF coverage: Extra police ensure peaceful protests take place EDL and UAF Demonstrations: Audio Slideshow of the day Bodyblow for Preston’s small businesses after [...]

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Tithebarn development: set to go ahead?

18th, November 2010 by Andy Halls

After years of speculation and planning, the £700m Tithebarn development finally appears to have been given the green light. Or that’s at least what the BBC’s sources are claiming. Arif Ansari, BBC North West political editor, updated his blog at 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon informing readers: “I understand that the hugely controversial Tithebarn shopping development in Preston will get the go-ahead from ministers. “The formal [...]

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What Victorian Benefactors Did For Preston

10th, November 2010 by Peter Demain

The industrial era is one easy to overlook in a provincial context in the face of what I and people of varying ages learnt in school. We are granted a rough idea about how life changed, but my education in the matter was confined to general developments leading up to the years when Victoria was on the throne. But what of the individuals who sought to change Preston for the better?

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