No more Yates's anymore!

25th May 2008. Making way for the new town center shopping mall extension. Larkhill flats to the middle and Thwaites brewery on the right with the curved roof of the Market House in front of the flats. Taken from top of Church Street looking towards Salford (ish) and showing 'street furniture' (concrete balls and iron sculptures which look like a creature from Half-Life).

Marina entrance

18th May 2008. The concrete sections for the entrance to the marina from the canal are now in place. The actual marina basin is still dry and the walkways are quite narrow and a good test for vertigo. The canal can be seen to the left and the edge of Pendle Hill just about creeps into the right hand side of the picture.

Marina Open Day!

18th May 2008. The new marina held an open day for the locals to go and have a look at what would result from all the digging and mess that had been going on. I think that they were hoping to be a bit further along with the construction, though, as there wasn't really much to see. 

As Paul so eloquently put it, "Call this an open day? There's Jack Shit here". 

Apart from a bloke handing out leaflets (who may, indeed, have been called Jack Shit.....I didn't ask him) and the chance of a brew in one of the workers portacabins, it was a poor do. We soon retreated to the nearby Barden Mill Shop and bought some fizzy cola bottles and jelly beans.

Photo shows some of the berths, electric hook up points and, in the distance, the stonework that will become the facilities building.

Fleetwood Lighthouses

12th May 2008. The two inland lighthouses at the end of the channel leading from the Irish Sea to the Wyre Estuary. The trick is to position your ship so the the taller lighthouse (in the distance which looks smaller in the photograph) is directly above the shorter lighthouse in the foreground. 

Then you are in the middle of the channel and won't hit the sand banks. Fleetwood is the only place in the British Isles with three lighthouses, the two in the photo and 'The Wyre Light' which is out at sea and looks like a wreck. 

To the right is the Nautical Training Department of the Blackpool and Fylde college. Behind that is The North Euston Hotel. Named in expectation of the business from London to Ireland that would use the port. The business never came.

Claudius

10th May 2008. Claudie in rare stationary mode on canal towpath.

Rovers Refresh!!

3rd May 2008. Blackburn End Lower Tier. Getting there early enough to nab the lucky (and free) parking place means food is courtesy of The Club's catering department. Foot long hot dog and bottle of Lucosade Sport for £4 equals dinner for some! Match Result: Rovers 3 (Santa Cruz 2, Roberts) Derby 1 (SoF).