A new sculpture will illuminate the skies of the Rossendale Valley later this month when it is completed. Halo, an lattice steel structure 18m in diameter on Top ‘o Slate , will be lit with LEDs at dusk on September 20.
The sculpture is part of East Lancashire’s Panopticon arts project. Other works include Colourfields in Blackburn and the Singing Ringing Tree in Burnley.
The annual World Black Pudding Throwing Championships take place this Sunday at the Royal Oak Pub in Ramsbottom. Contestants from all over the world will throw black puddings at a pile of Yorkshire puddings set on a 20ft high plinth. The winner is the one who knocks over the most Yorkshire puddings.
The popular theory is that the contest dates from the Wars of the Roses when both armies ran out of ammunition and started a food fight.
Bridge Street will be closed to traffic for the day, and there will be live music from local bands, children’s rides, and food stalls. The event begins at midday and the winner announced at 4pm.
The Lakeland Motor Museum’s proposed move from Holker Hall to Backbarrow has been approved by the Lake District National Park Authority. The museum was founded by Donald Sidebottom in 1978 and its collection now numbers more than 30,000 items. Owners Winander Leisure says the move is necessary because of space constraints at Holker Hall.
Barrow is set to receive an £8 million grant to help build a new business park. The funding has been approved by the North West Regional Development Agency and will be used for site preparation costs of the Ramsden Business Park, a key component of the Barrow Waterfront Business Park.
Steven Broomhead, NWDA Chief Executive, said, ‘The successful delivery of the Barrow Masterplan is absolutely critical to the future economic development of South Cumbria. Ramsden Business Park is the first step in the development of the Barrow Waterfront, an area of immense opportunity. The NWDA will now work in partnership with West Lakes Renaissance to attract further private sector investment into the area to help ensure this site reaches its full potential.’
The sand banks at Morecambe Bay have reopened for fishing with new regulations. Fishing in the bay, where 21 Chinese cockle pickers lost their lives in 2004, is now overseen by the Gangmaster Licencing Authority (GLA), a new organisation established to ensure that workers in the bay’s shellfish industry are not exploited. All fishermen must now complete a safety course before they can acquire a permit to fish in Morecambe Bay. Those fishing without a licence will be subject to a fine of up to £5,000.