Blackburn

Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 September
www.heritageopendays.org.uk – fully events listing and details

Later this week properties across England will throw open their doors for free as part of the country’s annual celebration of local architecture, history and culture.

Supported nationally by English Heritage and run locally by an army of volunteers and community champions, Heritage Open Days takes place on people doorstops and is the country’s leading grassroots cultural event.

One million people are expected to take advantage of the four day event, exploring more than 4,000 properties of every style, period and function, many of which are normally closed to the public or usually charge an admission fee.

Participating properties in North West England include:

Barrow – Dalton Castle (Dalton-in-Furness)
Birkenhead – Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead Priory, Lady Lever Art Gallery
Blackpool – Blackpool Tower, Winter Gardens
Bolton – Bolton Steam Museum
Burnley – Gawthorpe Hall (Padiham), Queen Street Mill Textile Museum
Bury – Fusilier Museum, East Lancashire Railway, Peel Tower
Carlisle – High Head Sculpture Valley
Chester – Chester Racecourse, Grosvenor Museum, Little Moreton Hall (Congleton)
Kendal – Abbott Hall Art Gallery, Museum of Lakeland Life, Sizergh Castle
Lake District – Beatix Potter Gallery (Hawkshead), Blackwell (Windermere),
Liverpool – St George’s Hall, Cunard Building, Liver Building,
Macclesfield – Quarry Bank Mill
Manchester – Victoria Baths
Morecambe – Morecambe Town Hall
Oldham – Saddleworth Museum
Penrith – Acorn Bank
Preston – Samlesbury Hall
Rochdale – Healey Dell, Rochdale Pioneers Museum, Touchstones,
St Helens – World of Glass
Stockport – Hat Works, Staircase House, Air Raid Shelters, Bramall Hall
Warrington – Norton Priory (Runcorn)
Wigan – Museum of Wigan Life, Trencherfield Mill Engine

Blackburn’s tourist information centre has moved to new premises.

The Blackburn Visitor Centre has relocated to Salford, just a short distance from its previous Church Street address.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9 – 5 pm and Saturday 9.30 – 4 pm. The centre is closed on Sundays and bank holidays.

Its former home on Church Street is set to become the new Blackburn Rovers club shop.

A £66 million extension to a Blackburn shopping centre is now open.

Hollyoaks star Ricky Whittle officially opened the new Primark store at The Mall this morning. A new WH Smith and a Costa Coffee outlet also launched.

Other retailers including JD Sports, New Look, Next and Peacocks are expected to move into the new extension in the next few months.

Blackburn Rovers will open a new club shop in Blackburn town centre.

The store will be located on Church Street, in the building currently occupied by the the Blackburn Visitor Centre. The club’s existing store in The Mall will close.

The store will sell official Rovers’ merchandise, match tickets and will also feature a café bar and outdoor seating area. It will open on August 2 2010.

Blackburn with Darwen Councillor Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration, said: “The new Blackburn Rovers store, which will be in a prime location directly opposite the new £8m Blackburn market, will help to develop Church Street as a thriving shopping area, particularly once The Mall shopping centre extension opens.

A new five storey multi storey car park has opened in Blackburn town centre.

The Fielden Street Car Park is adjacent to the Waves leisure centre, King George’s Hall and Blackburn College in Feilden Street, off the new orbital route along Montague Street on the west side of town.

It can accommodate up to 512 cars and replaces the previous 100-space car park at Waves.

The new car park is a key element of the town centre strategy after many of the surface long stay car parks were lost due to the major new developments in the town.

It is open seven days a week and secure features include:

• Proximity card access
• Manned kiosk facility
• Flexible operating hours for King George’s hall events
• Barrier entrance and exit
• Coin and card payment facilities with intercom
• Full CCTV coverage on all floors
• External perimeter zoom, pan and tilt colour CCTV surveillance
• Internal lighting levels will be to British Standard meaning a safer environment.

Councillor Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration, said: “At last this key town centre car park is open. Adjacent to Waves and King George’s Hall, it is in a prime location on the side of the town centre. There is a great deal of regeneration going on in this area including the new PCT LIFT building, the college campus and the shopping areas around Northgate.

“The car park will provide a safe environment for all drivers wishing to leave their vehicles under full surveillance and is particularly welcoming following the loss of other local car parks due to redevelopment.”

Opening times

Monday to Saturday (excluding Bank Holidays) 7am til 11pm Sundays 9am to 6pm

Tariff

Mon- Sat

• Up to an hour £1.50
• Up to two hours £2.00
• Up to three hours £2.70
• Up to four hours £3.10
• Up to six hours £5.00
• Over six hours £10.00

Sun

Up to six hours £1.00

Darwen Live’s full line up has been announced.

This year the festival organised by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council features a variety of acts from local rising stars Outsider to Southern American musicians Hayseed Dixie.

Hayseed Dixie, the originators of the musical style ‘rockgrass’ will be topping the bill on Sunday with Derek Forbes and Brian McGee ex Original Simple Minds taking Monday’s top spot.

The free, two-day festival will also boast many local musicians including Cassini Club, Cherry Bomb and The Badniks.

Over the two days young people can also go along to a Darwen Music Live event at Darwen Youth Centre on Knott Street.

From 1 – 6pm on Sunday and Monday Council’s Young Peoples Services will provide a variety of activities.

From 1 – 3pm there will be DJ performances from promising new DJ’s with a DJ tutor on hand to pass on tricks of the trade.

4 – 6pm there will be live acoustic music with acoustic performances from some of the area’s best new bands and solo artists.

1 – 6pm a number of activities will take place including jewellery making, henna tattoos, cybercafé and refreshments available.

Support for the festival is as strong as ever with over 1,500 signing up for the Council’s Darwen Live Facebook group.

All performances will take place on the festival’s main Stage located on the Darwen Market Square, and on the acoustic Stage, which is located at the Darwen Library Theatre. Local pubs and clubs will also be providing live entertainment.

The main stage will run from 1pm – 9pm, Darwen Library Theatre is 1pm -7pm.

Line up

Sunday, May 30 – 8pm – Hayseed Dixie
Monday, May 31 – 8pm – Derek Forbes and Brian McGee ex Original Simple Minds

Sunday, May 30

* The Beathovens
* Blackburn with Darwen Music Service Steel Band
* Cassini Club
* The Chain
* Cherrybomb
* Darwen Acoustic
* Darwen Aldridge Academy
* Elite Music Services Showcase
* Manalishi

Monday, May 31

* The Badniks
* Blackburn with Darwen Music Service Wind Band
* Blowjangles
* Catch / Kill / Repeat
* Crush
* Darwen Aldridge Academy
* Jah Mission Vibes
* Jo Danuki Band
* Martin Cooper & The Sunday Club
* Modson
* Outsider
* Richard Moss & Julian Taylor
* Woody

Darwen’s new £13 million leisure centre will open on Friday January 29 and promises to be one of the best in the North West.

The 3-storey building houses a 25 metre 8-lane swimming pool, small pool, gym, fitness studio, sports hall, activity rooms, and a health suite with sauna, and aromatherapy/treatment area.

Unlike many other leisure centres, the Darwen Leisure Centre, has been constructed with quality materials and has a projected lifespan of more than 50 years.

Gym memberships are now on sale with prices starting at £20 a month. For more details telephone 01254 874900.

An outdoor ice rink will be the centrepiece of Darwen’s Christmas celebrations.

The synthetic rink will be located on Darwen Market Square from Saturday December 19 to Monday December 21 2009.

Other attractions include magic shows, performances by Darwen Brass Band and Accrington Pipe Band, Punch and Judy shows, inflatables, and face painting.

Councillor Alan Cottam said: “It’s great to see the ice rink return to Darwen after a successful first stint earlier in the year.

“Along with the fantastic new Christmas lights it will create a special atmosphere and hopefully encourage more shoppers and people into the town.”

Blackburn Market is set to hold its inaugural ‘Xmas Factor’ event!

The competition is set to offer budding stars the chance to perform Christmas songs in front of shoppers and family and friends at Blackburn Market.

Auditions will be held on Saturday December 5 and 12, from 10 – 1pm.

Successful candidates will progress to the finals to be held in the Market on Saturday, December 19 from 2 – 5 pm. Prizes will be presented to the winner and runners up.

Entrants must be aged between 6 and 16 years old.

No X-Factor competition would be complete without its judges and standing in for Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole on this occasion will be Jeff Borradaile, musical director of Blackburn People’s Choir and Gwen Sangster, member of Blackburn People’s Choir and operations manger for Blackburn Market.

A giant ferris wheel will be the star attraction in Blackburn town centre this Christmas.

The 33-metre wheel on King William Street will operate for four weeks from December 10.

It will feature 24 carriages, each holding up to 6 people, and will take around 10 minutes to revolve. Rides will costjust £1.