Category: Blackburn

Blackburn’s Sands Of Time

Blackburn could be in line to cash in from these sand and dust storms which keep blowing over from the Sahara Desert.

A project is being considered to try and collect this sand and use it for various cottage industries.  We might even find ourselves in a ‘Coals to Newcastle’ scenario,  where we end up selling sand back to the Arabs.  From Blackburn’s Barbary Coast to theirs.

This phenomena of sand and dust blowing from North Africa seems to be becoming more of a regular thing, possibly due to effects of climate change.  It usually occurs when big dust storms in the Sahara Desert collide with southerly wind patterns.  Blackburn’s location in the middle of the island of Great Britain seems to indicate it may be in the driving seat of a vortex for receiving regular deposits of sand and dust from the world’s largest desert, it could eventually be classed as our own magic carpet.

One new cottage industry being talked about is the manufacture of hourglasses, using sand from the Sahara Desert.  This 8th century device comes in all shapes and sizes and doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to an hour or any specific time.  They can be bought in various lengths of time measurement and are particularly useful for boiling eggs.

Blackburn also has a tradition for making glass appliances and is well known for this.  Many radio and TV valves were manufactured at the Mullards factory on Philips Road.  It may have been the town’s largest employer at one time.  Thousands of people worked there.

Before we get to finished products, this process has to start somewhere.  A new company has been formed to collect sand when it lands over Blackburn from the Sahara.  It is asking people to check smooth surfaces around their home next day whenever they hear news reports of another blast of sand being blown over here from the desert.

Cars are particularly prone to being covered in sand on occasions like these.  People are being asked to carefully brush sand off their cars into plastic receptacles, such as old margarine tubs or lunch boxes.  Anything which can be airtight sealed is very welcome.  Not only will this help local industry, but will also give your car a clean and help with our borough’s recycling plan.

The sands of time have been blowing through Blackburn for many a year, probably well before the hourglass was invented.  There have been good times and bad times.  But there is always an opportunity round the corner.

Blackburn Bull Running Revival

A long forgotten Blackburn tradition could be revived as a way of boosting tourism to the town.

It seems Blackburn was known for being one of a few British places where running of the bulls took place.  Many people will have heard of these kind of events taking place in Spain – Pamplona being its most famous festival – but bull running is far more widespread than just Spain.  It also takes place in Portugal, Mexico and France.

Surprisingly, there used to be similar events in Britain.  A long standing festival took place in Stamford, Lincolnshire for over 600 years up to 1837.  It started here when a bull escaped and the local landowner pursued it on horseback, along with his pack of dogs.  He killed it and really enjoyed himself, no doubt even more so after feasting on his dismembered quarry.  Stamford’s bull run was eventually suppressed due to a combination of rampant drunkenness on run days and campaigning by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – what would later become the RSPCA.

Many Blackburn folk will remember our town’s cattle market on Harrison Street.  Bulls were known to escape from here, but they didn’t usually get so far before a marksman’s bullet sent them to the abattoir and a meat hook in the butcher’s.  Our previous livestock market was based on Blakey Moor and its removal led to Blackburn College being built.

Before then, Blackburn’s cattle market was on Church Street.  It is from here tales of bulls escaping and terrorising local people originate.  Sometimes setting bulls on unruly mobs was used as a way of putting down riots, or when mass drunkenness led to disorder.  Perhaps this is what inspired bull runs in Blackburn.  It certainly inspired pub names on this thoroughfare.  No less than four pubs with Bull in their names used to be on this street.

Having a bull run in Blackburn would need a few problems solving.  Barbecuing bulls after killing them in the street may not be as acceptable today as it used to be in times gone by.  There are not only animal welfare issues to consider, but also health and safety aspects relating to humans too.  The spectacle of people tossed in the air by bulls then being gored by them, may face some opposition.

To get round this, one suggestion has been put forward with pantomime bulls replacing the real thing.  They would be assisted by a troupe of Morris Dancers as they pursued volunteer runners down a marked out street route in the town centre of Blackburn.  A modern day Tossers v Runners, like the dystopian science fiction films ‘Logan’s Run’ or ‘Rollerbull’.  This could certainly bring the crowds out to view or partake in such an enthralling spectacle.

The author of this load of bull had a great-grandfather who was a butcher in Blackburn.  He was crushed to death in a paddock while trying to move a bull.

Blackburn’s Mothballed Monolith

Due to financial cutbacks in local government and relocation of staff, Blackburn with Darwen Council now finds itself with a 14 storey office block surplus to requirements.

It begs the question of what should be done with our town centre tower block.  This has led to various debates including demolition, turning it into residential accommodation, perhaps a hotel, or simply finding some other use for our former town hall.

Perhaps a most obvious use for this building would be to try and get an influx of office workers using it for what it was originally built for.  But Blackburn, like most other towns and cities everywhere, seems to be losing jobs in this field.  New Artificial Intelligence technology and a growing use of home working will certainly not help this situation.

One industry whose need for accommodation always seems to be boundless is an ever growing demand for more prisons.  A unique suggestion has been put forward regarding turning Blackburn’s tower block into a kind of civil prison rehabilitation centre.  This would entail civil prisoners, who are not actually criminals, being housed in this building and rehabilitated by being given white collar tasks to do in an office environment, which already exists with this building.

Instead of sewing mailbags, they could be given the task of filling them with junk mail.  They could also be given recycling duties, such as salvaging paper clips and plastic pockets for further office usage.  Many people who have worked in offices will know how much waste of stationary takes place.  It would be nice to also be able to provide not only this, but an office equipment recycling service, including staff who have had problems with their lives.

These inmates of our tower block would also be kitted out in a new style uniform, rather than standard prison apparel.  Theirs would be collars and ties, shirts, blouses and suits.  This is because governors of this institution do not expect anyone housed in Blackburn’s tower block to have any intention of trying to abscond from such a healthy and welcoming environment.  In fact the only time you would ever catch sight of these new inmates would be during fire and bomb drills.

Blackburn’s former town hall tower block has over the years become one of our most recognisable buildings.  Sadly it is now starting to be given derogatory names, such as the ‘Big Empty’ and ‘Mothballed Monolith’.  But compared to how it looked some years ago, before being reclad in today’s design, it still impresses many visitors to our town.  Wouldn’t it be great if Blackburn’s ‘Big Empty’ could become full again.

Potato Peeling Show Suggested In Blackburn

Blackburn people were recently invited to take part in a house renovation TV programme hosted by a Loose Woman called Stacey.

This programme’s production team contacted people in various locations around the UK.  But it seemed they were out of luck in Blackburn.  They were met with derision and negativity about today’s current crop of similar TV programmes.

Our town’s respondents also complained that there seemed to be nothing original being made these days.  There was a preponderance of cooking, cleaning and DIY programmes which had been going on since those early days of Fanny Craddock.  The message from Blackburn was: Let’s have something different!

One of the sarcastic comments from here asked when were they making the Ironing Show, or the Potato Peeling Programme?

This may have struck a chord with someone in the production company.  They might have thought it sounded like a pretty good idea.  Something brand new!

All sorts of ideas started being thrown around in a lively brainstorming session in a local pub near their TV studio.  Ironically, as regards potato peeling, this pub is fittingly named the King Edward and known for being a very down to earth grassroots kind of boozer.

There was a heated debate over what amounts of skill there were in using a potato peeler.   Some participants compared it to being like using a short snooker cue.  After all, everything was in the elbow and wrist action.  There is a lot more inclusivity in potato peeling these days though.  Left-handed and ambidextrous spud peelers are now far more widespread.

It is believed these left-handed peelers originated in a former Soviet factory.  A place known for making bad mistakes, but always having a knack of getting away with it.  They once manufactured sunglasses you couldn’t see through, only to win a contract supplying Soviet blind citizens.  It sounds like something similar happened with left-handed people being able to use their potato peelers, after this factory got their lathe settings mixed up again.

Now the question is, how do you put together a programme about potato peeling?  Producers state this show is not aimed at couch potatoes.  It could lead to lots of twists and turns.  Though critics say it is scraping the barrel, the only turns they can see happening are funny ones.

At least there seems to be a lot more scope with a programme about peeling potatoes than making one about ironing.  It wouldn’t be long before this one folded.

Blackburn Pride 2023

Blackburn Pride 2023 was bigger and better this time than when it made its debut last year.

Our town centre streets were awash with all the colours of the rainbow as this year’s Pride procession made its way from its starting point on Cathedral Square.

Councillor Jim Shorrock, Chair of Blackburn Pride Committee, looked a bit worried before this event was due to start.  His main concern was how the weather would fair.  It did feel like rain was in the air, but Jim had no need to worry.  It didn’t rain on his parade.

Due to possible inclement weather, Jim had also worried about this affecting the festival’s attendance.  Once again, he didn’t have to worry.  Last year’s turnout exceeded expectations, this year’s event was even larger.

My buddies were joined having their breakfast in the Postal Order.  We left earlier than on a usual Saturday to get a seat outside the Drummer’s Arms, where they opened earlier than usual at 11.00am.  This was a good vantage point to not only watch the Pride procession, but to also listen to music from a temporary stage erected nearby.

On Monday dinnertime I went for a pint in the Rock Box and there was the man himself, a relieved Councillor Jim, having a brew.  As expected, he was very pleased with how everything went with Saturday’s festival.  When asked what the most challenging aspect was of organising it, Jim replied pulling in advertising and sponsorship to pay for this year’s Pride.  But after two successful events, sponsors and advertisers were now approaching the Pride Committee about next year’s festival.

What was quite amusing was seeing some of the frozen faces and frowns from people who obviously didn’t approve or agree with what this festival was all about.  But that was lost on the vast majority of people who turned up that day.  Their numbers were made up of LGBTQ and straight people, of all ages including elderly and children.

Their main talking point though was how noticeable Blackburn with Darwen’s new Mayor was by his absence.  Some unfairly called him a bigot.  Others said he’d lost his bottle after seeing the abuse last year’s first citizen, Solly Khonat, received when he opened Blackburn’s inaugural Pride.  But most people who attended this year’s event didn’t give a damn where the Mayor was, or even whether our borough really needs one.  They said Blackburn needs it’s Pride more than it needs a Mayor.

Blackburn Gold Fever

Few people in Blackburn realise where they live was once a centre of coal mining.  This was one reason why the Leeds Liverpool Canal was routed this way, connecting these latter large cities with mining towns such as Wigan, Burnley and our own Blackburn.

Due to the Industrial Revolution, coal was needed on a vast scale and this led to most of Blackburn’s mines being worked until their black gold was either exhausted or they became economically unprofitable.  It created a problem of what to do with these empty coal mines.  Some were able to become quarries, providing valuable building material to construct cotton mills and housing for our town’s expanding population.  But with so many redundant mines, various uses of them were put into place, including dumping building spoil and other waste material.  After all, out of sight, into mine.

Sadly during these changing times, many people became victims of this Industrial Revolution.  Death and disease were an occupational hazard, almost as a way of culling Britain’s expanding population when their usefulness had run its course.  Many people came and died in Blackburn.  Those who died of infectious diseases, such as fever, or could not be identified, were laid to rest in these redundant coal mines.  They became known as fever pits.

This seems a convenient solution, but nature is not as simple as that.  These bodies decomposed and returned to earth.  But not everything went back to nature so easily.  Due to these corpses’ reasons for expiring, no scavenging was allowed to be carried out because of a risk of catching and spreading fever and diseases.

Normally gold teeth would have been prised from corpses’ mouths, along with removal of rings, ear rings, chains etc.  This was not allowed in fever pits and gold items passed into the soil along with their hosts.  Gold, unlike other metals, does not corrode and can lay in the ground until it is eventually discovered by treasure hunters or metal detectorists.

One such fever pit was believed to have been in a redundant mine in Blackburn.  It was somewhere near what is now Shadsworth Industrial Estate.  But records have been lost over time pinpointing its exact location.  Local folklore tells of this particular mine being very difficult to work due to Knuzden Brook, which goes on to become the River Blakewater, causing subsidence and making it very dangerous for miners.  This led to its closure even though coal reserves were not totally exhausted.

Unconfirmed reports have been received recently of discoveries of gold in the Knuzden Brook.  This has not only led to an influx of metal detectorists, but gold panners too, although permission needs to be granted before treasure hunting is permitted.  We might find ourselves in a situation where Blackburn could be a new Klondike.  After all, both the Klondike River and Knuzden Brook both begin with the letter K, as in knife.

It would be strange if one form of fever could lead to another – here in Blackburn.  This might create a situation of Fever Pit to Gold Fever.

Blackburn Clothing Waste Idea Won’t Be Mothballed

A recent BBC Countryfile programme featured flax growing in Blackburn and production of linen being spun from this homegrown product.

Unfortunately due to an air of excitement following the success of their project, the makers of this programme failed to discuss what should be done to dispose of clothing replaced by this new linen alternative.  A suggestion has been put forward to use an unusual but organic method of disposing of unusable and spoilt clothing material – feed it to the butterfly of the night – our humble clothing moth.

Adult moths themselves don’t actually feed on your gear; they haven’t got mouthparts.  It’s Junior, i.e. their larvae who does all the munching – they do have this necessary equipment.  They gain nutrients from natural and animal fibres, being particularly attracted to moist and dirty clothes, so should have no difficulty finding plenty of material in lots of households.  They also like dark and undisturbed areas, so what better environment could you find than a wardrobe?

This endless battle between humans and moths has been raging for thousands of years.  Shakespeare tells us that:

‘All the wool that Penelope spun in Ulysses’ absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths’.

So you can imagine what kind of state his clothing was in Ulysses’ wardrobe when he returned home twenty years after fighting this war in Troy and his subsequent trip home, known as the Odyssey.  All for Helen – the face that launched a million moths!

After the Ancient Greeks, it is possible their conquerors and ours too, the Romans, may have brought clothes moths to our shores.  Not everything the Romans did for us was beneficial – although we did end up with a textile industry, which might have helped the situation.  But clothing moths soon got stuck into King Cotton.  This led to a continuing war which continues to this day.  Every form of technology, including chemical and biological warfare has been used to outwit our destructive clothing moth enemies.

There are around 2,500 species of moth found in Britain.  But only two, the common clothes moth (also known as the webbing clothes moth) and the Case-bearing clothes moth, cause damage to fabrics.  Most of us know all about what it’s like to come across moths living in our wardrobes.  There is nothing worse than digging out your best suit for some one-off function only to find big holes in its fabric, thanks to moths having made a meal out of it.

Now we have a chance to utilise these moth’s voracious appetite as a natural way of clothing waste disposal.  It’s about time these little blighters started earning their keep for a change.

Blackburn’s Corpy Park Lake Landfill Option

Due to pressing financial cutbacks, Blackburn’s proposed new tip has had to be thrown on the scrap heap.

Plans by Blackburn with Darwen Council included shutting down its two existing tips at George Street West in Blackburn and Spring Vale in Darwen.  These would have been replaced by a new £5M household waste recycling plant at Chapels in Darwen.  Unfortunately these plans have had to be temporarily put on ice due to the current cost of living crisis and no money being available.

But an alternative solution may be available.  One of Blackburn’s Corporation Park lakes is ideal to serve as a landfill site for certain types of household rubbish.  The larger of its two lakes, known as the ‘Big Can’, is reputably over 100 feet deep.  It is a damned stream valley and could be drained of its water to become a landfill site.

It is also a damned problem with people walking over its ice when it occasionally freezes over in winter.  Due to the depth of this body of water, anybody falling through its ice would face difficulty being rescued and could easily be drowned.  So filling up the lake with refuse could kill two birds with one stone.  Not only could it help with disposal of rubbish, it would also vastly reduce how deep this lake is in its present state.

Having a shallow lake also creates an option for many opportunities in various leisure pursuits.  Not only rowing, sailing and other boating activities, but curling and skating could take place on those rare occasions when these two lakes freeze over.  Also, having greater use of this lake would deter vandalism in the park and other anti-social behaviour, such as feeding its ducks.

Vehicle access to the larger lake wouldn’t be much of a problem.  It is very close to East Park Road on one side and already has wide footpaths available all around its perimeter, making it also accessible from West Park Road and Preston New Road.  Once the lake had served its function as a landfill site, it could easily be returned to its former self, only nowhere near as deep as it used to be.

What became Corporation Park was an area previously known as Pemberton Clough.  Its two lakes were originally reservoirs, built around 1839 then administered by the Blackburn Water Works Company.  They were known as the Big Can and Little Can because local people would visit them with cans to collect water.

Wouldn’t it be very handy if Corpy Park’s Big Can became Blackburn’s Big Bin.

Blackburn The Ultimate Satellite Town

Blackburn has been deemed a suitable location for carrying out an attempt to try and become the largest earthbound satellite receiver there has ever been.  This is due to its geographical position and natural bowl shape, thanks to it being located in a river valley.

In the past, detractors have joked about how Blackburn would make a really good reservoir and flooding it would do the place a favour.  But it is hoped our town’s geography could be used to try and turn it into an artificial bowl style satellite receiver, using human beings as props in this process.  It would be done by persuading thousands of our townsfolk, along with lots of other enthusiastic out of town volunteers.  They would need to dress themselves up in aluminium foil and congregate together in selected positions around town.  If atmospheric conditions proved to be correct, as astronomers calculate, then signals from outer space could be collected and hopefully new important scientific discoveries made.

On the other side of our planet, China has finished building a 500-metre aperture spherical telescope (FAST), this is Earth’s largest single aperture telescope.  It is about the size of thirty football pitches.  Part of its task is to scan outer space for signs of intelligent alien life, among other functions.  Since operations began in January 2020, 500 new pulsars have been discovered.  China’s Academy of Sciences also claims it has obtained accurate magnetic field strength in molecular cloud, a region of the interstellar medium that seems ready to form stars.

On 14 June 2022, astronomers, working with China’s FAST telescope, reported a possibility of having detected artificial (presumably alien) signals, but cautioned further studies are required to determine if this was some kind of natural radio interference as its source.  To investigate these possible alien signals a much larger satellite receiver would need to be assembled.  But a temporary device could suffice if calculations proved correct.  Therefore, using a mobile satellite and improvising with people clad in foil could possibly pull off this attempt at an extra-terrestrial breakthrough.

Opportunities for Blackburn’s pubs, clubs, catering and hospitality industry would be immense if such a gathering could be organised.  It would also bring fame and fortune to our town if this experiment proved successful.  Can you imagine how the rest of our planet would see us in Blackburn, if we could prove intelligent life had been discovered here?  The possibilities are out of this world.

Unfortunately for us earthlings, any self-respecting passing alien observing thousands of human beings dressing themselves up in aluminium foil and forming themselves into a massive bowl, would probably want to make sure their cloaking device was working correctly.

Frackers Say Blackburn Site Would Do Well

Controversial plans are in the pipeline to develop a 94 acre site on Blackburn’s outskirts for industrial development.  But a dispute has blown up over whether nuclear waste was dumped under this site when it was a disused coal mine back in the 1950’s.

At the same time another interested party has also expressed a desire to develop this land near Blackburn’s junction 5 of the M65 motorway.  An unnamed fracking company said this land would be ideal for carrying out hydraulic fracturing operations and they are so confident rumours of past nuclear dumping are false, they want to carry out a controlled explosion to demonstrate this site’s safety.

Still reeling from fracking activity being banned in Britain, this fracking firm believes it could help  kick-start their drilling process back into action across Britain.  They rubbished accusations of causing earth tremors not so many miles away from Blackburn, claiming what everybody really saw was freak activity out at sea, probably caused by a mini tsunami.  They say these events happen across the world and are part of nature.

One of the fracking directors said there is nothing to worry about as regards this current disputed site.  People have been watching its surroundings very carefully for donkey’s years due to rumours of alleged nuclear dumping.  Even the slightest hint of any kind of dumping activity would have bound to have been spotted by environmentalists.  There have been no signs of problems with wildlife either.  Nobody has seen any two headed sheep, lop-sided seagulls or owned dogs with learning difficulties.

This director stated fracking would be ideal to take place in what was originally a former coal mine.  After all, wasn’t the hydraulic fracturing process a form of mining?  What could be better for Blackburn than bringing back its mining heritage and one of its old industrial sites.  Plus, being a former colliery, there’s bound to be loads of gas down there, just waiting to be put on tap.

He also said he thought those gigantic wind turbines a few miles away were an eyesore and a blot on the landscape.  Whereas a fracking well would mean a big improvement for the local landscape.  When questioned about previous fracking protests complaining about dangers which had been caused to places around the world, the director said there was no need to worry about accidents, especially with an A&E Department at Royal Blackburn Hospital barely a mile down the road from this proposed site.

Not many people are happy with fracking.  Even less with the idea of hiding nuclear waste underground.  Out of sight is definitely not out of mind.  A very difficult subject, but it’s certainly not ‘boring’.