This week we get involved with a cake, the civic chains, a trig point, a diamond wedding, our At Home, Barnoldswick Town Council, Pendle Way and Earby

Sunday 30th September
We visited Simpsons of Greenfield Mill in Colne for their celebration of 30 years in business. At the family firm we met with their directors and were shown around the high quality new kitchen and bedroom showrooms.

Meeting with the directors of Simpsons

We also helped with the cutting of their cake celebrating their 30 years. Its an excellent achievement to have a business that has been going so long, as the average age of all businesses is only about 9 years. And of course good companies like Simpson's provide jobs for many local people.

Cutting the 30 year anniversary cake

Saturday 29th September
Apart from a meeting of West Craven Together in the morning I had most of the day to catch up on some of the masses of things that I have had to leave until later, during this very busy year.

Friday 28th September
In the evening we held a thank you reception for the walk leaders of the 4th Pendle Walking Festival. This has been the most successful so far with over 1500 people joining us on our guided walks.

Looking at the civic chains in the Council chamber

We had also invited the walkers that are participating in our walk of the Pendle Way which we walk every Tuesday afternoon, to join us.

Walkers look at Pendle's civic history

After meeting them all they went into the council chamber where I joined them in my full civic attire to show them how I chaired meetings of the council.

I show the walk leaders how I am required to dress for Council Meetings

I gave a short thank you speech and Jacqui and I explained some of how the council works. We had on show all of the civic chains, which are extremely fine in their detail, including the 110 year old Colne chain which I wear.

Pendle Way walkers on top of Pendle Hill

Here’s what I said;
We are very fortunate here in Pendle to live in an area of such outstanding beauty. Surprisingly to some, Pendle is mostly rural and offers lots of opportunities for excellent walking and many other outdoor activities. In Pendle we have many beautiful small villages, many great traditional country pubs, the best stretch of scenic canal towpath in Britain and our local people who always have time to welcome visitors. We also have a great history from the Vikings to the Romans to the Victorians who provided us with our fascinating heritage.

After many discussions with footpath experts I have come to the conclusion that because of our heritage, this little-know gem of Pendle, has more defined footpaths per square mile than anywhere else in the world. More than the Yorkshire Dales, more than the Lake District, more than Scotland or Wales and more than other area in Britain. And it is a well-known fact that we have more footpaths per square mile on this tiny island than other country in the World. So there you have it Pendle is the footpath centre of the world! Probably.

Recently as Mayor I have been leading a group of walkers around our attractive 45 mile Pendle Way on Tuesday afternoons. It is split into 8 sections and on completing it we decided that we had enjoyed it so much that we should turn round and do it the other way. If you can spare the time come and join us.

I have also taken the opportunity to get to the top of our 3 largest hills in Pendle, in my suit, with my chains on and we didn’t do it by helicopter! They are of course Boulsworth, Weets and Pendle Hill. Proud Pendle is only 60 metres short of being a mountain, so on a clear day you can see Blackpool Tower and up to the Yorkshire Dales and beyond. And as a result of the picture being in the paper, a parish councillor has gone up Pendle to give the trig point a fresh coat of white paint. So I asked him if he could Weets and Boulsworth as well!

Pendle has the potential to be able to welcome many, many more visitors and with the opening of the new Boundary Mill Store, that is going to happen. On that site at the end of the M65 we will have a Pendle Visitor Centre where we can let everyone know about what great delights we have in store for visitors to Pendle. We will encourage them to see our fantastic countryside and stay a while. Most of our fantastic footpaths give glorious long distance views of Pendle Hill, and all of them have great interest for walkers. Once people see what we have here in Pendle they will want to come back again and again.

I led one of the walks on the Sunday of the Walking Festival, Beating the Bounds. A 9-mile walk around the ancient boundaries of Barnoldswick. In the pouring rain The Town Crier set us off and we gave everyone a willow wand with which to beat the boundary stones. But best of all was our lunch stop where we had erected a marquee in Letcliffe Park to feed the walkers with a good rustic repast lunch with a bottle of Copper Dragon beer. Whilst they were eating they were entertained by a Border Patrol a local folk band singing folk songs including our own Beating the Bounds song, which everyone joined in. It’s on YouTube if you want to see it later. We attracted people from all over including three Indian Ladies from Liverpool, two of who had not gone on a walk like this before. The Town Council then presented medals to everyone who had completed the walk.

We are very grateful for all of the walk leaders who gave up their free time to make the Pendle walking Festival the undoubted success that it has been. I wish to thank you all for your great efforts even though the weather was less than perfect.

Thanks also to John Belbin the walk organiser, and Mike Williams and Vaughan Jones from Pendle Council’s Tourism team.

I do hope that you will all be able to get involved again next year when we are looking to make the 5th Pendle walking Festival even bigger and better.

Looking towards Black Moss reservoirs

View down to Barley from the foot of Pendle Hill

Thursday 27th September
In the morning we were very pleased to join Mr & Mrs Bowker and family in Barnoldswick for their Diamond Wedding anniversary.

With Fred and Kathleen Bowker on their Diamond Wedding

Whilst having a slice of cake and a cup of tea Fred showed us the medals from his days in the Army. He has also played in Earby Brass band for many years and worked at Rolls until he retired. Kathleen worked as a cook in Barlick.
The Mayor & Mayoress of Pendle at Home was in the evening. Here we invite civic leaders from Lancashire and Craven to visit the Town Hall.

The Arden Youth Choir entertains

Over 50 guests heard the Arden Youth Choir singing in the council chamber and later watched a flower arranging demonstration.

In the Council chamber for the Mayor & Mayoress "At Home"

The Mayoress's committee also did fund-raising for the chosen charities and added over £600 to their fund.

Wednesday 26th September
I was in the Town Hall early for a catch up with our Communications Team so that I could bring them up to date on the activities that we are currently planning.
Just in time for a quick sandwich with my fellow councillors on the Licensing Committee, before we went in to session. Here we heard the application by the Bay Horse, Fence for an extension to their existing license. As several nearby residents had registered their concerns we heard from both them and the pub owners. The committee decided to grant the application as set out with two conditions relating to not holding karaoke sessions and that they would have to install a noise limiting device in certain circumstances.
I rushed from Licensing to the board meeting of Pendle Enterprise Trust who provide business support for start up businesses.
Back home for tea and a quick change before we went into Barlick to attend the Barnoldswick Town Council meeting.

Some of the Town Councillors at Barnoldswick Town Council

This visit was also a part of my tour of Pendle’s Town & Parish councils, I appeared first in my Pendle chains to go through the issues that I have been highlighting to all of the councils. That done, I withdrew to get the chains removed so that I could carry on with the meeting as a Town Councillor. Here I gave a report on the recent successful Beating the Bounds community walk. We also agreed to support SELRAP to get the rail link between Skipton and Colne reinstated.

Barnoldswick Town Council Chairman, Maureen Davis and myself

Tuesday 25th September

Our walkers make their way up Pendle again

In the afternoon we continued with our walk of the Pendle Way, anti-clockwise, on another sunny day. The summer of 2007 seemes to have been good weather on Tuesdays! In over 10 outings we have only had to re-schedule on 1 day and even then 8 walkers carried on to complete it.

Long distance shot of our walkers coming up Pendle

This time we set off from Barley car park and went up Pendle Hill via the Big End, then down past Ogden Clough to finish at Newchurch in Pendle.

Jacqui and Anne at the shinny white trig point

On top of the Hill I got changed into my chains to enable us to do a before and after shot of the freshly painted white trig point. We got plenty of good photographs. If you notice my trousers have changed colour on the "after" photograph (via Photoshop!) to try to match the original shot which we had taken.

I meet with a runner from Halifax - "bagging" the hill

This is a report, which we sent to the press:
Pendle Hill gets a coat of paint.
Besides walking the many footpaths of Pendle, the Mayor Coun. Allan Buck has been touring all of the Town and Parish Councils in the Borough. One of his recent visits was to Higham with West Close Booth Parish Council, where he met with the councillors there. Before the meeting started, he discovered that the recent picture of the Mayor on top Pendle Hill in his suit and chains had spurred a Parish Councillor into action. He told the Mayor that he had been so ashamed with the poor state of repair of the trig point on top of Pendle as shown in the photo, that he had taken action into his own hands. So he had climbed the hill and given the trig point a smart new coat of white paint.
Recently as part of the Mayor’s second walk around the Pendle Way, his group stopped on top of Pendle to admire the freshly painted trig point standing out brightly in the sunshine. The Mayor said “I thank the Councillor for his community spirit, his efforts are very much appreciated by everyone. This really shows how much local people care about our wonderful countryside”.
The Mayor added, “ We have the most scenic footpaths in Pendle and they are all easy to access, so I encourage Pendle people to get out there and enjoy them for themselves”. If you would like to join him on Tuesday afternoons on his Pendle Way walk please contact 661633 for details.

Before - taken a few weeks back

And after - taken on Tuesday!

Monday 24th September
In the morning I had a visit from members of our Pendle I.T. support team who came to help set up my internet video conferencing. This is to enable me to provide a Mayor on Line service via a Skype link. To be able to video link with me you will need to download software, which is available on http://www.skype.com/ just click on the Skype version 3.5 box. We are still at the pilot stage at present and I shall give more information in a later blog.

In the afternoon I called in to the Town Hall to discuss the coming Mayors Tour of Pendle. We are entertaining civic leaders from many parts of Lancashire and we needed to run through the programme that we are planning for them.

In the evening I went to Earby Parish Council as part of my tour of all the Town and Parish Councils in Pendle. Here I gave a run through of what I had done so far and what was coming up. We also assisted with the presentation of the Shaw Greening Award for young people acheivements.

Charlotte receives the Shaw Greening Award

It was awarded to Charlotte Dundon (17) and we took a picture which we passed on the Barnoldswick & Earby Times. I fully agreed with Chris Tennant,the chairman of the Parish Council when he said that Charlotte is an inspirational girl. I also promised the parish Council that I would go back around Christmas to help with their best-dressed shop competition.

this week I get involved with a Spa, Brierfield, Treasury and Estates Services, the Pendle Way, T'Brig Expo and the Canal Festival

Monday 17 September
In the afternoon the Mayoress and I visited the new Inside Spa adjoining Wavelengths in Nelson.

Press photo call

Here we met Anne Meachem and the staff who welcomed us to the new facility. They then showed us through to sample the sauna, sanarium, salt inhalation steam room, monsoon showers and hydrotherapy pool. We also took the opportunity to visit the gym areas with all of the new high tech equipment.

Anne and staff show us around the new gym

Being the Mayor means that I am almost always busy, so this was a great opportunity to slow down for a while. I really enjoyed all of the high quality facilities on offer at Inside Spa and I came out feeling much more relaxed! I urge everyone to go along and see for themselves the superb Inside Spa facility.

In the evening I went along to meet with the Brierfield Town Council as part of my tour of all of the Town and Parish Councils in Pendle. I mentioned the proposed new marina development at Barden Mill for 92 boats and the opportunities that this could bring to Brierfield. I thought that the town centre looked better than it has done in the past and with the new housing developments soon to come on stream the town looks to be going forward. As I was previously a Brierfield Pendle councillor for 12 years, I know some of the issues that they are tackling.


Tuesday 18 September
In the morning I called in on our Treasury and Customer Services area at Elliot House in Nelson. This is part of my plan to visit all of the services in Pendle Council and to meet as many of our staff as possible. I was shown round by Angela and Phil, and was pleased to see many of our dedicated staff who I feel do a great job. The call centre is relatively new but its performance is already top notch. And Treasury also has a great track record on revenue and benefits.

We prepare to set off anti-clockwise on the 45 mile Pendle Way

You may remember that we had agreed to walk the Pendle Way anti-clockwise after we had completed the 45 miles the other way. So in the afternoon we set off again from the Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford and walked to over to Barley at the foot of Pendle Hill.

Leaving the Heritage Centre the other way

The day was unseasonably cold, but mainly sunny and the blackberries were ripe for picking everywhere in the hedgerows. We completed the walk much quicker than we had when we went clockwise, so we all had a scone and cup of tea whilst waiting for the bus to take us back.

The tiny hamlet of Narrowgates

The footpaths and countryside of Pendle are quite outstanding and I encourage everyone to get out there and sample it for themselves. You will not be disappointed.

A beech tree near Barley in full splendour

Wednesday 19 September
Besides being Mayor, I do a wide range of other jobs, one of which is chairing the Licensing Committee. Licensing applications used to be considered by the Magistrates court but now it is the responsibility of borough councils. The Licensing committee listens to the application and any objections and then withdraws to consider it. Here, as chairman, I ask all of the committee members in turn to put there views on the table and then get them to agree on a consensus. Once we have done this we go back into the committee room to announce the decision. This afternoon, the committee had to consider an application by an off-license in Nelson to sell alcohol. We decided to grant the license as set out in the application.

At teatime I joined with a few other councillors in the Member Development Group. This is to keep all councillors aware of training and development opportunities to enable them to do their job more efficiently. Local government is fast changing and we need to be constantly keeping council members abreast of these changes and the training available.


Thursday 20 September
Today is our monthly board meeting at my design and print business in Nelson. Here I chair the meeting and receive reports for consideration on all aspects of the company’s performance. We also make sure that we are performing to our business plan, take a look forward to the coming months and consider any investments in new equipment. The company employs around 45 staff and last year we won an award for the best HR (human relations) in an English print company.

We went to visit Pendle’s Estates and Property Services area in the afternoon. This was really interesting seeing what they all do and looking at some of the projects being planned. We also saw the technology that shows the drawings, specification and related documents all via the PC. One of the staff who drove in each day also commented on the great views of Pendle Hill that he sees everyday.

Friday 21 September
After calling into the office for a lunchtime meeting with my directors I went onto the Economic Development unit for another look at the Nelson Town Centre plans. We are now looking at the details of how the plan would work with traffic flowing back through Manchester/Leeds Road and need to ensure that we get it right. The investment being planned for Nelson is considerable and is much needed.

In the evening we joined with other Mayors from Lancashire for the annual dinner given by the Chair of Lancashire County Council. We also took the opportunity to have a quick look into the council chamber, which must have been like it is for many years. All of the Mayors and Chairman of Borough Councils throughout Lancashire take it in turn to invite them to come to see something of their own area. We are currently well advanced in our plans for our Tour of Pendle on the 8th October when we invite Mayors here.


Saturday 22 September
We went along to Laneshaw Bridge Methodist Church to see the T’Brig Expo of old photographs put on by the Laneshaw Bridge Parish Council to promote community spirit. The chairman told me that over 100 villagers attended at the opening last night. Whilst we were there, there was a steady stream of local people calling in to see the displays.

T'Brigg Expo with Laneshaw Bridge Parish Councillors

I had a chat with several of the Parish councillors including Paul White who is their youngest at 20 years old. I also had a word with Rev Andrew Turner about my suggestion for a Churches Heritage Trail.

Chatting with Revd. Andrew Turner

We have many interesting churches in Pendle some of which are very old and we also have the fascinating history of the Quakers, Methodism and lots of others. These could and should be joined together into motoring and walking tour of our exciting historical heritage in Pendle.

At noon we went to Junction 12 shopping outlet to open the 4th Annual Pendle Canal Festival.

I try my hand at Fire prevention

In my opening speech I highlighted the 12.9 miles of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, which goes through Pendle and encouraged everyone to walk, cycle or boat it. We probably have the finest stretch of canal in the country with panoramic views of Pendle Hill and our stunning countryside.

The Samaritans

Pendle Council has invested almost £2m in canalside improvements and together with the proposed marinas, the Canal has a very exciting future. There were many voluntary organisations stalls in the courtyard and we tried to get round to all of them to offer our support.

Pendle Leisure

There was a brass band and live rock bands and we had a sea shanty sung to us by a pirate on stilts!

The pirate on stilts

We also took the opportunity for a trip on the narrowboat Martin Emperor on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, which adjoins Junction 12.

Signpost on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

The interesting short cruise took us up into Nelson, past Whitefield Mill, which is due for regeneration, before turning round for the return trip.

Blog for Monday 10th to Sunday 16th September

Monday
A rather quieter week for me, but I probably needed it to catch up after the hectic time over the last few weeks. So I spent most of the morning grappling with this blog. I have now learned how to downsize photos so that they are OK to publish, using Photoshop but it is rather slow. And I also went back in the blog archives to add more pictures but it didn’t half take a lot of time.
In the early evening I attended the Pendle Vision Board. This is a group of Pendle business leaders joining together with Pendle Council to promote economic growth. At the meeting they saw the latest plans for Nelson Town Centre, which will bring the high street back through on Leeds Road/Manchester Road.
I had to go early, so that I could get to Old Laund Booth Parish Council to let them know how they fit within a successful Pendle. I also gave them a run through of the Pendle sponsored events, which are coming up.

The Community Bus to take us all to Barley

Tuesday
In the afternoon we walked the last section of the Pendle Way from Barley to the Heritage Centre.

Walkers set off from Barley

The walk goes through Narrowgates, White Hough and the outskirts of Roughlee before climbing over the hill, which then takes us down to Barrowford.

Down the hill towards Roughlee

It was a warm and sunny day and as this is the shortest stretch of the Pendle Way we had completed it by just after 3pm. Back then to the Heritage Centre for tea and cakes.

Everyone receives a certificate for completing the 45 mile Pendle Way

Here I presented walkers with a signed certificate for completing the walk together with “I walked the Pendle Way” badges. They had all enjoyed themselves so much doing the walks that when I suggested that we do the walks again, the other way, they all accepted!

even I got a certificate!

So if you want to join us on Tuesday 18th September, please just turn up at Pendle Heritage car park at 1pm.

Walking in Pendle Website by John Belbin. This link gives a report of our Pendle Way Walk;

http://www.pendlelife.co.uk/roundabout/opencms/directory/sport_and_activity_groups/walking_in_pendle/index.html

Wednesday
In the afternoon I was back to the Heritage Centre for the launch of the new Pendle Tourism Forum. The event was well attended and everyone seemed to be enthusiastic about what we had to offer in Pendle. Two canal marinas are being built, and the new Boundary Mill store at the end of the M65 will have a Pendle Visitor Centre, to show what we have to offer. As tourists look for new areas to explore, they will soon see that Pendle has lots to offer. When this happens we will need more bed space such as B&B, Hotels and holiday lets. After all, for walkers, we probably have more footpaths per square mile in Pendle than anywhere else in the world!


Thursday
Time to catch up on my emails and things at home today. In the afternoon I attended the Public/Private Partnership board meeting. This is to consider reports on our partnership with Liberata who provide some of Pendle’s services. Pendle is what is called a Beacon Council for its success in building partnerships such as this and other councils come to see how we did it.


Friday
In the afternoon we went to open the new Alkincotes Park Infants Play Area. There were lots of youngsters there enjoying the new playground. I made a short speech congratulating the Friends of Alkincotes Park for coming up with the idea and Colne Area committee for providing the funding. I also commented on our excellent young Park Keepers who really care about our Parks and also put on lots of activities throughout the summer. A quick interview for 2BR radio where they also asked me about the Pendle Way and the Leeds & Liverpool walks.


Saturday
Today is our Canal Walk where around 16 of us walked the whole of the stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool that runs through the Borough of Pendle. After meeting with the owners of the Barden mill shopping outlet about their plans for a 92-boat marina adjacent to their store, we set from the Burnley boundary.

Posing for press photographers

On then past Reedley, with its old clay pit, where the lining for canal was produced. The clay used was called puddle and was laid on the bottom the canal and then cows walked on it to bed it in.
Onward to Brierfield where housing regeneration is just about to start. I lived in the Town for many years and was a councillor there for 12 of them. Also I have discovered that my ancestors lived there for a period of time in the 19th century.
Into Nelson we walked and past the Whitefield area where lots of houses have already been renovated. On then to reach Barrowford locks where we took a break at the old lock keepers cottage.

The walkers at Barrowford Locks

Our next stop was at Foulridge tunnel entrance where we had arranged a lift in boat to take us through.

Our boat lift through Foulridge Tunnel

The Jackson family we joined had come from London, Leeds and Barnoldswick. So whilst we were sailing through the 1 mile tunnel we were treated to tea and cake. Incidentally, in the last century a cow called Buttercup swam the whole way through the tunnel and is remembered in the local pub.

Into the mile long tunnel

On arriving at the other end all the walkers joined together in singing Happy birthday to Haley, one of the boaters.

We wave the boaters on their way

The next section took us on to the Anchor Inn at Salterforth where we had another break for a quick drink.

Walkers get a bit stretched out before they get to the Anchor Pub

Home stretch now, and we were soon in Barnoldswick (Barlick), where we then arrived at Greenberfield Locks. But we still had a little further to walk to reach the boundary with Craven District. We had walked 12.9 miles in 28,388 steps and had covered the whole towpath from the Burnley to the Craven boundary in about 4.5 hours + stops.

Walkers celebrate completing 12.5 miles of the most scenic towpath in England - probably

This is surely one of the most beautiful stretches of canal in the country and with the planned marinas we will soon be seeing many more boaters enjoying the delights of Pendle.
Incidentally, in my youth, I once walked the whole 127 miles of the Leeds & Liverpool in 4 days.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal mile post

Sunday
We visited Sow and Grow at Hodge House in Nelson for their Open day.

What you can grow in your backyard

Here we saw some excellent examples of the community working together to grow a wide range of garden produce. All of the staff and volunteers were very enthusiastic about their work and it was easy to see why. There was even a backyard garden to show how much anyone can grow in a small space.

The staff decide to see if they can get more for the onions in the auction

From there we went to the Pendle Triathlon at West Craven Sports Centre to join over 70 competitors. The elite competitors complete 800m swimming, 14.4km running and 33.6k cycling.

Pendle Triathlon - first woman home

This is the first time that this event has been brought back for many years, but it is now planned to make it annual.

Blog for Monday 3rd September to Sunday 9 September

Monday 3 September
Today was the last day of the Pendle Walking Festival so we joined in a walk from Barnoldswick; Bernulf’s Trail. Bernulf was reputed to be an Anglo-Saxon farmer who had settled in the area and the town is named after him.

Pendle Walking Festival -Bernulfs Trail, Barnoldswick

The interesting walk led by Edith Sheldrick took us through the town, along Butts (where towns people practiced archery in days past). Then over Monkroyd hill, down Pickles Hippins, over 40 steps at Ouzledale (there are only 39!) to Bancroft Mill. Here we had the opportunity to explore the engine house with its fascinating mill engines called James and Mary Jane. The group then walked up to Letcliffe Park for a lunch break and from there they went on to St Mary le Ghyll Church. But because I needed to get to the Town Hall I had to leave the walk there.

In the early evening I attended the West Craven Together board meeting in the newly renovated Rainhall Centre in Barnoldswick. However as I had to get to a meeting at Foulridge I had to leave early from there too. At Foulridge Parish Council I met with them to explain how the different organisations in Pendle, including theirs, all joined together. This is part of my request that I meet with all Town and Parish Council’s throughout Pendle. I also took the opportunity to tell them what I am doing as Mayor.


Tuesday 4 September
In the morning I called in to the Economic Development section of Pendle Council to meet with the new Town Centre officer Hanna. We discussed the latest plans for Nelson Town Centre including the re-opening of the road through on Leeds/Manchester Road. The plans look exciting and are needed to give Nelson a boost.

Meanwhile the new building across from the Town Hall; No. 1 Market Street has had its barriers removed and looks very impressive. This building will soon house an extra 300 jobs, which will bring more people into our Town Centre.
In the afternoon we attended the opening of the heritage shop in Whitefield, Nelson. The shop used to be an end of terrace tobacconists.

Launch of Heritage Open Days at St Mary's Church, Nelson

In St. Mary’s Church we launched the Heritage Open Days. This will be vintage bus trips, museums openings, tours of heritage sites, heritage walks and Town Hall tours, which I shall be involved in. We took the opportunity to have a guided walk around Whitefield to see the impressive progress to renovate the area.
In the evening I attended the West Craven area Committee as Mayor for the first part. Here I told them about how we all work together in Pendle and what I was doing for the next few months. I then nipped out to have my chains taken off so that I could continue as the Coates ward councillor for the rest of the meeting.

There are five Area Committees in Pendle and it is here where most things are decided for a local area. Many people feel that Area Committees are the “jewel in Pendle’s crown” and fully support decisions being made as locally as possible including planning.


Wednesday 5 September
Today we had no official engagements so I took the opportunity to get my hair cut. I go to Brierfield as I have done for many years and here Manfred, my hairdresser takes the opportunity to set the world right, especially in Brierfield. I nipped into the office to see how thing are going. My business produces educational marketing material and at this time of year is extremely busy. As my sister Dorothy is going on holiday tomorrow we all meet up at Barbara’s (the Mayoress and my other sister) for lunch. A scarce night off so I get the new grass tractor out and give the field a quick trim. I notice that the swallows are starting to gather in preparation for their long distance fly back to Africa. I always look forward to them coming in spring, (where they nest in my garage) and will be sorry to not see their aerial displays until next year.


Thursday 6 September
Today’s my birthday, and is a warm and sunny day! I joined residents and visitors on a vintage bus tour of churches and chapels as part of the Heritage Open Days. We went to see Sacred Heart Church in Colne and from there to the Inghamite Chapel at Fence before returning to the Heritage Centre for lunch.

Heritage Open Day -Vintage Bus Tour of Churches and Chapels

After a quick walk round the park we got on the vintage Ribble bus again to visit St. Michael & All Angels Church in Foulridge. After that, over to my neck of the woods, to see the ancient church of St Michael’s at Bracewell. We were told that parts of it dated back to Norman times and we were shown the very narrow steps up the tower to a tiny window where people with contagious illness were able to look into the church to follow the service below (or get fined!) I was also shown King Henry’s Parlour (now a barn) where King Henry VI hid during his escape from the Battle of Hexham in 1464.


Friday 7 September
My sister Barbara, the Mayoress, went on the next vintage bus tour visiting churches and chapels in Colne, Brierfield and Barnoldswick. I meantime caught up on my emails and tried to arrange my diary for next week.

The Lancashire Balloon & Airship Club, welcome to Barlick night

In the evening I went along to Barlick Town Football Club house to welcome the Balloon teams arriving for tomorrows Festival of Flight. The Balloonists have now been coming here for several years to take part in the event, which was previously called Balloons over Barlick. We decided to change the name, as Barlick isn’t shown on any map! The evening event went well with us serving them pie and peas after I had given them a short speech of welcome for our friends from the Lancashire Balloon and Airship Club.

Saturday 8 September
Up early to get ready for the Town Hall open day at Nelson. Here we did 3 tours at 10am, 1pm and 3pm. Mr Metcalfe from the Nelson History Society helped us and explained where the police station used to be on the site. He also showed us the old police cells where the press took a photograph of me. The tour followed on the Council Chamber where I togged up in the Mayors robe and chains gave a short run through of what happens at the council. The chains of office from the old Nelson and Colne were on show, as were pictures of all the other chains from the other councils that came together to form Pendle Council. Our visitors had time to look at pictures of previous Mayors and other Council historical documents before having a look around the Mayors parlour and then going into the Members Room for tea and biscuits.
I had to leave the 3pm tour to the attendants, as I had to get back to Greenberfield locks in Barnoldswick to welcome the charity cycle ride from Colne. The cyclists who were my son Alex, my nephew Scott and my brother in law Barry completed the ride from Leeds, distance of over 45 miles in 4 hours 8 minutes.

Welcome to the charity cycle riders at Greenberfield Locks, Barnoldswick

They had raised around £1000 for the Mayor’s chosen charities. I also met a group of walkers who lived in Leeds and they were going on a walk, which they had cut out of their local paper. As we have more footpaths in Pendle than anywhere else in the world, there are lots to go at, and the locks are a local beauty spot, well worth a visit.

The Festival of Flight - Night Glow!

In the evening, which was warm and importantly for the balloons calm, we held the Festival of Flight in Victory Park here in Barnoldswick. The event was our best yet with a massed hot air balloon take off followed by an ABBA tribute band. When it went dark the Night Glow started with lots of massive balloons, including one of an RAC van tethered in the park. Here they performed to music and light and was a great treat for everyone.

In the Fort Vale Balloon for the Night Glow

I was in the Fort Vale balloon during the performance and found that my head got very hot from being near to the gas burners!

More Spectacular Night Glow!

After the Night Glow there was a Kite night flying display. These are 6ft wide and have lights attached and are very impressive. After that, the live band on stage was Disco Disciples and they went down a storm.

See the Stunt KiteTeam perform on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6oHZQU1YTE

Festival of Flight, Stunt Kite team

Sunday 9 September
I slept well, but couldn't stay in bed, as I had to get up again for the Town Hall tours at Nelson.

Tours of Nelson Town Hall for Heritage Open Days

The Festival of Flight continued in the afternoon with lots of family entertainment. The event brings many people into to Pendle to see what we have on offer and hopefully they will come back to stay a while.