It was the Mayoress’s (my sister Barbara) birthday today and I had remembered - after she had reminded me a few times - to get her a card and a pressy. We have a busy week in front of us with around 20 engagements, so we started with a meeting at Pendle Community Networks to discuss the forthcoming Pendle Community Volunteers Awards.
Some hand made birthday cards for Barbara
From there we went with Laura their Marketing Manager to Christ Church on Carr Road in Nelson. They are one of the nominees for an award so we were given a tour of the building and met with lots of groups using it. We followed this with lunch with them in their café.
Here's your birthday cake
Christ Church is unusual in that there are Roman Catholic and Methodist Church congregations using the same building.
Computer wizz kids at the Rocking Horse club
From there we went to the Rocking Horse Club on Walton Lane in Nelson which is one of the largest children’s centres in Britain with over 460 children attending. The head of the centre was proud of what they had achieved – and quite right too.
We then travelled to Earby to the New Road Community Centre which is housed in an old school. Here we met with just some of the groups who were using the facilities.
The New Road manager and some of the user groups have a chat with us
They range from toddlers groups, to a youth club, to slimming world, to Age Concern pop-ins. They were all very enthusiastic about what the centre meant to them.
Tuesday 15 April
They say that one swallow doesn’t make a summer but I saw my first one today and it feels like mid winter. It fact the weather is still so cold that I bet the birds wished that they were back in sunny Africa.
Today we visited Grassroots Family Centre at St Phillips Church in Nelson. This centre is run by the Diocese of Blackburn and we were met by Suzanne who showed us round. It never fails to surprise me that we have excellent centres such as this which I hadn’t heard about.
Holy Saviour's parishioners lay on a nice lunch
Then we went for lunch at Holy Saviours also in Nelson. The parishioners made us most welcome and we managed to have a chat with most of them over a sandwich. They are obviously proud of what they have achieved with their centre.
Gisburn Road lets me have a go with the puppets
Over then to Barnoldswick to see the new Gisburn Road Children’s Centre. This brand new facility for parents and children will work with health services, the job centre, and others to provide a wide range of support for the family.
We then called in at the Barnoldswick Pensioners Club on Frank Street in where a bingo session had started so we had to be very quiet. For the last game I was asked to call the numbers – something that I hadn’t done before so I got a bit of banter about my calling.
I would never get a job as a bingo caller
The centre is self-funded by the club who put on something most days, which is much appreciated by their members.
In the evening I got out on the doorstep supporting my group in the local election campaign.
Wednesday 16 April
In the afternoon we went again to Marsden Grange in Nelson. This is an excellent home for our senior citizens and today we helped to celebrate Doreen Widdows 90th birthday.
In the evening I got very cold and wet again knocking on doors in Barnoldswick for the election campaign.
Thursday 17 April
It is another very cold day with bitter east winds coming straight here from Siberia.
We meet with the Susan from the Friends Group and Michelle the Park Keeper at Barrowford
Today we are starting our tour all the parks in Pendle, we first visited Barrowford Park and were met there by Julie the Parks Outreach Officer, Michelle the Park Keeper together with Susan and Ian from the Friends Group. We were shown some of the issues concerning this park including the fact that the ducks are heavily outnumbered by the drakes.
The press ask us all to ruin our knee joints for this posed shot
Before we went we planted a wild rose in the new bog garden.
We then went to Victoria Park, which is part in Barrowford and part in Nelson, to meet with Carole and the Friends Group to see their issues. Michelle is also the Park Keeper for this park. We were very impressed by the commitment of all of the Friends Groups, who really showed us how much they cared for their local parks.
The hard working group of Friends at Walverden Park show us around
We then travelled on to Walverden Park in Nelson and met Keith and others from their Friends Group with Aaron the Park Keeper. This park is getting much needed investments of around £200k.
Marsden Park with Pendle Hill peeking through in the backgroundWe then went up to Marsden Park and had a quick buffet lunch at the old hall.
In the afternoon we called at Heyhead Park in Brierfield and met John and others from the Friends Group with Aaron again who is their Park Keeper.
I am sure that not many bowling greens have a view as good as that
This park used to be in my ward when I was a councillor for this neck of the woods so I still knew it pretty well.
The "all weather" Brierfield bowling club don't seem to care much about the cold
The bowlers were enjoying a game in the cold weather. We certainly breed them tough up here!
Carole and the Friends of Alkincoates give us a warm welcome
Our final visit was to one of the largest Parks in Pendle which is Alkincoates in Colne. We were shown round by Carol and others from the Friends with Matthew the Park keeper. We had already been to this park a couple of times to open the new band stand area and the play area last year.
I planted this evergreen tree last summer and its doing rather well
It is a wonderfully well kept park with lots to offer everyone including a woodland walk. Here we saw lots of birds including a Jay and we also heard, what we were told, was a nuthatch. When we arrived at the children's play area I had to ask a few "big kids" to please get off the swings and leave it for the youngsters, which they did. The Park is being promoted as Pendle’s bid for a big government investment in parks.
In the evening we were back on the knocker again where we had some interesting chats with local people.
Friday 18 April
It’s still very, very cold! We continued our parks visits and started at Valley Gardens in Barnoldswick. This is probably the smallest park in the Borough but is used as a pleasant walk. It has an old mill race which used to power the corn mill but today it only grows water cress.
Staying in the Town we then went down to Victory Park to see the £1.5m investments including a new Multi Use games Area (MUGA), new pavilion, new children’s play area and new Rugby pitches.
The new Victory park Pavilion starts to take shape
The park is used for lots of games and with these new investments will be used even more.
Still in Barlick we went up to Lettcliffe Park which must be the highest we have in the Borough.
The renovated bandstand area at Lettcliffe offers lots of performance opportunities
Lettcliffe is the only County Park operated by Pendle in the Borough. The wind chill factor here was severe as we looked around this interesting Park with its sheltered, tiered band stand area. We hope to be able to put on live performances here in summer. We also hold the popular children’s kite festival here because of the windy aspect.
Just one of the impressive stone work items at Marsden
We then travelled to Marsden Park in Nelson to meet Alison from the friends group for a look around probably the main park in the Borough and where most of the parks staff is situated.
This is the fascinating old sundial where you can see the time all over the world
It has had very big investments in it in recent years and Marsden Old Hall has been renovated and is now used for lots of activities. Last summer we were very privileged to re-open the unique wishing gate in the park.
You can make a wish at the Wishing Gate by putting a leaf in one of the holes
After a quick buffet lunch with the Friends, park keepers, and Colin Patton the Parks Manager we set off for Sough Park.
I help to plant the silver birch tree which looks great by the beck
This small park is well looked after and here we planted a silver birch tree by the beck. We had time for a chat with the gardener who was clearing weeds already from the flower beds.
Jerry shows me around Ball GroveOn then to Ball Grove Park where until around 30 years ago the largest tannery in Europe was situated. We met Jerry from the Friends and Park Keeper Matthew. Jerry was a mine of information about the site and what was there previously. This is more of a wild life park than a formal one, with its large lake with plenty of ducks on. On of them had 12 tiny ducklings in tow.
The young duckings stick close to mum
Now there is not much evidence of the massive tannery works that were once there, but we were shown the brick outline of what would have been the base to the chimney. It was still freezing and raining, so we were rather glad to get back into the warm car afterwards.
When I got back home I had an email asking to write around a 350 word for an introduction to the Pendle Heritage Newsletter, so I will have to find time to fit that in somehow.
Saturday 19 April
In the morning I went along to Linden Road in Earby to open the Earby and Kelbrook Senior Citizens Welfare Association Spring Fair.
Flowers for sale at the spring Fair
We were met by Lou Stott their chairman and I then had a look around the stalls and bought a few Eccles cakes for later.
I can never resist the cake stall
After saying a few words about what I had been doing during the Mayoral year, I declared the Spring Fair open and then drew their 20 club where a happy lady won £40.
A press photo outside the centre
Whilst having a cup of tea, I chatted to some of the resident who was attending, including an interesting lady who had been moved to Earby as an evacuee from London but then stayed on after the war and got married here.
We spotted this fine example of a 3-wheeled Reliant Robin in the car park
The Linden Road building was built around 20 years ago and they are now looking forward to upgrading their kitchen. And finally, another picture of Proud Pendle, taken from Colne this time.
