Fleetwood Museum – a great day out!

For some years, Fleetwood Museum has hosted a special Victorian Seaside Special, when schools throughout Lancashire and beyond visit Fleetwood Museum to experience life for youngsters during Victorian times. Expert re-enactors bring the past to life with sessions relating to steam and the early railways, the seaside landlady and guesthouse and the Victorian photographer. In this session all children can dress in Victorian costume for their class photograph. There is also a beach pebble picture to be made for the classroom and a traditional Punch and Judy show to round off proceedings. Fleetwood was of course the first resort to be linked by railway and it is appropriate that children get a chance to visit an historic location. Many school visits lead to later family visits to the town. The month of June also sees lots of child and family friendly events at the Museum. Wednesday 6 June is a children’s crafts day on a Diamond Jubilee theme. Make your own jubilee souvenirs. Session times are 12.30pm – 1.30pm and 2pm – 3pm. Saturdays 9, 16 and 23 June see Swashbuckling Pirate theme days – pirate themed crafts and exciting storytelling. Saturday sessions are from 11am – noon, 12.30pm – 1.30pm and 2pm – 3pm.

Dick Gillingham will be hosting events on the 7 and 14 June. . The Heritage Walk from the Museum on the 7 starts at 1.30pm with participants asked to make a £2 donation to museum funds. The theme of the walk will be Fleetwood’s Fascinating Transport History – looking at  railways and the linked steamers, the unique place in tramway history, the Knott End Ferry and the famous Circular route, bus routes and even the ill fated hovercraft service. The following Thursday 14 June at 2pm the Museum will host an illustrated talk – Fleetwood Holidays Before and After World War II. The talk will be illustrated with many rarely seen images and a nostalgic look at the entertainment scene in the town from the twenties to the seventies. At its peak in the late thirties and forties, Fleetwood attracted thousands of day trippers and holidaymakers each week.

The Museum Friends and Trust will both be contributing to a Midsummer Day Garden Party in the Museum Garden on Thursday June 21 – starting at 2pm. There will be a range of stalls and sideshows and seasonal refreshments on offer. All are welcome and tickets will be available from Wednesday May 30 when the Museum Friends will hold their monthly Coffee Morning in the Coffee House ,starting at 10.30am. These events are becoming increasingly popular and all are welcome. 

Dick Gillingham (Fleetwood Museum).

Wyre Tourism Familiarisation visit hailed a success!

On March 20 a group of Wyre Tourism Association (WTA) members and Wyre Council staff and volunteers visited some of our WTA members establishments and enjoyed a lovely day out.  We started out with a drive along the seafront at Fleetwood and saw the Sea Change project and work on the Marine Hall gardens.

We then carried on to Fleetwood Market where Julian Brent, Market Manager gave us a super tour of the stalls which were very varied and interesting.  Farmer Parr’s Animal World was our next port of call with morning coffee and some rather nice cakes.  Farmer Parr himself conducted a tour around the farm and the Fylde Country Life Heritage Museum.  We were also joined on the tour with local celebrity Syd Little (from Little & Large fame).  We were impressed with the more unusual animals they now have on the farm.

We drove along the award winning Cleveleys promenade for arrival at The Venue for a super value lunch of top quality.  The Venue is in a wonderful location overlooking the sea and such a relaxing facility we could have stayed there for the afternoon.  On board the coach again we headed for the Bridge House Marina and Caravan Park tucked away off the A6 at Garstang.  This holiday home park is close to the Lancaster Canal and has a very popular day boat hire which will take you along the Canal to Guy’s Thatched Hamlet at Bilsborrow or the Plough at Galgate for lunch.  It is within easy walking distance of Garstang by walking on the Canal towpath and via the road.

Our next visit was to the Ashdene bed and breakfast.  Situated off the A6 the family have owned the establishment for over 20 years and were fully occupied when we visited.  Walkers and cyclists are some of the many visitors that return year on year .We finished our trip by visiting The Priory at Scorton.  We enjoyed afternoon tea in the contemporary bar and popular restaurant with a log fire. The Priory is situated in the village square at Scorton with parts of the building dating back to 1650.

A wonderful day out was enjoyed by all and it was fantastic to see just some of the gems we have in Wyre.

All the establishments mentioned and other great ideas on places to visit, things to do and places to eat can be found on our website: www.visitwyre.co.uk

Joy Allen.

Visit Fleetwood and Cleveleys Supervisor.

Fun at the Farm!

Farmer Parrs Animal World

When talking to a friend last week they couldn’t believe I’d never been to Farmer Parrs Animal World in Fleetwood before. So, off we went with the kids for a fun day out. If you’re looking for somewhere to spend the day this summer I’d recommend it. As well as all the farm animals (which are all at the perfect level for kids to see and stroke) there was a little show with the rabbits and guinea pigs as well as loads of little rides, pony riding, a great play area (one inside and one out) and a lovely cafe. For £5 per person to get in (which included most things) I thought it was a bargain!

Emma.

Opera Events – Coming Soon to Marine Hall

I went along to Opera Event’s latest performance at Stanley Park, Blackpool this weekend in anticipation of their up coming concert at Marine Hall in Fleetwood. It was, in a word – brilliant! Opera is not something I know much about but I was surprised at how many of the songs I recognised. Charlotte and David were amazing and really captivated the audience. Young and old were there and I was surprised to see how many people the performance appealed to. I’m really excited now about the big concert we have coming up. To recognise all the changes and upgrages taking place on Wyre’s coastline as part of the Sea Change project it will be a ‘sea themed’ celebratory concert. A great chance for everyone to get dressed up and enjoy a night at the opera.

Emma.

Walking the Wyre Light

Wyre Light Walk

Just recovering from the Wyre Light walk across the Bay. It was only two miles there, and even though the tide was out, we still had to wade through water. Neither I nor the other hundreds of participants were deterred. The RNLI kept us safe, counting everyone in and out, laying out flags to guide us, and providing refreshments at the Wyre light itself. Hopefully they made lots of money from donations and sales.

 It was an especially atmospheric walk this year as it was an evening walk. We started at 6.30pm- some older people who do the walk every year, babies in backpacks- by 8.30pm we were back on the promenade and heading to the North Euston for a well-earned pint and music from Captain’s Crew. An amazing end to a fantastic experience.

Jean Laurie, Arts Development Officer

Celebrating Art in Fleetwood

Artists Residency at The Mount, Fleetwood

As Louise Wood’s artists residency at the Mount, Fleetwood has come to an end – we have been busy organising a celebratory event to showcase each of the ten sculptures she has made. Each piece reflects the maritime history of Fleetwood and has been on a journey before arriving back in time for today’s event.

I didn’t think we’d get all the exhibition ready in time,the last two pieces which had been over to Northern Ireland, arrived back at noon, and we opened the doors of The Mount at 1pm. Actually, we opened up at 9am to let Tony, the skipper of the Knott End ferry see his artwork!

Another artwork reflected local men’s involvement in the royal Naval Patrol Service, and they did us proud by bringing along their standards. The Mayor officially unveiled their artwork. He and the Mayoress (Fleetwood born and bred) stayed to talk to residents who had contributed during the community workshops, or who contributed stories. All this was set to a musical accompaniment provided by local musicians.

Children were catered for by storyteller Domonic Kelly. We’d scattered cushions upstairs and there was so much to see from the ten-sided clocktower that he was never short of inspiration for a story. To follow that, we’d devised a quiz about the park keeper in times gone by (the Mountie) and solvers all received a prize.

Many people were amazed at the beauty of The Mount and looked to what the future use of the building might be. All agreed that Louise Wood’s sculptural pieces both looked at the history of The Mount and saw a rosy future for the building.

 Jean Laurie, Arts Development Officer

Tales from the Mount

‘The Mount at Fleetwood is a great venue and not just for the stunning views across the Bay and dunes. Tomorrow is the last drop-in session for people to come along and tell their stories to artist Louise Wood, who then helps record them on clay, to make fantastic ceramic mementos. My piece records a verse from a sea shanty associated with the North West coast, called ‘Rude Boreas’. Not as naughty as it sounds- Boreas is the classical god of the North wind, often seen on old maps blowing a whole gale out of his mouth. It’s certainly been windy during the last eight weeks of the residency, but loads of people have made it up the hill to see how the clock works and tell stories of Fleetwood. Some are residents and others are regular visitors.

Because the Mount building has ten sides, Louise is making ten sculptures reflecting the maritime history of Fleetwood. Each piece is going on a journey, then coming back in time for the final exhibition on June 18^th.  The first piece to travel was the one for the Royal Naval Patrol Service. This did really vital, but dangerous work during World War 2. Lots of ex-RNPS men shared their memories. The piece was taken by Louise on April 29^th to Cardiff and handed over to the captain of HMS Tyne. It’s now on this fisheries patrol vessel off the west coast of Scotland, before being returned to us. The second piece to travel was taken to London for a short ceremony to lay flowers on the grave of architect Decimus Burton, to mark the 175^th anniversary of Fleetwood.

I can’t wait until June 18^th to see all the pieces together, along with the artworks made by schoolchildren and local people.

 Find out more here… http://www.visitwyre.co.uk/site/events/artist-s-residency-at-the-mount-fleetwood-ten-tales-ten-journeys-p630880

Jean Laurie Arts Development Officer

Dinner Dance at Marine Hall

Mayoral Ball at Marine Hall

I was lucky enough to be invited to the annual Mayoral Ball at Marine Hall in Fleetwood this weekend. I’ve been to Marine Hall for many meetings and to see some shows but it’s not somewhere I’ve been for a night out before. The main ballroom looked great, all set up beautifully for the 280 guests. The service was excellent, we all enjoyed a nice meal and everyone danced the night away!

Emma

Kids Fun at Marine Hall

My and my sister-in-law took our kids to see ‘How the Koala Learnt to Hug’ at Marine Hall this weekend, what a great show! It was really interactive, the kids loved it (especially when the cuddly koala and sweets made their way around the audience.) There was plenty of singing and laughter and some comedy for the grown ups too! More shows like this please!

Britain’s favourite market?

Fleetwood Market Entrance

With Christmas fast approaching I took the opportunity to visit historic Fleetwood Market. With around 200 stalls I knew that I’d be able to complete all my Christmas shopping in one go, and when I don’t have a lot of time, this is exactly what I needed!

The traders were so friendly and helpful and the Christmas music made the atmosphere really special and Christmassy. With well placed car parks dotted around the market and plenty of free on street parking I knew that I would be able to crack on and spend, spend, spend! Not only was I able to buy lots of gifts for loved ones but I managed to get some household essentials to complete my shopping basket. With customer service second to none I’m really glad I chose Fleetwood Market to do my Christmas shopping this year and the wonderfully heated halls made it a pleasure to spend a couple of hours there in this freezing weather.

 Laden with shopping I took the opportunity to have a cup of tea and a homemade cake at the Market Cafe situated in the Centre of the Main Hall and do a little bit of people watching too!

Have you ever visited Fleetwood Market? I think it’s a great candidate for Britain’s Favourite Market. If you think so too then visit www.nabma.com and cast your vote (just click on the apple). Closing date is 13 January. It would be great to get Fleetwood Market recognised for being such a true gem.

Alex