Previous stories: 16 - 31 July 2007
Next stories: 16 - 31 August 2007

GROW YOUR OWN!
10/8/07: Arnside Highlights will be showing the film Grow Your Own (PG) on Saturday, 15 September at 7.30pm at Arnside Educational Institute Church Hill, Arnside.
In Grow Your Own, screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce targets the green, unpleasant lands of little England in this bittersweet comic drama about immigrants trying to settle in the urban north-west. The Guardian newspaper says "Benedict Wong ostensibly stars as a distraught Chinese refugee, driven mute by a soon-to-be-revealed trauma and given land on an allotment as part of his treatment, but this is really an ensemble piece about the eccentrics he meets there and the hidden kindnesses that sometimes lurk within them."
The film was supported by North West Vision through its Merseyside Film and TV Fund (MFTVF) last year and not only generated jobs for Merseyside based film professionals, but also creating unique opportunities for a select group of trainees from Merseyside based community group Art in Action.
• Tickets are on sale at Arnside's The Little Shop for £4 each.
• Grow Your Own Official website: www.growyourownthemovie.co.uk

WIND TURBINES FOR ALL!
8/8/07: Whoosh Energy will be holding a Wind Turbine Open Day on Friday 17 (4 - 7pm) & Saturday 18 (10am- 1pm) August in Scorton with the chance to check out a recently installed small 5kW Iskra wind turbine, learn how it works and discuss it with the Woosh Team who can explain about grants, costs, installation and all the rest. Whoosh supply a range of turbines including domestic and small business use. The event is free to attend but you need to let them know you're coming by contacting liz@wooshenergy.com or phoning 01524 590590 to register. For more info see www.wooshenergy.com. Whoosh are based at CityLab in Dalton Square, Lancaster.

GREENS: CANAL CORRIDOR PLAN MUST BE REDRAWN
08/08/07: Now that the Centros Miller (CM) planning applications have been sent back to them by Council officers, for more work following an avalanche of objections by key local businesses and organisations, and damning reports by the council's independent assessors, Green Councillors are calling for the plans for the canal corridor to be sent back to the drawing board and for the whole brief for the scheme to be reassessed.
Argos, the Dukes and English Heritage are just three of the organisations that have voiced concerns about the plans, noting that CM continues to fail to offer specific details or anything more concrete than verbal assurances in aspects of the plan that have the potential to create insurmountable problems for others. Their inability to address the additional traffic mayhem that the scheme would create is another reason for its being sent back.
In addition English Heritage say " We believe that the current proposals will have a detrimental impact on this fine historic city and damage the character and distinctiveness of the two conservation areas which it straddles."
Bulk Ward Cllr Maia Whitelegg said: "Enough is enough. The time has come to reject the Centros Miller scheme and go back to the drawing board. We need to go back to square one and come up with a new brief for the area that has real community involvement, that protects the existing city centre, promotes our heritage and avoids creating traffic gridlock."
Lancaster City Council’s Director of Regeneration, John Donnellon, named by CM's public relations man Steve Bryson as their 'Champion on the Council' stated: “The City Council remains committed to the canal corridor development subject to a number of important tests being passed. We understand and support the additional work being done to deal with queries raised about traffic, retail demand and heritage issues and expect the planning application to be dealt with towards the end of the year after the additional consultation that will be needed for any additional information has been concluded.”
You can read many of the papers, objections and comments associated with the application on the council's website here (click on 'Associated Documents).
Meanwhile in Portsmouth the Public Inquiry that decided that the planned Centros Miller development there could go ahead may have to be held again following a police investigation that found key witnesses withheld evidence about hospitality extended by CM to a Portsmouth council officer while she was working on the case. Legally, this means that her work, the council's decisions relating to it, and the Public Inquiry that also heard evidence based on it (and from CM executives that were aware of the situation but failed to disclose it) may all be considered tainted. The scheme has been suspended pending the conclusion of the police investigation.

YABBA-DABBA-DOO!!!
8/8/07: Peter Whaley's wife thought that the hollowed out log flume boat that she bought from Blackpool Pleasure beach would make a novel planter - but Pete and his friend Graeme Sim had other ideas. So this Sunday 12th at 11am they will be setting off from the Water Witch Pub on the Lancaster Canal in the log, on the canal - dressed as Fred Flintstone & Barney Rubble. And they plan to row all the way to the canal turn at Carnforth.
Now why would an otherwise perfectly (well more or less;-) sane member of Heysham Neighbourhood Council want to make a complete and utter barmcake of himself, you might well ask? Well, they tell me that it's all in aid of the North West Air Ambulance. Fred says, "The sponsors are all people who know us and there are donation buckets at Shengs Chinese takeaway, the Crescent Coffee Lounge on the promenade and we will be collecting on the day as we pass the Royal at Bolton le Sands and the Hest Bank Hotel.
Enjoy!

RECYCLE TETRA PAKS
8/8/07: The new wheelie bins are arriving in town and stunned householders are still reeling with the sheaf of instructions, getting their stickers stuck to everything but their bin and trying to work out where and when they're supposed to park it for collection. Apart from the odd envious glance at bins with lids that actually close, it's been a really street-bonding experience.
But already there are newer developments still - the Council has introduced a new scheme for recycling tetra-paks (the oblong cartons that drinks such as long-life milk come in).

Even though cartons can still not be placed into household recycling boxes the new project means that used cartons can now be recycled through special collection bins at the following locations:

Tesco, Morecambe
Asda, Lancaster
George Hotel, Torrisholme
Greaves Park, Lancaster
Booths, Carnforth

Each year, UK beverage carton manufacturers produce approximately 55,000 tonnes of paper-based cartons for milk, juice, sauces and other liquid foods/drinks.  This equates to around 2.3kg of cartons per household which could be recycled instead of thrown in the rubbish bin. Once collected they can be taken away to be baled, transported to a recycling mill. They can be recycled into a number of different products, ranging from plasterboard liner to high-strength paper bags and envelopes.

Since April last year, the UK carton industry has made £1.5m available to help local authorities interested in starting up carton collection schemes in their area.  The carton industry continues to work with new paper mills to trial carton recycling to ensure the industry can cater for this increase in carton recycling, as more areas come on board.

Richard Hands, Environment Manager at Tetra Pak Ltd and Chairman of ACE UK, said: “Whilst cartons are successfully recycled in large volumes for many years throughout Europe, the UK has a long way to go.  It’s therefore fantastic news that Lancaster City Council is taking a lead by adding cartons to the list of materials collected for recycling and we very much hope that the initiative is successful.”

For more information on recycling in the Lancaster District tel: 0800 092 9705 or visit www.lancaster.gov.uk.  For more information on beverage carton recycling, visit www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk.

END OF THE ROAD FOR LINK INQUIRY
8/8/07: The Public Inquiry into the Heysham M6 Link Road, at the Holiday Inn, Lancaster draws to an end on Friday.
Lancashire County Council representatives have presented their evidence for the scheme. Lancaster & Morecambe College have presented their case against.
Now it is the turn of TSLM & ESTA. Researching the case and paying for experts and barristers is a very expensive business and there will be a lot of bills to pay. If you have not yet made a contribution to the TSLM Public Inquiry Appeal, or if you would like to help again by making a further donation, they would really appreciate your support.
Please send a cheque, made payable to TSLM, to: TSLM D, PO Box 146, Morecambe, LA4 6WR. Please enclose your name, address and postcode so that they can acknowledge your donation.

LESBIAN & GAY FILMFEST @ THE DUKES
8/8/07: This summer the Dukes will be screening films from the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival while adding some of its favourite classics for you to enjoy.
This celebration of lesbian and gay culture will run from the 6 to the 22 of August and includes stunning cult classics such as the highly controversial, 1976 masterpiece, Sebastiane.

Dukes film programme manager, Leon Gurevitch said, “The season will showcase a colourful variety of well-loved gay and lesbian and will provide a rare chance to see them on the big screen.

“I am particularly pleased to have secured seminal works such as Desert Hearts and Pink Narcissus alongside more contemporary films that showcase the new lesbian and gay talent emerging in the industry.

Jennifer Daffin, Lancaster District Pride committee secretary said, “This is a superb opportunity for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (lgbt) community of Lancaster to celebrate who we are.

“It will also allow non-lgbt people an insight into lgbt culture and the issues that we face, and have faced historically.”

She added, “The forward thinking of the Dukes which resulted in their decision to host this festival is excellent, helping to put Lancaster on a cultural par with larger cities.“

Film ticket prices are £5 (£4 conc). For booking information please contact the Dukes Box Office on 084503440654
See our cinema listings for all local screenings.

MORECAMBE SALSA PARTY!
7/8/07: This Sunday 12 August the World’s finest salsa dancers are invited to descend on Morecambe for an open air party and dance competition and the public are invited to watch them and vote on who is the winner.
From 12 noon - 5pm there will be an open Promenade Salsa Party on the promenade (behind the Eric Morecambe Statue) with free lessons and magnificent views.
This will be followed by an evening’s competition and general dancing on a 1950’s sprung dance-floor, upstairs at the King’s Arms from 7.30 - 10.30pm. Event organisers, Anthony Padgett & Stephanie Sturges, say “Salsa is great fun to watch and to dance. In this competition you also get to vote with your entry ticket (£5). Its free entry if you compete and any dancer of any ability can take part.”
”Last year's winners Jayson and Charlotte, who run a class in Manchester, were fantastic. All the contestants put on a stunning performance and it was close who would get the prize for their dancing.”
This year's winners will be YouTubed around the world to subscribers to the Morecambe Salsa YouTube space, who are as far away as New York and Brazil.
Anthony & Stephanie hold classes on Wednesdays in sunny Morecambe at the Kings Arm’s and on Mondays in Lancaster at Revolution.
Anyone interested for more details can phone 07812 799521 or visit www.sacredsalsa.co.uk

MORECAMBE BAY SANCASTLE FESTIVAL

7/8/09: The council has recently imported thousands of tons of sand back to Morecambe’s beaches, as the final part of its sea defence scheme.  To celebrate the return of the simple pleasure of building sandcastles, with bucket and spade, Sunday 19 August, from 11am will see Morecambe's newest festival happen on the beach south of the resort’s iconic 1930s Art Deco Midland Hotel. The Super Sandcastle Building Competition (£100 cash prize), will be accompanied, on the sands, by a packed programme of time-honoured seaside entertainments, as popular today as they were in the resort’s heyday. Delightful 1920s bathing belles will be leading beach drill and synchronised bathing hut manoeuvres; Inner State theatre Company will perform their ‘Seaside Sunshine’ show, of seaside music and theatrical nonsense, and local puppeteer, Martin Scott Price, will presents Punch & Judy, having first performed the show on Morecambe prom 32 years ago! Meanwhile, attempting to impress the timeless values of the municipal swimming baths onto the proceedings will be the ‘firm but fair lifeguards’! Potential teams should contact the organisers, Lancaster City Council’s Cultural Services, to get an entry form and further details, including the competition rules. This can be done by telephoning the Bucket & Spade Hotline on 01524 582872 or 582810

MORE MONEY FOR LOCAL GROUPS
6/8/07: The Galbraith Trust is once again inviting applications from local voluntary and community groups for grants from the charity. The Trust was set up in 2001 from the estate of Ian Galbraith, the former city hardware store owner. Forms and guidelines are available from the Council for Voluntary Service and the next closing date is Friday 26th October, 2007 for decisions in November.
Since May, 28 local charities shared almost twenty thousand pounds from the Galbraith Trust. Grants varied from £250 to £1,600 and have included grants which support the work of the Scout and Guide Association for various Camps & Centenary Celebrations. Other grants have enabled groups to purchase equipment, go on coach trips, and hold community events.
Further information is available from Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), Trinity Community Centre, Middle Street, Lancaster, LA1 1JZ. Tel: 01524 555900 Email: sulivesey@lancastercvs.org.uk

LOCAL BIRD NUMBERS DROP AFTER POOR SUMMER
6/8/07: Lancaster and Morecambe's wild bird population apears to have suffered signifcantly from the poor summer.
The number of ducks and other wild birds on the River Lune seems much lower than usual, with few ducklings spotted during the breeding period earlier in the year.
"The breeding season has been a washout, literally," local bird expert Jon Carter told Virtual-Lancaster. "Many waterside and ground nesting birds have had a terrible time of it.
"Generally, there are fewer ducks around at in the summer," he added, "although with the appearance of ducklings, the numbers are usually boosted at this time of year. However, there are hardly any ducklings -- hence the lack of birds on the river."
There is another reason for a lack of ducks at this time of year, however. "In late summer, all the adult undergo a complete moult and tend to be vary wary and less obvious, so that will be contributing the apparent lack of ducks," Jon explains but he fears bird numbers will be very much down on normal after this year's poor weather.
"It will be autumn/ winter before we really know what the wider situation is," he says.
The RSPB has also expressed concerns about the welfare of birds and other wildlife through the coming winter, due to many berry and fruit bearing trees being 'fooled' by the autumnal climate into bearing their fruit earlier. Wildlife experts fear that this food supply may have come too early to see birds and animals that normally depend on it all the way through the winter, with the result that many may starve.

FLOREAT! UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA
1/8/07: The University of Cumbria is officially launched today with funding to the value of almost £20 million. The Rt Hon James Purnell MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport will officially open the University of Cumbria today.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Christopher Carr and Board Chairman The Venerable Peter Ballard will visit the university's campuses throughout the day at Lancaster, Ambleside, Newton Rigg campus in Penrith and the Brampton Road campus in Carlisle.  At each stop, they will meet with staff, students and local MPs for a champagne toast and plant an oak tree to symbolise both the institution and the area.
Carlisle primary school children recently involved in the joint go4it project with Impact Housing Association will also take part in the celebrations interviewing the VIP's 'Big Brother style' in a mobile film trailer kindly donated by Impact. The children will then be presented with a certificate giving them the opportunity to study at the University of Cumbria. If when the children leave school they meet the entry requirements necessary for any undergraduate degree course then the University of Cumbria has promised to pay their tuition fees. 
The creation of Britain’s newest university, which is expected to cost over £145 million during its first five years, has been formed a result of the merger of the St. Martins College in Lancaster, Cumbria Institute of the Arts in Carlisle, and the Cumbrian campuses of the University of Central Lancashire and will benefit from funding from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and other partners.
Professor Christopher Carr, Vice Chancellor at University of Cumbria, commented: “We are committed to provide a first class environment of Higher Education that is tailored to meet the needs of the region and of which the region can be proud. Cumbria has suffered over the years from the fact that much of its skills base has been lost to other areas due to a lack of opportunity to follow a path of higher education in the region.
" The University of Cumbria aims to change that by retaining the best local talent as well as widening participation to allow people from every background the chance to excel and providing Cumbria a healthy base from which to face the future. Such an ambitious project requires substantial funding and we are delighted to be able to work alongside such supportive partners to ensure we can make our ambition a reality.”
Professor David Eastwood, Chief Executive of HEFCE said: "The University of Cumbria is a new kind of institution with distributed campuses designed to meet the diverse needs of learners in urban and rural locations. We are delighted to have been part of its planning and development working closely with St Martins College, Cumbria Institute of the Arts and the University of Central Lancashire alongside the Northwest Regional Development Agency and other partners.
"As we continue to support this unique institution, we look forward to it realising the vision expressed in the Harris Report of providing greatly enhanced opportunities for learners of all ages throughout Cumbria and beyond, and for employers and employees in both the public and private sectors. The university will provide a major vehicle in the North West for economic growth, better services and personal development."
"Developing the role of higher education through The University of Cumbria is highlighted in the Northwest Regional Economic Strategy as a key transformational action because of the key role it will play in helping keep young talent in the region, which is critical to boosting the economy.

'FARMERS' RELAUNCH AS 'PENNY STREET BRIDGE'
1/8/07: The institution formerly known as the Farmers Arms is to be relaunched in November as the 'Penny Street Bridge' following a £2m refurbishment by Thwaites. While some of us remember rather wistfully some outstandingly hip parties in the dark cellars back in the '70s, the place had already lost most of its antique charm and all of its character to a typically dire 80s refurbishment and change was long overdue - the Farmers received some of the worst hotel reviews ever from Virtual-Lancaster contributers, with many people issuing dire warnings about the state of the rooms that smelt of cigarettes and the lingering odour of eau de chat in many of the corridors for several years.
Comic creator and artist Leah Moore certainly wasn't impressed and in October 2006 she sent us the most damming review of a hotel ever published on this site.
“If you are ever in Lancaster then don't stay in The Farmers Arms unless you are a masochist and a real fan of old carpet," she cautioned. "It not only had the ugliest 1970's depressing decor in the world, it had the most dingy bar/pub, where the seats looked like they'd dissolve your jeans if you sat down.
"The policy on smoking seemed to be if you weren't when you walked in you would have one popped in your mouth and lit before you'd said hello (I am an ex smoker and I normally find the smell cosy except for this case). The 'reception' was a filthy cupboard, the landlady was sat in her dressing gown in the main hallway at 8.30am (she set her alarm to get up and start smoking I think) the breakfast room had no lights in it that worked so they had improvised with those glass flower cluster standard lamps, in a variety of colours.
"There was a crazy Scottish woman at breakfast who we thought was just hungover but then she said 'My rabbit's getting married in Ayrshire'. We were so tired my husband just said 'mm Ayrshire... nice' as if that was the ideal spot for a rabbit to get married in!
"The whole place was terrible, but weirdly our room was clean and tidy and despite being a bit depressing was warm and had a window, so we thought we were okay. Then Saturday night the Halloween club night started in the hotel’s vast nightclub right below our room!! A huge pile of teenagers checked into the room next to us and started screaming wildly, and I suddenly realised I was not going to get any sleep.
We checked out, told the woman in the weird reception cupboard that we wanted a refund and drove home. We got back here just before midnight and were asleep in our own blissfully silent house by 12.30.”
I hope it falls into the canal."
The full £2m renovation of the site is currently underway and will involve the creation of a contemporary bar and dining room, outdoor cobbled courtyard with seating and 28 en-suite bedrooms.
Thwaites tell us that "care will be taken to use local produce and seasonal ingredients and for the overnight guest, a comfortable stay with a fresh, continental breakfast, all in a modern, friendly and professional environment."
Thwaites Area Manager Simon Taylor said “This development ties in with our 200 year anniversary. We are aiming to be open for business in late November 2007 and will be taking online accommodation bookings from September.” See www.pennystreetbridge.co.uk.

ABOLISHED? SLAVE TRADE EXHIBITIONS LAUNCHED
1/8/07: Abolished? is a community arts and educational programme managed by the county council's Museums Service in partnership with the Arts Council England, Lancaster City Council, Anti-Slavery International, Osun Arts and Spot on Touring.

At the heart of the project are two contemporary art exhibitions by nationally acclaimed artists, Lubaina Himid and Sue Flowers. Over the last year both artists have studied Lancaster's historic involvement in the slave trade and their work represents their creative and artistic response to the legacy that has left the city. The installations will be displayed at the Judges' Lodgings Museum and the Maritime Museum in Lancaster until the end of October.

As part of the Abolished? project, the Lancashire Museums Service and artists have also been working with local secondary schools across the Lancaster and Morecambe district.

Students from Central High School in Lancaster, Morecambe High School, Our Lady’s Catholic College, Skerton High School and Ripley St Thomas have worked on projects as part of the county council's Abolished? school programme. Much of the work produced by the students will also be displayed at the Maritime Museum.

British painter, Lubaina Himid, started her career studying theatre design at Wimbledon School of Art and cultural history at the Royal College of Art, London. She was particularly interested in discussing and tackling her position as a black woman through the practice of painting and held the view that painting is the common form and tool for dialogue. Most of her work addresses issues of painting and history, mourning such historical injustices as slavery while celebrating the pleasures of her own life and friendships.

Lubaina's work has been seen across the world and most recently at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Her piece entitled 'Swallow Hard: The Lancaster Dinner Service' will be displayed at the Judges' Lodgings.

Sue Flowers is a local artist and director of Green Close Studios. Having studied Three Dimensional Design, Ceramics at Middlesex Polytechnic, she now practices as a freelance artist.

Sue has worked closely with the Slave Trade Arts Memorial Project (STAMP) leading a number of school and community based artist-led workshops. This has included working with Ripley St Thomas School in Lancaster on their 'Freedom Flags' project. A large flag designed by student, Sammy Faulkner entitled 'Freedom, connected as One' has been funded by the school will be flown over the Lancaster Maritime Museum.

Sue's work, including her 'One Tenth Sugar' installation, will be displayed at the Lancaster Maritime Museum.It will include an installation using the well-known Abolitionist image of the BROOKES fully loaded with slaves, a piece which will reinterpret the museum's portrait of Dodson Foster and newly commissioned African textiles.

For more information visit www.lancsmuseums.gov.uk/abolished

Previous stories: 16 - 31 July 2007
Next stories: 16 - 31 August 2007