http://www.visitcleveleys.co.ukVisit Cleveleys The Jewel on the North West Coasthttp://192.168.0.60/visitcleveleys/Logos/logo.gifhttp://192.168.0.60/visitcleveleyshttp://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-01-13There's a tame seagull on the prom at Cleveleys, who was christened Homer by one of the residents who started feeding him some time ago. He lives on a chimney pot on the houses behind the promenade, and rears his chicks there each year. Homer is a cheeky chappie and he begs from all of us - he picks a willing punter and sits staring through our windows until we obediently go out and feed him! The man who first fed him sits on his garden wall and Homer runs up to him, snatches a tit bit and then gulps it down. He's not quite that brave with us, but last years baby (known as Baby!) has got it off to a T! We have trellis outside our back window and they gang up on us, sitting on the trellis, watching and waiting. When we trot out with the latest offering, Homer flies onto the garage roof, while Baby runs to us and feeds out of our hands. Seagulls are actually in threat - many seaside places have a problem with them because of their pushy behaviour and pinching fish and chips hasn't won then any prizes. Bans on feeding them and general dislike of these traditionally seaside birds has led to their decline in recent years, so maybe we should all adopt a Homer?Wed 13 Jan 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-01-27 I'm an optimistic little poppet, so I'm going to stick to my theory that a cold winter like this one is the forerunner of a long, hot summer (and pigs may, I suppose, fly!). I'm dreaming of long walks on the beach and sitting in the sun (which is bad for your wrinkles) and more than anything, pootling round Cleveleys this summer. That's the nice thing about Cleveleys, you can find plenty of things to do if you are so inclined, without having to go off on day trips. Like my mum says, people come here from all over for their day out, so why do we try to find somewhere else to go out of the way? It's a reasonable walk up to the twon centre - not too far and not too near - and there are plenty of places to pop yourself down for a minute to people watch. Last year, a group of pan-pipe players took to performing on the Plaza each weekend and it was standing room only as people just sat there for ages! This year, the community groups in Cleveleys are really revving up their offer - the Traders Association have a number of things planned, Cleveleys Seafront Partnership has also got a list of events they are working on with the flagship event on 4 July which will be Cleveleys Seafestival. There'll be a big parade and all kinds of acts and entertainment - find out more at www.cleveleysseafrontpartnership.co.uk When you are a little girl, if you promise to be good, Santa should keep his bargain and bring presents. I'm not a little girl any longer, so do you think if I'm good, the weather might be kind to the grown up me? Wed 27 Jan 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-02-02 You'll get to know Homer the seagull and Baby quite well before I've finished!   I've been buying dog food for the birds while the weather has been so bad, and Baby has been coming to the end of the trellis outside our back door and taking it off me from the end of a (blunt) knife. Unfortunately, on Sunday moring I credited him with more brain than he clearly has, and offered up the plate so that he could just pick the bits up himself. The next thing I knew, as quick as a flash, he stood on the plate which I was holding up in the air. He's quite a heavy bird, so I dropped the plate on the floor. So there I am, in my dressing gown, with broken plate, dog food and stunned seagull at my feet! He flew off, quite upset.   On Monday morning, he came down with Homer onto next door's garage roof, but he wouldn't come onto the trellis - quite clearly he is offended and I shall have to make full and clear apologies for my misdeed. I told him it was an accident, but it didn't seem to cut any ice! (When I learn how, I'll attach photos of Baby feeding in progress!) Poor Baby! Tue 02 Feb 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-02-03 Months ago we woke to the sight of a green bell shaped Martian on the beach at Rossall, complete with a winking green eye. It was in fact a buoy, and at a guess I'd say it was like the one that is at the edge of the Barrow Offshore Wind Farm.   It sat winking and blinking for a few days much to the curiosity of everyone on the beach. It had a sort of hole in it that the kids climbed in and nobody could resist having a look as they walked past. It was soon moved to the Volker Stevin compound where they have been repairing the pipe from the Riverdance beaching. As you went up and down Princes Prom there it sat, winking and blinking all through the winter.   As I drove down Princes Prom yesterday they were loading it onto the back of a lorry (Builders Supplies, of all things. I've no idea what they were going to do with it). So I suppose that's the end of the Buoy. It's winked and blinked off!Wed 03 Feb 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-02-08 Anyone who has been past the other side of the cafe on the promenade in the last few weeks can't have missed the huge pile of rock. It's been the subject of much speculation with a number of far-fetched ideas for what it's for, including re-building the sea wall in stones! It's actually to build a new groyne at the northern side of the cafe, to try and prevent the sand drifting northwards and the beach levels dropping. A number of times we've sat watching people get cut off, because the tide has carved deep channels in the beach which are quite dangerous when the tide comes in. Work starts this morning - the diggers and lifters were delivered last week into a make-shift compound on Rossall Prom. I'll keep you posted on progress. It looks like it's going to be a big 'un! Mon 08 Feb 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-02-11 It looks like I've been forgiven, or at least the lure of Asda's finest 45p chopped up dead horse meat is too much to resist! It must be a week since Baby climbed on the plate and came crashing down to earth, and he's been back since, but very warily. The other day he came begging but couldn't bring himself to actually take anything off me. This afternoon at 4.30 he turned up with Homer and just couldn't stop himself in the face of dog food on the end of a knife (a blunt one, of course). What a relief, I thought I'd been sent to seagull Coventry! Thu 11 Feb 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-02-15 One of my many tasks is writing a fairly regular page for the Northern Life magazine. It's a really good magazine, with lots of down to earth articles, so as you can imagine, my writing fits in well. The last one was in the Dec/Jan edition, which I've just got a copy of, via someone's mother-in-law from Bolton (because the TICs get copies and of course they are closed in Fleetwood and Cleveleys for refurbishment). If I read this and lived in the landlocked counties I'd feel quite envious - there are pics of a mottley bunch on the beach having a group paddle, and generally a lot of community spirit, which of course there is! Mon 15 Feb 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-02-22 'Don't let it slip away....' The weather has been really nice here for a few days now, all bar a snow flurry early on Sunday morning that quickly disappeared. We seem to have our own little microclimate at Cleveleys, and while the rest of the country suffers, it's quite nice here. Until the wind starts.... Mon 22 Feb 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-02-25 I'd already made mention earlier this month about the work that's started on the Groyne at the side of the cafe on North Promenade. Work is coming on quite quickly and the pile of rocks is getting quite tall, and it certainly makes the beach look interesting. Further along at the Blackpool boundary, work is rattling on with the final phase of the promenade works. The walls are completed and it's all starting to look a lot tidier and near to completion - they are expected to be finished in only a few weeks. What's Bob the Builder got that Cleveleys hasn't! Thu 25 Feb 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-01 Visit Cleveleys will be kept up to date and interesting, and YouTube has just been added. If any of you have any ideas for things that you'd like to see please get in touch!   Next weeks new item will be a list of forthcoming events for all of you to jot down in your diaries! Mon 01 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-03 One of the turbines on the cafe was badly damaged by the autumn gales and they have been turned off since then. Yesterday, there was a cherry picker lifting men up to the roof and the turbines to repair them, so when they start moving again, I'll keep you posted! Wed 03 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-05 I'm quite a wild-life fan, all animals are welcome at my door-step (including the two baby hedgehogs I once reared through the winter. If I say I called them 'Stinky' and 'Squeaky' it sort of explains why I was glad to release them in Spring!).   Baby is back on track to being the fatest seagull in the northwest, each morning downing half a can of Asdas finest, cheapest dog food. This morning he was on the side of our pond when I went out, and flew onto the roof. It's quite a feeling of satisfaction when you can call to a wild bird and he will come straight down to you to be fed.   There's a common myth on the seafront that 'Nothing grows here' and we've set out to prove a point that you can have a garden. At the front you have to be careful and we have lost plants by trial end error, but in the back where it is more sheltered we are creating a one-stop animal haven. I was thrilled last year when a colony of yellow legged bees set up shop under our shed, and the regularly visiting wren is an achievement, despite the fact that they were always in our in-land garden.   I put two cockatoo nesting boxes up a couple of years ago on the house wall (don't ask) and have already had starlings nesting in them once. Clearing them out last year (as you should) seemed to put them off, but this year they are bobbing in and out already, so I am hopeful of more babies this spring! Fri 05 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-09 Sunday was a beautiful day and Cleveleys is starting to get busier with tourists and day trippers enjoying the nice weather after the winter.   There are often buskers playing, which makes for a pleasant atmosphere as you wander around and have five minutes on a bench. Take a look at this clip of one young man who is quite good on the accordian! Tue 09 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-11 We often see cormorants flying across the sea at Cleveleys. They are fast flyers and apparently very fast underwater (just ask the fish!). Only this weekend one flew into a fishing line and was untangled to be set free (after the fisherman posed for a photo with it!).   This chap posed for a photo with his seagull fanclub. It's not often that we see them out of the water here, although I would imagine the fabulous new rock groyne will provide a number one perch for a spot of sunbathing for many a sea-bird when they get used to it!Thu 11 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-15 Google Street Maps have come to Cleveleys, and to make it easy for you to use, there are selected links around and about on the site, directed straight to the place you are reading about.   Meet Google Street Maps man! He's your guide to Cleveleys, click on him where he appears and go straight to where you need to be!   In this instance he goes straight to the Plaza at the end of Cleveleys high street, so if you want to start there you can wander your way round at leisure!    Mon 15 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-18   Living on the seafront and having our own baby seagull is still a novelty, even if he is eating us out of house and home! When the mornings started getting lighter he seemed to think we would be out with his dog food when dawn broke, but he's since re-set his watch and now asks to be fed at an acceptable 8am. Some days he just sits staring through the window for hours. He doesn't need to talk, the expression says it all. Who would think a seagull would beg!   You can watch the video of this mornings feeding time at the link below, or along with the other Cleveleys clips through the YouTube icon at the top.   http://www.youtube.com/VisitCleveleysUK   Do you have any tame animal stories to share? You can upload them at the visitCleveleys Facebook or YouTube pages. Thu 18 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-19 So there we were, watching the baby seagull pottering about in the garden. He had a drink out of the plant-pot saucer that we use for the birds, wandered to the stone rabbits and gave their ears a bash. Another sip of water, then a walk to the stone ducks for a peck at them.   Then he got hold of the saucer of water and tipped it up and emptied the water out (he'd obviously got the funny half hour on). The next thing we knew, he'd got hold of the quite large brown plastic saucer, picked it up and set off flying with it, out of the garden and up and over the houses!   Then about an hour later, the blackbird came, walking up and down looking round as if to say 'who's nicked the water!'. You couldn't make it up! Fri 19 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-24     The beauty of our award winning sea defences is the clean, cream stonework, but because it has been exposed to the weather in the years since the first phases were built, they have obviously got dirty.   The Birse Coastal workmen have nearly finished their time on site, so in their last couple of weeks they are cleaning up and jet washing the whole of the promenade from the Plaza right through to the Five Bar Gate at Rossall Prom.   You can see on the bottom section of wall (above) what a difference it makes. By tea time yesterday they had got down to the car park next to the cafe - they have worked really hard and it's made a massive difference.   Well done lads! Wed 24 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-26   Go on then, a 'plantpot' is perhaps a bit of an exageration for something so large and edged with concrete blocks, but that's been it's work in progress name since the plan was started well over a year ago.   Rossall Beach Residents Association have been working with the local authority and had the outbuild created and the road diverted in 2009, to slow traffic down on the long, straight promenade road.   The planter will be planted up and maintained by the Residents group, and will just make the place look a whole lot nicer! Fri 26 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-03-29   Like many women, I do enjoy a spot of shopping, and I really enjoy a couple of hours in Cleveleys on a Sunday afternoon, so yesterday I popped to the shops with my mum and long suffering shopping partner.   We had a walk round the shops and got the bits and bobs of things that we needed to buy, plus a sandwich for tea (complemented, of course, by a treat, a fresh sausage roll!).   We had ten minutes on the bench at the side of the clock, and then another two minutes further up the high street. The sun is getting higher in the sky and it was very pleasant, sitting and listening to the busker on his accordian, and watching the world go by. (OK, I cheated, this photo was taken last summer, it wasn't that warm!).   The dog people were out in force, and we said 'hello' to a 3 month old Maltese and a 15 year old Schitzu who was falling to sleep in his mums arms.   One thing we did once again comment on, is how we always find loads to buy at Cleveleys, and seem to spend more than we do anywhere else we go. That must be testament to there being such a good range of shops and things to tempt you! Mon 29 Mar 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-01 I've lived at Cleveleys for several years now, and as I sit looking across the sea I never tire of the view, or fail to marvel at the way it looks different every single day.   We often see a cormorant flying across the water (at first I was convinced it was a black swan!) I'm not sure where he goes when he flies back and forth, but here he is having a stretch on a groyne watched by his seagull fanclub.     Yesterday, there was a strong north westerly wind which was biting cold, and a 10m tide so the waves were spectacular (but not photogenic because of the accompanying rain!). Had it been coming straight on there would have been more overtopping and a wet prom to go with it!  Thu 01 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-02 At lunch time yesterday the seas at Cleveleys were fantastic. The wind was a westerly and it was a quite high tide (just short of 10m) which made for fantastic display. Along with bright sunshine it was a spectacular sight.     The spanish steps are designed to take the energy out of the waves, and you can see that they do, as the water just ripples to the top of the steps and onto the first level. It's truly magnificent! Fri 02 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-05 We're having a new puppy (or two) which in itself is turning into a saga of epic War and Peace proportions. The latest installment took us on a day out on Saturday to Rhos on Sea in North Wales, quite near to Llandudno.   It was quite funny when we came round the bay onto the coast road and saw the sea. We live at Cleveleys on the seafront for goodness sake, but a Royle Family style cry went up in the car 'oohhh look at the sea', you'd think we'd never seen it before! I have to say that Rhos on Sea is quite nice and I'd like to go back. It's quite different to Cleveleys - it's a quite wide sweeping bay and boy is it hilly! The lady with the puppies lived at the top of the hill and we realised at that point just how used we had become to a flat landscape!    We quite liked what they had done in the bay - they'd built a large rock groyne (bigger than our new terminal groyne at Cleveleys) which formed a little sheltered area against the beach where small fishing boats were moored, like this -     When we got back to Cleveleys the sun was shining acros the water and we all said 'ooohhh look at the sea!'   Mon 05 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-08 When I drive round the little roundabout at the sea end of the high street I'm always struck by how busy it is looking through the shops, no matter what time of day. I almost always say 'Cleveleys, the Centre of the Universe' as I pass.   It's surprising though how you stop seeing the things that you look at. We are off work this week so we've been jaunting to other places on the coast, and it was only when we saw how quiet it is in other places that it really struck home just how popular and busy Cleveleys is.   In these days of out-of-town shopping centres and estates and with such a lot of Britain's High Streets suffering, it's really a testament to the charm of the place, the range of shops and the quality of facilities that we have at Cleveleys that it consistently bucks the trend and is busy all day and all year round. Thu 08 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-11 One of the things I do is Chair Cleveleys Seafront Partnership, and we are currently organising a new event for 4 July called Sea Festival. We've been appealling for people to come forward with acts and entertainment etc and I'd been in touch with BBC Radio Lancashire about outside broadcast on the day, and they offered to give it some coverage now to help before the event.     Maria, the roving reporter, turned up at 8am with the van and hoisted the mast and then at 5 past 8 we were live on air. I am always really conscious or 'eerming' when you are on the spot public speaking but I think I managed to spit out quite well what I wanted to say, and didn't put my foot in it which is my usual trick!   It got a nice plug in for a day out at Cleveleys when we talked about the beuatiful weather and the award winning promenade! Sun 11 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-14   Although this website is brand spanking new, it's had a lot of very good feedback from the people who are using it. The web stats make interesting reading because people are returning several times rather than having one look and not coming back, so a BIG THANKS to everyone who has passed the news on.   I'm just starting to push the message out, and the other day I scurried round putting posters in the police station, chip shop etc! The recent coverage on North West Tonight has been a good boost for Cleveleys - it's come across really well!   If you have a business or would like some postcards to promote Cleveleys and this wonderful place where we live, just get in touch. Spread the word! Wed 14 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-15 You'll probably have seen on the news this morning that a volcano erupting in Iceland has caused airport chaos today with planes cancelled left, right and centre because of the dust in the upper atmosphere.   Looking on the bright side, apparently the one benefit is that there should be spectacular sunrises (which is not much good on the west coast) and sunsets which we will certainly enjoy.   We have spectacular sunsets here already so you can only guess what kind of difference it will make, but get your cameras out and then enter the results in the Cleveleys Seafront Partnership photography competition. Rules and entry details available on the website, and winning photos will be published in a charity Cleveleys calendar for 2011. Thu 15 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-17   This weeks eruption in Iceland has caused chaos for airports and flights, but the bright side has been the spectacular sunsets at Cleveleys.   Thursday nights was the most vivid - it was almost like a red magnesium flare if that makes sense! It was partly obscured by cloud, so this photo was taken on Friday night as the sun went down.   The beach was full of people taking photos, so it looks like there were a few out to capture the occassion! Sat 17 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-20   Rossall Beach Residents Association worked with Wyre Borough Council and Lancashire County Council to install a diversion in the promenade at the end of Thornton Gate to slow the traffic down which uses the prom. To make it more visible a planter has been built on the outbuild, which is a community garden for the group.   The first phase of planting has been done with plants which have been donated or grown by residents - including all kinds of hardy species which will tolerate the salt and winds - like sedums, phormiums and hebes.   Some more plants are needed to complete the effect, and the plan is to have a sign on the planter which welcomes visitors to Rossall Beach. Some more planters are on offer for other spots on the prom, and when they are in position, the grand opening ceremony can be held!   Last year the group entered the Neighbourhood Award category of Britain in Bloom for the first time. Although a lot of community work had been done in cleaning up public areas and the beach, they were let down by the lack of planting. This years entry should be far more successful!   To see more photos of planting in action, go to the visitCleveleys Facebook page Tue 20 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-22As I drove round the River Wyre roundabout yesterday, I was marvelling at how neat and tidy it looked. The grass has been cut (with nail scissors I think) and the bed turned ready for the plants to go in. Then in the middle of the grass I spotted a beautiful single thrush, just sat there, catching worms, oblivious to the traffic around him. What a lovely sight! Thu 22 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-25   If you've been following this blog, you'll know Homer by name. He's a local seagull who one of the residents has been hand feeding, and he's anyones for a free meal! Over the winter we've also been feeding his baby, but he seems to be a big boy now and has found his feet (or wings) and very rarely comes for food.   Homer nests on one of the chimney pots behind our house, a few houses away. When I have tasty food - scraps of meat and bits of leftovers - I have usually banged a knife against a plate and he comes within a few minutes to the garden to fetch it.   Yesterday, I took his dog food out and stood in his line of sight on the chimney pot and banged the knife on the plate. I could see him look round, so I waved to catch his attention. Blow me down but he flew straight to me, came in the garden and had his food! It really is thrilling to have a relationship like that with a completely wild bird!   I know many people really don't like seagulls and they find them to be agressive, dirty and noisy. They are now of conservation concern because their numbers have dropped so much, and without feeding hoards of them I am doing my own small bit to help Mr & Mrs Homer to raise a clutch of healthy babies this year. It would be a terrible shame if they were to dwindle or disappear in our seaside towns, after all they were here before people, and they are an integral part of the coast. The official line is that if they are a nuisance to you, you should fit spikes on your chimney and ledges to stop them from nesting on your house.     Sun 25 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-04-30 I'll start with apologies for not blogging sooner, but you know what it's like when you wait for a bus, they all come at once! Only in my case, it was appointments and things to do all in one week!   I started the week with a trip to Yorkshire. Now Yorkshire is a beautiful county and the hills and rolling fields came as a shock after so much flatness on the Fylde coast, but who moved the sea because I really missed it! I also found it quite disconcerting that as the sun went down I couldn't see it, behind a slope and trees! I can tell you I was really glad to get back to Cleveleys-beside-the-sea on Tuesday night!   Then Wednesday morning was taken up with the Seachange selection process, where a community panel heard presentations from companies pitching for the contract to deliver the regeneration work at the Marine Hall and at Fleetwood - that was very interesting and all of them had something to offer. In the afternoon BBC Radio Lancashire came to Cleveleys for one of their Days Out and interviewed lots of people on the seafront and high street - at least the sun shone for them (of course it always does in Cleveleys!)   Then yesterday the event manager came to Cleveleys who is pulling together all the Seafront Partnership hard work on the Sea Festival event on 4 July, so a walk along the prom was a constant conversation about keys for bollards, power supplies and whether 600 or so people would be safe parading along the edge of the spanish steps!   Today started with feeding Homer at the crack of dawn, then the rest of the day was clients, followed by a quick trip to the nursery shop to buy baby gates for the puppies we are getting next week! Not every week is like this for me, thank goodness, but there is usually something interesting to report at Cleveleys - as you'll know if you follow this blog and the Facebook page!   Over and out for now - more snippits to follow after the Bank Holiday!   Fri 30 Apr 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-03   If you have read through this website you'll have seen me mention that the weather forecast for Cleveleys is often wrong, and we have a fab little micro-climate of our own. On Friday, the forecast said rain by mid afternoon, and to be fair there were a few clouds wafting around, but we didn't have any (that I saw!).   Saturday was lovely, despite another mixed prognosis, and after a morning doing tasks including a thrilling trip to the supermarket, I spent the afternoon in the garden in the sun, pottering about which was really nice, assisted by the Blackbird who was a big help, clearing away worms and generally keeping a close eye on everything that I did.   Sunday (yesterday) was a lovely morning, and at 11am we packed up and drove to Tebay just at the bottom of the Lakes to collect our first baby puppy. I haven't been to the Lakes before and even the bottom bit was very hilly! (What a stupid thing to say!). It was freezing cold and dull, and as we drove back down to Lancashire Land, the sun came back out to welcome us to home, sweet home! We took this photo looking across Rossall Beach - you can see the new Terminal Groyne in the foreground, and the hills you can see are Anglesey, across the water.   (The puppy is doing really well, he is soooo good and settled straight in. His 'brother' is coming later in the week from North Wales, and £100 on it that he is a little terror).    Mon 03 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-05   I went for a walk the other day in the direction of Rossall Hospital. You can see from the beach that the new Terminal Groyne has had a big impact already - the beach has flattened out and the deep channels have all but disappeared. Before the groyne was built, the area at the bottom of the steps near Rossall Hospital was the lowest and sandiest I've ever seen it, and the previous rubbish collecting point had all but disappeared.   Last week the rubbish was back, just like it used to be a few years ago. This photos is a bit blue, but you can see the plastic deck chair, the bottles, there were some shoes and loads of bottle tops and little bits of plastic. It's all washed in on the tide, you see foreign food packets and buckets which I assume have come off ships, and all kinds of random things.   This is why we have community beach cleans, and it's why the local authority pay someone to clean the beach, because each rough tide brings with it another load of rubbish which makes keeping it clean like painting the Forth Bridge - you no sooner finish than you need to start again!   It has made a big difference though, and this year the beach is cleaner than it's ever been, thanks to the efforts of the public, and the visitors and beach users keeping it clean. Wed 05 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-06 I can't say I'm a big fan of holidays. Before we came to live at Cleveleys we often went to the south coast, and it was nice to see other places, but I found it exhausting travelling, and then while you are there you feel obliged to make the most of every minute, so a holiday which should be a rest turns into a route march!   Since we came to Cleveleys we have 'staycationed' as they say - after all, we used to drive here for the day to sit on the very spot where we now live! Every day feels like a holiday when you live at the coast, particularly if you are from inland and not used to it from childhood.   When the Icelandic dust was back on the news this morning, I just thought that if everyone stayed at home for holidays it would mean no airports, delays and stress, and it would do the UK tourism industry no end of good. So what if there's a bit of drizzle, do something at an indoor venue, there are plenty of them all over the country! Or even better still, treat yourself to a sit down and a rest and watch someone elses TV in your holiday accommodation! Thu 06 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-08 Yesterday, a conversation started on the Visit Cleveleys Facebook page about a caravan site where there are now houses behind the Vue, and it set me wondering how other people first found Cleveleys - there are so many of us 'incomers' around.   We always liked Blackpool. I'm a pink rose with a Yorkshire mum and a dad from Preston/born on Walney, and friends of my parents had flats at Blackpool which we had for three weeks every summer when I was a kid in the 70's. They were fantastic days - playing with the local kids, watching rock-making at the back door of the south shore rock shop, Pablos wafer ice creams cost buttons, and long hot days on the beach - my young summers were all spent at Blackpool.   We carried on coming for the day and holidays, and one day we decided to go and have a look and see what was at Cleveleys. A neighbour of my mums used to holiday here when she was a little girl and he called it 'Cle-vel-eys!'   I'm going back easily 15 or so years to when we first came, and we really liked what we found. At first we popped into Blackpool for a quick look round and then we started to just come straight here. We had a few hours in the shops, remember Cresta? And then we'd take some sandwiches to the prom and depending on the time of year either sit in the car eating them or unpack our deck chairs and go on the beach, watching the waves. I never dreamed in those days that I would end up living here!   How did you find Cleveleys? Go to the Facebook page and leave your thoughts and photos! Sat 08 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-10 I'd sent out an e-newsletter a week or so ago to all the contacts in my address book, promoting this new website and what we'd done. Then last week I spoke to my accountant, who is based in Sheffield, and she was saying she'd had a look and really liked it (the website). But she also said she'd never heard of Cleveleys, and how nice it looked from the site (which of course we all know it is!) and that it was the type of place she'd like to come to and she had made a mental note to take a trip here this summer.   I've found that many people haven't heard of Cleveleys when you tell them where you are from. You end up explaining that it's between Blackpool and Fleetwood, and they are still none-the-wiser! Now this new website is up and running, at least it gives an easy way of showing people what you are talking about!   Mon 10 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-11 Someone mentioned on the Visit Cleveleys Facebook page that a dolphin has been washed up on the beach at Cleveleys - I haven't seen it because I'm currently on house arrest with a new puppy that's not yet had his jabs, so if anyone has any gory photos feel free to post them on Facebook!   It got me thinking about the things that get washed up on the beach. In ten years I've seen the most random things you could imagine. Like the unexploded bomb (second world war if I remember rightly), which brought out the army and closed the prom. Then one Sunday afternoon all hell let loose when a dead person washed up about at the end of Thornton Gate. There were police and emergency services everywhere and the poor soul was eventually taken away and presumably given a proper send off. Every so often there's a sheep to be found - they get washed into the water where they graze on the salt plains on this coast and wash up where the tide takes them. Then there are seals - which we often see alive, well and swimming, and of course seagulls and fish.   It's amazing how the eco-system of a beach operates, and the animals which die are eaten and decompose to create food and life for others. A walk on a beach is a microcosm of life, and fascinating to boot!   Tue 11 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-15   If you've been following Facebook and this blog, you'll know that I'm trying to help all you day trippers with a bit of meteorological advice (did I spell that right?) by posting on Saturday and Sunday mornings what the weather is actually doing, rather than the vague catch-all that you get from the TV forecast.   There's method in my madness, and I'm not obsessed by the weather. If you've read the page about the weather on the main site you'll see an observation that Cleveleys seems to have it's own little climate - for example it was forecast to throw it down last night and it didn't. It's a frustration to the shops that a poor forecast keeps the tourists away, when we are actually enjoying blazing sunshine!   Before I moved to Cleveleys we used to come here for day trips on a very regular basis, and eventually I cottoned onto ringing the Tourist Information Centre to ask them what the weather was doing before we set off. The first few times I did it my family thought I was barmy (which of course I am) but it soon became an accepted way of making a decision!   Eventually we are intending to hook up a real time cctv camera so you can tune in when you like and watch the weather, but until then you'll have to make do with Facebook! Sat 15 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-17 Over the past couple of weeks there have been two full days of interviews for the Sea Change project which takes in the Wyre coast from Cleveleys round to Fleetwood. If you've been following the project in the local press you'll know that there is a reasonable pot of money available for works to the Marine Hall and gardens, a bird observatory at Rossall Point, and linkage into the Mythical Coastline trail at Cleveleys.   Five companies were interviewed the first time, and they made presentations to the community in the morning and then answered more technical questions in the afternoon. It was such a close call that the two front-runners were invited back to pitch again last Thursday.   It was really interesting to see what they thought, and more revealling was their impression on our neck of the woods. As strangers they could see the charm and appeal of this coast that sandgrown-uns often miss. I popped to the kite club on Saturday morning to drop off some postcards to promote this site and was struck by the charm of the morning. There was a gigantic kite twirling on the beach, people kitesurfing, and others just sat on the wall watching against a backdrop of people enjoying a Saturday morning in the fresh air at the seafront cafe.   Going back to Sea Chgange, the best man won in the end, and a team has been picked, so it will be all systems go now and it's a tight deadline for delivery!Mon 17 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-18   You'll have gathered if you have been following this blog or the Facebook page that I quite like the scenery at Cleveleys - last night the sea was beautiful with the sun twinkling on the water.   There are beautiful blue skies everywhere this morning, so I popped out onto the beach to quickly take some photos to share it with you.   On this one you can see the Tower in the distance - 5 miles away by road, probably nearer by beach. To it's left is the Norbreck Castle hotel, and in the foreground the new Terminal Groyne which has stabilised the beach. There are a few more photos on Facebook in a new album.   I suffered to bring you these - I walked through a patch of sinky muddy sand, so I had to scrub my shoes under the outside tap when I came back in! What we go through to bring you something interesting! Tue 18 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-23   What about that for a treat! Seals are often seen swimming off shore at Cleveleys but you have to be quick to spot them. They bob up, have a minute paddling and then they are off again catching fish. You need a sharp eye and binoculars to spot them from the seagulls.   Yesterday afternoon we were quick enough to catch one in action, when he popped his head up for a paddle we caught him on camera.   The people on the beach were oblivious but they would have had a shock if they had gone swimming just a little further out, they might have had their toes nibbled!   Testament to how beautifully clean the water is and what a host of wildlife it supports, and how lucky Cleveleys is to have such fantastic wildlife so near to shore.          Sun 23 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-24 The whole point of creating a website like this is to get people using it on a regular basis, and to make it interesting enough for them to come back - whether they live here or are visiting for the afternoon. We've tried to do this, and at the same time to let people know that it exists! You can't just publish and sit back - you have to let people know that it's there!   I've been putting free postcards out at the weekend on benches down at the Rossall Prom end of Cleveleys, it's bit of an unorthodox method of marketing but it seems to be working. There's little competition for attention and each weekend several hundred cards have gone to new homes to help people find out all about Cleveleys!   Mon 24 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-25   I'd blogged the other day about how excited we were to see a seal swimming at tea time on Saturday, just offshore at Cleveleys. Yesterday's sighting was more disappointing and upsetting.   As the tide started to come in we noticed a shape on the edge of the water, quite near to the low tide mark. It could have been a body, a sack or anything. The binoculars eventually revealled it to be a seal, which seemed to be lifting its head in distress.   A walk out to low tide line showed that it wasn't in distress, it was dead. It looked as if it had been that way for some time - covered in bite marks and in a bad way, presumably from a fight with another of it's own kind.   It's such a shame when animals come to a sad end, I know it's mother nature and that's what happens, but I still don't like to see it. Poor seal. Tue 25 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-27   The Jubilee Gardens playground has been closed for a long while due to excess water on site that didn't drain away (I think it was coming from below ground).   In recent weeks it's been completely re-built and it's nearly complete now.   Another fabulous resource on the sea front at Cleveleys!   Take a look at this plan which shows what the complete scheme will look like (opens pdf in new window). Thu 27 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-05-30 Unfortunately, we don't have a pier, harbour or jetty at Cleveleys, and if we did no doubt it would be a haven for all kinds of watersports. It doesn't mean that these seas go short though, and we regularly see kitesurfers, fishermen and all kinds of things bobbing about in the water.   Yesterday at lunch time we had two lesser spotted sightings, one was a catamaran (below)     The other one. closely following behind was a speedboat (below)     It's fairly breezy today so I would imagine there will be quite a few kitesurfers out this afternoon, depending on the tide!        Sun 30 May 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-01 It's a true fact that when you live somewhere after a period of time you stop seeing it through the same eyes that you did as a newcomer.   When we first started coming to Cleveleys we came along the prom from Blackpool - as you turn from Yeadon Way onto the prom you get the light hearted feeling that you get when you arrive at the seaside, and as an inland dweller I still feel like I'm on holiday going around my normal everyday business.   When you come into Cleveleys from the motorway and down the A585 you don't get the seaside feeling until you get right to the town centre and then the prom. I can still remember though coming down Victoria Road West and passing the 'Welcome to Cleveleys' sign near Morrisons.     At the time I still wasn't really sure where I was, being unfamiliar with the landmarks, and that was the thing that really gave me a sense of bearing. I can still remember coming into Blackpool as a child before Yeadon Way was built, and when you passed the windmill (must have been the one at Marton) you knew that you weren't far away.   It's quite a nice approach to Cleveleys, down a tree lined street which is well maintained, and past the duckpond which looks lovely, especially when the beds are planted with flowers.     Have a look through the eyes of a visitor next time you come into Cleveleys and see how nice it really looks! Tue 01 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-06 ....in the words of the late, great, Victor Meldrew! It's been beautiful weather for days and Cleveleys has enjoyed an early summer, in perfect time for the half term holidays, and it's been really busy. Then today, when there is the first summer event planned, it goes and spoils itself for the Sandcastle Competition and goes all misty and dull! At 6am there was quite a mist over the sea (oh Mull of Kintyre - song for every occassion!) probably caused by a cool wind blowing over the warm ground.   We've been 'on holiday' this week too, a bit of a busmans in many respects. We 'staycation' in the truest sense of the word and enjoy the place where once we drove tens of miles to get to (ie Cleveleys) - the rub being that you usually carry on with normal things so you don't get the same rest that you get when you physically go away - the shopping still needs buying, and the washing needs doing and as they say there's no rest for the wicked.   It's been a lovely week though, with red hot weather and clear blue skies and I've enjoyed sunbathing and pottering about on the beach and in the garden. Now, does anyone know how to blow away cloud to reveal the sun? Sun 06 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-07 Yesterday was the first ever Sandcastle competition on Cleveleys beach, and given the weather and the fact that it was the first one, I don't think it could have really gone any better!   There were just short of 40 entrants of all ages from toddlers right through to adults of all ages, and the creations they made were really good!   The event was organised by Cleveleys Seafront Partnership and put together on a shoestring, so that entry was free to all participants.   It could have done with being a touch warmer, although the weather was perfect for sandcastle building as it didn't immediately dry the sand out. It did keep dry with one shower before the event and one after, with perfect timing!   For more information and photos take a look at the News section, or look at Facebook - pics are on the Visit Cleveleys page and the Cleveleys Seafront Partnership one. Mon 07 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-08 There's been much discussion in recent weeks about the Orion Bingo at Cleveleys and it's forthcoming demolition and re-building as an Aldi supermarket. According to the Gazette they are demolishing it this week, so I thought I'd take a trip to Cleveleys and take a few pics yesterday afternoon before they do.     I've never been inside, but apparently the original art deco features inside had been lost long ago, leaving a shell that would be incredibly expensive to convert into anything useful. As you can see from this photo, the outside at the front is now in a sorry state and seems to be waiting for the diggers.     As you can see from this photo of the left hand side, some work has already started.   I guess it's progress and things don't stay the same. At least this time I've got photos of the past to remember it by. Tue 08 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-11 One of the Visit Cleveleys Facebook community saw an article in the news yesterday that a walker at Cleveleys had spotted a rare, giant leatherback turtle swimming about 50 yards from our shores, and kindly posted it on the page.   The gentleman who saw it watched what it was doing and then reported it and its activity to the Marine Conservation Society - and was told that he'd done exactly the right thing. Apparently this year they have also been spotted in west Wales, off the Isle of Man, and one off the Isle of Skye.   The article in full is available at this link on the BBC website.   Meanwhile, this week, the Visit Cleveleys people have been regularly watching seals swimming only just offshore. One night a huge bull seal was seen, and yesterday two were swimming together. The water looks exceptionally clean and twinkles bright green in the daylight, and clearly it is supporting wildlife.   Aren't we lucky!     Fri 11 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-14 It was a breezy but lovely run-up to the weekend on Friday afternoon, when a gang of us went out to the planter on Rossall Promenade to do a spot of weeding. The top-soil was, as is standard, full of seeds apparently, and a thick green forest of seedlings were sprouting among the plants. Everything has taken through and it looks really nice, already there are lots of flowers and it's made the prom look much nicer. One of our merry band pointed at the beach 'what more can you want' he said 'for a lovely afternoon, stood here doing a job, watching the windsurfers. Fantastic.'   Saturday was a pretty typical morning with a few domestic jobs and trip to the supermarket. Then in the afternoon we took a quick trip to Fleetwood. We wanted to have a look round the market and we took a quick stroll up the high street. We came home for an early tea and for a treat had fish and chips from the chippie at Cleveleys. Battered and cooked for you, red hot, really fresh and gorgeous they were! Proper seaside fish and chips and delicious!   It was shame the the weather spoiled itself on Sunday afternoon. The morning started off OK and it looked like it was going to hold fine for the Fleetwood cycle festival and then it all went downhill fast at lunchtime. A sharp shower must have dampened proceedings at the Marine Hall. It seems to be a conspiracy that every time the skies hear the word 'event' they have a good laugh at our expense! I just hope it's fine for the Sea Festival event on Sunday 4 July.   So instead of going out we had a very cathartic and rewarding afternoon tidying out some wardrobes! It didn't cost any money and left a warm and satisfying glow! I rounded Sunday afternoon off by watering some fertiliser into the bedding plants I've put in the back garden, which sounds utterly ridiculous when it had been raining, but the plants had sheltered the soil from the water so they were actually very dry. I'd like a bumper crop of flowers for the bees, rather than straggly, sickly looking strands!    Mon 14 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-16 Watch this space, Cleveleys Association of Commerce & Trade is coming to the visit Cleveleys website any time soon!   They are having their own sub-section on the site, complete with information all about the group and what they do, but more importantly, what they do for you, the visitor to Cleveleys!   There will be links out to the shops own websites, complete with special offers and tokens that you can print out and bring along to get discounts and freebies. So watch this space, we'll let you know when it's ready!   Wed 16 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-18 Cheeky chops Homer, the resident tame seagull, has been at it again!   We'd dug a rhubarb plant up and I'd sent my husband round to several of the neighbours with a bit each, one of them being the people who'd got Homer tame in the first place.   He'd delivered the bag with the plant in, and had been chatting in the garden with them, and as soon as they turned their backs, Homer was down on the lawn, pecking at the bag, trying to see what was in it!   It's getting like a cafe at our house. This week we've had Homer having first cover in the restaurant, followed by Mrs Homer who sits on next doors garage waiting for him to move, followed by the blackbird who has third sitting!   Fri 18 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-21 Those of you who live at Cleveleys will have followed the saga of the closure of the Orion and the subsequent purchase of the site by the supermarket chain Aldi. Demolition started last Sunday, and the big orange digger took a hole out of the middle of the building leaving the facade stood up.   I popped to Cleveleys to take some photos late last week and the battery went flat on my camera (!) so I had a word with the workmen to see when the front was coming down, so that I could perhaps catch a photo of the grand demolition.     Then last week I was just driving back to Cleveleys when I heard on the Radio that the front had collapsed all over the road. I tried to drive round to see if I could get another photo but the road was closed so I couldn't get near.   Apparently it had fallen, complete with scaffolding, all over the road and tram tracks - miraculously the only thing that had been damaged was a car. It was incredible that no one got harmed, or even killed.   So now we've got a big hole on the main road and a gigantic pile of rubble.      Mon 21 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-25 It's a beautiful evening as I type this, and the other night the sky was fabulous.     There were a number of posts on the Visit Cleveleys Facebook page and some of you were more adventurous than me, out taking photos of the glorious west coast late at night!   The fishermen have just turned up on the beach at 8pm for a competition, and they form a lovely picture, each stood alone with their fishing lines silhouetted in front of them.   West really is best, with a lovely view every night that you can enjoy. I'm sure there are fabulous sunrises on the east coast but they aren't much good unless you work shifts and keep strange hours! Fri 25 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-06-30 If you've been down to the prom today you'll have seen that the fair is coming to town! It's Cleveleys Sea Festival on Sunday and the fairground have already arrived and are setting up to open ahead of the event on Thursday.   There are posters and banners up, leaflets have gone out all over Cleveleys, and in the next day or so the prom will be spruced up and tidied ready for the opening ceremony. Flag type banners will soon be going up in Cleveleys on the high street.   It's going to be a fab day out for all the family and an event for Cleveleys to be proud of. I can't wait to see what the kids have made for the parade and what ideas they have come up with for costumes!   Wed 30 Jun 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-07-06 If you've had the RSS alert to the news item about Sea Fest, apologies for duplicating the same information here!   You couldn't believe that after weeks of fabulous weather that it would turn so foul for just a day or two. I knew it would break, I just had a feeling in my water!   I thought at the crack of dawn that we were going to get away with it, there was hardly a breath of wind, and wind is the problem on the coast because it makes everything impossible.   Jubilee Gardens should have been full from end to end with stalls and activities, and obviously the majority of stall holders had seen the forecast and decided not to bother. Even so, had the weather turned for the better it would have been a decent afternoon out. It's just frustrating when you know that a lot of time and effort has gone into making sure things were done properly!   It was just such a good job that the weather held dry at least for the parade. It was heartwarming to see what a fabulous effort had been made by all the people who contributed. The costumes were really, really good, and on balance more could have been made from the fancy dress side of the event.   Anyway, onwards and upwards, better to have such a fabulous turnout and support on a grim day, than have baking sunshine and no one there! Tue 06 Jul 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-07-09   If you have read the 'Things to do' section on this site you'll know that Rossall Beach in particular plays host to kitesurfers both who are local and from all over the North West.   At tea time one day this week they were just too close to shore to miss the opportunity to take some pics. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and two lads were out on the waves.   In taking these pics we did speak to them and ask if it was OK to use their pics, I'm not sure they quite realised they might end up being famous!  Fri 09 Jul 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-07-12 I managed to remember to catch Terry the ice cream man this morning and pin him down for his picture taking, and I've finally added him to the 'Cleveleys & Me' section on the website, which I've been threatening to do for a while.   As I was writing the text, I remembered the first conversation I had with his dad. Terry's Ice Cream is a family business, and they have trailers as well as the shop on the prom. When we came to live at Cleveleys I remember having a conversation about being so close to the sea and whether tidal flooding would be a problem. 'I'll go and ask the ice cream man, he'll know, I said'. So off I trotted, and he told me all about the bad floods in 1976 which were so severe that boats had to be used on the roads behind the promenade and up to the tram tracks.   He went on to tell me about how the weather affects the promenade now, following the building of the sea defences that we had at the time (some of which have of course been replaced since that conversation). 'You don't really get the tide coming over' he said, 'when there's a 33' tide and a westerly wind you can get some water coming over, but it's not much, just spray and foam'. I stood there, ever so wisely nodding my head wondering what on earth a 33' tide was, and went back and repeated it to my family, and we all wondered what he meant!   Having studied a dozen years worth of tide tables since then, we now more or less understand that high and low tides come in different degrees of high and low, and what he meant was if you get an exceptionally high tide with the bad luck of an exceptionally high wind there's going to be water flying about! I remember that conversation like it was yesterday! Mon 12 Jul 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-07-19   The Walney Windfarm is clearly visible from the beach at Cleveleys, and the windmills are often seen highlighted against some fabulous sunsets.   The windfarm is being extended, and you can see the first of the yellow bases being installed on this photo - just to the left of the existing turbines. Unbelievably, the cable that connects the windmills to land is coming up the beach at Cleveleys and down Thornton Gate to a new sub-station at Hillhouse Industrial Estate (the old ICI works).   I still think it's fantastic, it sounds like you've made it up! Roll on next May when the ship docks to connect the cables up, that will be a sight for sore eyes!   Visit Cleveleys has won the contract to keep Cleveleys up to date with the happenings and make sure everyone knows what's happening next, so keep checking back for all the latest news. Mon 19 Jul 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-07-22 This weeks news posting 'Share your Stories' is about a series of public events that are being held in Fleetwood to encourage the public to share their memories of Fleetwood, to capture what local people want to do with the money to be spent at the Marine Hall through the Sea Change programme.   You could say that it's not really anything to do with Cleveleys, but it is really. Most of the people at Cleveleys are connected to Fleetwood through friends, relatives or their hobbies and passtimes, so it's in everybodys interest to take an interest!   This is the first stage of work at Fleetwood as part of the Fleetwood Masterplan, and ultimately the idea is to create a strong link right round the cost from Cleveleys to Fleetwood and round the River Wyre - and what comes next is the Cleveleys Mythological Coastline project which starts to create that very link.   Add to the mix the next phase of the sea defences from Rossall Hospital to the Golf Course at Fleetwood, and you can see that we are heading in the future for a world class sea front right round the boundary of our borough.   Thu 22 Jul 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-07-26 You could have been forgiven this weekend for thinking it was November. The sky has been grey and drizzly - don't get me wrong I'm glad to be alive but three weeks or so of this is short-changing us when it should be summer and nice and hot!   My mum had said the other day that any time now the shops would be selling Chrsitmas Cards and when I popped to the Freeport at the weekend I could have screamed when I spotted some in Hallmark. It's not right to be selling Chrsitmas cards in July! I don't know why shops can't just let us have seasons as they come. When Christmas ends you get sun tops when you'd rather buy gloves and scarves, and then while we are (hopefully) enjoying an Indian Summer they are force feeding us with tinsel!   3pm brought a nice surprise though this afternoon, when the rain stopped and the sun started to come out. The hot weather lasted about 3 weeks, and the rain has been hanging about for just about as long, so hopefully this will be the end of it for a while. There is a jumble sale on the prom at Rossall Prom this weekend, so fingers crossed it stays nice for that. It just can't be done, trying to sell home baking in a howling wind! Mon 26 Jul 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-02 It's been a busy old week, last week, so apologies for there being not a lot of blogging going on!   Visit Cleveleys are getting to the point of launching the Traders Association portal - the designs are done and everything is ready to launch, so watch out in the next couple of weeks for cards and posters promoting the new section. There will be regular special offers and information about the shops in Cleveleys and what's happening, so it will be well worth following and adding to your inbox with RSS.   Meanwhile, we've been in the middle of organising the Table Top sale that took place yesterday afternoon on Rossall Prom, which was good fun and raised an impressive £326 for the funds. The home made baking was the star of the show, and everything went within an hour - if the weather forecast had been more predictable we could have made more cakes and made a fortune! Everywhere you looked people were munching!   Coast was on last week, and if you follow Facebook you'll have seen the post I made about the 'smell of the seaside' that everyone loves actually being bacteria burps after they have eaten algae! Seems I'm not the only one who watches it, quite a few people knew where I'd got it from! This then set off a conversation of digressions about smells, ending up outside Coronation Rock with cheesy feet!   Which reminds me of something I once heard, that you know you are having a conversation with a like minded friend when you go from cream cakes to haemarroid cream in three steps and without realising you have done it! The Visit Cleveleys Facebook page is a bit like that - it's quite a compelling read as over 300 people will tell you, and every day there is something to make you smile! If you haven't used it before it's worth getting into just to follow your favourite brands and leisure time activities. I haven't got the time for swapping personal updates, but it's good for knowing what's happening in the world and what's on special offer where! Check back to Visit Cleveleys - we've included a quick tutorial this week for everyone who's new to social networking. Mon 02 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-05   What more could you ask for on a Thursday morning? The police were out and about early which alerted us to the fact that something was happening near the Five Bar Gate on Rossall Prom. Closer inspection with the binoculars showed a seal on the concrete near the surface water outflow pipe at Rossall School. We thought it was another dead one, until it lifted it's head!     We've been at work all day and it seems that meanwhile it's gone back to whence from it came - another one was seen in the sea waiting for it this morning so presumably at some point it was helped back into the water for a reunion!   We often see seals swimming about, you have to be very sharp eyed to spot them, but it's a real privilege to be able to see something like this on your beach.    Thu 05 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-07   There have been a number of grey seals washed up recently at Cleveleys, on the northern end of the beach near Rossall and North prom. There was a live one earlier in the week as reported in this blog.   This morning one was quite close to the waters edge, so a local resident tempted it back into the water with a stick and sea weed! Three of us got between the seal and the sea - it fancied us for breakfast I think because it was quite aggressive (they are) and every time we apprached it made to go for us and reared up, shuffling along the sand. It obviously didn't realise it was a plan, because within minutes it was back in the sea!   It was really fantastic to be able to get so close to a wild creature and see something like that. There is a short video of the event at www.facebook.com/visitCleveleys, and on the YouTube page (link at the top).     Sat 07 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-10 Stand by your beds, Cleveleys lovers, there are two new sections set to hit this site any time soon!   We've hooked up at Visit Cleveleys with the Chamber of Trade at Cleveleys to promote the shops and town centre through a new portal which will be live in the next few days. There'll be offers and information and lots of stuff to help you enjoy your visits to the shops.   Then not long after that there will be another section dedicated to the new windfarm which is being built in the Irish Sea - the cable comes ashore at Cleveleys so watch this space and find out loads more about the project. It will be fabulous when the ship comes with the cable from sea - I'll bet there are dozens of folk out with their cameras!   We'll keep you posted and let you know through the Blog and Facebook when these two sections go live. That's all folks - for now! Tue 10 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-10 Stand by your beds, Cleveleys lovers, there are two new sections set to hit this site any time soon!   We've hooked up at Visit Cleveleys with the Chamber of Trade at Cleveleys to promote the shops and town centre through a new portal which will be live in the next few days. There'll be offers and information and lots of stuff to help you enjoy your visits to the shops.   Then not long after that there will be another section dedicated to the new windfarm which is being built in the Irish Sea - the cable comes ashore at Cleveleys so watch this space and find out loads more about the project. It will be fabulous when the ship comes with the cable from sea - I'll bet there are dozens of folk out with their cameras!   We'll keep you posted and let you know through the Blog and Facebook when these two sections go live. That's all folks - for now! Tue 10 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-12 As the tide went out this morning, from the promenade the petrified forest appeared to be exceptionally clear, and required closer inspection!   Dodging the clouds and showers it was beautiful on the beach - not a soul in sight except a few gulls, quiet, clean and peaceful. So I set off in a straight line, out to low tide.   I was quite surprised when I got to the dark looking bank in the sand, it was actually a Mussel bed, with thousands of them all sat clenched and waiting for the incoming tide. I couldn't tell whether they had latched onto the tops of the petrified tree stumps - the sand around them was really sinking so I wasn't prepared to investigate further!     I had a few minutes looking at what was trapped in the area and found a complete (empty) whelk shell, and then turned to come back to shore and saw a beautiful rainbow hovering above the windfarm. A minute or two later the bottom quadrant became a full rainbow suspended in a moody sky. Then it started drizzling and I scarpered!       Thu 12 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-16   This is this years Baby, he's only just started to come to be fed by hand and he's a clumsy thing who tramples over everything in his way, including his dad who's taught him where his bread is buttered and hangs back to let him through! Seconds after this was taken he'd got his head in the tin eating the little bits up!   We'd had a few funny episodes with Homer, his dad, earlier in the week. I feed them every day - cheap dog food along with a running commentary of 'now then are you on the early shift/a greedy boy today/up with the larks' etc. So he stands and cocks his head from side to side, understands every word, and then eats me out of house and home!   While I was busy doing something earlier in the week I sent someone else out with the same tin of dog food to feed him, but he wasn't having any, oh no! He wouldn't come near, even for some soft talk and kind words. He just flew back up to the roof and sat there. We tried again a few days later, thinking he was put off by the wrong coloured clothes, but still no joy! So there you go, seagulls can recognise you and know who feeds them, even down to knowing different people in the same place!      Mon 16 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-19 You can see on the sparkling new homepage that we are all set up and ready for the windfarm portal, coding is just being completed for the section which will be live by the end of this week.   Come back soon for lots of information - where the cable will be laid, and much more stuff!     Thu 19 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-22 I'm sure that anyone who comes to Cleveleys would agree that one thing that there is no shortage of on this coast is wind! So it should be no surprise that a new windfarm is being built in the Irish Sea just off Walney Island.   What might be more surprising is that the cable which connects one half of it to shore actually comes aground at Cleveleys! Walney Offshore Windfarm will have 102 turbines which are just a few feet shorter than Blackpool Tower, and will generate enough electricity to power about 320,000 homes.   Over winter this year the connection to the new sub-station at Thornton will be installed by open cutting a trench, and the connection to the turbines will be made next spring when the cable is delivered to shore by a cable laying barge - which will be a fantastic sight!   You can follow the progress of the project through this website with the link on the front page, and there's a separate RSS feed so that you don't miss anything.   Sun 22 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-26   Living at the coast I always describe the weather as being like 'the girl with the curl'. When it's good it's very, very good, and when it's bad it's horrid! That is, if you are outside in it. Tucked up in your house it's altogether enjoyable watching storms across the sea and the rain lashing - and even winter weather is enjoyable outside if you are wrapped up and it's not windy and raining at the same time!   This sounds like a very dumb thing to say, but when I lived inland I always wondered how 'sunset' was defined (I know, not very bright!). It's incredible to watch a beautiful, almost Japanese, sunset disappearing over the horizon, and you can see exactly how they are able to define sunset as 8.27pm, because you really can pinpoint it so finely.   Last night, the Isle of Man was clearly visible from shore, with the peaks of the uplands sticking out against the horizon. Infront of the Isle of Man you can see the new wind turbines of Walney Offshore Windfarm which you can find all about on the new portal on this website.   I love watching the sky - bright blue without a cloud, mackerel clouds scudding across, and dark angy grey ones that threaten a downpour. They are all fascinating, but top prize has to go to the fluffy ones highlighted with red that come with a sunset like last night! Thu 26 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-27 We started the competition to win a Cleveleys photograph especially for the Sea Festival event this summer, and have carried on running it and extended the deadline a little to give people more chance to enter.   It's been an interesting exercise in what people think. It starts with a few simple questions, but the interesting thing for me are the two personal opinions at the end, where the entrant is asked what they like about the site and what they would like to change.   Almost every entrant has said that they like the simplicity of navigation and the interesting content, and there isn't anything that they would change - and I didn't pay one of them to enter! When I look at other websites about places to visit there are always other questions I'd like to have answered - the first one being 'where are the loos!' We aren't inundated with public toilets at Cleveleys, and just as with other places all over the UK we could do with some more, but at least I've told you where they are if you are coming here for the first time!   We created the site off gut feeling, based on how we try to find information, and what we find interesting to read. I'm quite hot on 'hunches' and when I get a strong one it's generally not too far wide of the mark. You can't be complacent and as with any new project when you have had the guts to dip your toe in the water it's always useful to know whether your 'hunch' is right, and certainly a bit of market research helps you to move onto the next stage.   It's quite interesting that most people have commented on the simplicity of the navigation. Being a child of the pre-computer age I don't have the patience of todays youngsters and if I can't find something there and then on the internet I 'Go and do something less boring instead' in the words of 'Why don't you' which others my age will remember!   Have a go yourself if you haven't already and enter your details for the competition, there's still time, it doesn't close until Monday! Good Luck!Fri 27 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-30   BBC4 showed a series of programmes about Blackpool last night, and it could have been us on the footage from the '70s - sat on the beach with a million deckchairs and sunshields, donkey rides and ice creams. Does anyone remember the little caravans that used to sell ice cream on the beach? Not the Walls ones but the beige and blue ones where it was home-made and melted by mid afternoon - ladled with a flat paddle onto your cone and dripping down your arm!   Friends of my parents had holiday flats at Blackpool, first on Alfred Street and then at South Shore, and we used to come to stay for 3 glorious weeks every summer. Sometimes my uncle brought us here in his Austin Princess with Elton John & Kiki Dee singing 'Don't go breaking my heart' - sometimes we came on the train to be met by the barrow lads who waited to wheel your cases to your nearby boarding house (we were going further than they would, so we always had a taxi - usually to the strains of 'I feel sick' from me!).   I saved pocket money before we came on holiday and divided it up into days, and then worked out how many ice creams and donkey rides I could have each day. Grandad usually came up trumps with change for Pablos ice cream wafers - available at south and north shore for what would be a ridiculously cheap price today. When my money ran out with my best of intentions I had a yearly cunning plan for raising cash, I used to 'wait on' for my family and for coppers a time fetched and carried and washed up and bought my treats through waitress service!   On one of the programmes they showed the elephants from the tower circus on the beach. I remember clearly seeing them down the side alley at the side of the tower. We had a dog at the time who just wouldn't wee anywhere but at home and my dad used to walk her round and round the block and beach every morning and night, and while he was on dog duty he often saw all the circus animals on the beach in the early morning.   I seem to remember summers being red hot, or maybe '76 and the swarm of ladybirds just made a strong impression! I do remember standing on the beach and being blown flat - just like the weather we had here yesterday in fact! When it blows here it blows, there's no wonder they are building windfarms in the Irish Sea!   When we stayed at Alfred Street we used to buy sandwiches on our way to the beach from a little cafe on the way. I'm sure we had other things but I can't remember anything other than beef and onion and corned beef and onion. Even now, 30 odd years later, the same taste transports me back to the beach, and I never fail to say 'this would taste better with a little bit of sand'. It didn't matter how careful you were, and they were always wrapped in the shop, but I always managed to get some sand in my food!   Those were the days! Of course living so near we often go to or through Blackpool and all these years later, even after all the changes that have been made, it still transports me back to being a kid and those fabulous 3 weeks every year - when your time was your own and you were carefree. By but those really were the days!Mon 30 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-08-31   Rossall Residents has been going for spot on two years now, and in that time the group has achieved all sorts of things to improve the public areas for the benefit of everyone. Cleveleys has a fabulous new promenade in the central areas, and this group works at the northern end where the sea defences haven't been re-built. It's a double edged sword in some ways - money for massive projects like this is awarded on what the effects of flooding would be, and the beach in this spot isn't considered to be at risk (which of course is good news), but it puts the area further down on a long list!   Organising an outdoor event is like taking your life in your hands, especially with the weather we've had recently, it's a case of pick a date and pray! The gods were good this bank holiday weekend with a clear blue sky and less wind than normal, which made for a good day on the prom.   The group had collected bric-a-brac and nearly new stuff which was all packed into individual cars, and the cars were parked side by side early in the morning. Noon was set for kick off time, and down the crowds descended! You can't have a 'set up' session and then open for trade - as soon as you open the car doors people are there wanting to look!   Goods included a selection of home made baking which is always popular, a hamper as first prize in the raffle, and goods laid out on the very convenient apron of the sea wall for all to view. (Was what the engineers of the 1930's were thinking, 'we'll make a little step here so that in 80 years to come it can be used as a shelf for local fundraising events'!)   The public got away with blue murder to be honest because it has to be said that there's a black art to pricing things up - or a discussion where half a dozen people including the buyer are consulted to see what they think an item is worth!   A couple of bright sparks came up with the idea of contacting a dealer to take away what was left. Some of the stuff had been brought out so often it was on elastic, and there are only so many times you can give things an airing! At the end of the afternoon a scurry through half a dozen blue paper bins found a previous days newspaperwhich eventually led to a guy who came and took what was left for a tenner.   What was left was stacked in a pile on the promenade as the chap was coming to collect it quite quickly, at which point there were people still rifling through it! One of the group was out shaking the tin and collected another £8 from the latecomers!   All in all the day ended with a suntan, an aching back, and a nice afternoon that raised £300 almost to the penny. Not a bad afternoons work!Tue 31 Aug 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-09-09   Sorry not to have had much to say in blog-land for the last few days, but there have been lots of things going on to share with you!   It was the Rossall Beach Residents Association AGM last Wednesday. It's a very pro-active group who work on the outer northern edge of the main sea front and in the 2 years they've been formed they've done lots of things including really tidying the area up and working with the police to reduce anti-social behaviour and generally make it a nicer place for people who use the area. You can read about the Sea Change presentation on the News section.   They have got a Big Lottery bid in for some interpretation signs to explain to the public what the wildlife is in the area and on the beach. Fingers crossed it seems to be going well and early indications are that the bid hasn't been thrown out, but a planning application has had to be submitted before the money is granted. The signs are the ones that you see in parks and public areas that are like a hip-height lectern that you can stand against and look at the view and compare it to the illustrations. The legs will stand against the apron of the sea wall and the top slants back against it so that it's not stuck out into the gangway.   The group is just on the verge of applying for Charitable Status so to take the activities forward it's been suggested that they have wider membership so that anyone who uses the beach can be equally involved. It will mean a small name change to something like 'Rossall Beach Friends & Residents' but the fine detail is to be decided at the next meeting.   The windfarm project is just kicking off at Cleveleys where a cable is being laid across land to a new sub-station at a nearby industrial estate and which connects to a windfarm which is being built in the Irish Sea just off Walney Island.   It sounds like Jeremy Beadle is going to jump out and go 'Surprise!' but it's true! Next Spring will be the show for all to watch when the cable laying barge comes to shore at Cleveleys and docks on the beach at high tide to enable the offshore and onshore cables to be joined. I'm expecting to see photographers galore lined up along the beach taking pictures! There are regular weekly updates on here of the work as it progresses and I've been really busy following workmen round and taking pictures and talking to residents where the trench is being dug. What you know you can cope with, and that's the basis of how the PR is being managed for the project! There is a News and Updates section on this site (with RSS) so if you haven't already found it you can follow the work on there.   Meanwhile, back at the Visit Cleveleys Ranch, we always try to keep adding things that users can get involved with and the next addition is going to be a gallery of readers photos of Cleveleys. The word has gone out on the Facebook page and that community is all up for it, so anyone reading this blog can also send in their material. There are a lot of aspiring photographers who come to Cleveleys and to be fair the place does inspire you to get out your camera!   You can send your photos to jane@visitCleveleys.co.uk They don't have to be enormous files for online use, and please include a name and the town where you are from.   That's all for today!Thu 09 Sep 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-09-18   When I started the Visit Cleveleys website at Christmas I wanted to make it quite different to run of the mill sites and include lots of light hearted and interesting information that people would enjoy reading. I think I am on track to achieve that (you tell me!), although I can see why editing and maintaining a website is a full time job - with the bigger sites needing a whole batallion of people to manage them!   I started off in the early Spring with the basic details about the place and what's here and what it's like, in a style that's quite like reading a brochure. It's time intensive and needs design input rather than copying templates, but it achieves a better result.   As time has progressed I've added lots of other things, with much more planned! We attended an event in the summer so we added a competition, then I've linked in with the traders so a section about the shops and discounts was added. Then a section with weekly updates and news... and so on.   Another big section has just kicked off recently following the progress of the Walney Offshore Windfarm. It's being built in the Irish Sea and you can hardly even see it from this coast, but the cable is coming ashore on our beach at Cleveleys! People keep looking at me as if they are expecting Jeremy Beadle when I tell them, but no, it's true! At the moment the duct is being installed for the cable to be pulled through when it's all laid. Then next Spring the cable laying barge will berth on the beach for the onshore and offshore cables to be joined together. Call me sad but I'm really looking forward to that, I'm expecting the prom to be lined with photographers! When the Riverdance Ferry beached in a storm a couple of years ago it was an overnight sensation and Cleveleys was gridlocked. I'm not quite expecting that magnitude but I think it will be a sight!   The photo shows bore testing this week on the beach, not drilling for oil! They are drilling under the sea wall to install the cable and need to establish ground conditions before they start.   I've also just started selling advertising on the site too. I've been in business for 17 years and never, ever liked cold calling and selling, so it's a bit of a learning curve and I'm gritting my teeth and getting on with it! Through the Facebook page and the website I get lots of enquiries for accomodation and the like so it's going to be well worth it for local companies.   You know what they say, it's all part of lifes rich tapestry and running this website is something completely different for me, but I've learned an awful lot and found it very interesting. And a final saying, 'you learn something new everyday' I certainly do!Sat 18 Sep 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-09-21   What do you see when you go to the coast?   This is Yellow Splash Lichen. If you look round you'll see it all over at the seaside, where it can be seen on the beach and sea front areas, but also on the roofs of houses and further inland. Having your roof re-tiled? Get ready for it arriving because it soon will do - all over your new slates!   Lichens are the most obvious organisms in the splash zone. They colonise bare rock and are slow growing but long lived. Lichens are made up from two different organisms, a fungus and an alga, together they form a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship. Separately, they would require moist, sheltered conditions, together they survive in very hostile places.   Lichens are very susceptible to pollution and can be used as indicators of sulphur dioxide in the air. Splash zone lichens are killed by oil pollution and some of the detergents used to disperse spills. They form a useful and easy to spot indicator of the level of pollution in the air, and tend to disperse when conditions deteriorate, so the air quality at Cleveleys must be good!   Next time you are on the beach and shore area, take a really good look at what you see around you and you'll be surprised! Even the flotsam and jetsam that washes up can be quite interesting!Tue 21 Sep 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-09-25   They have a saying in Scotland, 'if you don't like the weather come back in ten minutes' and it's often like that at Cleveleys! No two days are the same and each evening sky in particular is a slightly different take on the one before. I'm so lucky to be able to see this every day, and every day feel really blessed.   Last night it wasn't a red sky, it was a 'Last Supper' sky with the rays of the evening sun coming down in shafts through the dark clouds, as you can see in the photo.   From Cleveleys, the sun at this time of year sets right over the sea, just about at 90 degrees to the coast. In winter it's just about over Wales and Blackpool, in summer it makes the Lake District and you can measure the passing of the year just by the movement of the sun. You are far more aware of it at the coast than you are in land with buildings to distract the suns path.   The view of the Lakes and Barrow was particularly clear last night too. With the ferries and ships passing back and forth on their lonely nightly trek, lit up against the darkening sky.Sat 25 Sep 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-09-26   Yesterday was a beautiful day and today looks set to be the same. The sun is shining, the wind has dropped and it's gorgeous weather to be outside in.   It was high tide at Cleveleys at about 2pm and I went for a stroll on the beach with my camera and my eyes open. It's incredible what you see when you just take the time.   As I walked along the waters edge I stumbled on a little group of birds sat patiently waiting for the tide to go out. Even after looking them up and continually asking the Ranger I still can't remember what they are! They looked to be hopping on one foot, one sets off a twitch and they all follow! It seemed a shame to disturb them and make them fly off, so I carefully walked round them.   A bit further up the beach I found another group of different birds. In my complete ignorance I call them all stone birds, because they are so so well camouflaged that you just don't see them until you walk into them!   Just half an hour on this beautiful beach does your spirits the world of good. Sun 26 Sep 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-09-27 I'd enjoyed half an hour on the beach at the weekend, and it was an interesting stroll along the strandline.   Take a look through this little gallery and see what I found in only a few yards. It's funny to think about where things came from. Where did the tree log originally drop into the sea? What type of wood is it, and how did it break off?   Who lost their shoe and how? Was it someone staggering drunk along a promenade, or a family out for a day on the sands who got caught by an incoming tide?   You could carry on forever, wondering and making a back story to everything. The foreign food containers which have clearly come off a ship. The balloon ribbon which signified a celebration or maybe a sombre occassion and the scattering of ashes?   It's a sad fact that most of the litter which comes to shore at Cleveleys is washed up from elsewehere. Things like balloon ribbon are particularly dangerous to wildlife, which is why we have regular beach cleans at Cleveleys to at least do our little bit to help. The next one is on 4 October at 9.30. Come along and help!   For more information go to www.rossallbeach.org.ukMon 27 Sep 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-03   I've always liked the magazine articles where woman open up their handbags to reveal what they carry around. Mine's pared down to purse, phone and a few sweets, so nothing exciting - or to do with Cleveleys!   I'm intending to add a new section to the 'Shopping Offers' section of the website where I can post what I buy - for the serial snoopers among us who are just like me!   So we'll start with yesterdays little trip to the shops in Cleveleys. We'd had a busy morning so only had a couple of hours spare yesterday afternoon and popped along to pick up a few things.   I love bargain hunting and seeing what I can find. Home Bargains and B&M are two of my favourite shops and hardly a week goes by without I call in for something.   I got two kitchen utensil racks for the office desks - not for knives and forks but for bits and bobs - so we can pick then up with a jiggle to knock out the fluff and bits of eraser and keep the paperclips and pots cleaner than having them stood on the desk!   While I was there I picked up a can opener for 49p - I'd have preferred something more robust but ours is out of action and currently we are about on the point of using a chisel to get into tins! And a couple of melamine cups are really handy in the cupboard for a quick sip of water - and these cute ones have got Thomas the Tank engine on them - ahhh!   I don't know about you but I still have a desire for childrens sweets, so Parma Violets and Poppets just fitted that urge, and the chews with liquorice are really tasty to pop in your bag for when you need a sugar rush!   I can't bear to think about Christmas just yet, but experience has taught me that you need to buy your diaries early or you don't get one, so WH Smiths came up trumps on that score.   What do you buy when you come to Cleveleys? Post your pickings on the visit Cleveleys Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/visitCleveleysSun 03 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-07 I'm on my soapbox with todays blog - on te subject of using your local high street. I regularly shop locally, and most of the time I don't go any further than Fleetwood or Cleveleys and spend a lot in my local economy.   I haven't had a holiday from work for a few years now, so I didn't feel too guilty yesterday afternoon when I shut shop up, turned off the computer and went to Blackpool for a cheeky couple of hours off work with my mum and shopping partner.   We had a nice few girly hours in all the clothes shops and managed to bag a few pieces (as you do) and then came home feeling like we had walked the planet!   Frustratingly, although this area of the Fylde coast is heavily populated with a lot of major residential areas, a lot of the local people don't actually shop here. Why would you want to trudge down the motorway to Preston or Manchester when you can have good shopping fun locally?   In Fleetwood, the tram tracks which run along the length of the high street are being re-laid. It's caused chaos for the shop keepers who have suffered while the work is done, but it also looks like the local people haven't supported their own shops and have gone elsewhere. Will there still be a thriving high street when the tramworks are finished and they want to come back?   As they say, use it or lose it!Thu 07 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-08 I haven't talked about my feathered friend Homer and Baby for a while, and they have both been regular visitors to the Visit Cleveleys cafe! Bear with me if you already know this - the website is attracting new readers all the time so there are bound to be people out there who haven't heard it before!   If you don't already know, some friends and neighbours of ours had already gained a reputation for being the local seagull handlers. They live on the seafront and one particular gull had cottoned on to the fact that if he sat on the wall outside their window they were soft enough to put food out for him.   This kind hearted chap had provided so many meals that he's got the bird feeding from his hand, and christened him Homer (Simpson, not the greek poet!)   We have a bit of a soft spot for anything furred or feathered, and it wasn't long before Homer was coming to our garden to fetch food that we put out for the garden birds.   Then he started bringing his children... Now, each morning we have a 'queue at the cafe door' where they sit on next doors garage roof waiting for us to obediently trot out and feed them!     We fed the baby gull every day all last winter and were quite gutted when he finally stopped coming when the parents were once again on the nest. We've got this years now, he was a bit clumsy footed at first and if he eats too much he flies into the trees and can't get over the fence!   I think it's an honour for a wild bird to be so trusting that they know you and will come and take food out of your hand, and I'd miss them if they went.Fri 08 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-10     Yesterday was a lovely day and perfect for the fishing competition that was held on the northern beach at Cleveleys.   We went out to take some photos at lunch time and found out that there were actually some top grade sea anglers on our beach, you can read more about it at this link in the news section http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/news/Fishingforawinner.php   I'm not into fishing myself, although I do like a bit of cod (battered and with chips!) but I do like watching them and it makes a lovely view to see the little tents all lined up.   Just one of the lovely things that we regularly get on the beach at Cleveleys!   Sun 10 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-11   Take a look at this picture from yesterday afternoon on the beach at Cleveleys. There was part 2 of the fishing competition taking place, the beach and promenade were packed with people enjoying the last of the summer sun.   As the tide went out there were families building sandcastles and children playing in the water - it was lovely!   We went for a leisurely stroll along the front and stopped for an ice cream from the lovely Terry on the prom, and then pootled along licking it as it very quickly melted!   No doubt the lovely weather will end as soon as it started and we'll be back to winter, but it is lovely to enjoy as an early autumn treat!Mon 11 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-13 I went to Cleveleys Forum last night and made a presentation about the work to install the cable for Walney Offshore Windfarms. I was followed by the people from Lancashire County Council and BAM Nuttall who are relaying the tramtracks through Blackpool to Fleetwood.   Local people will know that the tram crossing at Little Bispham has been closed for an eternity, it's because the signalling system is a trial for how they will operate at junctions along the rest of the route, and needs to be proven to work.   The bad news is that there are road closures all over Cleveleys adjacent to the tramway from the end of the illuminations right through to next Spring.   The good news is that they are hoping to open the crossing at Little Bispham while the works are carried out, and then hopefully leave them open once the trams start running again next Spring.   Don't shoot the messenger if this doesn't happen. It was a packed meeting and everyone was talking at once, so if I didn't quite hear properly then don't blame me!   Oh and my presentation about the windfarm went really well. So far so good, tell people what's happening and they can deal with it - don't bother and that's another story! Wed 13 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-15   We're running a fab Facebook page all of us people who like all things Cleveleys (www.Facebook.com/visitCleveleys), and one guy posted last week that this event was coming to the North West this weekend. If you haven't been following it you really should, it's a laugh a minute!   Back to the beach. I popped along today and it was fab! The beach was full of kites on the sand waiting to go, and people out in the water doing what ever it is that kitesurfers do!   There was a sort of little black van which was opened up to make a full sound system, belting dance tunes out across the beach - I haven't heard Blue Monday that loud for years and it was all I could do not to show myself up and start dancing! I may be getting wrinkly but it doesn't stop me from liking deafening dance tracks!     My cameras just a point and click type so the photos don't do the event justice. The prom was lined with camper vans, wetsuits and all the tackle for a sporty wet weekend. It was just like being in the south! We'll try and get some better pics tomorrow, apparently it's going to be a nice day too!     There are events all weekend with races and displays taking place on Saturday and Sunday, so if you like that kind of thing, or just want to soak up the atmosphere, go along and have a look!   You can find out more about the passtimes that you can enjoy in the rest of this website. Enjoy! Fri 15 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-19 I launched the website www.visitCleveleys.co.uk earlier this year so it's been properly in the public domain for about 6 months, and through the site, blog and the Facebook page it's getting quite a following of people from all over the UK and some from even further afield!   This week I received two bits of information to add - one from a lady who moved here and then her sister and mother followed. Her mum lived to be 102, so let's hope that's an indication of what I can expect - she put it down to fresh air and ozone!   Yesterday, a friend popped in with a postcard he'd been given of an old theatre production to put on the site and see if anyone knew the performers.   It's just what I envisaged all along, that it would become an interactive site that everyone got involved with and felt they had a stake in - not just a dull, static thing that no one ever updated!   It's a shame there aren't more hours in the day because there are all kinds of things that I want to do, with that site but also to broaden the range. If I ever work out how to extend the working day I think I'll make more money than I ever will from my day job!   Take a look through the site and if you have anything to contribute from your past anywhere on the Fylde coast, get in touch. Details on the link at the bottom. Tue 19 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-10-31 I'd read an article in one of the Sunday supplements this morning about the new trend for downshifting and reducing your material posessions to 100 items or less. There have been a raft of books written on the subject and, like most things, it's an American trend that's coming to a place near you soon.   It got me thinking though, that if you wanted to adopt this kind of life there are few places better than Cleveleys where you could do it, whether that's for a holiday or for a life changing housemove. Let's see:   1. There are fantastic and completely free passtimes all around you, with a fabulous seafront that leads for miles in either direction for the fantastically fit or bike riders among us, outlay and posessions required? Walking shoes/trainers and a bike.     2. Fancy something more sandy on a hot or nice day? Investigate the beach, with a picnic or do a bit of strandline surveying, sandcastle building or just rummaging around. Outlay required? Nothing, although you might want to bring some garden tools to dig a sandcastle, we don't advocate buying a bucket for the purpose!     3. But everyone needs to buy basic things to live with, and at Cleveleys there are all the shops that you'd want for a full life without having to manage on half a loaf and a pint of milk. You can buy clothes here, furniture, decorating materials, food, presents, and really everyhting that you would want or need in your normal life. The only thing that is missing is a department store. Outlay? No more than you need or want to part with.     4. Transport is a major factor in most peoples lives, but at Cleveleys it's flat so that means getting around is easier. Shanks pony (your feet!) are easy to use and you get further without hills in the way, bikes are standard transport for young and old, or if you are less fit a motability buggy is just the thing. And public transport is quite good too - with links to places all round. Outlay: A lot less than running a car!   So there you go, four good reasons to come to Cleveleys. If you look round the rest of the site you'll see even more! Sun 31 Oct 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-11-13 About once a year we get really, really bad weather at Cleveleys, and this years dose came this week, and we could have had a foam party!     Wednesday saw the wind start to get up and on Wednesday night it was quite bad - the house was shaking, the settee was shivering and it was starting to get a bit scary.   Then I got an email from the engineer at the council to say that they were putting the storm boards in the seawall, not that they expected floods! (That's comforting then!)   Thursday was a nightmare. I had a meeting at lunch time and seriously wondered how I was going to get out of the door and in the car to go. I did manage it, high tide was at 2pm and when I came back at 3pm the prom was under a 'snow storm'! (see photo). There are roadworks on Thornton Gate which runs at right angles to the prom and the winds had scattered the cones and signs all over.   When the wind is fierce and the tide is high the foam flies. It's sand and salt that gets agitated by the sea and it creates a froth at the waters edge, which gets thicker and thicker and then it blows up and over the sea wall. It was about 3' deep in one place - and all over our windows!   There had been terrible damage just up the road at Blackpool - the tableau illiminations had taken a battering, and the scaffolding and tent around the tower had just about come to pieces - the sheets had been ripped off.   We survived it, again, this year and now the clean up begins. It dosen't come off with rain or plain water - it takes elbow grease and fairy liquid!Sat 13 Nov 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-11-19   Parallel to the promenade there are open fields which are quite soggy because of being so near to sea level, hence have lush grass, few predators and presumably odds and ends of protein rich invertebrates!   Each year, the Pink Footed Geese arrive over winter in their hundreds to feed in the fields during the day and then fly off at night to their roosts at places like Pilling marshes.   They can be heard all over surrounding streets, honking as they land, and talking goose talk to each other!   It's an incredible sight to see, and one that we get each year.   They breed on the high tundra in Iceland and Svalbard and then fly the enormous distance back to the UK in the autumn, ready to do it all again the following spring. Incredible and all without a GPS!Fri 19 Nov 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-11-21 A week or so ago I told you about the 100mph winds that battered the north west coast and wreaked havoc at Cleveleys, Blackpool and on the sails of Lytham windmill.   A walk on the beach revealled that a lot of the contents of the sea bed had also been washed ashore, with many animals and lots of seaweed also having been washed up that you wouldn't normally see, and certainly not in such numbers.     These are sea mice (although they are all upside down) which were washed up in their hundreds, which are a marine polychaete worm found in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and normally lie buried head-first in the sand. It can live in muddy sea floors down to around 1000m.[1]   Its body is covered in a dense mat of hairs, from which the name "sea mouse" derives. They can grow up to 20 cm and are active carnivores, chiefly eating other polychaetes, such as Nereis, which may be up to three times the length of the sea mouse.   There were also star fish, proper fish, anemones, and slugs - all the things that you can sometimes see one of but never so many at once.   My dad was on the beach taking photos yesterday and he heard a couple say 'I don't know what they are, we'll have to have a look at Jane's blog and see if they are on there'. So, to the couple from the Norbreck, this one's for you!     Sun 21 Nov 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-11-28   Last year, for the first time in a long time, it snowed at Cleveleys - around about Christmas. While the rest of the country has been under a thick white blanket we have got away with it, with a few threatening clouds I might add!     The views have been beautiful this week - we have a hundred for every occassion and looking across the calm water yesterday towards Blackpool Tower was a sight for sore eyes. As the sun went down last night, it lit up the sky with a ghostly pink glow, and the clouds were the thick heavy ones that usually come with snow! But, touch wood, there is none here as yet.     This morning the thermometer outside was at -7.5 which is the lowest I have ever seen it - I had to look twice to make sure I'd seen it properly! That said, the sky was once again flushed pink, with a beautiful sunrise over the chimney pots behind us - it must have been a sight on the east coast.     If you do one good turn in this weather, put some food and water out for the birds. I went to feed mine this morning, the blackbird was on the fence waiting before I'd even got across the lawn, and within minutes they had eaten up. Anything is better than nothing but fatty or protein food is best and will keep them warm. I buy cheap lard and cheap porridge oats and melt the lard up and add the out of date raisins in the cupboard! It's foul and is embarrassing to buy but the birds love it - along with cheap dog food!Sun 28 Nov 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-12-02   It's amazing how we are managing to get away with this, the rest of the world is under feet of snow and yet at Cleveleys we are basking in bright sunshine! This photo was taken at lunch time today - what a lovely view!   It's been very cold and yesterday afternoon the sky went very grey and we had a few flakes. As a friend said, to say we'd had no snow would be lying but you'd need a micrometer to measure it!   Earlier this week the beach was beautiful. We did a beach clean on Monday and the sand was white with ice, and having gone outside wrapped up like zombies it actually got quite warm as you worked in the bright sunshine. We moved loads of stuff, the only problem was that the rubbish was hard to spot among the frost, particularly the little bits of plastic!   I do worry about the birds though, I have been out every day this week with a bucket of water in exchange for a bowl of ice, and all the out of date things I could find in the fridge! Today they have had a couple of (cooked) eggs and half a can of dog food, the other day I cooked some sausages that were vile and an equally horrible vegetable burger while we had the oven on for our lunch! You'll find that they eat anything, in this weather especially! Thu 02 Dec 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-12-08   Everywhere you go now you can feel the festive rush starting to take off, and Cleveleys is no exception.   We have a long straight high street that runs at 90 degrees to the sea front, and it's busy all year round here unlike in many other similar places all over the UK. From early to late there's always a bustle on the high street, with locals and visitors coming to see what they can find. I'll grant you that this photo was taken in the summer!   The celebration to light the Christmas tree went with a swing a couple of weeks ago and now there is a lovely big tree at the main cross roads at the centre of town to greet people as they come to Cleveleys. The shops have little trees on the fronts of the buildings lit with twinkly white lights so when it drops dark it looks ever so pretty.   Not that we suffer from early dark nights here - being right on the west coast we get at least half an hour grace from the very early darkness inland, and on a bright day it can be going on for 4.30 before it gets really black.   In fact winter doesn't seem to last as long here as it did when we lived in Yorkshire. It seemed to stretch for months back then, cold, grey and miserable. Now it seems to fly past, so that's another thing to recommend living at the coast!   Santa is coming to town too this weekend, the Rotary club will be on the high street accompanying santa and his sleigh from 10-4pm on Saturday 11th and next week on the 18th. That's a treat for all you Christmas lovers!Wed 08 Dec 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-12-10 I've known Paul Maynard for a number of years and since before he was elected. He's very likeable and a down to earth and very sensible individual, blessed with the ability to put across a perfectly formed debate which is all to the good of the people of Blackpool North and Cleveleys. The future of British tourism, and support for it, is a hotly debated topic. Here's what Paul had to say this week in the House about the work of Visit Cleveleys:   Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con): It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Crausby, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Laura Sandys) on securing this important debate. Like a moth to a flame, as a Blackpool MP I find it hard to resist any debate on tourism and seaside towns. Today, however, I do not want to talk about Blackpool. Close observers of the annunciator will have noticed that I represent Blackpool North and Cleveleys. Cleveleys is also a seaside town with a tourism industry, although it does not receive as much attention as its big brother to the south.   Many people holiday in Cleveleys without going anywhere near Blackpool. It offers a wonderful expanse of coast and some of the finest promenade architecture that we have seen built in this country over the past 25 years. Bus trips come for the day from far and wide. During the general election, I had a street stall in Cleveleys. By half-past 10 in the morning I was spending more time convincing voters from constituencies such as Stoke-on-Trent Central to vote Conservative than I was convincing those from my constituency. Obviously, I did not do enough because we failed win the seat in Stoke-on-Trent Central, but I did my bit.   Cleveleys has flat pavements. Hon. Members may wonder why I mention that, but flat pavements are unusual in seaside towns and they make the town accessible. A large number of coaches come to Cleveleys full of disabled tourists who know that it is an accessible resort that they can get around despite their mobility problems. Large numbers of pensioners also come to Cleveleys-again, because it is easy to get around.   Cleveleys has a good variety of shops and a large number of cafés for people to sit in should a shower pass over. One such place is the Carousel Café, which is run by the president of the chamber of trade, Martin Hunns. Although Cleveleys has some wonderful, positive aspects, it also has a few downsides. If one asked Martin about Cleveleys, as I am sure people do, he will say one thing:   "We have gone on for years about parking in Cleveleys. All this money has been spent on this beautiful promenade but people are being turned away because there is nowhere to park."   The town is concerned about the sustainability of the range of shops on the main streets, and the future of its indoor markets. One such market is to close suddenly, although I gather that an improved version is on the way. A medium-sized seaside town such as Cleveleys has positive and negative aspects, but the main challenge it faces is that of marketing, branding and communication-something that other hon. Members have also mentioned. Who should do that marketing, and how?   I want to pay tribute to a lady called Jane who moved to Cleveleys several years ago, and saw the opportunity the moment she arrived. She now runs a website that promotes tourism in Cleveleys, which she does entirely on her own without any public funding. Unsurprisingly, the website is called visitcleveleys.co.uk, and I encourage hon. Members to do just what it says and visit Cleveleys. As Jane says:   "the coastal Wyre area hasn't previously been strongly promoted as a tourism area, and Cleveleys has plodded along under its own steam...Promoting the website and promoting Cleveleys are inextricably linked, and a raft of publicity has gone out this year in north west publications, including Lancashire Life. Links are being developed with the local authority and tourism marketing agencies to develop the brand much further for the future."   What Jane does is more than a voluntary initiative and a nice idea; I think that it is the future for destination marketing in this country. For too long, we have assumed that the responsibility for marketing our seaside towns should lie with some sort of public body, be it local government, VisitEngland, VisitBritain-or visit whoever-or even the Minister's Department. Here, however, we have someone taking the initiative and doing something for the benefit of their community without a public body intervening. I hope that hon. Members will not groan when I say that that might just be an example of the big society in action.   It's exceptionally nice to know that your efforts haven't gone un-noticed, and at Visit Cleveleys we'll continue to do our bit and fly the flag, and continue to work with friends and partners, like Martin Hunns and other traders at Cleveleys.Fri 10 Dec 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-12-15 I enjoy spending time with the Rossall Beach Residents & Community Group - we are a friendly bunch who work on the northern edge of the sea front at Cleveleys to raise funds and improve the promenade and beach.     Last week we all trundled along to The Venue, our handy seafront eatery and had Christmas dinner. We are a very noisy bunch and make a din everywhere we go, and this was no exception. A guy sat behind us asked who we were and said that the atmosphere we created was fantastic. And that was just having lunch and pulling a cracker!   Last years draw meeting   We are having another riot this evening at the Christmas social meeting. We have a Trustees meeting each month, followed by an open meeting for members to come along to. At Christmas we don't bother with the formalities and have a bit of fun instead.   Last year we started our Christmas Hamper Raffle - where we all donate something to put in the hamper and then sell tickets to raffle it off. It was successful so this year we are doing it again. Although this time we are drawing the raffle at the end of the meeting because after the winning ticket had been announced last year everyone went home!     A list of events and projects for next year has been drawn up, and it's fitting that as I type this the sun is shining and it's a taste of things to come for next year. We have done really well with the weather while the rest of the country has been under snow so hopefully when the end of the week comes around we'll not get what has been forecast!   You can find out about the work of this community group, and if you are a regular to the beach put your name down for membership, it's only £1 - details from www.rossallbeach.org.uk . Wed 15 Dec 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-12-19   I had been trying to find time to go shopping with my mum before Christmas, and had eventually pencilled an afternoon in like a work appointment, so I wasn't amused when heavy snow was forecast for Friday afternoon. On the basis that snow doesn't fall or stick very often at the coast I thought we might get away with it.   Friday afternoon came to clear blue skies and sun, so off we toddled all the way to Blackpool. The promenade is closed because of tram and building works while the prom itself is rebuilt, so finding the car park was one thing - goodness knows hows tourists will go on because we know our way around!   Although the car park seemed full, Blackpool itself seemed quiet and we enjoyed a full afternoon of retail therapy, and although I bought some nice things I didn't do too much financial damage.   We got to the top floor of Debenhams on our way back to the car and there is one big window to the outside world, and against the street lights we could see big fluffy snow flakes dropping from the sky!   When we got outside, everyting was white, and before we went into the Houndshill mall at about 3.15pm there wasn't any snow in sight!     It snowed heavily as we drove slowly home to Cleveleys - it's only about 5 miles and I wouldn't have wanted to go any further. Then it snowed during the night, so when we got up on Saturday morning it was thick and white - and very pretty!   This morning it was -10 when I got up at 6am, and it's all crisp and white - with a beautiful big round white moon and lots of twinkly stars in the black night sky.   If you have any photos of snow here that you would like to send in, just email them to jane@visitCleveleys.co.uk Sun 19 Dec 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-12-22   On Friday night the snow fell at Cleveleys, which is quite unusual in itself because it very rarely falls and settles here.   We went out to take some photos at about 8.30 on Saturday morning and couldn't believe our eyes when we saw an elderly man dressed in a red suit, sat in one of the new shelters on the promenade.   Since it was a week before Christmas we can only assume that he was out getting his bearings and maybe collecting some last minute gifts and deciding which order he would deliver them at Cleveleys.   We thought everyone, particularly the children under 10, would like to share this.   Happy Christmas everybody!Wed 22 Dec 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2010-12-27 We live a frantic life at Cleveleys - time flies by so quickly it's unbelievable and winter does seem to pass by so much more painlessly than it did when we lived in-land.   Christmas is an ideal opportunity for a proper rest, and usually the only chance we get in a year. We have been surprised in previous years by how busy it gets on the promenade, particularly on Boxing Day. Families come out in force - several generations all at once and enjoy family time together with Christmas presents and new bikes in tow!   This year though the weather has been so awful that it has kept the beach and promenade very quiet, even I wasn't bothered about going out and I only have to see a ray of sunshine and I get itchy feet!   Over Christmas the cold has been unrelentless - our outdoor thermometer has registered a setady several degrees below zero and the snow has just not moved. We've been up and down the garden feeding the birds with everything that would otherwise have gone in the bin - they had the scraps off the bird, the fat off the gammon joint, wrinkly apples, and anything that I could find that was high calorie and would keep them going in this weather when they couldn't find food themselves.   A temporary thaw has arrived today and with it some rain, and now everything at Cleveleys is dirty with slushy snow starting to splatter everywhere. Roll on summer and at the pace life goes here it will soon by February with a full whole summer and spring stretching out in front of us!Mon 27 Dec 2010, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-01-06 Well that was a lovely Christmas break for the Visit Cleveleys team, we kept the Facebook page going, and made some more amendments to the website, and had a clean up on the front page along with some housekeeping to keep your site clean, tidy and interesting - and that was apart from bumping into Santa on the promenade!   January has started with grey skies, but winter passes quickly at the coast and before we know it it will be Spring and everything that brings with it.   We've had a rare bird moved in on the rock groyne near the cafe - a Purple Sandpiper - which are apparently quite rare. I had a sighting too of a small flock of Linnets on the beach. I don't think they are rare but I was thrilled, I haven't seen them before. They are a cross between a Chaffinch and a Sparrow to look at.   I popped into the Cancer Research shop over the holiday to introduce myself to the manageress - we knew of each other and now we know each other! You'll find details on the 'What's happening' section about an event they are holding for Burns Night.   The Visit Cleveleys Facebook page can be a laugh a minute and the latest bit of intelligence is that the dmise of the Victoria Market this week spells the arrival of a new Peacocks store. It's a shame for the traders who have moved and the end of an era, but if this is true it will tidy up a shabby building and bring another good name to town to keep it busy and thriving.   So that's what's been happening in the last few days - much more to come I'm sure! Thu 06 Jan 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-01-08   I have to say I'm not much of an astronomer. Despite watching the programmes on the obscure Freeview channels and having an interest I still couldn't spot the Plough if I tried. I can recognise the moon and often talk to him as he seems to reply with a limited vocabulary of 'ooooh's'.   I was quite enthusiastic to see that this week there would be rare celestial happenings int he night sky and was all set for what I might learn about the skies above Cleveleys, since I spend so much time looking at them. Wouldn't you know it though we've had just about complete cloud cover ever since.   I'm always up and about well before the crack of dawn, and since I have been on early morning dog duty I've seen all kinds of fantastic things that I haven't seen before. Beautiful sunrises, rainbows across the beach, clear skies, twinkling lights above the sea and round to Barrow, and all kinds of things that warm your heart and start your day off with a smile. Hearing the water gently lapping to shore very first thing in the morning while there is no one else about and no noise is really special - I'd recommend it! Sat 08 Jan 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-01-11 I've always enjoyed reading articles about things like the contents of a womans handbag, and what people buy, and top things in the shops - I guess that makes me a voyeur, but since they are frequently published I can't be the only one!   So I decided to add a shopping blog to the Visit Cleveleys website. Like most people I buy my weekly shop at the big supermarket, and to be honest I just don't have the time to start buying everything that my family needs and eats in local shops. However, I do firmly believe in supporting your local shops and buying what you can locally, and it's something I practise on a weekly basis.   At least once a week I go to the shops in Cleveleys - for all those things that you just need. I'm usually with my mum and between us we spend a fair amount of money each week, on things from the bargain shops, magazines, bits of stuff from the clothes shops, food, things for the pets, and incidentals.   If everyone did this who lives in striking distance just think what it would add up to. We are already very lucky in Cleveleys to have a really good range of shops and you could live off them quite easily without having to go anywhere else. You can still buy clothes, furniture, decorating materials, as well as food and day to day things, which is very far from true for most small towns like this where boarded up shops are the norm. Even when shops close they are let and occupied again quickly.   So, have a look at the shopping blog and you'll get a feel for what you can buy here if you come for a day trip, and you'll also get the drift of just what goes on in the mind of Visit Cleveleys - it's often quite odd! This is the link - enjoy! Tue 11 Jan 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-01-15   OK then that was a sensationalist headline, what I meant was that we don't get them!   I'm not an adventurous traveller, I have to say. We went for a day out at Morecambe last year and thought we'd done well, and to be fair, when you live at Cleveleys at the seaside why would you want to go anywhere else to see the same sea view?   As I watched the news this morning they were talking about the riots in Tunisia and holiday makers being stranded. With my luck I could just about guarantee that if I went aboad I'd land up on fire, in an ash cloud, flooded and in jail - so I much prefer to keep my feet planted on British soil. Although I do fancy a trip to Southport this year!   I made this observation last year when planes were grounded left right and centre because of the volcano ash cloud. You can't beat good old blighty and if you book your holiday this year for the Fylde Coast you won't at least be in any danger! You can include a visit to Cleveleys and we might not be able to guarantee the weather but at least you won't get a flood to Australian/Brazilian levels, or an ash cloud!   And with the help of this website you can now plan what you want to do when you get here, happy holidays! Sat 15 Jan 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-01-23 I don't know what's happened to all the clocks in our house since we moved to Cleveleys, they all seem to be going round faster than they ever did (and they all tell a slightly different time too!). We no sooner get to one weekend than there's another one approaching. I've commented before that winter never seems to be as long at the coast as it does when you live inland. Maybe that's because it's flat here and the skies seem bigger as a result and therefore it doesn't seem as dark and gloomy.     The views certainly help. Last week I'd been into Thornton Little Theatre and as I came out it was going dusk and the sun was setting against the blades of the windmill at Marsh Mill. Of course I had my trusty little camera with me so I shot across the back of the car park and took some photos.   I knew there would be a delightful sight to see over the sea and so I made a diversion to the sea front to get some shots of the new section of the prom which opened last year. Incredibly, I realised the other day that I haven't got any photos of the new section out of the hundreds of others I have taken recently!     I have certainly had my moneys worth from the views here - every day there is a different sight to see and a sunset to make your eyes water. We've had some lovely misty and ethereal mornings this week too, with watery sunshine through the fog over the fields between Rossall Road and the fields of Thornton.   I had a diversion into the new ice rink this week too. I've kept in touch with the lads there and they offered the two and sixpenny tour when I had time, so I called in and whipped my camera out to bring you some exclusive photos of the inside. They are doing a fab job and it will be really good when it's finished, they hope by February half term. More about it on this page.   So that's about what's been happening this week, other than I got mistaken for the cleaner when I went to one meeting, which was quite hilarious and is another long story! Sun 23 Jan 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-01-27 As usual, it's been an interesting week this week. I'm working with the team who are laying a cable to the Irish Sea for the Walney Offshore Windfarm, and we've reached another mile stone and started pulling the cables through the ducts that were laid before Christmas.     I went to watch one of them being pulled through yesterday which was very interesting (if you like that kind of thing and I do!). I took a small video of them launching the cable into the duct, it's at this link http://www.youtube.com/VisitCleveleysUK   The intertidal guys are just working out how they are going to get the cable from one side of the sea wall to the other! I went to a meeting where the compound is at Hillhouse yesterday and the gate man was laughing his head off at me picking my way through the mud on the access road. The sub station is being built there and so it's a building site and if they sold the mud they'd make more than selling the electric!   I do have a pair of nifty steel toe-cap boots which have come in very handy for wearing in adverse conditions! I can't say the hard hat is very comfy, it keeps slipping off, and I was disappointed it didn't have the windfarm logo on it!  Thu 27 Jan 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-01-29   I have to say I have more than had my moneys worth from moving to the coast, I just love the view and never ever get tired of looking at it. That said, it's different every day and there's always something different to look at.   I sent an email out yesterday to our subscribers and promised a weather forecast early on to help people to plan their weekend, at www.facebook.com/visitcleveleys. Of course the sun rises in the east so the post on Facebook is of the sun above the rooftops, and you'll have to wait until later in the day for the beach view! The new cafe is basking in sunshine currently, a lovely pink glow.   It's been a frosty evening, the sky is clear and the temperature has dropped right down, and if you didn't have domestic chores to attend to it would be lovely to get wrapped up and go on the beach.   It makes you glad to be alive, the seagull is sat on the lamp post sunbathing, the beach is shimmering - and it's only 8.40am!  Sat 29 Jan 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-01   I was talking to the guy who sells the Gazette on Saturday and the latest word on the streets is that there's going to be a shuffle round on the high street.   M&Co currently have a ladies wear shop on one side of the high street and children and gents on the other, and the latest gossip is that they are going to come together in Victoria Market.   O2 are after a larger shop, and a couple of the people who came out of the market are going in the current O2 shop.   There's a planning application in for 76 Vic Rd West to become Coral Bookmakers, which I don't find particularly thrilling (I've even packed the Lottery in) but at least it will tidy an empty shop up. It's either Wigwam or the old Banardoes from what I can see.   So that's today's rumour. I hoped Peacocks were coming to Cleveleys, and they may still!Tue 01 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-02 So here goes with another idea for the folks who like the visit Cleveleys website, and like coming to Cleveleys!   We've teamed up with M&S Simply Food at Cleveleys to start off the BIG Cleveleys Giveaway - the idea being that different retailers and attractions will provide prizes in exchange for a bit of publicity, and the folks who follow the site get a chance to get their hands on something for nothing!   The first one launches today, put your name down and the computer will do the rest! You'll have to either take a day trip or live here on Valentines Day because the first prize will probably contain steak, so Paul, the store manager, is going to put it on one side to make sure there is a prize to be collected if the winner comes along later in the day!   So there you are, go to the link on the homepage, put your name down and then cross your fingers. If you don't get this one, try next time! Wed 02 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-05 Well it's been another busy old week here at Visit Cleveleys central. Early 6.30am starts and late 9pm finishes all week!   I've posted a couple of blogs this week, we've started off the Big Cleveleys Giveaway to make the site more exciting for people who follow it, Paul, the manager at M&S in Cleveleys is really enthusiastic and determined to help make a mark on keeping Cleveleys on his feet, and he's donated the first prizes. There are leaflets in store for you to pick up and take away, and all you have to do is register your details with the link on the homepage.   I want to really ramp it up over the coming months so that we get some really good prizes, so if anyone has a fairly local business and wants to support this then get in touch. You will, of course, get some free publicity!   I've had a few really nice emails this week too from complete strangers who have been following the site, and have commented on how they enjoy it and find it refreshing to read. People who know me in real life know that I'm a bit barmy and I think that comes through in the way that I write! Life's just too short to be serious!   On to my favourite subject of the weather, we've had a few really nice days this week with bright sunshine, and now winter has descended again I'm afraid. It's tropical temperatures, hitting a high 10 degrees, but with it comes rain and wind. I've abandoned any hopes of ever having a tidy haircut again!   There is some news to come about works on Trunnah Road again I'm afraid for the cable for the windfarm. Anyone living locally will know that as soon as the tarmac goes down it comes back up, and the next work involves two holes on Trunnah Road near the Sandyforth Arms, so that the ducts can be drilled underneath the road and the culvert. I kept wondering where Trunnah Road bridge was at early meetings, and then I found it. The culvert actually goes underneath what looks like a flat road. More details to come next week. Businesses on Red Marsh Industrial Estate and neighbouring residents will receive notification by letter on Monday. I just hope it doesn't rain! Sat 05 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-07   It's been a bit of a foul weekend, it has to be said. All the cordyline palms in Cleveleys look sick and dead, and mine are no exception, so this weekend they have ended up in the green bin ready for it to be emptied on Tuesday. I've had a look on the internet and hope that cutting the rotten top off will make them grow again - from the top of the trunk and not the bottom!   It's not been fit to turn a dog out, although it's not stopped people coming to the beach. In this weather as many people come wave watching as they do sunbathing in summer, and with high tide at lunch time it's convenient. The tide has been high too. About 9m so not the full whack of 10m that it can get to (that's later in the month) but the strong winds have whipped some right junk up to the edge of the sea wall. Rossall Residents will have a job on when they do their next beach clean on 21 Feb - I think everyone in Cleveleys ought to turn up!   I had a pootle on the beach for 10 minutes yesterday afternoon. It was very cold and very windy. I was suffering for the sake of Visit Cleveleys and crouched down taking some video of the rough waves when it got me and wet my feet - wellies would have been better, it must be said! The clip will be on YouTube in a mo (link at the top).   Among the junk I found a little yellow duck! It's a bit blurred, by this time the wind had dirtied the lens on the camera. It's the second one I have found in about 2 1/2 years, so by the time I am ready for popping my clogs I might have enough for a full hook-a-duck! It's quite fascinating looking through the strandline. Not just for the wildlife but for the manmade stuff too. I also found a paint tray (why?) and saw some shoes. Bizarre! Mon 07 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-08 I just had to share this with you - another bit of incidental chatter from the world of Visit Cleveleys!   I've been to a Beneast Future Generations Event today, where they aim to get 100 apprentices into jobs in 100 days. It was a really good event and there were about 120 delegates there, with Sir Geoff Hirst as the speaker - you may have seen it promoted in the Gazette during the last few weeks.   Anyway, Howard, the General Manager at the Hilton, knows that I have a serious thing for puddings, and in particular their sponge puddings and custard. I have been to a few business functions there and it's getting to be a standing joke that I ask for sponge pudding and custard, even down to the breakfast meeting a few weeks ago where they were actually serving english cooked breakfast....   So today, bless him, Howard had a bowl of chocolate pudding and custard on stand by for me, and had even told the waiters who I was and to make sure I got the right one. What about that for personalised service. Possibly the best pudding in the world, in possibly the best hotel. And all on our very own doorstep! Thanks Howard (I'll be back....) Tue 08 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-12 One of the challenges in publishing a website is making sure that people know that it's there to look at it. It's not easy, and it's taken 12 months to start building up some notoriety.   Followers of the site and it's blogs will know that we have been doing a Big Give Away during February with the M&S Simply Food store, and the manager has very kindly donated the prizes. You've still got time to put your name in the hat and it's just one of the things that we've been doing to promote our work.   Before last year I'd never been on the radio, and I did feel a bit squeamish about it. You might have gathered that I'm not normally stuck for things to say (!) so I coped with it reasonably well. We had BBC Radio Lancashire at Cleveleys a couple of times and they did live outside broadcasts from the sea front and beach.   So when we started the Give Away I thought I'd get in touch and see if they could give it a mention on the radio. So I'm off to Blackburn on Tuesday afternoon to go on Gilly's show at 2pm. I've never been in a radio studio before so I am sure that it will be an interesting experience seeing how they do things there.   I have to say that Paul, the Manager at M&S in Cleveleys, has been an absolute star. He's a local lad and has a great affinity for Cleveleys and making sure that it does well and continues to thrive and I think between us we are aiming to put Cleveleys on the map!  Sat 12 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-13 It looks like the weather men are on a roll, and as I type this at 7.40am it's actually starting to rain just as they said it would - so we'll see what happens later today.   Yesterday, however, was a taste of things to come. Leading a busy life with lots to do we often just enjoy a weekend pottering about. I've mentioned before that all the Cordyline palms at Cleveleys seem to be dead or dying after the hard weather and it took me long enough to collect the leaves and tops to go in the green bin, and when we had finished our other jobs around the house it was gone 1.30pm and frankly we just couldn't be bothered to do much.   So we had a quick cup of tea and then went out onto the beach. What a fabulous day and how lucky we are to live in a place like this. The sun was twinkling on the water and it was packed down on Rossall Prom where the cars park. Terry the ice cream man was doing a roaring trade and everyone was just enjoying some early sunshine as a break in the foul weather of winter.     We walked through the Five Bar Gate and up to the tank traps. Did you know that the high concrete post things adjacent to Rossall School are supposed to be the remnants of the war, built to stop tanks coming up the beach? I'm still not sure whether that is an old-wives tale or whether it's true. Maybe someone can tell us?     Anyway, we sat down on one of the little walls on the beach side and just enjoyed the view and the sunshine. A man came down the beach on a horse and you could tell by the way the horse was lifting its feet that it was happy to be out and free. There were families with little kids playing in the water in wellies, and people walking dogs and it was just lovely.   We had a stroll back - I can't say it does very much for your cardio-vascular system having a walk like this, but it does your spirits a world of good. The sun was shining all afternoon and when we got back home we plonked on the sofa and the next thing I knew I was asleep!   The finishing touch for the afternoon was a Chinese Tea. We usually have a takeaway on Saturday at tea time and Kays, the chip shop next to the bus station is closed for a few weeks, so it was a Maxim House tea. And very nice it was too. That's on the shopping blog! It might not be everyone's idea of a wild life but when we lived in Yorkshire we used to drive 120 miles to do exactly what we did on Saturday!, just like all the other people on the beach with us!   Sun 13 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-15   Residents of the Fylde Coast can't have missed the adverts in recent weeks for Showzam, Blackpools own festival of magic and mystery.   To find out much more about what's happening and individual shows go to the website http://www.showzam.co.uk/   Tue 15 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-16 I'd been interviewed last year by BBC Radio Lancashire, so I'd met John Gillmour who does the afternoon show back then. I'd got in touch with him to see if I could get a couple of minutes on air to promote the Big Give Away that we've started off, very successfully, with M&S Simply Food at Cleveleys.   He got back in touch to invite me to the studio at Blackburn. That was an education in itself, I've got the sense of direction of a gnat and even managed to get in a panic with the sat-nav! Anyway, I got there, bang on 2pm, and pulled into a 1 hour parking space at the front of the building.   I've never been in a radio station before and it was very interesting. He showed me how they get the playlists and how things work, and then away we went.   I can talk for Britain anyway, and it was funny listening to it back, it sounded just like me! If you want to have a good laugh this morning, just listen to this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00dgzv7/John_Gillmore_Arts_for_young_people/   The interview starts at 1hr 16, then there are two further snippets at 1hr 31 and 1hr 46   Wed 16 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-19 A couple of years ago a full sized container ferry ran aground at Cleveleys after a particularly bad storm. Cleveleys was instantly gridlocked as people came from all over the north west to see the boat laid on the sand. It was an overnight success for tourism and the local shops, particularly since it was February when the weather is cool and the season hadn't yet got going.   Riverdance on the beach   It's been a standing joke since then that we could do with one every year or so, to keep Cleveleys on the map. Well this year the town will get its wish once again, because there's another ship on its way!   A cable is currently being laid on land to connect the new Walney Offshore Windfarm to shore. Installation is well under way and unfortunately the work has contributed to the huge amount of roadworks which seem to be everywhere on the Fylde coast at the moment. The payback for the disruption is the arrival of the cable barge and frankly I can't wait!     The boat will arrive at high tide and come up the beach and drop anchor. It then sits there while the tide goes out, remaining on the beach for about a week while the offshore cable is connected to shore.   Construction work will start very soon to lay the intertidal connection from land down the beach to where the marine cable picks up. A steel pipe is being laid through which the cable duct will eventually run, and all the prep work has to be done before the barge arrives.   All the work can be followed through this website with photos, weekly updates and lots of information. We don't know exactly when the barge will arrive yet, but don't worry, we'll keep you posted!   You'll also be able to follow the progress at www.facebook.com/visitCleveleysSat 19 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-23 If you have been following the Visit Cleveleys website you will have seen that there is a section on there about the Walney Offshore Windfarm.   I'm working with the company who are building the windfarm, because the cable for it comes ashore at Cleveleys and runs up the beach to cross Cleveleys and Thornton to the sub station at Stanah, on the edge of the River Wyre.   My role has been to keep people informed and to make sure that the correct information is passed along to affected residents and locals as different parts of the work progress. I have to say it's been fascinating. As a child of a certain generation I loved watching Playschool and the best bit for me was 'through the window' and even as a toddler I sat fascinated when they went into factories and showed how things were made. So as an adult it's been like the Quest channel in real life for me!   There are a couple of disruptive and key pieces of work going on at the moment, where a drill is being made under a culvert on Trunnah Road at Thornton, and there is another one just down the road at a disused railway crossing where Hillylaid Road meets Lawsons Road, which is due to be carried out next week.   So I spent hours yesterday pushing letters through letter boxes to notify residents, calling into shops and notifying them and generally making sure that everyone in the area knows what's happening. We've tried to make sure that people have enough information to understand, rather than saying 'there will be roadworks' because when people can follow why you are doing something they tend to be a lot more understanding. And it's only fair!   The beach works are due to kick off soon, and then the show will really start. Works are scheduled for mid March in preparation for the cable barge arriving in May. There will be weird works happening on the beach so it will be something to watch for once - along with the gulls and turnstones!   To make sure you keep up to date with the works, and find out when the boat is coming to Cleveleys, follow the windfarm section on this website and the Facebook page www.Facebook.com/visitCleveleysWed 23 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-26   One of our neighbours here at Cleveleys christened the seagull Homer, I don't know why he reminded him of the Simpsons but there you go!   Bob started off feeding him by hand, and the gull sits on the wall outside his window, usually in an afternoon, staring until he gets food.   We also feed the birds in our back garden. We have loads of starlings, a few sparrows, a tame blackbird and a very few visiting garden birds. There isn't much of a tree corridor down to the promenade so the garden birds take their courage in both hands to come down here!   Anyway, Homer quickly cottoned on that there was food in a morning to be had in our garden, and now he stares us out! He lands on next doors garage, then walks down the trellis and looks in the windows, watching as we come from room to room, until finally the door opens.   Currently he's on Pedigree Chum, they don't like the food in gravy and aren't keen on jelly, so the plain loaf is best!   We've not seen much of him over the winter, but he must have babies on his mind because he's been every morning this week, accompanied by the wife. Half a tin of dog food and he's happy, then off he goes to fight another day and beg more scraps from Bob!  Sat 26 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-02-27   Yesterday was beautiful at Cleveleys, it was breezy and cool but a lovely day, especially since it was a Saturday and the weekend. I know many people have days off in the week, but the weekends are always busiest still.   We went for a walk on the beach and enjoyed the afternoon. The kitesurfers were out in force and enjoying the waves, I can't imagine how cold it must have felt even with a wetsuit!   The evening sun was beautiful too, as it started to drop the sky went golden, and then the sun was a Japanese red ball as it dipped over the horizon.   I know this sounds ridiculous, but I could never understand how sunset was defined until I came to live at the coast and actually saw it sinking over the edge. The thing that always confused me when I lived in land was the fact that it stayed light after the sunset time. Now I know why!Sun 27 Feb 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-03 ... but, strangely, from land and not from the sea! I've just been out early this morning on an errand and driving along the promenade the sun was shining and it was a beautiful clear morning. Diverting inland and round the tramworks an ethereal mist started to drop, with the ghostly white moon shining in the sky. Pity I didn't have my camera on me, against the tree branches it was quite artistic!   It looks like the workmen might be starting on the other half of the Kwik Save, soon to be Weatherspoons building, there were men there this morning and there are shop fitting signs on the fencing. The KFC looks just about open and the newly enlarged shop looks just the ticket. Shame it's not a bit nearer to the seafront but it does seem to be doing well, it must be busy or they wouldn't have doubled it!   Bit of scandal for all you shop-watchers too today. There is a rumour going around that Victoria Market is to be taken by M&Co with both the shops in Cleveleys coming into one store. Seems that might be the case as a planning application has been lodged with Wyre Borough Council to convert 74 Victoria Road West into two shops, as it is soon to become vacant. Click on this for the link to the application.   Visit Cleveleys went to the Wyred Up business event yesterday at Rossall School, and didn't miss an opportunity to promote the website. The postcards you might have seen were scattered for everyone to take, along with a little slip promoting the current Big Cleveleys Give Away, which is a FREE 2 hour pottery lesson with Red Fox Pottery at Marsh Mill. Joseph, from the pottery, was there too so it was nice to put a face to the name.   A couple of months ago you might have seen a report in the 'What's happening' section on Visit Cleveleys about a class trip from Rossall School to the planning and regeneration department at Wyre. The same children carried on the project when they got back to school, and came up with some fab slogans for Cleveleys. The one I particularly liked was 'Come to Cleveleys, you'll be blown away'. Yes, quite literally sometimes! The children made a presentation at the event yesterday and they were really good, hopefully we'll be able to get a follow up on here soon.   The sun looks like it's trying to shine now, it's been a lovely week, the blackbirds were trilling last night as it went dark and are thinking about building a nest in the garden, the daffodils are just about to break into flower, I saw some early blossom this morning, and it looks like spring it on it's way at Cleveleys! Thu 03 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-10 When we first moved here I remember planting daffodil bulbs in the garden and a neighbour saying 'they'll not grow'. She had a point, but only in so much as the very small dwarf ones do better. Tete-a-tete I think they are called.   It's a mystery to me that every year when they come out you can guarantee that the wind blows a gale, then when they are damaged and tattered it stops as quickly as it starts. The community garden on Rossall Promenade has some daffodils in it. One of the local garden centres was giving them away last year and a (different) green fingered neighbour collected coupons from the newspaper and got several bags! They were doing exceptionally well in last weeks sunny and still weather!   The starlings are starting to set up shop in the garden. Much to their amusement, I bought a parrot nesting box several years ago from a pet store. They were adamant that starlings nested in trees and wouldn't go in the box, but they did! We'd previously had them in a hole in the garage roof but they got kicked out when the babies fledged because they kept pooing all over the door!   We have had several clutches of babies in our unorthodox nest boxes so about 2 years ago I got a bird box camera for my birthday and this January it's been fitted in one of the 2 boxes. I did see a starling with straw in its beak today - in the other box without the camera!   I think the people laying the electricity cable to beach are going to get a shock when they start on site. They've been putting the cabins on the compound next to the beach today in preparation for starting work on Monday next week. If it's blowing and raining like this they'll wonder where they have come to! They are specialist marine contractors so let's assume that they are used to it!   The cable barge is scheduled to arrive in mid May. We'll keep you posted and updated regularly for the once in a lifetime event of a ship on the beach - that's supposed to be there and hasn't run aground in a January storm like Riverdance did!  Thu 10 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-12 At the Rossall Beach Group meeting this week, as usual the conversation descended into hysteria. At the recent Strandline event one of the members had mentioned to the Ranger about whether cockles were to be found on the beach at Cleveleys. Apparently they are, and there is a season for them, late Spring and early Summer.   So a proposal was put to the meeting, complete with recipes for cooking the catch, that a Cockling event should be held on Rossall Beach. It doesn't sound as funny in the translation, but believe me, it was at the time. So watch this space, this may be the start of the Great Cleveleys Cockle Catching Festival!   You'll see some new updates on the 'What's Happening' section, with information about events on Rossall Beach, at the library and to round it all up, a snapshot survey of the volunteering activity that goes on all over Wyre.   Cleveleys is quite an incredible place for community groups and volunteering. If you were on your own, retired or just bored, there are groups practically on every street corner. Don't forget, if you are involved in a community group you can add the details to the database on the main menu at the top. No wonder people move here from all over the place! Sat 12 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-19 One thing that strikes you about living by the sea is how much brighter it is than inland, particularly on the West Coast because of course the sun is going our way.   So it's really nice that the evenings are getting lighter and we can start to enjoy life after work again, instead of the half gloom of winter (or more to the point darkness!).   Although the week started off dull and overcast even though it wasn't freezing, it ended on a bright note with lovely sunshine that was quite warm at lunchtime. It was lovely to go for a walk after tea yesterday and be able to enjoy the evening sun as it set on the sea and over the beach.     Of course the clocks will be changing in a week or two, which makes for an hour less in bed (or for me an hour less website editing time!) but it's so nice to enjoy the sunshine in an evening. I'd like it to stay light all year until at least 7pm!   There are signs of Spring all over Cleveleys, the daffodils are flowering in the planter on Rossall Promenade, right in the middle of the roadworks for the cable laying!   Up in town the perennial plants are starting to sprut on the promenade, the childrens amusements are busy at weekends, the sun is higher in the sky and lighting the high street up, and everything is stretching its legs and getting ready for another summer. Makes you glad to be alive and living at the seaside! Sat 19 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-21 It's been a fascinating weekend on the beach at Cleveleys. Saturday was warm, bright and sunny and a perfect back drop to stand and watch the beach works where they are doing construction work to lay the cable for the Walney Offshore Windfarm. You can find all about it through the portal on this site, www.visitCleveleys.co.uk/windfarm.   They were putting huge sheetpiles into the beach to build a cofferdam and had an audience for much of the day. You don't see things like that everyday at Cleveleys! Then in the evening as the sun went down the whole of the plant trundled along the beach to the temporary compound on the promenade out of the way of the high spring tides.   Sunday was disappointing weather-wise, and as it was high tide at lunch time there weren't any construction works to watch either. High spring tides come with very low spring tides and when it went out a digger and team went down the beach to do investigations into ground conditions for when the barge arrives. Apparently it's like rock.   This morning a smaller than normal team of volunteers have been out on the beach doing the monthly community beach clean. Construction works were going on until the tide came in and then as soon as the plant retreated off the beach, the cleaners were around and about picking litter from between the sheet piles laid on the shingle!   You might have seen a couple of new visitors on our beach. There's a whole sheep that looks recently deceased, and another one that's well and truly on it's way! For the morbid ones among you here's a pic, if you are squeamish now is a good time to click to another page...   Mon 21 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-24 If you've been following the Windfarm portal you'll know that a cable is being installed through Cleveleys and Thornton for the Walney Offshore Windfarm. The beach works have started to prepare the route where it comes ashore, at the top of Thornton Gate on North/Rossall Promenade, with a cofferdam currently being built out onto the beach.   A dredger will come quite close to shore in April to do some works at sea to prepare the channel for the cable, and then in May the highlight of the works is the arrival of the cable barge. You need to stay tuned in for this and make sure you see it when it comes! The barge will be berthed on the beach at low water mark while the cable is pulled off and into the ducting to join sea to shore.   Coastal Vanguard Tug   We had the first bit of excitment yesterday when a tug turned up. The lovely weather we have been enjoying caused quite a bit of mist at lunchtime and through the fog the tug sailed and came really quite close to shore. Presumably it was connected to the project and was on a reccie mission to find something out. It didn't stay for long and then went. The phone went just as it started to clear through the mist. It was a neighbour 'is that the cable barge come early?'.   The mist was ever so pretty, the view across the sea disappeared and the shore line looked quite ethereal, as you can see from the photo with the cafe on.     To mark the uniqueness of the windfarm works there's a cash prize photography competition for you to enter. Just email your photos to jane@visitCleveleys.co.uk. The gallery will be live in day or so and photos will be published as they are entered. The Project Manager is going to pick the winner when the project is completed. Health and Safety is paramount. DO NOT do anything dangerous in pursuit of a good photo or you will be thrown off site.     Thu 24 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-24 Apologies to anyone who had a Visit Cleveleys email this morning with the latest update and news.   In the introductory section it talks about it being nice to put winter behind us now the clocks go back. Duh! Prizes for observation to everyone who spotted the mistake, of course they go FORWARD!   Which means that we can enjoy light nights, walks after tea, a spot of gardening, car washing or a drink sat outside a pub - whatever takes your fancy - but it does mean that we aren't incarcerated inside with the curtains shut and the lights on!   Just an observation, at Visit Cleveleys we struggle with things that come in pairs, like left and right, clocks going back and forward, you get the idea! Thu 24 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-26 We've well passed our first birthday at Visit Cleveleys, not that we're exactly sure what that date was as we just sort of slipped into existence quietly after Christmas last year. So we thought you might all like to know what we are up to in our office website wise with a peek behind the scenes.   It's been a fascinating year and every day you learn something, either about what's happening here, in a technical context, or about business and new contacts. I have to say it's been really enjoyable.   When I was at school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) and we had to write creative essays I could do the writing but I could never get the idea, and poetry was a killer. Since I've been doing this I can't seem to stop the ideas coming thick and fast!   So, for example, I've just put a post out on Facebook this morning, asking for the schools to come forward to share what they are doing. Rossall School have got links with us, and apparently at Northfold they are doing a project using the site - more on that later! Thornton Primary usually come to beach cleans, and I know that all the schools here and maybe from further afield have also got lots to say and we want to share it!   We've started the next in our publishing catalgoue and the visit Poulton-le-Fylde site is coming along nicely. It's all designed, so the current plan is to launch the landing pages and let people find out it's there and then we can add sections one at a time, building it up much like we have with this one. That's why we started the Facebook page www.Facebook.com/visitPoultonleFylde so that we can start to spread the word. We need help with chatter so if anyone knows anything Poulton-ish please pass it on and we'll credit you for the knowledge!   I've also found some really nice people on my travels, who are kind and helpful. Like Paul, the store manager at M&S Simply Food in Cleveleys. He's a local lad originally and has been working with me to run promotions and help Cleveleys to flourish. Unfortunately he's moving to the foreign shores of St Annes in April, so I'm going to miss him! But thanks Paul, and good luck!   And then of course we are up to our ears in the Walney Offshore Windfarm, which has been an education in itself. It's been fascinating being involved in the project and I've learned more than you could ever wish to know about electricity cables and how they are laid! I have to say I can't wait for the cable barge to come, and it's been reassuring to discover that I'm not half an inch of being certifiable and there are actually other people like me who find this kind of thing interesting!   So thanks for following folks, lots of other madcap things to come, and if you have any ideas share them!   Sat 26 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-03-31 You can't say anything other than pioneering things happen at Cleveleys - we led the way in the north west with a multi-award winning promenade (that Blackpool copied!), we've got the very rare occurence of a cable being laid for a windfarm, and now Visit Cleveleys have 'acquired' a memo about another radical project soon to happen on our beach.   Apparently there have been extensive surveys carried out to find out what drives tourists to seaside resorts, and strange as it may seem, one of the things they they prefer is the pebbles on shingle beaches to be neatly arranged into colours.   Rossall Beach at Cleveleys has been chosen for the first trial study into this work, and when it has been proved it will be rolled out across the country.   Here's what the memo says, read the original pdf (here).     Summary DocumentRossall Beach chosen for pilot study into single colour segregation of UK shingle beaches   BackgroundThis Government department is currently investigating pilot studies into the formation of the shingle beaches on UK shores and their effect on tourism, the economy and on resident wildlife.   It has been shown in extensive MORI opinion polls that the majority of incoming tourists from other countries all around the world prefer single colour beaches, and are more prepared to visit countries where single colour beaches occur. There are also distinct findings in this survey in terms of which colours are preferred and how they can be demonstrated to drive visitor numbers more sharply. In an attempt to improve the current economic climate it is therefore proposed to trial these findings with the aim of raising the gross economic output of UK coastal towns, cities and resorts, thereby improving the economic conditions of the UK as a whole, while at the same time providing a higher quality of seaside experience for our own domestic tourism resources.   MethodologyAs it would be a costly and logistical exercise to move the pebbles around from resort to resort, it is proposed that initially the pebbles be colour graded within each beach, to a minimum depth of 10cm. Once the effects have been proven, the logistics of moving the pebbles around the country from beach to beach to create entirely single colouredbeaches can be investigated further.   The first wave of the project will see the lightest pebbles being arranged at the top of the beach adjacent to the sea wall. This is to create a calming and reflective atmosphere for people using promenades and sea front walkways, and make the beach area seem wider and more open. It will be a particularly effective strategy on the east coast where evenings can be dull due to the sun setting on the west.   Pebbles will be graded in increasingly darkening colour as they head away from the shoreline, with the darkest and black pebbles being placed at the lower reaches of the shingle beach. In areas where a small grade of shingle is found, a specialist grading machine will be employed, travelling around the beaches of the UK and systematically re-orderingthe colour gradient.   Grading equipment will be used in the first instance to carry out the majority of this reorganisation, with the anticipation that community volunteers will be drafted in to complete the project with any manual work that is required. For 1 square metre of beach it is assumed that 10 man hours will be required. ImplementationIn the north west, the shingle beach at Cleveleys, adjacent to North/Rossall Promenade has been chosen for the first trial phase. This has been chosen because of high footfall, the topography of the area, and accessibility for plant, equipment, staff to carry out this work, including a vital resource of community volunteers.   TimescalesWorks are due to begin on 1 April 2011   Further information: www.facebook.com/visitCleveleysTwitter @visitCleveleysThu 31 Mar 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-01 You can't say anything other than pioneering things happen at Cleveleys - we led the way in the north west with a multi-award winning promenade (that Blackpool copied!), we've got the very rare occurence of a cable being laid for a windfarm, and now Visit Cleveleys have 'acquired' a memo about another radical project soon to happen on our beach.   Apparently there have been extensive surveys carried out to find out what drives tourists to seaside resorts, and strange as it may seem, one of the things they they prefer is the pebbles on shingle beaches to be neatly arranged into colours.   Rossall Beach at Cleveleys has been chosen for the first trial study into this work, and when it has been proved it will be rolled out across the country.   Here's what the memo says, read the original pdf (here).   Summary DocumentRossall Beach chosen for pilot study into single colour segregation of UK shingle beaches BackgroundThis Government department is currently investigating pilot studies into the formation of the shingle beaches on UK shores and their effect on tourism, the economy and on resident wildlife.   It has been shown in extensive MORI opinion polls that the majority of incoming tourists from other countries all around the world prefer single colour beaches, and are more prepared to visit countries where single colour beaches occur. There are also distinct findings in this survey in terms of which colours are preferred and how they can be demonstrated to drive visitor numbers more sharply. In an attempt to improve the current economic climate it is therefore proposed to trial these findings with the aim of raising the gross economic output of UK coastal towns, cities and resorts, thereby improving the economic conditions of the UK as a whole, while at the same time providing a higher quality of seaside experience for our own domestic tourism resources. MethodologyAs it would be a costly and logistical exercise to move the pebbles around from resort to resort, it is proposed that initially the pebbles be colour graded within each beach, to a minimum depth of 10cm. Once the effects have been proven, the logistics of moving the pebbles around the country from beach to beach to create entirely single colouredbeaches can be investigated further. The first wave of the project will see the lightest pebbles being arranged at the top of the beach adjacent to the sea wall. This is to create a calming and reflective atmosphere for people using promenades and sea front walkways, and make the beach area seem wider and more open. It will be a particularly effective strategy on the east coast where evenings can be dull due to the sun setting on the west. Pebbles will be graded in increasingly darkening colour as they head away from the shoreline, with the darkest and black pebbles being placed at the lower reaches of the shingle beach. In areas where a small grade of shingle is found, a specialist grading machine will be employed, travelling around the beaches of the UK and systematically re-orderingthe colour gradient. Grading equipment will be used in the first instance to carry out the majority of this reorganisation, with the anticipation that community volunteers will be drafted in to complete the project with any manual work that is required. For 1 square metre of beach it is assumed that 10 man hours will be required. ImplementationIn the north west, the shingle beach at Cleveleys, adjacent to North/Rossall Promenade has been chosen for the first trial phase. This has been chosen because of high footfall, the topography of the area, and accessibility for plant, equipment, staff to carry out this work, including a vital resource of community volunteers. TimescalesWorks are due to begin on 1 April 2011 Further information: www.facebook.com/visitCleveleysTwitter @visitCleveleysFri 01 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-02 10/10 to everyone who realised that we were having a laugh yesterday with the story about sorting the pebbles out into colours on the beach. If you have been following the website, Facebook and blogs you'll have realised by now that we have a good sense of humour at Visit Cleveleys and we like to see the brighter side of life so we wanted to share a joke with all of you!   To be fair, sorting the pebbles out into colours was no more silly that the European law about how yellow and straight bananas had to be, or a million other things that have been imposed on us poor citizens over the years. Apologies to those of you who believed it!   We also drew the M&S competition yesterday so congratulations to the three prize winners who will be collecting their booty this weekend. Hopefully we'll get some photos to share with you next week.   We'll be changing the website again next week to split the 'What's happening' section into three. It's getting a bit big so we are going to have 'What's happening - in schools, in the community, and in general'. If you have got anything to share just send your stuff in to jane@visitCleveleys.co.uk and we'll include it. Editing normally takes place early morning weekends, so get your stuff in before Friday to see it included. I'd prefer a photo too, makes the articles much more interesting! Send text as a Word file or email that can be copied, and photos as jpegs.   The Visit Poulton site is coming along nicely, it's not long before we'll be unleashing that on the world too.   Oh and there will be another boat lurking about any time not long - a huge dredger will be working off shore creating a channel for the offshore cable for the windfarm. More about that in the windfarm portal.  Sat 02 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-11 Last week ended on a high note with beautiful blue skies, sunshine and a bit of a sun tan! A lovely few days were rounded off by a lovely weekend that had people out and about enjoying the seaside.   Rossall Beach Residents & Community Group enjoyed the afternoon on Sunday with an event on the promenade aimed at promoting responsible dog ownership.     Not clearing up after dogs is an endemic problem all over the UK and this group wanted to try and encourage people to clean up after their dogs - which is a much more effective way of keeping places clean than difficult to enforce dog bans.   The group were out in the sunshine with their local ward councillors, the dog warden and representative from Wyre Council, the Waterfront Ranger, and Neighbourhood Policing team including the local PCSOs.   In just a couple of hours nearly 200 people signed ip to support the principle that dog owners should clear up, and the project will continue through the summer to gauge the groundswell of public support.   For more information about this group, go to www.rossallbeach.org.uk and you are more than welcome to join, where ever you live, if you like this beach and want to see it looked after and improved.   God must have been good to them for once, today (Monday) it's cold, breezy and throwing it down! Oh well, back to winter again then! Mon 11 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-13 I've just had to share this with you. If you are following this blog you'll know about Homer and wife, the two seagulls who beg food off anyone who is daft enough to feed them. Currently they have got a few of us trained to heel with various tit-bits.   They land on next doors garage and then walk across the trellis to get a better view into the house, and stand peeping pathetically until we appear with the Pedigree Chum. They are back on serious duty as the breeding season is upon us (they were being cheeky on the chimney pot the other day so what they call a nest will no doubt be appearing soon).     I couldn't get my breath this morning. I'd opened the blinds and there they were sat, and the cheeky thing flew onto the top of the bay window and started banging on it to fetch me outside more quickly!   And like an obedient mother I ran off outside with my dressing gown flapping behind me to feed them. I had a feeling they were going to start tapping on the window before much longer. What will they do next! Wed 13 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-17 It's not over yet, and the whole of Sunday is stretching out in front of me while I type this blog.   It was a lovely day yesterday, there was a cool nip but it was warm in the sunshine. A week or two ago we did the fastest ever decorating that has been known to man - to get it out of the way before the summer. So this weekend it has been nice to go out in the nice weather and just 'be on holiday'. Many people who live at the coast tend not to think of themselves as tourists, because they are here all the time. When we lived in-land we would drive for 120 miles on a Sunday, just like people do all the time now, to come and sit on the sea front and enjoy a day at Cleveleys. Now, at the weekend, we are wondering what to do! It's true that just because you live here it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the place as a holiday resort and rediscover everything that this Fylde coastline has to offer.   After we had finished our jobs we had five minutes at lunch time, and to be honest a little nap (you can tell you are getting on when you fall asleep after your lunch) and then we went to the Freeport. We haven't been for a couple of weeks (because of the decorating) so it was a little expensive and we did our little bit to prop up the economy of Fleetwood.   They have started taking dogs in there again which is handy. It's very limiting what you can do and where you can go when you have dogs - ours are too young and stupid to be left home alone just yet so we have to take them with us. You see quite a few there now, and you can go in some of the shops with them too which is even better still. At least we can pick them up - although one of them isn't keen on shops - must be because he's a man!   We rounded the afternoon off with a trip to Maccy D's as we call it - for a double cheeseburger and a McFlurry - might not be good for you or terribly trendy, but with 2 dogs in the car at least it's easy and got ready for you! Rounded off with a trip back to Cleveleys the scenic way (round the promenade road past the Marine Hall) and that was my afternoon out yesterday!   And so to Sunday. The sun is glorious at 7.30am, so maybe an hour in the garden, and I think probably a trip to Cleveleys to see what damage we can do there this afternoon!   Sun 17 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-22 The weather has managed to hold to the morning of Good Friday, so hopefully it will hold right through the Easter weekend and we can all enjoy a lovely break over the long weekend.   Many people are taking advantage of a late Easter with lots of Bank Holidays and the odd Royal Wedding thrown in, to have an extended break for the price in holiday days of a short one!   It's possible that by the next May Day Bank Holiday that we might have our latest tourist attraction at Cleveleys, if the cable barge has turned up by then. It's been loading the cable in Italy and is scheduled to arrive at Cleveleys the first week in May. More details to follow!   Elsie marks 100 years!   I've been to a 100th birthday party this week. Elsie is the mother of a friend and neighbour and marked the huge occassion on Wednesday. From Rochdale originally (as many people at Cleveleys are!) she has lived here for a few years, so we can all only hope that the bracing sea air and ozone helps the rest of us live to such a grand age!   Incas playing at Cleveleys last year   I would imagine that the buskers will be out this weekend. I haven't seen the Incas playing yet this year - they must be about due for a return visit. They bring their own amps and play at the entertainment area on the prom, dressed in native costume. They are very good and the music wafts all along the high street making a lovely atmosphere. There aren't really enough benches on the prom where they play - or on the high street for that matter!   There are a number of the smaller shops opening on Easter Sunday at Cleveleys if a walk down the high street is on your list. The larger ones will be closed. Of course the promenade and beach is always open and there for everyone to enjoy!   Have a lovely Easter everyone, don't forget to send your photos to jane@visitCleveleys.co.uk and we'll put them on the website. Or you can post them yourself on www.facebook.com/visitCleveleysFri 22 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-24 1. The Isle of Man was visible yesterday   If you have been down on the shore at Cleveleys on a summer evening you will know that there is no better place on Gods earth than this west coast. Depending on the day there are a variety of things to be seen, including the Barrow and Walney Offshore windfarms, various boats, rigs and masts. Land masses include Barrow, Heysham and the Lakes to your right and then north Wales to your left. On a really clear night you can also see the Isle of Man, which is a treat, and it's usually framed by sunset.   View of North Wales from Cleveleys taken last year   2. It's Easter Sunday and the skies are clearing   It's been a fabulous week and perfect for all the 'staycations' that people are enjoying. Friday was hot and yesterday the weather spoiled itself (but at least we had cut our grass before it rained and not after!). This morning it looks as if it's going to be another lovely day.     3. There are bank holidays galore in the next week!   Although it's confusing because you can't tell what day it is, all these bank holidays in quick succession make for a nice spring break. The beauty of it is that everyone is on holiday too, so if you have an office job you aren't left apologising on your own for the fact that you haven't done this, that or the other - because no one else has!   Some of the smaller shops are open in Cleveleys today so you can have a wander through the town and pick up some bits and bobs, then head to the beach for some free family fun. On Friday when it was hot a huge gang of folk were camped on the beach at Rossall Prom for the whole day. More and more people are enjoying the whole beach at Cleveleys and it's lovely to see it being used and folks just having family fun!   Busking in Cleveleys   So there you go, three reasons to be Cleveleys Cheerful! Happy Easter everyone! Sun 24 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-04-27 We've got a new source of local gossip at Visit Cleveleys, and here is the first installment of news for you!   Halifax Building Society have had an attempted break-in. We called in yesterday to scenes of chaos with none of the counter tills working following a break-in on Sunday. Apparently thiefs had tried to get in at the back - although staplers and calculators were the only things to hand and of course the vaults were inaccessible. The bag shop next door had also been broken into, which leads you to assume that it was a copycat raid from the Beans/Santander try a few months ago where they had accessed the safe through the wall of the bakery.   Ian Holloway in rumoured to be leaving Blackpool FC. Occording to our sources, Ollie is rumoured to not be renewing his contract in June and is set to go to Aston Villa. And to add insult to injury he is taking two of the key players with him (we were told who but the names didn't mean anything and unfortunately we've forgotten). Suppose it's inevitable - he's made his mark as a good manager and that makes him valuable to other teams.   Travelodge are looking for a site in Cleveleys. The chain are rumoured to be looking for a site in Cleveleys, somewhere on the sea front in the Jubilee area. That would be really good news because at the moment holiday places to stay are quite limited and a big hotel chain would do wonders for the area.   That's all for today folks. Tune in again for more rumours and gossip!  Wed 27 Apr 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-01 Incredibly, with the gorgeous weather we've been having, it's hard to believe that it's still only May 1st today. It actually feels more like the middle of summer!     The late Easter holiday this year has been fabulous, with blue skies and warm weather you just wish it could go on all year! We've been on holiday over this week of bank holidays, which has been lovely. It's a bit of a busmans holiday for us because we've been to Cleveleys, but where else would you rather be?   It's been lovely to enjoy some time in the garden, and go shopping in the middle of the week. On Easter Sunday while most things were closed we did some jobs at home that would otherwise take too long to do on a weekend morning, and just pottered about. Another day we went on a garden centre crawl and got some bedding plants for our tubs and baskets. We've been all the way to the shops in Cleveleys, Fleetwood and Poulton, and mid week we pushed the boat out and went to Lytham and St Annes - how about that for adventurous!   Meanwhile, Cleveleys has been a busy destination for tourists and the beach has been busy with visitors enjoying the facilities. I'm sure it was the same family that had camped each day during the week, they really had their moneys worth from the beach! I popped into town on Thursday afternoon and the place was heaving! It's a lovely atmosphere when the suns out with the crowds, it felt alive and vibrant!   The countdown begins this week to the arrival of the cable barge, so next weekend the place will be packed! The works to install the cable for the Walney Offshore Windfarm are progressing nicely and the ducting is all laid for the cable to be threaded through to the new sub station at Stanah. Currently, the boat is expected to arrive on 7 May which is next Saturday. Watch this space! If you are interested in boats, there is currently a trenching vessel working quite near to shore at the northern end of the prom.     One thing that all of us newcomers to the coast seem to agree on is that when you move to the seaside you feel like you are on holiday all the time that you are going about your day to day business. So even going to the supermarket feels like you are at the seaside.   Now, let's hope that it stays nice and May doesn't spoil itself and turn all cold, wet and horrible like it has done in the past! Sun 01 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-07 After 8 months, the exciting bit of the project to install the cable for the Walney Offshore Windfarm is due to kick off with the arrival of the Stemat Spirit cable barge. I saw some of the guys last night from the marine company who will be doing works aboard the vessel and they told me that the barge will be appearing offshore today, and will beach early in the morning. From what they said I got the impression that it might be in the very early hours. It doesn't sound like it will be here too long, they said a couple of tides, so if you want to see it you need to be quick!   If you don't manage it, we will of course be taking plenty of photos and have them on the website for you to see instead.     This is the barge, it's been across the bay this week and anchored in the Fleetwood area of Morecambe Bay. It's not been a terribly clear view from there though. This was taken last night and Barrow can be seen in the background.   It seems like a long time since the engineer at Wyre Council told me about the plans to lay the electrcity cable for the offshore windfarm, about 18 months/2 years ago. It just sounded like something from candid camera, and I was sure he was pulling my leg!   I was, and still am, one of those sad people that find this kind of work fascinating. As a kid (showing my age) I loved Playschool and sat fascinated at the factories that I saw 'Through the Window' - even as a three year old! My interest has got worse over the years and now I watch a lot of the Quest channel....   I'd seen a programme about installing offshore turbines quite a while before I got involved with this project, so it's been really interesting learning what I have done, and handy because I can translate the technical stuff into a laymans view of what's happening so that the residents and affected people of Cleveleys and Thornton can understand it!   The beach is now clear and tidy in the top reaches, with some work still being done at low tide. It's mostly quiet around and about, and very strange after weeks of activity and something to see every day!   Sat 07 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-09 It was a shame that Sunday was dreary, the cable barge was quite fascinating and a sight and would have looked even more impressive with a blue backdrop!   At first light it was sat on the beach with a squad of people and diggers around it, with some members of the public and photographers making their way down the beach to get a closer view.   At about 9am when the tide was fully out, the cable was lowered off the back of the barge and into the end of the duct, attached to wires to pull it through with the winch on Thornton Gate. I have to say it was a spectacle and a fascinating sight to see.   We had another fascinating sight on Saturday evening, although not on the same proportions. We had just come in from a walk and saw a strange looking bird land on the path. Fortunately we had a camera to hand and took a few snaps through the window, so that we could identify it.     It turned out to be a Northern Wheatear, it sat there for ages, looking exhausted. They are migratory birds and it did look like it had come a long way!   Being from inland, I'm used to song birds and can identify them quite easily, but here, with the exception of the starlings, blackbirds and sparrows, we get all kinds of exotic lovelies and we haven't a clue what they are!   Speaking of garden birds, we've got growing Blackbird chicks at the bottom of the garden, and the starlings sound to be doing well in the parrot nesting box! Mr and Mrs Homer are in residence on their chimney pot and before their baby comes to lunch we've got the trauma of hoping they don't fall off the roof when they start to fledge! Mon 09 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-11 Come along and see the historic machinery, with tours to the top of the windmill, this weekend, on 14/15 May     There's an article about Marsh Mill village at Thornton Cleveleys and the windmill at this link. It's a lovely corner of the world, as you head from Cleveleys proper, sitting against the A585 link road. If you veer off the A585 to the corner of Four Lane Ends where Thornton Little Theatre is and the library, you can see the windmill in the background. That's ever such a pretty corner with the cenotaph garden and beautifully maintained gardens.   There's an open weekend this weekend, with lots to do and trips inside the windmill. I bet the view from up there is worth the climb alone!   Full details below:   Special events: Saturday 14th May:               11.00a.m. – 12.00 noon.  “A Look at Fylde Post, or Peg, Mills.” A Power Point Presentation of the earliest windmills   1.00p.m. – 3.30p.m. Drop-in session for children to make a windmill on a stick.   Sunday 15th May: 11.00a.m. – 12.00 noon. “An Overview of Fylde Tower Mills” A Power Point Presentation of the ten existing Fylde tower mills and some lost ones.   1.00p.m. – 3.30p.m.     Drop-in session for children to make a tower mill.   Admission Times:     10.30a.m. - 4.30p.m. Admission Charges:   Adults - £1.50.     Children & Concessions - 75p. each   N.B. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Whilst there is no age restriction on the two lower floors, Children must be 5years or older to climb to the three top flloor Enquiries: Marsh Mill – 01253 860765 or M.Croker – 01253 777950Wed 11 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-14 I don't know where time is going, we are already in mid May and the weeks seem to be just rolling into each other!   The weather was fantastic in April, I seem to remember it's been like this for some years, and then it goes foul again in May. This week has been windy and quite cool with a fair amount of rain. The hedgerows and bushes have greened up everywhere you go and no doubt enjoyed the water after the dry spell! We have managed to get out most evenings for our stroll on the front, although the tide was in so the dogs had to make do without their run on the sand.   After the excitement of the cable barge last weekend, normal service has just about been resumed on Cleveleys beach and all signs of work have now gone except a couple of diggers which will be burying the low water bit of the cable in the sand next week. Of course we've still got the hole in Thornton Gate for a few weeks - but essentially we are down to ordinary roadworks now.   Speaking of roadworks, the tramway still looks chaotic and far from being opened through to our neck of the woods. We'll see if we can find out what's happening and report back.   And speaking of turbines, on Thursday there were men here taking the turbines down again on the cafe! It's been a saga of epic proportions with them, but if nothing else they do at least look interesting!   It's been a hectic work week, marked with the launch of website number two: www.visitPoulton-le-Fylde.co.uk. If you know anyone who works in local schools or is involved in community groups please ask them to get in touch and we'll share their news.   I had an interesting afternoon on Monday. I went to an exhibition at Blackpool Football Club for the tourism industry, where there were big name exhibitors selling products like food, drinks and equipment for the hospitality industry. Not being from that background it was quite interesting - one guy apparently took a £20k order for gravy!   On to all things animal-ish, baby blackbird has emerged onto the lawn, I can only see one just yet, and mummy and daddy are chasing round clearing the slugs up for it. All I can say is catch them all and make my bedding plants day! I'm looking forward to next Wednesday, there's an event on at the Zoo so I was hoping I might get to see the baby gorilla. If I had lived here as a school leaver there is no doubt at all in my mind that I would have headed straight there for my career!Sat 14 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-18 It may not come as a surprise to learn that with a company name like 'Rabbit' we've got a soft spot for all things furred and feathered at Visit Cleveleys, so when an invitation came to a tourism industry coffee morning at Blackpool Zoo, it was just too good a chance to miss!   I went out of the office with the threat of death if I brought anything furry or feathery back with me - although I doubt I'd have got any of their animals past security! I made a terrible gaffe too, and left my camera behind! I'd used it late yesterday to take some photos of works on the beach (see the windfarm section) and it wasn't in my bag where it normally lives.   Not to worry, at least it wasn't raining for once. The event was held in the newly extended cafe in the main Zoo area - and it was packed with hotel and accommodation owners from all over the area. One of the Blackpool Zoo directors told us what they had done in the way of upgrades - the new Sea Lion pool and enclosure, the new childrens farm area, the cafe remodelling, and the penguin pool and giraffe house that have been upgraded in the last couple of years.   After a chat with a few people we went off for a look around to see for ourselves - which was when I wanted my camera! The gorillas were having a nap and we didn't actually see Maisie, their one year old baby, but a donkey did look disgruntled when we disturbed his breakfast! In the childrens zoo we saw an adorable baby reindeer - I think they must have been a small species because the adults looked like youngsters!   So apart from the practical reason of going there, it was a good morning out, and I managed to come back without any additional passengers!   Wed 18 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-21 Brrr, but it's been a cool May, so yesterday it was lovely to be able to escape onto the beach in the evening and have a walk in the sunshine. It was still a cool breeze, and I certainly needed my mac, but it was lovely to be outside in the fresh air.   You could tell that the weather had been rough with some high winds, the surface of the beach heading from Cleveleys in a Fleetwood direction was making a very reasonable impression of the surface of the moon!     The rough winds had also apparently played havoc with the wildlife, and large numbers of jellyfish had been washed up by the tides. It's strange that different tides at different times of the year wash up different things - you'd think that one rough sea would be pretty much like another. Maybe it's also to do with the breeding season, many of these jellyfish were quite small. It was a bit of a nightmare with our puppies, one of them wouldn't leave them alone so we ended up jumping around after him shouting 'leave it!'.     It was a shame that the weather was so foul on Monday because that was the scheduled day for the Rossall Beach community clean. It would have been impossible to do any cleaning because it was blowing a gale - apart from the fact that it did nothing but rain. Such strong winds make everything four times harder to do, and you can;t chase rubbish round a beach in that! There is a fair amount of water borne stuff to clear away, but considering that we've had a few weeks of strong wind it could be much worse.   I bet they hope that it is nice next week, for the first of the 'Teatime strolls' on the beach. People end up congregating in small clumps on the beach - you set out from home on your own and you can bet your bottom dollar that you'll end up talking to someone that you know. Dog walkers get to know each other, and friends and neighbours often meet. So they are having a more structured collection of people at 6pm on the prom, for a shamble there and back. Where, how far and how long it takes is irrelevant really!   The forecast for today wa srain, but so far, touch wood, it's dry. Lets see if it stays that way! Sat 21 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-27 I've said it before and I'll say it again, where is time going?   It's been hectic this week, and frankly, I'm glad it's Friday! I work exceptionally long hours and weekends so on Monday I played hookey and went to Blackpool for the afternoon to do my bit for the retail economy of the Fylde Coast. I saw the manager of the Houndshill Centre at a meeting this morning and didn't get the chance to ask him if the takings were up on last year for the centre - they should have been!   On Tuesday I went to a Wyre Tourism meeting at the Countryside Offices at Stanah Country Park. That was interesting as a new year starts and plans are coming into place for next years membership. You wouldn't believe that you were on a coastal estuary at the park at Stanah, it's like being back in Yorkshire with all the trees!   The rest of the week has been like living in a tornado! On my way back to Cleveleys from a meeting this morning I stopped on the prom at Anchorsholme to take some photos of the hire bikes for the website. If anyone saw me they must have thought I'd lost my plot! I was picking plastic out of the spokes and standing them up to take a shot, if they are in focus it will be a miracle it was sooo windy! We see lots of people on the promenade at Cleveleys on the hire bikes so it's important to show where they are!   We're really excited to welcome our first two business supporters to the companies section too. Have you had a look at the boxes at the bottom of every page? It's a new initiative for this spring and coincides with the launch of the Visit Poulton website. We've been working with The Venue through the beach works to lay the electrcity cable and they have been really helpful with public meetings and sharing information. Of course it's the local hostelry for the promenade and where the Rossall Beach group raised a riot at Christmas last year!   The Venue   The Briardene Hotel are the other new supporter that have been added this week. I hadn't been in the Briardene before I went to see them about this, and I was really bowled over - it's really nice and very well fitted out inside, with a quite big and modern dining room against the pavement side of the buiding. Of course you can't see all this from the road! I took the photo that is currently on their page - which was challenging since a huge heap of soil was in the middle of the tram tracks at the time with a digger sat on top of it!   The Briardene   There will be lots more information to come from both of them when they get into their stride, because of course they can edit the pages themselves, so we'll watch out to see what they tell us! If you know anyone who would like to be included in this section just tell them to get in touch.   And finally, a bit more wildlife news. My baby blackbirds seem to have fledged and grown up successfully, and the starlings have left the nest box too. I haven't yet got to the bottom of my investigations, but I think we might have a Goldfinch nest in the hawthorn at the bottom of the garden! If we have I shall be ecstatic because they are delightful birds. Mrs Homer deserves a medal for patience - she has sat on her chimney pot for about 2 weeks now and not moved in all this wind. Mr Homer, meanwhile, is eating me out of house and home!   Fri 27 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-05-29 Here I go again, talking about the weather. We really enjoyed April, it was hot and still and just like the middle of summer. Unfortunately, the plants in the garden did really well, and now the wind is killing them.   We even had the heating on yesterday afternoon, it was so cold. It's just not right at the end of May! We've had a full month now of rain and wind at Cleveleys and we've HAD ENOUGH!   Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad to be alive and watching the weather is a pleasure in winter and summer but it shouldn't be like this! I was really worried about the birds in the garden - I think we might have got a Goldfinch nest and they will either be seasick or on the floor at this rate.   I suppose it's just about a typical British Bank Holiday though, although the weather forecast last week was for nice weather to come, so we will see! Sun 29 May 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-01 Since it's half term week, and a short week at that, we're having a 'holiday' at Visit Cleveleys. Bit of a busmans really, and not at Cleveleys, I'll tell you why!   You've probably noticed that we've just launched the new website www.visitPoulton-le-Fylde.co.uk - it's only been live about 2-3 weeks, so there's lots to do to get people following it and contributing information. So yesterday afternoon we decided to combine business with pleasure with domestic duties, had our passports stamped and went to Poulton.     It was a lovely afternoon, the sun was out and just a few miles in land it was less breezy than at Cleveleys, so we took a bag of postcards and off we went. The independent businesses were really pleased to see us and excited by the new website and what it will bring with it. Some of the staff in the chains were lack-lustre 'Oh we can't take them' and 'I've got to check with the manager' were two popular comments. You've really got to wonder!   We were squeaking with excitement in the Out 'n' About shop shen we found a Lowe Alpine jacket that comes with a story. I'd bought one about 18 months ago in Lytham, and then bought my mum one for her birthday about 6 months later. I should have got the black one for myself while I was at it, because when she came back last summer to buy me one for my birthday, they were discontinued. Anyway (are you still with me?) it's thicker and slightly different but divine, and so it came home with my mum. The lovely lady at the shop even knocked us a little bit off. Thanks for that!     We took some photos of the guys planting out the beds in the town centre and had a chat with them, and then had a cake from Sayers sat in St Chad's church yard in the sun (photo, below, taken earlier in year). I like to have a sit for five minutes in there, it's a really peaceful place and good for the soul.     It's not a big town centre but it was lovely to just have a saunter for an hour in the sunshine, and a chat to people as you go. Then we pootled off to the supermarket to do the penance for having an hour out! Wed 01 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-03 It's the Friday of the Spring Bank holiday and the weather today is a sight for sore eyes. This morning we've woken to bright blue skies, after a month of gales no wind, and a lovely day.   The last month has been a complete wash out so it's a nice change for holiday makers and traders alike.   Why don't you come to Cleveleys today or this weekend and have a nice day out?   Fri 03 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-11 Phew, it's been a busy week this week. We had half term week off so this week has been payment for it by means of much more to do than normal!   It was lovely to have a break from work, although we did some Fylde Coast research to make up for it, with day trips to Lytham and St Annes, Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Poulton and even Morecambe! Bye but we know how to live at Visit Cleveleys!   Bird sculpture at Morecambe, quite fancy one of these at Cleveleys!   All joking apart, we've never had the bug to jet off abroad, preferring the delights of the British Isles, and yes, I know the weather is unpredictable, but that's life. When it rains you watch the telly and have a rest! The Staycation trens can only be good news for the British seaside so hopefully a lack of money and an excess of Icelandic dust will drive people to sample the delights of Cleveleys and the Fylde coast.   Yesterday I went to a meeting at County Hall at Preston, and hitched a lift with the owner of Sunset Caravan Park at Hambleton. Showing me round the park when we got back he was telling me about the tame hare that they have, which was sat at the side of a caravan, right next to the road and a man gardening, chewing grass! I was thrilled, I've never seen a hare in the flesh before.   Meanwhile, Homer the seagull and wife have now got 3 babies sat on the chimney pot - I just hope that it's not two too many - last year one fell off and another was flattened in the road - and he is eating Cleveleys out of house and home. He's got 3 gullible people feeding him all day long, maybe more, and unfortunately I just can't resist him. The bigger the chicks get the more insistent he's becoming and he's getting quite cheeky with his demands for food, banging on windows and wandering into garages. By the time the chicks are fledging he'll be coming in the kitchen and opening the fridge!   Seal last year on the beach   A neighbour of ours saw some seals this week too. Unfortunately he didn't let us know so we didn't manage any pics, but there were a number of them just playing in the sea. We've had them at Cleveleys for a number of years now, you have to be eagle eyed because as they bob up and down they do look like gulls.  Sat 11 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-12 Paul, the store manager at Cleveleys, was one of the first people to get in touch and support what we are tring to do at VC, and then he moved to St Annes! Never mind, his successor, Jo, is a woman after my own heart and really keen to carry on the good work!     I went to see Jo this week, so she took me upstairs to the staff room which is over the front of the shop, and we had a coffee and a chat.   Jo's seen the store and Cleveleys with new eyes, like you do when you turn up somewhere, and she's already making strides to improve things. She's tidying up things that need tidying around the outside of the store, and is keen to be involved in local life. She did also say it was the windiest place she's ever worked!   Anyway, Jo is keen to continue the free offers and I'm sure in time there will be other things that we cook up between us, so watch this space. Talking of cooking, the staff had been doing a charity baking session for a giant M&S fundraiser and the table was laden with cakes, so having a sweet tooth I couldn't resist them. I bought two cupcakes, a rocky road and a lemon meringue bun. They were all divine, they ought to sell them in the shop! Even though the family were a bit confused about these buns that I came back from a meeting with! Sun 12 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-16 Don't be silly, I don't mean I've been up and on the beach - I mean the ramblings of a blogger!   Does anyone know whether it's winter or summer these days? One day it's hot and sunny the next it's cold and raining and blowing a gale. We keep grumbling about the weather at the Windfarm meetings, the winds have held one or two pieces of work up at the sub-station where they need quite high shelters made from scaffolding to do the work. Then someone always says 'We are building a windfarm, we need wind!'. I do keep wondering why I have let my hair grow when I had it more weather friendly in a shorter style. It's impossible to keep it tidy!   One thing I did learn during the course of the windfarm project (among hundreds of things) was that there is a natural 80cm change in the beach level of the sand over time. So it deposits and then washes away, and deposits again. Amazing really, because other than the changes in the gullys and banks it always looks the same.   Speaking of the weather, we were really pleased that Thornton Gala and Poulton Gala managed to get good weather for their events, it's just a shame that the same can't be said for the events that the Rossall Beach group are trying to organise. The beach clean had to be cancelled for the second month on the trot, along with the planned table top sale last weekend, which is deferred pending a decision about this Sunday. If anyone has a crystal ball could you please get in touch and we'll pass the message on!Thu 16 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-16 Article from Blackpool Council website:   The wait is nearly over and next week the promenade will reopen to the public. The road has been fully closed since February but the disruption to traffic along the seafront has been going on since November last year. Commuters have been exceptionally patient and they are about to get their reward with a brand new promenade. The deadline of completion for the works (17 June 2011) has been met and all the contractors working on the road will hand the promenade back to the council on that date. The council will then carry out a weekend of checks to ensure everything is working as it should be and no stone has been left unturned. John Donnellon, Assistant Director with responsibility for transport, said: “The improvement works to the Promenade have been completed on time and to budget. “On Friday 17 June the contractors will leave the site and we will then check that everything is working correctly before it’s reopened to traffic. This means the road will open early next week. “We appreciate this closure has put pressure in the road network and we’d like to thank people for their patience. “Hopefully both residents and visitors will appreciate the improvements that have been made.” Residents can expect to be able to use the road again from early next week.   Photo taken January 2011, how different now! Thu 16 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-19 I've just got to share this with you. 10/10 for nerve is all that I can say!   Homer tends to like the dining table to himself when he feeds, but yesterday we had a breakthrough when I fed Mr and Mrs by hand at the same time. She tends to hang back and I can't say I've fed her by hand many times. You can tell Homer because his beak is cacked up with dog food! I'd been in the garden for half an hour yesterday morning, so as usual, Homer was there as soon as he saw us outside. He sat watching on the garage roof and then decided he wanted to get up close and personal and came on the lawn, had a look in the gardening tools, knocked hell out of a bag of compost, waddled round the garden following us and then flew off. I fed him in the early afternoon and that was when Mrs Homer came down, so he had his beak shoved in the can while she fed off the knife. The three babies look quite huge, so hopefully this year will be the first time they raise three. Apparently last year one fell off the chimney and another one was killed in the road, which left one.   The baby seagulls last week   Anyway, I'd gone to bed last night and left the curtains open while I watched TV. I'd seen Homer land on next doors garage roof, I'm sure he's telepathic because he always seems to know when we are about, and then he dropped onto the lawn. The next thing I knew, he was sat on the bench under my bedroom window, looking through the window, staring at me! I had to go and feed him, just for the cheek of what he'd done. I've told you, before those chicks fledge he'll be coning in the kitchen and opening the fridge to get what he wants! The strange thing is that there's just that one pair of birds who do it, and apart from a very occassional visit when other gulls see them feeding, we don't get any other gulls coming near.   A genuine Cleveleys Goldfinch   While I was in the garden I was relieved to see that the Goldfinches are still on their nest. We'd been doing some gardening a couple of weeks ago when we discovered that we had indeed got a nest, and there were eggs in it. While we were out yesterday we saw the parents going in and out, and removing the sack of poo so they must have hatched. I'm thrilled that we've got them nesting because garden birds aren't ten a penny at the seaside, so I consider that to be an achievement! One point to note: because we have lots of plants that attract the sparrows we have got hardly any bugs - apart from a number of lily beetles which I have picked off and squashed.... Sun 19 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-22 We've had our spies out at Cleveleys, and they've told us that the surveyors have been in Victoria Market today which is set to be the new M& Co store.   Someone also asked where the ice cream man had gone from inside the market, apparently he's got a new home near North Pier at Blackpool, so now th epromenade road is open he's probably doing a roaring trade!   Have you seen the new Buy Local campaign that we've launched through the website? Fylde Coast Friday is for everyone to sign up to to help the local economy. Find out more at the link on the homepage and sign up to pledge your support,   I've just been out on the prom at Cleveleys for a walk, it's blowy and quite cool - not at all like the end of June, but the view is as lovely as ever. Wed 22 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-06-25 You might have already gathered but we're known for being straight John Bull at Visit Cleveleys, so when we saw that Mary Portas was conducting a review onto the high streets of Britain we couldn't resist trying to get her here.   We looked at the website and Twitter feed that the national press directed us to, and it was obviously going to be a lone voice among a million, but nevertheless, I emailed the whole list of email addresses quoted in the faint hope that someone would listen.   As a back-up plan I got Paul Maynard on the job and asked for his support - he's a very good MP is Paul and very much from our stable of get your sleeves rolled up and get stuck in. So Paul's assistant Simon helped by finding out the Minister responsible and we both wrote to him under separate cover.   You might have seen the article in the Gazette last week - which BBC Radio Lancashire have picked up, so all being well I should be on the air on Monday morning at 10 to 9.     What hasn't been shouted about just yet is that we've launched our own Buy Local campaign called 'Fylde Coast Friday'. It nicely ryhmes which was a bonus, but it's based on the principle that Friday is the day when you are most likely to buy something, and if all the 330,000+ people on this coast supported their local shops each week with £20 it would add over £300 million extra into the Fylde Coast Economy every year. The upshot of that would be more jobs, better high streets without empty shops, improvements in public realm, and an altogether better place for everyone.   We're asking for Business Ambassadors to spread the word through their own networks of contacts and employees, and we'll try and get the general public signing up to support the principle. It's going to be rolled out in association with the Wyred Up business network, and there are already a number of local companies who have their logos on the site.   So here's your chance to get started! There's all the information at www.visitCleveleys.co.uk/fyldecoastfriday and there's a Facebook page to match   Put your name down, spread the word and let's all work together to make the Fylde Coast a place to be reckoned with! Sat 25 Jun 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-01 It's the 1 July today, as I type this at 5 to 7 the sun is out, and the wind has dropped and it looks set to be a decent day, which will be good after the bad weather of May and into June.   It's also just over a year since we started this website, and it's been a steep learning curve for us here at Visit Cleveleys! When the site went live I bet there was only half of the content that we've got now, and it's been interesting adding it and hearing from all you out there.   Facebook in particular has been a hoot - I hadn't really been using it much prior to doing this and didn't know what to expect but it's been really good fun with some really funny comments from people. We're intending to make the blog a forum that people can join in with - when we get around to it! The list of things that we want to do never gets any shorter, just longer!   Visit Cleveleys is intended to be a source of grass roots news, from community groups and schools and what's happening to ordinary people every day. The kind of stuff that we all work hard at but doesn't make the newspapers or headlines. Plus there are legions of people who are having a love affair with the place and we want to hear from all of you. There's the 'Cleveleys & Me' section where we meet the ordinary people who live and work at Cleveleys, and space for all your photos in the Readers photo gallery. So if you have any news, photos or things to say just email me at jane@visitCleveleys.co.uk  Fri 01 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-02 I feel like a worn out record sometimes, always talking about the weather, but it's hard not to when you live so close to it at the coast! It's gorgeous this morning, so hopefully the weekend will stay like it and we can get our dose of Vitamin D!   If you are following the Visit Cleveleys website and my ramblings you'll have worked out that I do my updating and editing very early in the morning at weekends. I was up at 5.30 today and started working at 6.10 - a lovely time of day to get things done in peace and quiet! It was lovely outside at that time, so very quiet and still. Having said that, I went back to my desk yesterday evening when the world was watching the tennis and it was very quiet and still then!   Early morning at the seaside is a lovely time. We always came to Blackpool on holiday when I was a little girl and the early mornings had a feeling to the air that you can’t describe in words. It’s a quiet, still taste of a day to come and a sensation all of its own. I like hanging the washing out early in the morning too, it makes you glad to be alive.     When I took a load to put out at lunch time the other day I couldn't concentrate on the washing for looking into the bushes! I told you a few weeks ago that we'd got a Goldfinch nest in the garden (parent, above), and the babies had just appeared at the end of the fast spin. They must have just come out and the parents were about and they were making a right racket! There were these tiny little pale coloured birds in the hedge with short stumpy tails - I was thrilled!   Homer's getting brazen as his children get bigger and hungrier. I was stood on the lawn talking to a neighbour the other day and he appeared at the side of us on the garden wall. He paced up and down, right at the side of us, I was just waiting for him to clear his throat and go 'Ahem, have you noticed I'm here?' Sat 02 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-05 Yesterday was glorious, after a glorious weekend. It's been like summer should be at Cleveleys and the place has been packed out. It's also lovely to see people out and enjoying family time together and you do see lots of people on the beach and walking and enjoying quiet pass times here.   Yesterday evening we went for a walk on the beach. It was a glorious evening, really warm and the sun was hot but hazy. In fact it felt quite close as if there could have been a thunderstorm. You don't get the full effect from a photo, you had to be there, it was lovely.     Down on the beach it was divine, there was a gentle warm breeze blowing and the sun was glistening on the water. It was a shame to be indoors and you feel that you should be making the most of it. There were people just sat out enjoying the evening and as we came back from the tank traps at the northern end of Cleveleys one family were just setting up camp with a picnic. We saw another couple out with a puppy and lots of dog walkers as usual. I thought this was particularly artistic, taken in a patch of soft sand near Rossall School.     It was very warm all evening anf there were people sat enjoying the still evening until it started to go dark, watching the sun setting over the water. That's one thing that has always drawn me to the west rather than the east coast - the sunsets and the lovely evenings. Sunrise is so early, even for me, that the best of it must be missed most of the year if you were on the East, and then the evenings when you want to enjoy your leisure time are in the dark with the sun behind you with us on the west!     Hopefully that won't be the last of the glorious weather, and there will be many more days just like it to come before the autumn starts to drop around us. Tue 05 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-10 Strange title for a blog about the seaside you may be thinking, but it's very topical to keep us going this week at Visit Cleveleys!   I keep saying to people that if someone could invent a 48 hour day then they would never have to work again because they'd be so rich! That's what we could do with at Visit Cleveleys - there's just so much to do and not enough time to do it in!   You'll find lots of updates this week on the news sections, our willing volunteer enjoyed another Blackpool performance review too this week. All of Wyre and certainly Cleveleys is getting ready for two big events in the next two weeks - In Bloom judging is on Friday and then Taking Pride in Cleveleys is the week after (formerly known as Cleansweep). So there's a big community beach clean in the morning, 11 July, to get ready for the Rossall Beach Neighbourhood Award entry.   We've drawn the tickets for Hot Ice and set off a new competition, this time to win a signed and framed Cleveleys sunset, so that's a nice one for anyone in the UK because we'll post the prize and you don't need to live on the Fylde Coast to get your hands on it!   We've also got a new camera too at Visit Cleveleys, so get ready for a deluge of sunsets and photos as we try it out! The old point and click one has done many miles and been a trusty camera - it's been dropped and banged and the shutter closure has packed in, so we are due a new one - especially since the old one had a strange blue tinge to it, particularly on video. Cleveleys doesn't look like a nuclear winter but you'd never have known from the footage...   And we really must get round to two big launches. One for the Fylde Coast Friday buy local campaign, and another one to mark the start of the new Visit Poulton site. Visit Cleveleys is really gaining momentum with good numbers of visitors to the site and Facebook is doing really well. If you have an aversion to Facebook you really must have a look, it's a laugh a minute with a really wide range of subjects up for discussion and many people contributing every day. Rumours about McDonalds and Matalan set off a surge of comments, as do 'Guess where/what I am' photos.   We need business people to support the site too. It's privately published and much as our heart is in the right place we can't subsidise it forever and there's a lot of benefit to be had by companies who work with us. Just get in touch for more details.   So that's why we need vitamins - either that or Touche Eclat for the black bags under my eyes! Checking out for now folks.... Sun 10 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-15 I think most local people now know that the Sub Zero ice rink is now open on Cleveleys sea front. We've already been keeping in touch with the guys down there and have had a few sneak previews inside at what they have been doing - before it opened and since.   We're really excited to tell you that they are coming on board with Visit Cleveleys, so everything that you need to know about the rink you'll find out through here.   In the next day or so we'll be adding their own page to the 'Things to do' section, and then we'll keep you up to speed with what's happening - they've got loads of special sessions and offers on for everyone of all ages!   It's going to be exciting when they get to the finals of Prancing on Ice on 28 July with the Radio Wave presenters, and yesterday when I popped in they'd got pensioners on ice too! A gang of very young at heart folk were whizzing round the rink and then came in to the cafe with flushed faces for coffee and cake! Burn the calories off then you can enjoy putting them back on!   So watch this space for much more to come! Fri 15 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-16 Here I go again talking about the weather! Seems I'm not the only one though because a lot of the photos that wind up coming to Visit Cleveleys are very influenced by the weather!   If you aren't following the Facebook page you really should be - between the gossip and stories about shops closing and opening you'll find lots of photos from people with all kinds of beuatiful views. This week we've had some delightful sunsets posted, there are rough seas, and most of the views come about because of the weather conditions at the time.   Maureen sent us a rainbow that she'd caught earlier in the week, here it is:     So earlier in the week it was glorious, really sunny, hot and hardly a cloud in the sky. The forecast for this weekend is foul, and just in time for Great Eccleston Show and Tram Sunday at Fleetwood. You couldn't make it up, I just hope it changes because I can't imagine how their nerves must feel. I've organised enough outdoor events to know it's a nightmare!   It did manage to stay fine for the judges visit to Wyre for In Bloom this week. They came to Cleveleys last, after four days of looking at all the Borough. We even managed to get them round Rossall Beach as their last stop at tea time yesterday, and then it started spitting and showering not long afterwards.   And now it's throwing it down. The bright side is that it will water the plants and gardens, which were quite dry, particularly with the warm breeze that has been blowing all week. But wouldn't it be nice if it could just rain at night and then switch off for the daytime!   Sat 16 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-23 It's been another busy week at Cleveleys with lots happening.   You can read in the What's happening section all about the Pride in Cleveleys week, so in two weeks I've done two beach cleans and my back is paying for it! I'm going to the Osteopath on Victoria Road East on Monday - I can't wait! I haven't been before but if she can get rid of my back and head ache she'll be a clever woman. Mind you it would help if I weren't glued to a computer all day - and it does nothing for your wrinkles, frowning at a screen!   Anyway, moan over. I could really enjoy cleaning the beach all day every day, and think how calm I'd be! It's fascinating what you pick up too. Almost all of it comes from the sea, and little from the prom, although there is more dropped at this time of year when it's busier. I've got 2 rubber ducks so far, might have enough for a hook-a-duck by the time I retire! If I'd a pound for every balloon end and bit of string that I found I'd not have any need to do Visit Cleveleys.   We see a lot of people holding memorials on the beach. They bring the ashes and flowers and balloons and sometimes a glass of wine. Generally they go out to the water out of sight of others and conduct their own private ceremony. I find it very moving and always get a lump in my throat - you can just feel it for them. But please, if you want to do this don't bring balloons! They look like jellyfish to marine animals and they eat them, or get tangled in the string, then they either choke or starve to death because they have eaten so much plastic. Bring unwrapped flowers instead!   Our cheeky seagull is on form this week too. He's teaching the babies where to come and how to beg. We saw the first one at the beginning of the week and then yesterday I had two babies and Homer feeding on the lawn with mum watching on. They are eating me out of house and home. He stares through every window and just sits there waiting for doors to open and food to come. I can't resist him I have to say, although they have been very noisy for a couple of weeks, more so than normal. I would imagine it's because they have young about and they are defending them. They have started rolling rocks round on the roof again too - when we first heard them we thought the house was coming in.   We were on the prom last night when all of a sudden there was a swarm of cubs descending on the beach. There were loads of them and they went to the back of the high groyne near the Vue. I reckon they were learning camp skills - judging by the bundle of sticks and the handing round of the newspapers I think they were about to learn how to make a fire. How refreshing a) to see kids in a group doing something together and b) not worrying about health and safety (presumably). I loved making camp fires when I was a kid, there was nothing I liked better than getting my hands on a box of matches when I was in the garden... Pyromaniac tendencies obviously, now you know why there are so many fires locally (KIDDING!)  Sat 23 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-27 We were all set for having afternoon tea on the beach on Sunday, with a forecast for hot weather, blue skies and no wind. It was a lovely day but unfortunately it was too windy which made it too cool for sitting - or doing the pebble and spoon race! It has been glorious for the start of the school holidays though and yesterday was scorching with clear blue skies - a perfect start to high summer.   Elsewhere in Thornton Cleveleys there have been recommendations for the environment, and this morning we've added an article about Hawthorne Park and Wyre Estuary Country Park which have both won Green Flag awards for their open spaces.   View across the Wyre Estuary   If you haven't been to Wyre Estuary Country Park it's well worth a visit. As the name suggests it's on the banks of the River Wyre where it comes inland on its route from Fleetwood, and there are wide salt marsh fields that flood at high tide, with sandy shores beyond. There are paths and benches so that you can enjoy a walk in a countryside setting with trees and all the scenery that you will find in land. If you are used to coming to the beach it makes a change of scene from the wide flat spaces that you find down here.   I had another 'idea' yesterday and sent my willing representative on a mission to Princess Way at the southern end of Cleveleys promenade. Because it was such a lovely day, it's the holidays and it was busy, there were lots of coaches parked there, so I sent him to deliver our postcards promoting the site to the drivers to share with their customers and promote Cleveleys to the masses!   Lots to do today, Builders Supplies West Coast are joining our clan so I need to pop there and take some photos of the trade counters for their page, and that's after I've been to the dentists. Just a check up so hopefully that will be a quick job and we can get on with the rest of the morning! Wed 27 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-07-28 I'd been reading in the Gazette yesterday about the new Dungeon that Merlin are opening at the Tower, and it took me back to my childhood in Blackpool.   We came here every year, and always went to all the attractions, one of which was Madame Tussauds as was. I'm going back a long time, to the early 70's, and I can remember going in the Chamber of Horrors and coming away having nightmares! I particularly remember the dungeon type exhibits which showed torture from old castles, and I came away dreaming about that for years. Looking back it was pathetic, the waxworks looked like they had melted and their hair wouldn't have been out of place in a hay rick.   There was also another exhibition that was labelled 'adults only'. It was posters and photos on a wall - I didn't go in it but my curiosity killed me at the time. I can remember standing there watching people looking at the posters and wondering what they were looking at! I'm reliably informed that it wasn't much to frighten the horses, but I was a curious child!   So the Dungeon at the Tower looks like a vast improvement, complete with actors and proper sets. It opens on 1 September so no doubt at some point we'll get a sneak preview and tell you all about it! Thu 28 Jul 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-02 There was yet another article in the paper yesterday about a child being rescued from the sea on Sunday on the beach just past Cleveleys in the Chatsworth area of Fleetwood. If you are coming to the beach this summer, keep yourself safe.   I'm not a marine expert but I've been coming to this coast all my life. I don't know whether it's more dangerous because it's a long stretch of open coast which affects the currents and the way the sand banks up, or something more complicated. The important fact is to know that it can be dangerous and you need to be aware and safe.   There is a northwards drift of beach material and certainly at the Rossall Promenade end of Cleveleys beach there are quite marked fluctuations in the levels and the amount of gullies that appear. It's made worse when there are strong winds and high tides, and the big rock groyne has stabilised it to some extent.   There are quite marked sand gullies which create rivers and islands when the tide starts to come in. It's very easy to get involved in paddling and throwing sticks into the sea for your dog or whatever it is that you are doing, and you've got no idea of what's happening behind you and whether you are cut off.   Ideally, you should have a look at the tide times before you have your week or day on the beach, so that you've got a vague idea at least of what's happening. It comes in and out twice a day, moving forward every day by about half an hour or so. That sounds basic but its important to know. Make sure you've got a mobile phone with you too when you come to the beach. It's vital for all kinds of things.   When this happens further down the beach the banks will be much bigger and not as obvious as this.   If the tide is a long way out you can bet your bottom dollar it's next move will be to come in, and that's when you need to be most careful. Just keep watching behind you and make sure you can get past the sand bank to the higher reaches of beach. If not, you will get cut off by the incoming tide and could find yourself in danger. We watch people all year round getting into tight spots and only a couple of years ago the lifeguard had to come to a group of fishermen who got stuck in exactly that predicament one evening. You must remember, you can't beat the sea, it's bigger and stronger than you are, will win every time and must be respected.   I've done it once myself, and never again. A few years ago I was on the beach with my mum and we were walking along paddling. We realised that the tide had filled the gullies behind us and we couldn't get back. The sand bar was very long, the way across was a good way away, and we ran like hell and just got off in time. I'm a reasonably strong swimmer and learned lifesaving as a teenager and I was really making plans for how to get my mum back to dry land. And I didn't have my phone with me, it was the evening and there were few people about, and I won't forget it in a hurry, or do it again!   So remember, watch the water, respect it and keep safe. Tue 02 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-03 Well we've had a really right good downpour at Cleveleys in the last couple of days and it has been really muggy aswell. The gardens were desperate for a watering and the rain has washed away a lot of sand and bird poo! It didn't rain, it poured - actually more like a hosepipe on full setting, and even verging on a jetwash at times!   Unbelievably the skies cleared and the sun came out at about lunch time yesterday which was great news for anyone on holiday this week. It turned out absolutely beautiful for the evening and a lovely, lovely day.   I captioned this 'stillness'   After tea we had half an hour sat outside enjoying the sun, then we went for a walk on the beach. Of course there is usually a sea breeze blowing and for once it was as warm down on the sand near the waters edge as it can be in more sheltered spots. How gorgeous it was on that beach! We went in the direction of Fleetwood, past the tank traps and down onto the sand. There was hardly a soul in sight and it was just so peaceful and the view was to die for.     The skies were clear and the view back to Blackpool sharp, it was a touch hazy over the sea and the gulls were nattering and arguing as usual, and odd people were out walking and cycling. There were some quite deep pools on the beach and as we walked up to them we noticed they were full of tiny little fish fry. I did try to take some photos but the camera would only pick up the water surface instead of the fish underneath. I tried and my heart was in the right place!   What a view!   It was shame to come inside really, so when we had dawdled back home we had another half an hour outside enjoying the evening. There were loads of people out until late enjoying the sunset, and what a sight that was! It's a different view every day at the coast - I know I'm always on about the weather but you are just so much more aware of it and you get everything (good and bad) x several of what it feels like in land - the wind blows more, the sunsets are brighter, and the sun is hotter (when it shines!).   Stairway to heaven!   The sunset was delightful. Even though I've got a new camera it's still not the same as being there, but it's the next best thing! Wed 03 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-07 We've aimed from the outset to get people joining in with this website - user generated content is much more interesting than just a one way street of an editor waffling into the ether - and everyone is welcome to send their material in for publication (just email to jane@visitCleveleys.co.uk)   From time to time we get people contacting us about current issues, and a few weeks ago we had a message from Margaret to say that she was concerned about the bus service being unreliable along the promenade and through Cleveleys to Fleetwood. High demand because of the lack of the trams meant that buses were zipping past full and not stopping to pick up passengers, leading to quite lengthy delays.   Margaret brought this to the attention of Blackpool Transport. They have looked into her comments, found her to be right, and are duplicating the service to relieve the congestion, hopeful that the tram service will be resumed before the end of the season.   We've also been contacted by the people organising the campaign to keep the tram crossing open at Lauderdale Avenue. They have been hugely successful with their petition and collected enough names to have the matter heard by Blackpool Council. I believe a decision was deferred - but hopefully there will be enough public outcry to maintain the crossing.   Several years ago there were tram gates at about the point of the Yorkshire Bank, for pedestrians to cross the tram ways. My understanding at the time was that some pensioners had been crossing the tramway at night having left the (now closed) Orion Bingo and met with an accident, and that was why the tram gate was closed, leaving a big detour for anyone on foot. It seems ludicrous that a gate has to be closed on a long straight stretch of track, and how anyone could miss a tram coming is beyond me (even the new ones). And then in complete contradiction, the whole of Blackpool promenade is opened up as shared space where you can't see the demarcation lines between any kinds of traffic - and the tram crossings are disappearing by the dozen through Cleveleys. Maybe that needs to be the next Visit Cleveleys campaign!Sun 07 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-15 When I was little I always enjoyed watching 'Playschool' and particularly sat enthralled when they went 'through the window' to factories and showing you how things were made. I suppose that set the scene for a lifetime of curiosity and always wanting to know how things work, and back to back episodes of 'How it's Made' on Freeview!   Having a design business has probably been the best career for me because it gives me license to find out more about more places and things, and each new client has to tell me all about their business so that we can do our job. As readers of this website you probably would be surprised to see what goes on behind the scenes to make a site like this work. Let's take last week for example.   You can launch a website on the net but to get people visiting you need to tell them that it's there. You'll have seen bits of paper floating about and postcards, and we've done new ones for this coming year which are just being delivered now. So now they need delivering to shops, community buildings etc so that people can keep and use them.   To go with them, we've done posters which are printed out and sat on my desk waiting to be laminated, and then I need to go and put them up. But it's too windy to open the sign boxes, particularly the ones on the prom, so I'll have to do that when the wind drops. And that's if I can open them because the salt and rain seizes the locks up, so they need cleaning and oiling on a regular basis... In the near future we'll be going round all the shops in Poulton too, as we're just doing the launch of the Visit Poulton site to the wider public.   Then on top of that there are articles to write for magazines like Northern Life which has a Visit Cleveleys feature each time, and there are a full set of press releases to get out for Poulton to let the wider community know that the site is there.   Then of course we need to get information to put on the site, so my nosy-parker nature comes in really handy, and on Friday afternoon I went for a walk to Cleveleys, talking to some people in shops to find out new things to share with you, the readers. Wait and see what! We're always open to things to publish - if you have any ideas just get in touch.   And then of course we need to earn a living. This all started for the right reasons - that we wanted to promote Cleveleys and give it a place on the map, but even I have to eat so after 18 months of getting it going and building traffic, we've launched an advertising package. It's not just a case of asking people to sign up and away you go with your fortune made - there are many different places where a business can advertise and they need to know they have made a good choice in coming with you. We've got the first advertisers on the site and more lined up to be included, so the process of building up a useful resource for the reader has started!   It's all good stuff! Mon 15 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-17 I had a phone call yesterday evening from Jo, the new manager at M&S Simply Food in Cleveleys. 'I was wondering if we could do each other a favour' she says. 'Go on then, what do you want to know?' I answered her.   'Well, I was wondering if you'd like to review some Tapas if I send you some up, and write about it on the website'. Now, if you know me personally (or any of the family) you'll know that food and I get on well together, despite appearances that I live on lettuce. (Having just polished off, savouring in silence, an M&S Caramel Frappe desert).   'Of course I'll do that for you Jo' I said. Now, being a bit of a traditional girl, I'm wondering what you get in Tapas. Mmmmm. Watch this space, and you'll find out when I've received, warmed, and savoured.... Wed 17 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-20 I paid a call to Cleveleys high street yesterday afternoon, running a dozen errands in one - with my stuff all packed up for who it was going to and a list to make sure I didn't forget anything.   First call was SubZero ice rink to collect the family passes for the draw which I'm just about to do. It was busy in there with kids enjoying the holidays, which took me back to my youth. One slightly older lad was skating rather quickly backwards, showing off no doubt to the younger ones! Nice to see it busy though and people enjoying it. The Ice Hockey is starting to take off big time apparently. I'd been talking to them about it earlier in the week, so when I've been in touch with the team there'll be some information to follow. I chickened out of coming to meet them practising when they told me they were there from 9.30 to 11pm! What!     I parked on the residents car park at the back of the Legion and the first thing I saw as I scurried head down to the High Street was that the back of Victoria Market has been boarded off. The lady who complained to the Gazette was right, it was dumped up with rubbish which looked horrible and must have been a health hazard, and apparently someone had broken into the front of the market too. So now it's all tidy back and front, while the developers get organised for the new M&Co.   As you will have seen in the last blog, we're doing a tasting review for M&S Tapas. Everything had gone pear shaped in the store on Thursday so I popped into the shop to pick them up yesterday afternoon. I have to say they look very nice, so we shall have Tapas for tea today - photographed first and eaten with a notebook and pen so watch this space and we'll tell you what we think! The next draw is a £20 selection of Tapas for the lucky winner to see what the fuss is about, so that's worth having!     I'd interviewed Val at the Cancer Research shop last week, and then called in yesterday afternoon to see Lisa, the new manageress at the Trinity Hospice shop. Charity shops are an important part of todays high street so we're going to do an article from the other side of the fence.     Our man on the streets had texted yesterday afternoon to say that he'd heard Sainsburys are opening in the Nursery World building so I popped up there to have a look. Last call was to go and have a look, and the spies are right. There are trading license application notices on the window. That will be a really good move because it will draw shoppers to that end of the high street.   All good stuff, and at just gone 4pm, as usual, the place was packed! Sat 20 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-21 When I brought the Tapas back yesterday afternoon from M&S I heard my mum’s stock complaint ringing in my ears about the fridge not being big enough, as I rammed the packets in a gap. Jo had given us a good range to try, including individual style Spiced Chicken Pastries, Feta Cheese and Herb Pastries, Tuscan Style Sausage Calzones, and Chorizo and Piquillo Pepper Tortilla. To go with them were six little dishes of things in sauces – Patatas Bravas, Chicken and Prawn Paella, Roasted Chorizo and Peppers, Garlic Mushrooms, Spanish Style Meatballs and Garlic Prawns.     We’d been out in the afternoon and got back just in time to miss the showers, and then after a quick nap and watch of the football results (well done to Fleetwood and a draw for Blackpool – ouch) we stoked up the campfire and got stuck in with the hard task of warming them up.   Not being precious over 10 degrees here and there we banged them all in the oven on 200, the sauce dishes first that take 15 minutes, followed by the pastries on a tray. Having significant too-small fridge problems in our house I had missed a dish and only found it as the others were coming out of the oven, so bobbed that in the microwave – and you couldn’t tell the difference in how they were cooked.     We had a pastry type each and then put the sauce ones on a tray in their little dishes and all dipped into them in the middle of the table. Being completely honest I doubt that we would have picked Tapas out of choice. We tend to have traditional, verging on far eastern tastes, and they did smell garlicky and peppery as they were cooking, and I did wonder what we were in for. (Plus which, I didn’t get on with Spanish lessons at school which didn’t help!). To anyone else who is a bit mainstream in their tastes I’d certainly say give them a go because the smell is far stronger than the taste and they were actually very, very tasty – even going as far as to say they were genuinely delicious.   One of us is quite picky with things strong tasting and it’s saying something that they thoroughly enjoyed them all . We all preferred different ones, but the garlic mushrooms and prawns were especially nice. I think the Feta Cheese pastries were the only one that we weren’t keen on, but that’s because Feta is a strong cheese, so if you like Feta you’ll like them (that's the one on the left that looks like a cornish pasty).   So the 10 packets that we had to try were shared by four adults and really filled us up. I think the only thing that was missing was some flatbread/tortilla or tortilla chips to soak up the sauce, although we didn’t end up with much juice left! In fact, thinking about it, I really enjoyed the Paella, so if you have a small appetite or just want a snack, a packet of that and some bread would fill a gap nicely.   Had it been a more appropriate day you could of course enjoy a meal like this to share sat in the sun with a glass or two of plonk (and there’s even 25% off that in M&S if you buy 6 bottles, hic), but since we are in Cleveleys you have to make do with the weather you’re given, so we had ours inside sat at the table!     So here’s the evidence of a tea well enjoyed, and now I’m going to have a lie down until my tea goes down while the automatic dishwasher (the husband!) works its magic!   Have you tried Tapas? Go try them and then tell us what you think on the Facebook. Don’t forget to  put your name down for the Big Cleveleys Give Away and you too can have a free tea on M&S Simply Food at Cleveleys!Sun 21 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-27 We really enjoyed the last food review at Visit Cleveleys, when we tried out and told you what we thought to a bag of Tapas from M&S. It's the last post and if you haven't seen it, it's worth a read and delivered with the usual Visit Cleveleys humour! We did really enjoy the range and would strongly recommend that you give it a go - and you can put your name down to win a free bag full with our Give Away - the link is on the homepage.   Anyway, back to todays blog, and you might be wondering what the food review with a twist is going to be?   If you've been following this blog and website you'll know that the residents of Cleveleys have a family of tame seagulls which have got us all under control, and feeding them at every verse end. My neighbours originally christened the male 'Homer' and each year he nests on a chimney pot and then gives the street the responsibility for feeding his kids. Well would you bother when folk are daft enough to do it for you?   Asda own brand 'Hero' dog food! mmm not bad!   They get everything. When our last dog was close to the end of her life, she wouldn't eat and we were buying all kinds to tempt her, so Homer got the lot that was left - chicken, sliced meats, every kind of tinned dog food you can imagine.   Now that we haven't got a picky dog, he gets everything that we have left over - mashed potato etc, any spare meat, forgotten cheese, very rare bits of leftover cake (not much of that!). But his first love is tinned dog food - and that's where the review comes in!   Of course I'm not going to buy select chunks at ten quid a tin for a seagull, so I scour the shelves to find the cheapest. But you've got to be selective, of yes! They don't like Webbox (can you blame them) and it stinks when it's hanging around. Having tried B&M's cheapest, I discovered that dog food in gravy isn't very sensible when you're feeding a seagull, and the slugs end up making a beeline for the bits on the lawn (yuk!). The loaf type, or food in jelly, is by far and away the best. Currently, we're on Pal in multipacks of 6, with a full tin every day. So if any pet shops or supermarkets want to sponsor the blog just let me know, it's costing me a fortune! I tell you what was vile, Butchers Choice in a tin, I only bought that once. Which is strage, because we have Butchers Choice in the little trays for our dogs and it looks and smells lovely.   So currently, as can be heard all over the Fylde Coast, one baby in particular is ceaselessly peeping from the roof, accompanied by Homer banging on the windows, and the second one watching from the ridge tiles. Occassionally baby number three will show his face and we have the full family on the lawn for dinner - but he seems to be quite shy. We go for a walk and they all congregate for us as we come back through the gates, we go out in the car and they are in the back garden,waiting, as soon as we come back!   I know some people have an aversion to gulls, but at the end of the day they were here first and this is their natural territory and absolutely their rightful place. And ironically, even after several years, we've only got one family who come to be fed and despite all the shouting and cawing they make at meal times, none of the others come near. I find it an absolute privilige to be trusted by these birds, and it makes my day when I feed them. Long live Homer! (about 20 odd years, or so I believe!)   Sat 27 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-08-30 I think that someone up there knows when it's a bank holiday and changes the weather to spite all the people who are looking forward to a day off.   We'd had a lovely Staurday afternoon at the Freeport, there was a bit of a breeze blowing but the weather was quite nice and sunny and we'd had a stroll and even managed not to spend too much money.   On Sunday, the Rossall Beach group had planned to hold a table top sale and you can bet your life that brings bad weather with it. With true Dunkirk spirit we turned up and tried to get some stuff out but it was just far too windy so we packed up shop and went home. I feel a heatwave coming in September when the kids get back to school, so we'll see if we can try again then.   We even said we'd try again on Monday, if the wind dropped. Did it heck! So it also rained, and if anything it was windier, so we sat on the sofa all afternoon and had a thoroughly lazy day (for once) watching 'Three in a Bed'.   So tea time came. I've got to share this with you. We hummed and haad about what kind of takeaway to have (normally a weekend treat but we'll make an exception for Bank Holidays). The Harvester have started doing takeaway and we have tried them once and enjoyed it. So we decided what we wanted from their takeaway menu and rang them to order, like we did last time. She took our order and then said they'd start cooking it when we got there and we'd have to wait 20 minutes. Now am I missing something, surely the point of ordering by phone is that they cook it and you turn up to pick it up? We offered to pay for it by card over the phone, but no, that's not on either. Crackers, we live spitting distance away and they are wanting to make you stand there for 20 minutes? If I wanted to do that I'd go to the pub for it!   So we cancelled that and went back to plan A which was the Maxim House chinky. We set on a prawn curry and husband says what's the number. 'Three' I answered, wondering why he wanted to know because we always ask by name not number. When he cracked out laughing I realised he wanted the PHONE NUMBER! It was very nice! Tue 30 Aug 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-01 I had a sadistic maths teacher, and along with Pi to umpteen decimal places, the seven dwarfs in alphabetical order were one of the things he made us memorise. I have to say it was more handy than trigonometry...     Anyway, chanting 'Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy' off we trundled yesterday to Stanley Park to the pantomime launch at the Grand Theatre.   You can read all about the review and see photos at this link http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/news/SnowWhitePantoLaunch.php   The weather was glorious and it got quite warm. I haven't been to Stanley Park for years, and I have to say I was very nicely surprised. I've kept readiung about it in the Gazette and how much work has been done, and by jove it has. Last time I went it was a bit shabby and not much to write home about, and you had to pay to park which is offputting for half an hour.   Now, the beds are well planted, it's tidy and neat and clean, parking is free, the cafe is fabulous! Mt mum assures me we used to go in there when I was little but I can't remember it at all. So all in all I'd recommend it and go again.   It was lovely to be out in the fresh air, enjoying what you come to live at the seaside for!Thu 01 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-02 At the end of a month we thought that you might be interested to know what kind of traffic we get through the website and the Facebook page, so here are a few stats:   The ten most popular things this month on the website were:   1. Advert pages 2. This blog 3. Information about Sub Zero 4. Community Group Details 5. Windfarm news 6. Weather & tides 7. Big Cleveleys Give Away 8. Things to Do 9. Blackpool Tower Dungeon review 10. Award Winning Promenade   Most links inwards came via Facebook, and in total 320 pages were looked at - I'm not sure how many more pages there are on the site!   And what about Facebook? The Visit Cleveleys page is very popular - if you've never looked at it you are missing a treat. It's a daily chatter about everything you can think of, all with a common and sometime tenuous thread of the subject being to do with Cleveleys.   And what about the Facebook stats? In the month to today there were 122,522 post views, we are up to a tantalising 983 people who like the page (go on, push it to 1000!)   The majority of people following the Facebook page are in the 25-55 age range, and these are the current top cities where they are from - Manchester, London, Brighton, Preston, Slough, Milton Keynes and then Blackpool!   Why don't you join in? It's www.facebook.com/visitCleveleys  Fri 02 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-10 I can fully understand why the Irish Sea is becoming a home to wind farms, because the one thing that we are never short of here is wind!   Fridays beach at Cleveleys, the calm after the storm!   April was fabulous and very hot, then when 'summer' came it all went from bad to worse and August has pretty much been a wash out. I fully expected September to deliver an Indian Summer - in the mists of time when I was at school it was red hot every year when the new term started - or maybe that's just fond memories of the past!   This week started off very wet and cold and windy. I went to a business event on Wednesday and prevaricated about what to wear. Opaque tights just seem wrong in the beginning of September, but having bare legs on display didn't seem right either! In the end I braved the dress, and yes, my legs and feet were frozen so the day after it was back to socks!   The wind finally dropped once the plants had been bashed and you couldn't see through the windows for a layer of sand, and Friday was quite mild, verging on warm! As the afternoon progressed it got warmer and the sun came out for a lovely afternoon and evening.   Another story altogether, but the other Rabbits went to Fleetwood Marsh Nature Reserve, which I'd never heard of (it's accessed from the same road that takes you to the tip at Fleetwood) to take some photos after tea yesterday. They came back enthused with how lovely a place it is, it backs on to the pond that you see from the new Redrow Houses.   So me and my mum went for a walk on the beach while they were gadding off. It was glorious! The sun was shining, there was a light breeze, and the water was rippling on the sand. It doesn't matter how many times you walk on that beach it's always just as lovely!   Later on in the evening we thought the bombers were coming for us when we heard the deep booming noise. We do this every year when the firework competition starts, and wonder whether someone is prowling and just knocked over the bin! After a couple of thumps we realise what it is and rushed outside for a look. From Cleveleys you can just see the illuminations twinkling on the prom and the high fireworks as they explode over North Pier.   At quarter to nine it was still a lovely night - still and mild - and the tide was by then in, and you could hear the waves breaking on the beach, with the fireworks popping - it was really lovely! Sat 10 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-13 We've been battered this week by the back end of Hurricane Katie as it blows itself out across the UK, I think it's now a 'Post tropical Cyclone' I saw somewhere.   What that means in real terms is that the coast has been battered and bashed by high tides and lots and lots of muck. The wind has been howling a gale, although I have known it to be worse, and that brings with it high tides....   Earlier in the year on the beach   And foam. We get this strange thing at the northern end of Cleveleys prom where the sea blows at a certain angle and in a certain way and it froths the spume up into sandy snow. It collects on the beach and then blows upwards on the gales to the road and everything beyond.   Last year, seen on the road   In the past it's been seen practically waist high on the prom, the police have closed the road, and the wave watchers come in their cars to watch. When we first moved here we were naive enough to go out walking in it - it is fabulous to see - and then discovered all our coats and clothes had to be washed...   So we had two lots of it yesterday at high tide, it blew onto the road, and there was a clip of it on the news even that a friend had sent in, it was so rough!   Get scrubbing!   Then there is the aftermath. I've been out this morning and taken you a photo of our garage door so you can get the idea of how foul it is to clean off. It's full of sand and bits of twig and muck, and you need a good jetwash and a strong back to clean it off! Tue 13 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-17 I posted a question on Facebook a couple of weeks ago about where the nearest Launderette was – they are the kind of thing you only notice when you need them, and the last one I’d clocked was on Beach  Road and I rather suspect it has been closed for years!   I’d gone to bed to watch TV leaving 'him indoors' to empty the washer when it finished. When I heard what I thought was a high speed electric drill I thought it was a funny time of night to be doing repairs and carpentry... snuggled down and carried on watching tv.   The following morning I discovered a pile of sopping washing on the draining board, and when I went to peg them out I had to wring them again by hand. I can only be glad it was a sunny day, if it had been raining like it is now I think I would have gone hysterical. The noise was the washer dying, and there were more loads to do...   We were on holiday that week, which in reality meant that I had a couple of hours off to go to the hairdressers. I went to Rory Blair at Fleetwood, which despite Jackie going a bit mad with the blow dry was a good experience and I will go back. I mentioned my excitement with the laundry and she suggested I go to Mike Sandersons across the road. I had arranged to go and meet Mike the following week about a page for the business on the website, and it still hadn’t occurred to me to go there for a washer – duh!   Anyway, off I trotted, looking like the blonde one off Eastenders with the bouffant, and met the salesman in the shop, who had no idea who I was (he wouldn’t have recognised me anyway with the hair) and that I would be doing a ‘mystery shop’ on him. They had a spare Beko that had been delivered in error, which I wouldn’t have bought out of choice after recent publicity about their fridges setting on fire, but if you want a washer, and there’s one sat there it would be churlish not to ... So, from calling in the shop at 10.30, the washer was in our house by about 2pm. Incredible!   I went back to see Mike as arranged the following week and told him all about my completely coincidental but downright appropriate experience. You can read all about Mike Sanderson Electricals here on the website, complete with my totally genuine review (which is signed off ‘Flopsy’ – we were testing the new Review section out at that point too). I’ve been in the shop before but had no idea what they actually sold and do in terms of service and making things easier for you. Let’s put it this way, I won’t be in a panic next time about things breaking down, I’ll just go back there!   And Darrens kids had seen the postings I’d put on Facebook about his super-salesman abilities, so when I went back he knew he’d been mystery shopped! Sat 17 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-20 At the end of the recent launch event of the Blackpool Tower Dungeon, the invitees all ended up in the shop, which is where you are funnelled to at the end of the attraction.   I was pootling around in the fake blood and chopped off fingers, and as you do, was earwigging to a conversation going on behind me. Not being shy at talking to strangers (unless they look weird) I waited for a gap in the conversation and said hello.   The guy turned out to be from Magic FM in Newcastle and they'd come down to have a look round the transforming face of Blackpool and attend the Dungeon preview, prior to running a live broadcast - which is this Friday.   Never one to miss an opportunity, I jumped in with both feet and asked if he was interested in covering Cleveleys, and he promised to phone and do a recorded interview to dub into the article.   To be honest I forgot all about it, but he kept his word and rang this morning, so I've managed a good article to sell our lovely Cleveleys to the Geordies, complete with a plug for our fab website - and it's on this Friday morning at about 10.30am. The website, to listen online, is www.magic1152.co.uk   Ironically, I'd gone round the Dungeon with the Chairman of our very own Fylde Coast Radio Wave, who was the one who chopped off my head! Tue 20 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-22 We've promoted far and wide that any not-for profit people - that's charities, community groups, schools and sports clubs are more than welcome to send us their news and events and we'll share their information with the people who read the site.   I've had an email this morning from Anita Payne who some of you will know is Rev Michael Paynes wife, at Cleveleys Park Methodist Church, to promote a craft event that is being held there on 1 October. The details are on the Facebook page too, but in case you're not into Facebook I thought we'd repeat them here.   Craft Fayre  Saturday, 1st October, 10:30-4pm. Refreshments available.At Cleveleys Park Methodist Church Hall, West Drive, Cleveleys  'CRAFTIES'We are a group that meet on Wednesday afternoons 12:00pm-4pm in the lounge of Cleveleys Park Methodist Church, West Drive, to do our 'CRAFT' We come and go as we are able.We bring our own things to do. We learn from each other and help each other if we can.We enjoy a cuppa and a chat, and try and do things for charity when we can.We are a friendly bunch, and welcome visitors even if they don't want to do 'craft'!  Come along and visit us. You'll be very welcome.  Contact....Anita Payne  01253 852909Thu 22 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-09-24 It has to be said, and those who know me will agree, that I have an ubridled curiosity, nosiness, thirst for knowledge, whatever you want to call it. It's always been a vital skill in the running of my business, and comes in even more handy now that I'm doing these websites.   So, if you read the page about the Time Capsule, that's been added to the website this morning, you'll see that I'm not on my own, and other people also like to know what's what. (If you have any curiosities about the area get in touch, you'll always find us to be willing playmates in finding things out!) Anyway, Mike Pollard, who had answered the question about the Time Capsule, had another question for us, about the Cenotaph at Four Lane Ends at Thornton.   If you are a stranger to these lands, and visitor to Cleveleys, you really ought to go for a drive through Thornton next time you are here. It's the route back to the main road and A585 that sort of runs parallel to Amounderness Way - the faceless, but generally quicker, bypass road. Thornton is ever so pretty, and you'll go through a main cross roads known (unsurprisingly) as Four Lane Ends. On this cross roads there is the library and Thornton Little Theatre on one side, and an old bank on the other (now offices) and the very attractive Cenotaph and gardens. The library and Cenotaph gardens are maintained by the Council and a very good job they do too, hand in hand with Thornton in Bloom.     Anyway, tourist information over, back to the point. Mike had sent some photos of old tall lamps that once adorned the Cenotaph plinths, clearly seen at the back of the old picture. All that are there now are the plinths (below), either 2 or 3 of them. Mike wondered what had happened to them - as he said we can't blame the metal thieves as they weren't active in the last century. Do any Blog readers know anything to shed any light on the subject?   Sat 24 Sep 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-01 We've had some really bizarre weather at the coast in the last few weeks - in September it was enough to freeze you and we had to put the heating on. Then last week it was red hot and we were sweating at the nose end. Unfortunately the summer weather came mid week, so that was a problem for all of us who have to work for our living, but it was lovely to see the sun shine and to be able to stroll on the beach after tea.     The beach at Cleveleys, meanwhile, has gone all odd. We have had some rough seas but I wouldn't say any rougher than normal, but from nowhere a huge ridge of pebbles has appeared at the Rossall Beach end. It's just a little bit below where the strandline would normally be at this time of year, with a gentle slope at the water side, and a steep drop that must be about 4' tall at the dry side. The tide is breaking through it as it comes in, so what that is all about I've no idea - and I've never seen that happen before.   I've been to the Shard Riverside Inn a couple of times this week for business meetings. I bet if you aren't local you have no idea what I'm talking about, and I wouldn't have done at one time either. As you come to Cleveleys along Mains Lane/A585, you come through a T Junction which is signposted for Hambleton and Knott End. This leads you to the mysterious 'Over Wyre' which you'll see mentioned on road signs. I'd been living here for years before I worked out where 'Over Wyre' was, because it's not actually a place on a map, it's the area 'over the other side of the River Wyre'. You aren't aware at all that there is a wide estuary of the River Wyre which cuts through the land - unless you are on the banks of it which you can get to at Stanah Country Park among other places.     So, back to the T junction, if you turn off the main road at the T junction it takes you across Shard Bridge and the River Wyre and just at the other side on your right is the Shard Riverside Inn. What a fantastic spot for a hotel and restaurant, and when I went this week the sun was blazing on both occassions and it was delightful to stand at the side of the river and take in the view.   So no doubt by next week we will be back to the middle of winter and back in thick clothes with the heating on, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts! Sat 01 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-03 We've been telling you for ages now that we are quite happy to promote your events and community news, and we've had another event sent in from Michael Paynes wife, Anita.   In time, we're going to have a sort out at Visit Cleveleys, and change the blog to a news feed of things in brief, so you can keep up to speed on the snippets quickly. Don't worry, the blog will still exist - but with a bit of a wider remit - we'll leave it at that for now and you'll have to wait and see what we mean!   So meanwhile, here is the veent that Anita asked me to tell you about. I'm also going to put it on Facebook but many people don't like it (it's great for what it was intended - keeping you up to speed, quickly, with what's happening!)     BOOK AND TOY SALE   15TH OCTOBER from 10:30am until the afternoon sometime.  at CLEVELEYS PARK METHODIST CHURCH HALL  REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE      THIS IS A FUND -RAISER FOR OUR YEARLY 'LOCAL' PROJECT,WHICH THIS YEAR IS N-VISION      (Formerly THE BLIND SOCIETY-Blackpool)  DONATIONS OF BOOKS, TOYS, DVD'S or CD'S WELCOME.  FOR INFORMATION CONTACT JOAN MOORE  824627Mon 03 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-03 We do many, many different things to promote the Visit Cleveleys (and Poulton) websites, with stories and coverage in lots of local and regional media.     I've been writing a regular article in the magazine called 'Northern Life' for quite a long time now, they call it 'A postcard from Cleveleys' and it's all about what's happening here and what we've been up to publishing the website.   Northfold Primary School came to the big beach clean that we organised in the summer as part of Pride in Cleveleys week, and the Pride in Cleveleys event was one of the things that I wrote about in the current article which has just hit the shelves.   Here's a photo of the spread with our lovely prom for all the north of England to see, and a great big photo of the Northfold Primary School pupils beach cleaning, spot whether you are on there!   Northern Life magazine is a really good read - it's written in much the same way as this website - down to earth and friendly - and you can get it in Asda at Fleetwood and WH Smiths in Cleveleys and Poulton. Mon 03 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-06 'Kiteval' the national annual kitesurfing competition from the British Kitesurfing Association (BKSA) hits our beach this weekend for the second time - in the wake of Hurricane Ophelia!     The weather is going from the sublime to the ridiculous - last week the unseasonal heatwave would have been useless for a kitesurfing competition because there was barely a ripple on the water and smooth skies with no breeze. Now today, as the competition kicks off, the surfers are as bad burnt as scalded with the tail end of the second hurricane in a few weeks sweeping across the Fylde Coast.   We'd added an article to the site last week in preparation for the event which you can find at this link - with 100 competitors expected over the course of today, Friday and Saturday, the basic requirement is at least a little wind. But over 50mph is just a bit too rough even for these experienced pros!     We popped down after lunch to chat to Richard, one of the event organisers. The gazebo and central HQ of the event was coverless - just the metal legs stood waiting for calmer weather. Richard told us, 'They put the frame up yesterday and then said right, we're off. We've managed to hold the ladies and mens pro competitions today but it's just too rough to get the safety vehicle on the beach so we're calling it a day in anticipation of calmer weather tomorrow'.   There were guys just getting organised to go down on the beach and kitesurf for leisure, the beach at Princes Way is a favourite and ideal for the sport at this level, with a big sandy beach with hard sand for buggying and not too many groynes to get in the way of the beach events.   It's the last competition of the season - much later in the year the water is just too cold, although anyone who comes to Cleveleys regularly will know that there are hardy kitsurfers who use this beach who come here in the coldest of weather! The team is in for another chilly treat tomorrow night - there are about 50 of them off to SubZero for the evening to the Beat Night! Apparently they usually hold a barbecue on the Friday evening, but as Richard said - not in this weather!   As today has worn on the wind has got stronger, and at the time of typing this in the evening, is starting to get really quite wearing and noisy over the volume on the TV! Fortunately, so far (and touch wood) there isn't any foam blowing which we got a few weeks ago at the end of the last hurricane that the other side of the world has sent to us, so hopefully it will stay that way!   Thu 06 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-08 Rossall Beach Residents & Community Group hold a regular monthly beach clean - every four weeks on the shingle beach just past the cafe. More have been cancelled than held this 'summer' because of the weather, so on Monday 3rd there was plenty of rubbish to clear away!   It's a very captivating pass time, you find one bit and then it's just another, and another, and before you know it it's dinner time and your back is killing you!   It's also fascinating what you find too. The vast majority of the litter is washed up from the seas and as we have had some exceptionally bad weather it's been worse than normal.   There is usually a lot of toilet waste - the wet wipes and sanitary items that block the drains and cause waste water overspill. The sewage system is designed to cope with it, but a blockage corresponding with high rainfall makes the whole lot overflow into rivers which then lands up on the beach. The issue of water cleanliness is far more complicated than sewage being pumped to sea (which it isn't) and a lot of it is dependent on people thinking twice before they shove all kinds down the loo.   Cotton buds in particular are a no-no. If you use them, put them in the bin! They block the filters at the sewage stations, and we always end up with hundreds of them on the beach. What else did we find this month?   In particular, loads of drinking straws. There are always lots on the beach, but this time even more than ever before.   Lots of disposable lighters. I was getting to thinking that someone had emptied a box of them, they seemed to be everywhere!   I also found a toilet seat lid, and a haemorroid suppositry packet (!) and other things that can't be mentioned on a family website! Plus one babies sandal and a pair of gloves.   There were various bits of plastic, including 2 fish boxes, a lid of a big plastic drum, in total we collected 26 bags of litter, 2 fish boxes and 12 other items weighing 125kg.   And you could tell we'd been when we finished!   If you want to come along to the next beach clean you are more than welcome to just turn up. Litter pickers, gloves and sacks provided, meet at 9.30am at the car parking area on Rossall Prom, 31st October is the next one.   Sat 08 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-13 I don't reckon much to this for a game of soldiers - it's dark in the morning and dark early in the evening, and when the clocks go back all will be lost! I really enjoy my walk on the beach after tea, there's still just enough light to manage to find your way!   Tonight the sunset was breathtaking - a big red ball just going down like you see the sun in Japan, and there were people out enjoying the slightly warmer and stiller weather.   They started cockling again recently in St Annes, and unfortunately there are cockle bags washing up all over our beach too. I know they have been collecting loads of them down in Fylde too. The beach is still a funny shape - with the high pebble bank that appeared in the rough storms a few weeks ago.   And did you know that there are cod off shore available for catching? No, I didn't either! Apparently you have to know when the arrive, only in season, and only in certain weather conditions. So there you go! Thu 13 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-14 I am exceptionally lucky to live in ear shot of the sea, and never tire of listening to it, no matter what mood it's in. I especially like listening to gentle waves lap against the shingle when the tide is in on summer evenings.   Last night, quite late on as I turned the TV off in the bedroom, I could hear birds peeping on the beach. I've got no idea what they were, I could just hear a faint ghostly cheeping noise. It's something that you do hear quite often. I have read before about light pollution from street lights and buildings affecting the habits of birds, and it certainly is true of our beach. Although the garden birds appear to go to bed when it's dark, you often hear the gulls cawing in the night and evening.   The other morning at about 6am I heard the sound of a flock of geese. I couldn't see them at all but made out they were flying from left to right and there were a lot of them. They will be arriving back here by the hundred soon, to overwinter on our marshy fields at Cleveleys.   Anyway, the noise of the birds last night took me back a few years. I had the most attrocious stomach bug that you could wish for - it went on for a full week and I was as poorly as a donkey. Everytime I thought it had cleared up it started again in a day or so, and I was literally in bed for a week, really, really ill. I remember distinctively when it started, spending the whole night sitting on the bathroom floor with my head hung over the loo, vomiting like you've never been sick in your life, thinking 'it's the middle of the night and I feel really ill, and I can hear the sea!' It was quite comforting somehow, listening to the water lapping! Fri 14 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-22 I'll say it again, I just don't know where time is going. I thought I'd done really well this week, managing to have a few days at my desk, actually getting something done! But I still haven;t cleared the decks and completed all the lists - ah well, what doesn't get done doesn't get done!   You can read about our meeting with a school trip from Bolton on Monday morning. I had no idea how cold and windy it was when I went out to meet them, I got sandblasted just going on the prom! The kids looked about 15, and as you do when you are 15, they all got off the coach without their coats on! I'm not sure at what age common sense kicks in, but I wouldn't go out in this weather without a coat, or tights on, like I insisted on doing when I was 15! Here's a tip for all you girls out there with fine flyaway hair like mine. Those soft beret style hats make fantastic hairnets to save your hair from the wind - they don't squash it flat either and wreck your blow dry. I was on the verge of shortback and sides until I worked that out, and now 3 years of pain getting it to shoulder length has had a reprieve!   Lots of updates on the website too this week, with news about the car park which is good news for The Venue, who often watch drivers getting frustrated and then leaving - not a good impression for Cleveleys and probably they'll not come back again.   There are a variety of other items that I've added this morning to the site, have a look, they are all linked on the front page. I have to say, it's fascinating what you find out while you are doing this job.   Watch out for our bits of news in the new editions of Link magazine too, with clips in the Cleveleys, Poulton and Fleetwood editions. The editor and I are helping each other - I provide editorial and photos to save them time, and in return I get to share theough Link what we are doing with the websites.   It's 8.30am now on Saturday morning and it looks like its starting to brighten up for a nice day, hopefully. I'm going to make some parkin in the morning for a special Halloween article, talking to Mike Sanderson the other day inspired me! So come back for an entertaining trip round the kitchen and an entertaining recipe method that Delia Smith probably wouldn't write in one of her books! Well, life is too short to be serious! Sat 22 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-25 We lived only a few doors away from my grandma when we lived in Yorkshire, and from being a little girl I used to help her to bake. She had a coal oven which backed onto the fire in the living room, and by adding lumps of coal or cooling the fire down, she could make the most featherlight sponge cakes and sweet confections. There wasn't any exact temperature dial in her kitchen!   At Christmas she went mad and filled the house with food. Lemon meringues, coffee and walnut cake, mince pies, fairy cakes... the list was endless. Of course a lot of it ended up in tins being eaten for weeks afterwards, but she enjoyed baking and did it for fun - often setting to at 2 o'clock in an afternoon to pass the time.   I think I got the baking gene from her (along with many others, it seems) and when it gets cold and wintery I always want to start baking! I'd been stood in Mike Sandersons shop at Fleetwood talking to him, and looking round all the shiny cookers and food processors while we chatted about the Great British Bake-Off programme that's been the must-see programme on TV. And it gave me an idea, that I could share some of grandmas recipes with you, which means I can make them (and eat them - a fringe benefit), photograph them and share the recipe. Of course as this is Visit Cleveleys, the recipe will be punctuated with my ramblings, but you'd expect that.   So here's your first one, grandmas parkin. If you've got dodgy teeth or have spent a fortune on cosmetic dentistry take care, and if you suffer from a dodgy bowel be careful with the oatmeal as this is sticky oaty parkin not a sponge recipe - I take no responsibility! Tue 25 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-29 We've been on 'holiday' this week - which once again hasn't been the kind of holiday that most people have! Unfortunately, I have a twisted work ethic where I find it nigh on impossible to switch off, but I have limited my efforts to a couple of hours in the morning, and haven't had my computer on at all in the evening!     It's been a lovely week for it too. The weather has been quite nice - very cold in the middle of the week, and then turning mild again. This morning the sunset was beautiful, so I took some photos of it coming up above the chimney pots then within minutes the sky was black and I think I can now hear rain....   We've been doing our tourist duty this week on the Fylde coast. We've been to the Freeport and Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Lytham and St Annes, the first Poulton market on Wednesday (you can read about that on Visit Poulton) and then yesterday we even braved Blackpool! We don't normally venture near Blackpool at weekends or in school holiday weeks, but the lure of the sunshine and the thoughts of a nice day were just too much.     Blackpool was packed! There was a queue a mile long for The Dungeon, Primark was heaving, the Comedy Carpet was full of people milling around and taking it all in. That's the fabulous thing about living at Cleveleys, it's a nice place to live and really handy for all the glitz of Blackpool. It makes you feel alive going there for the day - on holiday and carefree. Personally, I could wrap up warm and take a flask and sandwiches and just go and sit on a bench all day and people watch. Except for the fact that the new benches are about as comfy as a plank - heaven knows who thought them up but they don't suffer from a bad back and need to sit down when they are out shopping!   It's a shame that it's a poor forecast for this weekend, and it's now raining. Cleveleys will be busy all winter through - it always is - but it would have been nice to end a lovely week with a lovely weekend! Sat 29 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-10-31 There was a grim discovery on the beach near the Imperial at Blackpool last week, when a body was found washed up, and it reminded me of the things that have been found on our beach at Cleveleys.   Many years ago, when we were holiday homers, the promenade was sealed off one day when an unexploded bomb was found. It must have been about ten years ago, and it was quite exciting. The whole road was sealed off, and we watched as the bomb squad came and sorted it out.   After that, there was a body washed up on the beach off Rossall Promenade. A dog walker must have discovered it, and there was a cast of thousands who came and saw to the event. The beach was sealed off again, and the body could be clearly seen wrapped in a white bag as it was taken away. It's quite a grim thing to happen, and you can't imagine the shock you must get when you are innocently walking on the beach and are confronted by what must be a horrible sight.   The sea here is so dangerous it's a miracle that there aren't more bodies washed up. What with the tide coming in quickly and forming islands and sand banks that cut people off, and the waves crashing against the wall in rough weather, it's a miracle that more people don't end up coming to a watery end.   Cleveleys isn't too bad for danger at high tide - the steps must make it easier to get out if you do end up in the brink, rather than the steep high walls further along at Bispham and Blackpool where the waves would just crack you mercilessly against the concrete. At Rossall Prom the sloping beach would make it difficult, you would think, to get sucked in. But sucked in people are, especially around North Pier where the Irish Sea has claimed many lives. So if you are in that area, enjoy the majesty of the water by all means - just be careful! Mon 31 Oct 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-11-01 We watch the web stats for this site, and Visit Poulton, closely every day. We follow what you like and what you don't like, so we can bring you more of the good stuff and less of the bad.... We also follow what creates a response and what makes you have a look at the site, so we can do more of what works, and less of what doesn't!   It's interesting to see which are the most popular pages. These were the top ten pages on Visit Cleveleys for October 2011:   Business pages Blog Windfarm SubZero Ice Rink Community group list Weather Things to do Rossall Sea Defences Photo Gallery Car Park at Jubilee Gardens   The most external referrals came through these sites:   Facebook Bing (which is also on Facebook) Google - and 25 links in from a website called Motorhome Facts!   We're in the process of putting together a survey so you can tell us what you like and what you don't like. Our aim is to make this site as good as it can be - that's good in your eyes, not ours!   If you've got any suggestions that you'd like to make meanwhile you are always very welcome to get in touch. Just use the contact details at the top of the blog. Tue 01 Nov 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-11-05 I think my mum is on a crusade to keep our family fit and sane! I can't say that we are a particularly athletic family and shy away from ost forms of sport, but we do all enjoy walking, especially on our beach.     We always make an effort to go out every day. It doesn't always work, particularly with some of the weather we get here, but you can try! Since the clocks went back this week she's been a woman on a mission! We all get up quite early, so we eat lunch earlier than most, so every day we've packed up quickly and set off on the beach for a 30 minute walk.   The weather has been perfect for it - unusually still and really quite mild for November - it won't last! The views have been perfect and at this time of year you pretty much get the beach to yourself, bar other dog walkers and fishermen.   I do consider myself very lucky to be able to do this in the middle of a working day - both for the fact that my job allows me to, and that I live so near to a fabulous beach. I have to agree that my mum does have a point. You can feel your stamina dropping when you don't walk, so that when you go again you feel puffed at first. It does make you feel better too, and burns off the stresses and strains of modern life! What more could you want! Sat 05 Nov 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-11-07 I love getting up really early. I get a few hours of peace and quiet while everyone else is asleep, to get organised, do some work and get my head round the days jobs.   I also get to see the stars. This last few days while the skies have been clear, the nightime display has been breathtaking. I have no idea what any of them are, and there's a satellite that seems to move about, but when you tip your head back and breathe in the cold air, the view is awesome and quite mindblowing, especially when you think about how far away they all are.   I knew from the clarity of the stars this morning at 6am that today was going to be a lovely day. The sun is coming up and all the sky is pink as I write this at 7.30am. There is a different view across the water every day, and this morning is no exception. The horizon is tinted pink, the sea is like a millpond, and the lakes are mistily lit up with a glow.     I whipped out the camera just as a seagull obligingly flew past. I got a new camera for my birthday, but even though it's better than my old one it's still a point and click (on auto setting!) so the subtle skies don't always come out as you see them at the time. But a lovely photo to start a new working week, I think you'll agree! Mon 07 Nov 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-11-12 Cleveleys, and in fact much of the Fylde Coast, has been like roadworks city for the last eternity, it seems. I think the end of the road seems to be nigh - but if we can see light at the end of the tunnel there is bound to be a train coming....   For some mysterious reason, the people of Cleveleys have to be protected from the new trams, but at Blackpool it's all' shared space' and use the eyes in the back of your head. I can't, no matter how hard I try, get my head around that one, but no doubt engineers in offices think it's perfectly sensible! Anyway, one of the benefits of having to be protected from these new dangerous beasts is that the entire run of concrete fence in the vicinty of the Rossall School area has been replaced. The old stuff was all rotten and broken and a right eyesore, so the matching cream concrete panels do look ever so much more neat and tidy as you drive along the main road.   (Here's another thought. Why are huge trams running at 10 minute intervals so dangerous, yet we all live with millions of cars when we are crossing unguarded roads, driving across unsignalled junctions etc, all day long? Is it really just me that doesn't get it?)   We have also developed a rash of traffic lights too. There are new ones at the crossing with West Drive, Thornton Gate/Cumberland Avenue, and at Rossall School. I'm not sure whether the Rossall School ones will be a hindrance, when I've gone round there they seem to be creating queues where there is no need for one, but the West Drive and Thornton Gate ones are a big improvement. Both junctions are a nightmare to navigate and impossible to get out of. West Drive enables you to miss all the congestion of Cleveleys town centre and before the lights could be impossible to get round. Now, it's much easier.   So what about the tram works? The big question is when will they be cleared away? I've noticed that the new tram stop names are going up, and mighty fine they look too. The shelters are going up, along with the railings and fences (bit impractical having them painted, but that will be someone else who lives in Manchester and doesn't know that salt air corrodes the metal and pops the paint off).   What I'd really like them to do is to have a tidy up and shift all the stuff that's finished with. All the odd signs just left lying around, and the sandbags and bits of junk. I don't have a problem with the roadworks themselves, because you can't make an omlette without breaking an egg, I just wish they'd be a bit more organised about how they do it, and clean up as they are going along!   But as I always say to the husband, it will be nice when it's finished! Sat 12 Nov 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-11-16 When I lived in Yorkshire I enjoyed feeding the songbirds in my garden, and could reel their names off easily. I do find it difficult to remember what the sea birds are, and even to tell one from another, which I find quite frustrating, but I can tell what a goose looks like!   There is a field at Cleveleys where huge flocks of pink footed geese feed over winter. They are the ones that make the huge migrations and breed in the arctic, coming to England to feed in the bad weather of winter. I think they roost at night at Pilling Marshes, please correct me someone if I am wrong!     From our back door and garden we can hear them each morning, honking and clattering as they arrive for their breakfast, and this afternoon we watched them flying about as we walked along the sea front near Rossall School. As we came back up onto the path from the beach, there were huge clouds of them over the field and the houses.     So we jumped in the car and drove round to the field. You can usually see them from the main road, but no, it looked like they had gone. We had a quick look in the usual spots and they must have flown off while we weren't there. Which brings a whole new meaning to the expression 'wild goose chase'!   We'll get them one day though, and share the sight with you! Wed 16 Nov 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-11-26 I try to spread meeting out and leave some room in between to actually do some work, and every once in a while there are weeks where I don't seem to sit down at all - last week was one of those weeks!   Monday was a chance to get everything done before the rush started. On Tuesday I spent the early evening at Millfield School at the Wyre Together Community Showcase Event, where all the community groups share their information and experiences with each other and the general public. It was a really good event, the only complain I had was that I nearly broke my neck when I came out, piled with boxes, and tripped on a rucked mat!   On Tuesday I went to the delightful Best Western Country House Hotel at Garstang for Wyred Up. It's very much off my radar so I did well finding it at all, and even without sat-nav! So that was another late finish (well, late for me), as I staggered in at about 7pm, feeling really quite car sick after I'd driven round the winding country roads of Garstang in the dark!   On Thursday it was the Cleveleys Christmas Lights switch on event, which I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed. It was lovely to be with your friends and have the buzz and atmosphere of a large crowd as the children performed and the crowds watched. We all piled back to the cafe for much hilarity and fun, entertained by Cleveleys own resident comedian who owns a menswear shop... You can read all about it on the page added this morning.   Friday was a bright and early start for a business group meeting at Blackpool, and then by lunch time I was sat back behind my computer, getting sorted out and ready to do it all again next week! Sat 26 Nov 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-11-30 The Friends of Eastpines Park in Anchorsholme have their Christmas Fair this Saturday at Anchorsholme Methodist Church and everyone is invited to come along.   It's between 12pm and 3pm with Father Christmas, the Park School Brassband, a Face painter, lots of stalls and games for everyone.      Any money raised will go towards building a pond at the Park which will go along way towards achieving Green Flag status for the park.Wed 30 Nov 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-04 I think I've got the songs mixed there, but never mind!   It's a bit like the Royal Family in our house, someone only has to say something that's like the lyrics of a song, and the rest of us burst out with the rest of the tune - badly done it has to be said, and none of the local choirs would want us, that's for sure!   Anyway, I digress (as usual). My mum's got a thing going at the moment where she keeps making us all go for a brisk walk every day so that we don't get unhealthy and die. So because it's dark and cold after tea, we've mostly been taking our constitutional after lunch. All credit to her to be fair, because without someone motivating us we just wouldn't bother, instead sitting at our computers all day every day getting square eyes, and then we would get unhealthy and die, and where would Visit Cleveleys be then?     It's been really lovely walking on the beach in this weather. We get wrapped up and put our wellies on and off we go. Once or twice when we haven't had the chance to go in the daytime because of work commitments and have gone after tea, and that's just as nice. The prom is lovely in the dark, you get it all to yourself, to see the twinkly coloured lights. I have no idea why the fishermen go on the jet black beach on their own and stand there for hours, but I'm sure they must enjoy it, so that's fine.   We've found lots of sea glass too - there is always a lot washed up and once you start looking you can't stop. I've got a little glass dessert dish that I keep putting them in, a glass bottle would be better like someone said on Facebook when I'd commented a few weeks ago so I must try and find one.   One day last week when it was high tide at lunch time the view was spectacular while the waves were splashing against the new steps on the new prom. As you walked Blackpool-wards you could also see the waves bashing against the wall at Bispham. Lovely! And the ozone must make your brain work harder.... Sun 04 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-09 I had an email yesterday afternoon from Mike Sanderson that made me go all hot.   On the advertising pages, when a member of the public emails a business it's marked to have originated from Visit Cleveleys, so they know they are getting a response from their presence on the site. Mike had received an email that went like this 'hi, i am looking for a replacement fridge freezer for my aunt who lives in Fleetwood. A half and half style one, no fancy gadgets. can you give me some suggestions of anthing you may have. I am not local but know my aunt would prefer to shop local'.   There were a couple of other emails included in the string of communication, which ended up with the customer finally saying 'Just a note to say thank you.  Your herculian delivery guy brought the new fridge freezer as promised on Saturday and took away the old ice encrusted one, it must have weighed a ton, he was one strong guy, and really pleasant with it. It is so helpful for someone like me who doesn't live locally to be able to sort out a delivery time and to work together with a local service like we did, my Aunt who I got the fridge freezer for was very pleased and more so because she was especially pleased that I could get what she wanted from a local supplier.  Keep up the good work, thanks'.   Mike sent me the emails so that I cold share the news that advertising with the site really does work, and in the process he made me go all hot!   We might have provided the enquiry in the first place, but their walls must be papered with letters like this because I've never yet met an electrical shop with such excellent customer service, and the really are the best place to buy anything like this from. So well done to you and keep up the good work indeed! Fri 09 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-10 Like I have said before, they don't build windfarms if there is a shortage of wind, so I guess it kind of says it all.   But this week, boy has it been windy here. In an attempt to make sure that we don't have continual damage every time a tornado blows, we have tried to make everything that we can weather proof on our property. You have to think in a totally different way to how you would in land, and what works in Preston, or even Thornton, certainly wouldn't work here.   So we've got the plastic caps on the edge of the roof tiles, and each individual tile is nailed on, rather than one every few like you would do traditionally. Our fence is decking planks set into concrete posts, ond some of it is completely concrete panels. Everything is PVC on the house because that's the only material that resists the weather, and you have to make your concrete a much stronger mix when you point the walls, because otherwise it just blows out!   The most irritating thing is the mess it all makes. When the wind blows it's like looking through frosted glass, so as soon as it dies down everyone is out with their hosepipes, and you have to wash your car windows each time you go out or you'd just end up in a pile up! When the foam blows we all groan, the snowballs set like glue and are awful to fetch off and require quite a bit of scrubbing.   I've taken to wearing a hat each time I go out of the door, I've bought one of those floppy beret style knitted ones, which makes a fantastic hairnet! I sit and blow dry my hair, which is a job I hate anyway, and then step foot outside and poof! I look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards! So with my knitted hairnet, I just tuck it all into the hat and look reasonably presentable when I get to where I am going. Seemples! Sat 10 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-17 When I was little I had two nursery rhyme records, one of which was 'Rupert sings a Golden Hour of Nursery Rhymes'. We were hard done by in those days, CDs and DVDs hadn't been invented! I can still remember most of it word for word, and often think about some of the things on it. It's in the loft, I could really do with it copying to a more modern format!   Anyway, I'm sat here typing away and eventually turned the light off and opened the curtains, to a heavy dark sky in the north, and all at once a strong wind whipping up on that side of the house, which took me right back to a rhyme on the Rupert record.   'The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow, and what will the Robin do then, poor thing? He'll sit in the barn and keep himself warm, and hide his head under his wing, poor thing'.   There's another oddity with the weather too. It ALWAYS piddles it down, blows a gale or snows on the day that we go to the supermarket. So it was no surprise when it started snowing heavily yesterday morning, which, of course, is supermarket day! Amazingly, it cleared up and the sky was blue when we actually went, which was a miracle, so we went to Aldi while we were out to buy a Christmas cake. We'd just been to Asda, so theoretically didn't need anything else. My mum was sure she'd seen a write up about Aldi Christmas Cake in a magazine, and when we got there there wasn't one to be seen in the shop. We did manage to come out having spent £29 on everything else but....   Going back again to the dim days of my youth, I did O level Home Economics - you know in the days when you actually learned how to cook food. I made a proper Christmas cake at school during the lessons and it was really very good. The year after I made one at home, and I'm not joking it was like a brick - you could have easily killed someone with it if you had thrown it at them. I've never made one since!   My grandma always made a cake that she called vinegar loaf, because the bicarb is activated with a spoon of vinegar. It's a tradition in our house that I continue, and I'll be doing my domestic mother hen thing this weekend. I'll document it and share the recipe with you in due course!   Sat 17 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-19 You've probably heard me rabbling on about having two little dogs. They aren't very old and one of them is a tinker - we still daren't leave him in the house on his own for fear that he will kill himself on a flex, or eat all the ornaments.   So, in common with the many other people who don't like leaving their dogs home alone for whatever reason, it poses a problem, especially at this time of year, about where you can go and take them with you.   As our dogs are small we can pick them up when shops are kind enough to let you in. I wouldn't have confidence in letting them walk on the floor, because you just never know what they will find enticing, especially since they are boys - if you know what I mean!   The Freeport at Fleetwood is one of the places where we do go. This year they changed the rules and let dogs in again, and it's started a stampede of dog owning families just like us. In fact, many of the shops also let you in with them too, which is handy at this time of year when it's cold!   So that's where we went yesterday. And because we could take the dogs in the shops with us, we spent money in GAP, Regatta and Past Times, when otherwise we wouldn't have gone in the shop. And if they had had any juggling balls (don't ask) we would have spent money in The Works too. There are other shops that you can go in with Fido - we just didn't! Mon 19 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-24 We've been sayinmg all week 'when shall we get the supermarket shopping' and in the end we still went on Friday when we normally would.   We jumped up after an early dinner and dashed off, in the hope that we would outrun most of the people still sat scoffing their lunch. When we got to Asda at Fleetwood the car park was heaving and there were men stood there directing the traffic. I thought 'Oh no I don't want to do this!'   The shop itself wasn't too bad, and other than it being maybe a bit busier than normal, especially around the fruit and veg, we got round easily and didn't need to queue much to pay. So that was hurdle one completed.   On the way out of the car park it did look like we had been right in our lunch time assumption because the cars were piling in and queuing around the little roundabout... On the way back to Cleveleys we also saw a variety of supermarket vans delivering online consignments... I bet they had done a roaring trade and I wouldn't have minded being five quid behind any of the supermarkets yesterday - they must have taken a small fortune.   We pootled up to Cleveleys to get some other stuff and call into M&S and the place was buzzing. The rain managed to stop for long enough to let us do what we needed to do, and it was really busy. I think it's the only place and the only time I've felt a Christmassy buzz - everywhere else just seems flat or maybe it's because I'm getting old and turning into Scrooge.   M&S was heaving and people were buying food like the shop was going to be closed for six months and they were never going to be able to buy a joint of ham again. We bought some nice goodies, in particular some cakes and deserts.. yum, yum.   I've also promised my mum that I'll make her a chocolate yule log. She's not a big fan of home baking, more of a cheese and savoury woman, and I do like baking, especially at Christmas which always sets me off, so I thought I'd seize the chance! I can't remember the last time I made a swiss roll and I don't enough know if we've got a flat tin! Sat 24 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-28 Well that's it now folks, Christmas is all over bar the shouting, with just New Year to go until life gets back to normal.   We've had a nice quiet family Christmas, and except for an hour or two at the crack of dawn have for once switched off and not talked about work (or done any). It's been such a treat to just sit on the sofa and watch tv and do nothing, except eat your own bodyweight in calories. I did get on the scales yesterday, just out of curiosity, and the damage wasn't too bad. In fact, I seem to have managed not to have put any extra weight on which is a miracle, because, believe me, I have eaten exactly what I fancied. Well, you can't deny yourself at Christmas! The walks on the prom probably helped - although I think we were probably going about three times as fast as the day visitors who packed out the prom!   By all accounts the Community Christmas Dinner at Cleveleys Park Methodist Church went well too. I saw some of the photos, and despite the fact that they had helpers coming out of their ears, it does seem that a lot of older people had a lovely Christmas Day, courtesy of Cllr Andrea Kay and Rev Michael Payne.   In fact, this morning I received an email from a lady who went along:   "Cllr. Andrea Kay and Rev. Michael Payne, and their army of helpers, provided a wonderful Christmas Day treat for lonely pensioners in the area. A lot of hard work must have gone into the planning of the event and everything went so well.     The food was delicious and was followed by entertainment. Then, to everyone's surprise, we were all given a present, before returning home.     They could not have done more to give everyone such a happy and memorable day and, on behalf of those present, I would like to thank each and every one of them most sincerely. They worked so hard and did a wonderful job. We went home smiling and with joy in our hearts knowing that they cared."   All too often, the spirit of Christmas is forgotten, but you get the sense that in these times when everyone is just that bit more hard up, that the true meaning of Christmas being a time for family and friends is once more starting to be seen again. Wed 28 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2011-12-29 Today and yesterday, Cleveleys promenade was transformed into a winter wonderland.   When the beach is banked in the right way, the wind is blowing in the right direction, and the tide high enough, this is a sight that you'll see at Cleveleys. The surface of the sea blows up into a froth, that, much like the magic porridge pot, froths and froths and froths, until there is too much to stay on the beach and it spews out onto the road. The wind then blows it through the air, like huge frothy snowballs!   On Rossall Promenade it reached a depth of a good 4', across the width of the road, with cars disappearing as they drove into it! The promenade path way just disappeared, as the foam banked up against it.   The Environment Agency have tested it and it isn't detergent based, they think it might be a result of decaying algae in the sea. It carries salt and sand with it, so that when the froth disappears it leaves a sandy residue behind.   Yesterday was about as bad as it gets, and the rain at high tide today surpressed the display. Have a look at some photos!       Thu 29 Dec 2011, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-01-03 I'm not above sharing a joke, and having a laugh on me, so I thought we'd start with this one.   It's only fair that if I share culinary success and recipes that I share the disasters too, and fortunately this looked like a disaster rather than tasting like one.   My mum is a bit odd in that she's not particularly keen on chococate (or shoes for that matter) but she is keen on chocolate log with the fudgy icing. We usually buy one, and this year I said I'd make one instead.   It would have helped if I'd had a recipe, instead of making it up as I went along. I made my usual sponge base and that came out fine and sat cooling while I made the chococale ganache. I'm not too keen on plain chocolate but we thought the cream that it's melted into would water down the taste, so we stirred them together and it was very strong. So we added the rest of the cream, which made it obviously runny. So then I started adding icing sugar, which watered down the strength of the plain chocolate and thickened it up.   By now I had a large bowl of icing, so we decided that I should use it for the filling of the cake too. I don't think I've made a swiss roll since I was at school, and made the fundamental mistake of not using the greaseproof paper to roll it up, so it just fell to bits on the worktop.     You've never seen anything like it in your life. It became a bottom with two broken bits on top like a collapsing woodcutters hut, so then I poured the icing on top, which slithered down the sides, the plate wasn't big enough so it started going over the edges...   My oh my, I'd never win anything with this. However, it was actually very tasty and cut into slices it looked perfectly OK - more like marble cake. Part of the problem was that the sponge was too thick to roll anyway - I should have used a recipe...   Anyway, I think what's left would be nice with custard... and the ganache will melt and go runny. Yum yum!  Tue 03 Jan 2012, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-01-07 Let's get the confession over with first. Other than two teams, one ball and a lot of, ahem, nice legs, I know nothing about football. I have been to one game in my life (because a client invited me) and have watched about as many right through on the TV. So I am wholly unqualified to make any kind of comment about todays mighty game between Blackpool and Fleetwood.   That said, each week, as a family we keep up to speed with the scores and the relative position of our two excellent teams, and for what it's worth, gee them on with our limited moral support. Like many women I have a husband with a fair idea of what's happening, so in very limited terms I get a limited explanation of the current position - which I promptly forget and ask for again the following week.   The local press tells me that todays Derby is the FA Cup Third Round - some kind of mystery that gives teams in totally different leagues and divisions a chance to meet each other on the pitch, so Fleetwood have a good chance to be the 'Dragon Killers' and win the game.   As I posted on Facebook this morning, as Fylde Coast folk from Cleveleys, who are right in the middle of two teams who have done equally well in their own sphere, the question is, who would you like to win? Sat 07 Jan 2012, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-01-13 If you follow the Visit Cleveleys Facebook page, you'll have noticed that I was very quiet yesterday, because I'd had a full day away in South Yorkshire.   We set off at just gone 7.15am - no hardship when you're regularly up at 5.30 and editing websites by 1/4 to 6 on a regular basis! The first job was a fuel stop at Morrisons, and as I stood there wondering whether there was a hole in the bottom of the tank, I listened to the glorious sounds of a bird singing it's little head off in the darkness outside the petrol canopy. I think it was a blackbird, and it sounded just so lovely, and a reminder that spring is around the corner - the birds start nesting activity anytime now.   I can't say I enjoyed the trail across the M62 - it was like an end to end car park. I was doing the 250 mile round trip every week at one point, and I don't mind driving at all, in fact I quite like it. But does anyone know why there are three huge stretches of road with a 50mph limit, and the overhead cameras to do average speed check so you can't cheat? There was little or no evidence of anything happening that warranted all that disruption, but who am I to ask, merely a motorist!   Anyway, we'd been to see client number one, and had a pit stop at the favourite lunch time snack with the big golden M (I had a Munchy McFlurry which was nice, and salt on my chips). We ended up going round the M18 back to Ferrybridge power station as the quickest route back from Doncaster, and whizzing round a roundabout I saw my first daffodil in flower! Do you not think that 12 January is a bit early for a daffodil to be flowering?   The landscape was a sight to be seen. It's as flat out there as it is on Cleveleys seafront, with huge fields rolling in all directions, and the enormous cooling towers pumping steam out into the cold air. The sun was starting to go hazy and golden as the day dropped, round about 3ish.   The journey back was much easier. At 4.30pm I took a flanker and guessed that we'd make it round Greenhalgh and Singleton on the A585. How wrong can you be, so we sailed past the end of the traffic queuing on the motorway roundabout for a trip to the end of the M55 and along the prom. It was dark by this time, and very quiet, so that was much quicker back to Cleveleys, with the bonus of the changing colours on the tower, and the twinkly lights at festival headland. And then passing the new wedding chapel we saw the first bride stood outside having her pic taken!   When we got to Bispham we saw the other new wonder of the world, one of the new trams. And would you believe it, when we got back to Cleveleys just in time for tea, the wind was blowing a gale. Well there's a shock! It was nice to be home though, and normal service will now be resumed! Fri 13 Jan 2012, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-01-23 I've been out with my gang, beach cleaning this morning. To be honest I could enjoy doing it for a living, and would be far more calm, and probably a lot healthier if I were out on the beach every day. Wouldn't do much for your wrinkles though, the UV exposure would turn you into a prune. Anyway....   The beach has been a right tip in the last few weeks after the heavy winds and rough seas. In fact it's been about as bad as it gets, although I'd swear that some of it has gone back where it came from.   In the last couple of weeks I've been drafting people in who stood still long enough to volunteer. So Northfold Primary turned out in force, along with Community Payback, a couple of Street Scene people from Wyre, the Waterfront Ranger and of course the die hard members of the Rossall Beach Group who can always be relied on to get down and dirty.   Usually you have to walk a little way and then pick but today you could just spin in a circle and quickly fill your sacks. I went to pick the litter out of the community garden, as I usually do, and as fast as I tried to pick it up and put it in the sack it was just wafting away... There's a force on the Beaufort scale beyond which it's impossible to litter pick - not because you can't stand up but because it blows the litter out of your sack as fast as you put it in. I think this was about it - I've no idea what the number or speed is!   Anyway, I digress in another circle, from the subject of the blog. We do get a mixed assortment of dead bodies on the beach, even once including a real human one, with various seals, sheep, birds and fish. Strangely, things on the beach seem to go in rotation. At the last clean in November we had a surge in disposable gas lighters....   Todays surge was dead birds. I picked a few up in various stages of decomposition. Some of them you could only tell by the odd feathers sticking out...   One of them was humming nicely, a sort of sickly rotting hum - I quickly stuffed that one in the bag and carried on. Another was quite fresh and recently dead, it looked like it had been a black headed gull. All joking apart, what a shame that these glorious birds so typical of our British seaside meet such a watery grave. Mon 23 Jan 2012, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-01-31 Let's get this over with first. I'm sorry that I have been a bit slow with blog posts, but all will start to become clear in the next few weeks. As well as trying to run our ordinary business and make sure we earn money and eat, we've also been working on phase 3 of these websites. Like I said, all will become clear...   And in the past couple of weeks we've also had Rossall Beach-itis. The Rossall Beach Group try to pace themselves with events and activities but in the last couple of weeks it's been more of a feast rather than famine. We started with the regular monthly meeting a fortnight ago, then last week we had a beach clean on Monday morning, which you can read about on the website. 90 sacks of rubbish! It took me while Friday to recover!   Northfold pupils finding out what lurks on the beach!   Then on Tuesday afternoon we were in a garage sorting out jumble. I thought we were never going to get to the end of it all. It was quite a laugh actually, but then we are always a noisy bunch with everything that we do. It took half a dozen of us two hours to sort it all out and get rid of junk. Then on Friday night we all convened at the United Reform Church to set it all out on tables. We were amazed at how much there was, and it was just a good job that we'd not invited anyone else to come and sell stuff or they would never have got through the door!   Just finished setting out on Friday night   It was a good job that Saturday was a nice day because I doubt anyone would have bothered if it had rained. Despite advertising the event everywhere there wasn't a mad stampede, but the people who did come all spent money and got some good stuff too. We raised a clear £303 profit, after costs, which was quite good. Although when we have done similar events on the promenade in the summer we have made more than that - and it seems easier to do too.   The funniest thing, Jimmy trying on a magnetic back brace!   So that's partly why I have gone 10 days without a blog post. Sorry - but unfortunately I haven't got a twin sister. Or maybe some people would say fortunately... imagine, two of me! Tue 31 Jan 2012, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-02-01 It was the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. I'd have loved to take part, but just didn't have the time. But I've got a good idea of what's happening in our garden - with a look every time I go past the window.   Despite the salt air and the wind, we've managed to start to grow some good cover and mixed plants to attract our feathered friends, and I've got back onto the wagon of feeding them too, which is already making a difference.   I buy the hulled sunflower seeds because they make so much less mess, and serve them in a feeder with a tray fastened to the bottom, to reduce what drops onto the floor. Our big concern is mice - specifically getting them in places where they shouldn't be...   When we lived in Yorkshire, we had quite a big garden and we backed onto a primary school with fields like the local wood, and at the side of that was allotments, so you can imagine we got every kind of rodent under the sun. I wasn't particularly keen on the odd rat that came to call, but mice were part of life. I kept rabbits for many years in a brick shed in the garden and we often had them in there. One year, we caught them one by one and took them to the woods. I couldn't bear to kill them, and only use poison as a last resort. Our living room backed onto the garden and we used to watch them running round under the birdfeeders - they're very cute.   Anyway, I've made it a mission at Cleveleys to attract the birds - we had everything in Yorkshire, attracted by the trees and natural food they came in their hundreds and plenty of types. Here, it's a red letter day to see a blue tit! Last year we had Goldfinches nesting in the garden which thrilled me, and starlings in the parrot nesting box that I put up when we blocked the holes up in the soffit. The tame blackbird builds half a dozen homes until he hits on his favourite (I throw worms to him when I'm gardening, and he follows me round), and we've had a robin coming every day to feed. We had collared doves by the hundred before, so I'm thrilled that a pair have worked out how to the use the feeder and are hanging about in the garden. I'm wondering now what I can rig up to encourage them to nest...   Then of course there is Mr and Mrs Homer, who seem to be revving up their feeding, presumably to get into top condition for this years baby making. They have their breakfast and then the starlings and blackbirds come to hoover up the bits of dog food that they leave. So this is all conducted with me talking to them all and running a commentary! The gulls do know you though, when I occassionally send my dad or husband out to feed them, they won't come to either of them and feed by hand. Clever birdies, eh?   Wed 01 Feb 2012, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-02-03 We've got an outdoor thermometer in the garden, right outside the window. So when I get out of my warm bed at silly o'clock I can tell whether I need to put the heating on with a general idea of the temperature. 10 plus and it's warm enough, 5 or less it needs to go on!   This morning it was MINUS about 7 or 8 - not quite 10. Which immediately made me think about the poor birds outside, and what I'm going to give them for their breakfast.   Mr and Mrs Homer seem to be geting into baby making mood, and are hungry every morning, so they are fine with their tin of Asdas finest cheap dog food. The rest of the gull population are showing an interest so I have to stand by and make sure that the residents get their fill first. Normally it's just two for breakfast.   We put all our kitchen scraps out for the birds. Do you? You'd have read that we have a mouse worry in the previous blog, so I'm very limited in what I can get away with bird feeder wise, and all food has to be eaten immediately and completely or the mouse police go mad.   Earlier in the week they'd had three Aldi mince pies which my husband proclaimed 'as hard as board'. All the dog ends of cheese and any bits of meat go out. We had a chicken yesterday, and as with beef, we put the fat in a bowl and sop it up with bread broken into chunks - they all LOVE that and it goes within seconds. Plus it stops it blocking up your drains.   I find it really thrilling that I can go out in the gardem at any time of day and shout Homer and he comes to be fed. That a wild bird will do that still amazes me. I'm not sure who is trained though, him or me...   Cake, biscuits, buns, anything with a fat content is perfect. Mashed potato and cooked potato generally goes down well too. Starlings and Blackbirds will also enjoy dog food. When Homer has finished, they polish the bits of food up and jelly - he's not keen on jelly...   Make sure that you put water out too, especially in this weather. I just have a plastic garden saucer that auto-fills in the rain. Yesterday it was frozen solid, the slab is probably still on the lawn. You need something that you can break up and replace with fresh so a plastic saucer is ideal. Yesterday morning I was thrilled when I saw a Pied Wagtail walking up and down on the lawn picking at food! That's the first time I've seen that one in the garden, they are usually in car parks!   So there you go. Some ideas for doing your bit for conservation, that don't cost you any money, use your scraps and save food going to landfill. Perfect!   When I got to Asda today I shall buy a block of cheap lard to make bird food with. Very embarrasing buying it, it stinks to high heaven when you melt it, but the starlings LOVE it. More on that later! Fri 03 Feb 2012, 00:00http://www.visitcleveleys.co.uk/blog/blog.php?showDate=exact&currentSetDate=2012-02-06 Hello, I’m Chrissie, that must make me Jane’s mum. Somebody’s got to be to blame, so I guess that must be me.   She’s teaching me to use a computer. Boy does she need some patience! She reckons she’ll have cracked me by the time the clocks go forward. This is my third lesson and at least the mouse isn’t moving as fast!   I ripped so many pages out of her exercise books when she did her homework wrong that I traumatised her and now she’s getting her own back!Mon 06 Feb 2012, 00:00