23
Aug
18
Jul
Big Issue North's deputy editor explains why the magazine is supporting Blackpool Social Club, and why you should support the magazine during an especially difficult time for its vendors Ten years is long enough to do any one thing so when, in the week that marked 10 years since I first wrote Big Issue North’s listings, I sat down to the familiar routine of drawing together the weekly cultural highlights across the region and there were none, I wish I could say it was a welcome change. Instead, it signalled the end of our social and cultural calendars for a…
17
Jul
In this installment of her bi-weekly column, Stephanie Cottle discusses the importance of protecting Blackpool's open green spaces. The View from the Tower Standing atop Blackpool’s landmark tower, most eyes will find themselves immediately drawn to the spectacular views of The North West coastline. It’s not difficult to see why – with it’s whirling grey depths and dramatic, changeable skies it is a mesmerising sight to behold. Blackpool owes much of its success to the sea, having enchanted visitors to the town across the ages, and the birds eye view from the Tower only emphasises the exhilaration we feel in…
09
Jul
Big Issue North needs you! People who sell the magazine on the streets are returning to work and need kitting out in full PPE. If you can sew, the organisation would be hugely grateful for donations of reusable facemasks. On Monday 23rd March, for the safety of vendors and customers, Big Issue North was pulled from the street for the first time since its foundation. It launched a hardship fund to cover vendors’ cost of living while they were unable to work, but for many, coping financially was far from the only concern on their mind. Big Issue North vendors…
30
Jun
Stephanie Cottle writes the first of her first bi-weekly columns that consider the forms, functions and possibilities of place. Prior to moving to the area, when I thought of Blackpool my mind would cast back to childhood visits. I’d imagine the muted colours of the Irish Sea, the screech of sea birds and the sharp, delicious taste of salt in the air (and on chips). I suspect these are images that occur to many, especially those who like myself, grew up elsewhere in the North West. For us children of the non-coastal north, the suggestion, ‘Shall we go to Blackpool?’…
30
Jun
It was at the end of a relaxing week in Spain when the word Coronavirus began to creep into conversations. We’d been listening to the news and following this unknown virus’s march through China, Italy and Spain. Like many people, I hadn’t taken it very seriously. It was something that was going on in the world that didn’t affect me, would soon be over, and I didn’t really need to think about it. The day before we flew home it was announced that the virus had hit the region we were staying in. It still seemed like something that had…
20
Aug
Do you think Fracking effects you, or are you even that bothered or just bored about hearing about it. I mean industry and commerce have to move on, right for the sake of money? I guess we are ignoring the buried reports by an Air Quality Expert Group, do we care that it has been proven that there are health issues attached to fracking and it has since been banned in New York, Scotland, Germany and a number of areas in California. Whats really shocking about Fracking happening locally is the way communities, myself included look the other way and go with the…
02
Aug
My favourite thing about Ride The Lights is the noise – or rather, the lack of it. As someone who frequently cycles through the busy Starr Gate area at rush hour, there is something magical about the eerie quiet – save for the gentle tinkling of bells and spinning of pedals – that descends for the evening. The two-wheeled takeover, rechristened Let’s Ride the Lights this year, returns on Tuesday 28 August. Traffic is stopped along the Promenade all the way to Bispham as cyclists enjoy an early preview of the Illuminations before the official Switch-On, as well as…