fleetwood Archives - Blackpool Social Club

03 Sep

Photo Walk: Fleetwood on Film

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, fleetwood, photowalk

The weather forecast for the morning of Saturday 19th July 2025 was light rain, but this wasn't enough to deter the Blackpool Community Darkroom crew, for a photo walk around Fleetwood. David Simper headed out with them to see what he could capture on film. I negotiated my way to the Ferry Cafe meeting point, where people were waiting for the 11:00 start and loading their various cameras. I'd selected my Yashica Electro 35 for the photo walk, its 45mm lens shooting through a yellow filter onto Kentmere 400 ISO black and white film. The automatic exposure system make it…

28 Feb

Gallery: Blackpool and North Fylde on film

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, Blackpool, cleveleys, fleetwood, Fylde Coast, leica, leica cl, monochrome photography, public transport

The light dawned photographically bright on 5th February 2023 and it was time for a photo trip. That roll of Kentmere (other brands are available) film had been sat on the shelf too long and was screaming 'shoot me now, shoot me now'. I used to use and like Kentmere photographic paper in my teens and 20s (I can just about remember that) and was keen to try this affordable 400 iso product. I selected my Leica CL 35mm camera and the Jupiter 50mm lens, with 'Made in USSR' engraved on the barrel, and loaded that film. With a 24…

25 Jun

Inside Out exhibition: Fleetwood’s creativity on show at old hospital site

Claire Griffiths0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsArt, community, Craft, Exhibition, fleetwood, leftcoast

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Could Fleetwood be the new Margate or St Ives? Claire takes a look at how a small well-known Lancashire fishing town created an amazing pop-up art exhibition at the site of an old hospital. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There is an ethereal DIY feeling to spaces taken over by creatives. Pop-up art exhibitions are everywhere in cities and around art colleges. Taken over once loved spaces or repurposing factories, empty office blocks, or shops. So in September of last year with lockdown all around us, Lancashire based arts organisation Leftcoast along with the artist in Residence Gillian Wood made a callout, asking residents…

19 Feb

Do the Seitan Hustle

Jill Reidy0 CommentsFood and Drink, Local NewsCovid-19, fleetwood, food, takeaway, vegan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] ".....most of us grew up eating meat, and just because we decided to change our way of eating for the welfare of animals, the environment, our health or whatever, it doesn’t mean we don’t miss the taste. It’s a tough sacrifice. " Tony Sun [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When I volunteered to look into this venture for Blackpool Social Club, I must admit I wasn’t quite sure what the takeaway was all about. The first thing I did was look at the Seitan Hustle website. The food looked delicious but I still didn’t know exactly what Seitan was. So I googled, and it…

03 Feb

Work reaches completion at the Mount Pavilion and Gardens in Fleetwood

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsLocal Newscommunity, creativity, fleetwood, heritage

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The restoration work at the Mount in Fleetwood is very near completion with only a few finishing touches of the project due to be completed. Wyre Council was delighted to have been awarded a £2 million ‘Parks for People’ grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund in 2018 to continue its work to revive the Mount Pavilion and Gardens in Fleetwood. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The seaward side was restored in 2017 thanks to a £1m personal donation from Mrs Doreen Lofthouse. This involved work to reinstate the Victorian railings, restore the shelters, repair the pathways and create…

05 Oct

Funding boost for Fleetwood’s historic town centre

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsHeritage, Local Newsfleetwood, funding, heritage, history, town centre

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Fleetwood’s historic high street is one of 14 across the North West set to receive funding for its revitalisation project. The high street project will improve historic shop fronts and draw visitors from the market to the town centre Wyre Council and a consortium of partners will work with Historic England to develop and deliver a plan that will transform and restore disused and dilapidated buildings into new homes, shops, work places and community spaces, restoring local historic character and improving public spaces. Government funding of £1,792,362 has been confirmed and the project fully worked up for Fleetwood high street,…

17 Aug

Review – Fylde Coast Food and Drink Festival

David Simper0 CommentsLocal Newsdrink, festival, fleetwood, food, fylde, local, show

The sixth annual Fylde Coast Food and Drink Festival was a foodie's cornucopia of quality and often local produce. Held in Fleetwood's splendid Marine Hall and indeed in its grounds, the event showcased quality food and drink from across our region. With mass produced food dominating the market, designed for profit not nutrition and taste, it's well worth getting behind these dedicated local food entrepreneurs. As a jam fan, Hannah's Country Kitchen's to the left were well nice with two jars purchased. The Thornton Cleveleys Brass Band played in the background and really sounded good, adding atmosphere. A number of…

23 Jul

Spareparts Festival – Tram Sunday Gallery

Claire Griffiths0 CommentsLocal Newsfleetwood, spareparts, street performance, tram sunday

It was 'all go' at Spareparts, Fleetwood's annual Festival of Transport...