Latest news stories at top of page

NORTHWEST ICT CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE GETS THE GO-AHEAD
6/6/03: A world-class centre of excellence in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Lancaster University has been given the green light, thanks to a massive £10 million boost from the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA).
The prestigious centre, InfoLab21, will provide a state-of-the-art research, computing, and communications facility, creating an ICT hub for the Northwest. The project will also provide incubation support for spin-out and start-up companies.
The project will be supported by £2.5 million from Lancaster University and a further £2.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Bryan Gray, Chairman of the NorthWest Development Agency, welcomed the announcement.
"The aim of this exciting plan is to create scientific and knowledge based growth, driven by the expertise of Lancaster University," he commented. "The NWDA realises the strategic importance of this significant project and we are delighted to see it come to fruition. Infolab21 is an excellent example of what can be achieved when we work in partnership to capitalise on the expertise that exists within this field, in the Northwest."
"InfoLab21 will enable industry to obtain competitive advantages from the research strengths, international networking and links with multinational companies of the University," commented Professor Paul Wellings, Vice Chancellor of Lancaster University. "It will also support growth in the vital ICT cluster, through skills training, organised through the New Technology Institute, which will be housed within InfoLab21, attracting inward investment and incubation facilities for new high tech, high growth, spin-out and start up companies.
"The InfoLab21 concept is in line with Lancaster City Council's development plans for Lancaster and it also sits within the Government's plans for using Universities as power houses for the economy."
"InfoLab21 is an extremely important initiative by the Northwest Development Agency and Lancaster University," said Lord Sainsbury, Science and Innovation Minister. "Such centres, linking industry and the research strengths of our universities, are essential to creating the high valued jobs of the future, and have the full support of the Government."

SALT IN THE WOUND FOR RAIL USERS
6/6/03: There's been a bizarre twist in the ongoing outrage over the new Summer rail timetable, which has seen Lancaster dropped as a stop for many Virgin Trains. Lancaster council is hosting a national conference today (6 June). Topics include "Virgin Trains vision for links with tourism, integrated transport packages and opportunities presented by new rail franchises."
" What a delicious irony at a time when Virgin are wrecking our attempts to increase tourism by reducing train stops," Coun John Whitelegg told Virtual-Lancaster on hearing the news. "The Chief Executive of Virgin has still not replied to my letter asking for the trains to be reinstated. "I'm now convinced that Virgin are now punishing Lancaster because too many people use the train at Lancaster," John adds. "The trains that no longer stop in Lancaster still stop in Oxenholme and Preston! They're cutting out the Lancaster stop to relieve overcrowding, when the overcrowding is their fault anyway!"
The new Voyager trains can actually only carry 50 per cent of the customers compared with the trains they replaced, John points out. "We now live in the madhouse world of railway privatisation," he feels, "where the idea is to make sure the trains don't stop very much to reduce overcrowding.
"Maybe Virgin should just run the trains up and down the country and not stop anywhere. This would probably meet government targets for a well run railway!"
The Greens on the City Council have brought about a formal complaint to Virgin from the Chief Executive of Lancaster City Council about the cuts in service, which, as well as causing problems for commuters working in Preston, have serious implications for people wishing to return from Edinburgh to Lancaster in the mornings, as well as the loss of our only direct service to Dundee and Aberdeen.
The conference has been organised by the Transport Research and Information Network with the support of the City Council's Tourism Staff. Let's hope any train users among the delegates got here in time!
• Go direct to the Virgin Trains 'Feedback' page to express your views

GOING PUBLIC
6/6/03: Public spending is seen as the central to economic development for Lancashire. That's the finding of the first ever independent business forecast for the North West published this week.
The report, published by the 13-person strong North West Regional Economic Forecasting Panel, provides a concise and realistic assessment of developments in the region's economy, and is intended to inform future decisions in the public as well as the private sector. The report found that although the North West has benefited from tourism and leisure growth, the regional economy of the North West is slowing down, reflecting developments in the global and UK economies.
But the Panel, established by the Regional Intelligence Unit based within the North West Development Agency, feels the economy will begin to recover next year, despite problems for manufacturing.
The panel sees public sector spending as a key driver of growth in the Northwest.
Strictly independent, the Panel is to meet each quarter to discuss the current state of the North West economy. They'll produce short term forecasts twice a year, a 'state of the region' report that will be kept up to date, and an annual assessment of long term prospects for the North West.

CIRCUS COME TO TOWN
4/6/03: Cottle & Austen's Electric Circus is back for the first time in 25 years at Ryelands Park, this week (starts tonight until Sunday 8 June). "This is a fantastic, fast-moving modern circus and totally worth going to see and taking the kids," says our events editor. "I love circuses - I've seen this one and the Cirque Du Soleil at Disneyworld ($75 - phew!) and this is loads more fun and on the ball! Also the acrobats are better. Very funny clowns -- no animals of course. Lots of wild and wonderful acts!"

LIVING WITHIN THE FRAME
4/6/03: Annette Kuhn, Professor of Film Studies at Lancaster University, will deliver her inaugural lecture, entitled 'Living within the Frame' on Wednesday 11 June at 6pm in the Faraday Lecture Theatre on the Bailrigg campus of the University. The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception in the Lecture Theatre's foyer.
Annette Kuhn has published widely on, among other things, film history, science fiction cinema, photography, and cultural memory; and is an editor of the journal Screen.
Her recent publications include the books Family Secrets: Acts of Memory and Imagination; An Everyday Magic: Cinema and Cultural Memory; and Alien Zone: The Spaces of Science Fiction Cinema.
At 3.00pm on the same day in the Bowland Lecture Theatre, there will be a screening of Lynne Ramsay's 1999 film, Ratcatcher. However, while this will be one of the films referred to in the lecture, it's not necessary to have seen it beforehand.
The University is hoping to encourage members of the public, as well as all staff and students of the University, to be present at these events.No reservations are required.

• Further details at www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/kuhna/inaugural, or from June Rye ( ) 01524 592497
For directions & venues, see: www.lancs.ac.uk/travel/campusmap.htm

ESTATE AGENTS FROM HELL?
4/6/03: Lancaster University Theatre Group will be presenting David Mamet's 8pm Glengarry Glen Ross at Gregson Centre, Lancaster on 24 and 25 June. Set during a sales contest between four real estate salesmen, the top man wins a Cadillac, the second man wins a set of steak knives and the bottom two men get fired. The action unfolds apace when the best 'leads' get stolen from the office and the marshal of the sales force calls in the police to investigate. Meanwhile all four salesmen are selling to stay alive; some are getting desperate, some are getting scared and some are getting greedy. Of course, real estate agents are nothing like this.

HAVE YOU GOT A STORY TO TELL?
4/6/03: The BBC are developing a digital storytelling project which will be coming to Lancaster in June, giving people the tools to make short digital films about events in their own lives.
Digital stories can be about anything - love, work, hopes, fears, the past, even the future. An incident that sticks in your mind, a subject you feel strongly about, a place you love (or can't stand) -- that's the germ of a Digital Story!
Selected participants use their own photo albums, personal artifacts and clips from home videos and a clear idea for a personal story. Equipment used in the workshop includes laptop computers, image manipulation and editing software, scanners and digital cameras. After a series of workshops and intensive training sessions with members of the BBC Digital Storytelling team, the result is a 2-3 minute mini-documentary (250 words), ready to be shown on BBCi or BBC Television.
Throughout the course of the workshop, each participant will write their script, record their voiceover, work with the team to select or create a piece of music and/or sound, be introduced to the techniques of new media production and create their Digital Story inside a laptop computer. Each of these sessions is essential to completing a Digital Story, so it is important that anyone wishing to attend the workshop be able to commit to all of them.
The digital storytelling team will be giving a public presentation, including showing examples of digital stories that have already been made and explaining how you can take part on Thursday June 12 2003 at St Martins College, Lancaster at 6.30pm. The subsequent workshops will take place over five days in July. The event is free and open to anyone who thinks they might be interested in making a digital story.
"A Digital Storytelling workshop is demanding and intensive, but the emphasis is undoubtedly on fun!" said a BBC spokesperson. "The satisfaction participants experience at the end of the workshop, when they see their film, full-screen, for the first time, makes all the effort worthwhile. And, of course, they have gained a range of new skills."
•For examples of the sort of digital stories currently being produced have a look at the 'Telling Lives' website: www.bbc.co.uk/tellinglives
Email: or phone: 01254 841056.

SKATEPARK FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN AUGUST 3/6/03: The Council has announced that the Skatepark Festival at Green Ayre, Lancaster has been re-scheduled for Saturday, 2 August 2003.
Although originally planned for 14 June 2003, a number of the invited skaters who agreed to do "demonstrations" indicated that they were not available and asked whether the Skatepark Festival could be held during the summer holidays.
The rescheduling also gives the company building the Skatepark (Uniform Skatepark Construction Ltd) some breathing space, as the recent spell of wet weather was hampering their completion date. Because the skatepark is constructed of concrete, the works required a "sustained" period of good weather (no rain and a reasonably constant temperature to allow the concrete to "cure").
Taking both issues on board, the Festival organisers decided to reschedule the Skatepark Festival to ensure that the brand new Skateboard park project is presented at its best.
"From the perspectives of quality and safety, the construction of the concrete ramps and associated metalwork require a very precise finish," expalined Cabinet Member with responsibility for Leisure, Coun Ron Sands. "It was felt that it is better to ensure that the works are completed to the highest standards rather than trying to rush the work just to meet a deadline.
But there is good news for local skaters. "Although the Skatepark Festival is being re-scheduled, it should be stressed that the opening of the Stakeboard Park, weather permitting, will be as planned and the skaters should still be able to use this exiting new facility from the middle of June onwards".

RYELANDS YOUTH APPEAL
3/6/03: The Council is planning major improvements for young people on the Ryelands Estate -- but it wants their input for making final decisions.
City Council, Youth and Community Services and Lancashire association of Clubs for young people are holding an information and choices afternoon at the "Show House" 153 Ryelands Road, Ryelands, Lancaster on Saturday 7 June 2003. The session is aimed for the young people under the age of 24 who live on Ryelands Estate.
It's hoped afternoon will give Ryelands youngsters a chance to have their say in what play facilities are provided for them on the open spaces in the centre of the estate.
The "Show House" will be open from 1.0pm until 3.00pm and will include information about existing play facilities in the local area and schemes in existence out of the area, such as multi-use games area, Teen shelters, Adventure play grounds, assault courses and The Dream Scheme.
Refreshments will be available.

FLOCK OF WORDS LAUNCH EVENT ANNOUNCED 3/6/03: Friday 6 June sees the Launch of 'A Flock of Words' one of the final pieces of the current phase of Morecambe's stunning TERN public art project.
Created by Lead artist Gordon Young and 'Why Not Associates' and implemented with Russell Coleman, this extraordinary piece is a path of bird poems, traditional sayings and song lyrics, which begins with the book of Genesis and stretches from William Shakespeare to Spike Milligan.
Over 300m in length, the path links the railway station, bus station and main car parks to the Midland Hotel, sea front and stone jetty. Almost every visitor to the resort will encounter it.
A key feature of the celebrations on Friday afternoon (starting 1.30pm at the Platform), will be performances and exhibition from Children and Young People from Dallas Road, Morecambe Bay, Torrisholme, Sandylands and Skerton Prmary Schools and Ripley St. Thomas Secondary school. During the last month, pupils from these schools have been working with More Music In Morecambe, Ludus Dance Company and Litfest to develop a series of originals pieces drawing on 'A Flock of Words' as their inspiration.
The Flock of Words has been funded by Arts Council of England and Lancaster City Council and was constructed by Norman Jackson Contractors Ltd. The TERN project is one of the Country's largest arts-led regeneration projects and has also received funding from Lancashire County Council, William Morrisons PLC, the Lancashire Tourism Partnership and the North West Arts Board.

SPOTLIGHT OPEN MIC EVENT RETURNS
3/6/03: The Spotlight Club's Open Mic Competition last year was a thundering success and a great night's entertainment and so they're repeating the process this year at the Yorkshire House on Friday @ The Yorkshire House on Friday 20 June.
With 20 'Open Mic' spots up for grabs entrants must perform their own writing (short prose, poetry, monologue, comedy etc.) in five minute spots and compete to win the £25 First Prize. There will also be a second prize of £10. Winners will be chosen by audience vote on the night.
As numbers are limited entrants must book their spot in advance by phoning: 01524 381642 or e-mailing:
All this and fabulous music from the superbulous 'Flytipper' to round off the night!

Open Mic event: Doors open at 8.30pm for a 9.00pm kick off. Audience Admission: £3/£2 (Conc.) Competitors add £1 competition entry fee


FOOD POISONING FIGHT BACK IN LANCASTER
3/6/03: More than one in 10 people said that they had experienced food poisoning in 2002, according to a survey by the Food Standards Agency -- but most cases go unreported and therefore uninvestigated.
With this in mind, the Council has annnounced it's taking part in the 11th National Food Safety Week (9 - 15 June), which aims to raise awareness of food hygiene and food safety in food businesses and in the home.
The main theme of the national campaign is "The importance of hand washing" because this is the simplest and easiest way to prevent the spread of germs which can lead to food poisoning.

Lancaster and Morecambe's first recycling directory is launched with help from Eric. Photo © David Evans

DON'T BIN IT -- RECYCLE IT!
3/6/03: The first recycling directory for Lancaster, Morecambe and the rural communities of Lancaster District will be launched on the 7 June at a local event to celebrate World Environment Day, reports David Evans. The directory is an A-Z guide of how to cut down waste and how you can recycle or re-use it locally. The second part of the directory gives more detail on some of the local schemes operating throughout the district and how you can get involved.
The directory has been put together by the recycling forum - a topic group of the Local Agenda 21 (LA21) Partnership. The group consists of a number of committed organisations and individuals who meet on a regular basis to encourage recycling and waste reduction in the Lancaster district. The forum is open to everyone, so if you want to get involved contact Ruth Edwards or Joy Grayson on 01524 582061.
You can pick up a copy of the directory at a special environment day event at White Lund Depot on Saturday 7 June 10.00am and 4.00pm. Local recyclers and members of the recycling forum will be present illustrating how they recycle waste. Come along get your directory, enter competitions, make recycled paper and have lots of fun.
Copies of the directory are available from local libraries, town hall receptions, Piccadilly garden, Global Link, Tourist Information Centres, the Gregson Community Centre and other community buildings from the 16th June. They are easy to spot with a colourful local theme. Please use your directory wisely and pass it on to friends once you have finished with it.

SPOTLIGHT WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED
3/6/03: As part of its ongoing programme Spotlight has received Regional Arts Lottery Funding to organize a series of free workshops during 2003. As part of this programme Spotlight is hosting two workshops this month.
Spotlight has been operating since 1995 and has organized over 90 live-writing events at the Yorkshire House alone! In the light of the experience gained from Spotlight's past these workshops are aimed at exploring what makes live-writing work and how to get the best out of the Spotlight experience as a performer.
1. Selecting Work For Performance: Sunday 22 June, 1pm - 4pm at The Gregson Centre.
What works on the page may not always work when presented to a live audience. Participants in this workshop will explore what makes some writing more suitable for performance at live-writing events and ways of adapting work on the page for live-writing performance.
2. Performance Skills: Sunday 29 June, 7.30pm - 10pm upstairs at The Yorkshire House.
How you present your work can often determine how it is received by the audience. Participants will have the opportunity to look at their performance skills in the setting of Spotlight's home venue and to get advice and share feedback with fellow writers in a safe environment without the pressures of a paying audience.

• Places for both workshops are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. To reserve a place on either workshop call Sarah or Ron on 01524 381642 or e-mail: .


Last Week's News Items: Go