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MORECAMBE HERITAGE GALA

8/9/06: Morecambe's renowned Heritage Gala takes place this Sunday all along Morecambe Prom. it's a great day out that attracts thousands from all over the North of England. With good reason with all the fabulous events and attractions listed below, PLUS the Bradford to Morecambe historic vehicle rally, and free trips all along the prom in 'Florence' (see picture) - a 1948 AEC Regal, 33 seat coach, previously owned by Florence Motors of Morecambe. A free programme giving full information of the events is available from the Morecambe and Lancaster Tourist Information Centres.
You can download the event brochure here.
Events include:
Promenade Arena Variety Theatre: 11.30am - 5.30pm
The Pierrotters recreate traditional seaside pierrot show combining whimsical nostalgia with contemporary buffoonery. PLUS
The Gaiety Engine Victorian Curiosity Show - join Isiah Crank and his mildewed assistant, presenting Van Hamberg (Germany's strongest man), The Shrimp Boy, Fakir, & more curiosities. AND
Albert Alchemy's juggling and escapology extravaganza.
Platform Outdoor Stage 12 noon - 6.30pm The Punch & Judy Palace - almost continuous Punch & Judy Shows from Profs Chandler & White.
RAF Memorial Flight Display 2.25pm Dakota, 3pm Lancaster, Spitfire & Hurricane.
The Beach: 11am - 6pm renowned sand sculptor Andrew Baynes will be creating one of his famous sandhorses.
Stone Jetty: The Bathing Belles will be leading drill and bathing hut manoevres.
Guided Walks: The Tern Discovery Trail 1.30pm & 4pm from the giant raptor on the Stone Jetty - an exploration of the resorts' public artworks inspired by Morecambe Bay wildlife.
The Eric Morecambe Guided Walk 6.30pm from the Eric statue on the prom. Looking back at the comedian's early life.
Happy Mount Park: Brass Band Concert, Punch & Judy, Splashpark, rides and more!
Waterfront Bar (next to the Dome on the Prom) Free admission Get Carter play ultra cool 60s retro sounds from 9.30pm (over-18s only)
FANTASTIC FIREWORKS FINALE 8.30pm From the Stone Jetty
Enjoy!!!
18/9/06: An estimated 10,000 people visited Morecambe yesterday, to join in the Lancaster City Council organised Morecambe Heritage Gala. This figure is borne out by the considerable rise in the number of people visiting Morecambe's Tourist Information Centre. In 2005 647 people passed through the door on the Saturday and 805 on the Sunday. This year there were 803 visitors on the Saturday and 1390 on Sunday.
Tourism workers believe that the family friendly format of the Gala was key to its success - it provided something for everyone, ranging from the Pierrotters and Punch and Judy, to the sandhorse sculpture and the historic vehicles.
A highlight of the day, which saw the promenade packed to capacity, was the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Large crowds gathered again on the stone jetty and promenade to watch the fantastic fireworks display, choreographed to classical music. This spectacular finale to the day, provided by the same company that just the night before had provided the firework finale to the Glasgow Proms, brought a massive round of applause from the appreciative audience.

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS THIS WEEKEND
8/09/06: Heritage Open Days (HODs), the country’s annual celebration of its rich architectural and cultural heritage, takes place this year from 7 to 10 September. The promotion aims to give visitors free access to interesting properties, that are either not normally open to the public, or which usually charge an entrance fee.
There will be special openings and events across Lancaster District, mainly on the Saturday and Sunday. As well as free admission being available to Lancaster Castle, the Grand Theatre, the Maritime Museum, the Judges’ Lodgings and many of the City’s other well-known historic buildings, a variety of properties, not normally open to the public, such as the Penny Almshouses Chapel and courtyard, the Music Room in Sun Square, Ripley St Thomas School Chapel and St John’s Church will also open their doors.
Behind-the-scenes tours of Morecambe and Lancaster Town Halls will provide a rare glimpse into the lesser-known reaches of the City Council’s headquarters.
Several of the properties taking part in HODs 2006 will also feature special entertainments or interpretative events. Lancaster’s St Peter’s RC Cathedral has a particularly full programme over the four days, with guided tours; lectures; an afternoon concert of Victorian-themed entertainment and a children’s workshop.
Across the City, 76 Church Street, a fine Georgian town house, reputedly used by Bonnie Prince Charlie as his local headquarters in 1745, will have guided tours on the Saturday and Sunday.
In Heysham, guided tours of the Heritage Centre’s newly acquired adjacent C17th cottage, will be available; while at Cockersands, the Abbey Chapterhouse, re-used in the C18th and C19th as a mausoleum for the Dalton family, will be open to visitors.
The above is just a small selection of the District’s properties involved in Heritage Open Days. Further information is available from the Lancaster and Morecambe Tourist Information Centres, tel. (01524) 32878 / 582808.
A free leaflet, giving details of all openings and events is available from the two TICs and many of the participating venues.
Heritage Open Days is organised nationally by The Civic Trust. In Lancaster District the celebration has been co-ordinated by Lancaster City Council’s Cultural Services.

TSLM: BARKER MUST STEP DOWN
8/9/06: Anti-northern link road campaigners Transport Solutions for Lancaster & Morecambe (TSLM) are calling for Councillor Ian Barker to step down from his position on the board of Governers of Lancaster & Morecambe College.
Cllr Barker, leader of Lancaster City Council, is an enthusiastic supporter of the proposed northern new road from Morecambe to Junction 34 of the M6,, the raised road embankment of which would cut right across college land close to the buildings.
The College, a centre for sporting excellence, would lose 1.3 hectares of playing fields and 180 car parking spaces. TSLM say the proximity of the HGV road would also cause noise, vibration, light and airborne pollution to the detriment of all in the vicinity. Two teaching blocks would become unusable and student and public perception of the College would plummet.
Not surprisingly the college is a major objector to the scheme and has retained a leading national law firm to defend its interests. They have produced a long list of concerns highlighting the potential damage to the college. The County Council have responded by adding to the plans an underpass to allow college sports students to pass beneath the massive embankment to access the remaining playing fields, and some noise fencing.
Cllr Barker has welcomed the changes to the scheme. “They will make it a better and more acceptable scheme. As a Governor, I am very pleased with the modifications they have made there so that the College can access its playing fields directly.”
Cllr Barker takes no part in College decisions on the Link. However TSLM believe that Cllr Barker has a serious conflict of interest: college or road?
You can read the first part of Virtual-Lancaster's exclusive interview with Cllr Barker here.

JEWISH STUDENTS THREATENED
8/9/06: Tensions over the Middle East Crisis have led to a growth in anti-semitic attacks nationwide and Lancaster University apparently is no exception. In addition to nazi graffiti being painted onto the railway bridge over Five Ashes Lane (the lane that goes off the A6 just south of the main University Gates), Lancaster University Jewish Society received a phone message which began with references to the Middle East then went into far-right, BNP-style ravings ad nauseam. The caller referred to Jews 'controlling the media' and 'plotting to control the world', and it ended with threats. JSoc called the police who arrived swiftly enough to listen to the message and take a recording.
The references to Jewish control of the media and the alleged plotting to control the planet are fundamental claims of the far-right BNP who were anti-semitic long before they developed Islamophobia.
A report published this week by a cross-party group of 14 MPs reveals a steady rise in anti-semitic attacks since 2000.
The study suggests that tensions in the Middle East have exacerbated the problem. Among the group's suggestions are improved reporting and recording of anti-semitic attacks by police; a crackdown on anti-Jewish activity on university campuses; and improved international cooperation to prevent the spread of racist material on the internet.
The group, chaired by Denis MacShane, the former minister for Europe, finds that only a minority of police forces in the UK have the capability to record anti-semitic incidents. The MPs recommend that all forces should adopt the Metropolitan police model of categorising such attacks as both racist and anti-semitic.
The inquiry indicated that fewer than one in 10 anti-semitic attacks reported had resulted in prosecutions, and the MPs call for the Crown Prosecution Service to investigate why the number was so low. They also suggest that the Department for Communities and Local Government should commission an annual survey of attitudes and tensions between Britain's communities.
Lancaster United Against Fascism (UAF) is a local group which campaigns against all forms of racism as part of a national network. You can find out more about their activities at
http://82.69.12.18/lancasteruafblog/.
Racist incidents should in the first instance be reported to the police and also to the City Council's Hotline at 01524 67099.
If you spot offensive graffiti, you can report it directly to Lancaster City Council at 01524 582491 or by emailing ccs@lancaster.gov.uk.

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Next stories: 16 - 30 September 2006
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