Burnley Magazine 2022

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 22

A RIOT OF COLOUR

Put the PIZZAZZ into your PARTY

WELLBEING

& Waterways

14

AGED

Angels &

MONSTERS

Lamissah La-Shontae’s

STAR KEEPS RISING

The One THIS IS

A TRULY MEMORABLE VENUE

Multi-award winning Crow Wood Hotel has become the wedding venue of choice for style-conscious couples.

It has all the grandeur of a bygone era in an ultra-modern setting, with a breathtaking panorama.

Images: mopphotography.co.uk

Arrange your visit to our National Wedding Industry Award-Winning Venue

crowwoodhotel.com

Editor

CONTRIBUTORS Cover Image

W

hat a difference it is writing this editor’s letter for the 2022 edition of Burnley Lifestyle Magazine. As you will soon see as you delve into this jam-packed issue, we certainly have been busy and managed to get out far and wide across our beautiful borough.

One good habit we have continued from the past two years though, is getting out and about to explore the stunning countryside we’re lucky to have. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal was integral in Burnley’s stratospheric rise during the Industrial Revolution, where it became a powerhouse of textiles. We are proud of this heritage and are therefore thrilled to see the waterways play such an important role to the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors alike. We delve into the many ways our outdoors can be explored.

It wasn’t just plenty of walking that many of us got up to, but also DIY, interior design and gardening. In our Home + Garden section, we take a look at one local interior designer who has made waves before even graduating from university. If you like colour and texture clashes, this one is for you. Moving outdoors, there’s something of a hidden gem in Stoneyholme, where members of the community dedicate serious time and effort to growing all sorts of wonderful plants. Find out what it is within these pages.

However, despite all these good wellbeing habits, we have certainly enjoyed celebrating special occasions with friends and family again and supporting the incredible hospitality businesses we have in Burnley. We have two sections dedicated to our unique event spaces and some of the best burgers in town – why not make it your mission to go on the Burnley burger trail this year?

Finally, Padiham has undergone an incredible transformation despite everything that has happened. From the new public realm and shop fronts to the renovated Padiham Town Hall, it really has blossomed. This issue has turned into something of a Padiham special, and we hope we inspire you to come and visit.

Rachel - Editor -

Casey Orr Credits: @caseyorrphoto / @saturdaygirlphoto

Rachel Bayley Editor If you have a local lifestyle story you think would be of interest to our readers contact rbayley@burnley.gov.uk

Photography Casey Orr (@caseyorrphoto / @saturdaygirlphoto) Lead Magazine Photographer: Andy Ford, Eight Imaging

Acknowledgements Padiham Town Hall Room + Power Lemon Leopard Interior Design Pennine Lancashire Community Farm The Foundry Sarah Hardy Debbie Hardy Salima Vian Hussein Towneley Hall Sophie Gibson Empire Theatre Liam Veitch Joe Clegg David Fishwick The hairdressers and beauty salons of Padiham Jess Robinson Beauty Sasha Dippolito Hair Sameera Mohmed Amanda Odlin Lamissah and Zohra La-Shontae Donna Livesey

Advertising To find out more about advertising in the magazine email info@burnley.co.uk

Design creative-council.net

© Burnley Council 2022. Jb_18096 creative-council.net

3

VISIT BURNLEY MECHANICS THEATRE Burnley Mechanics Theatre is a modern, multipurpose venue offering impressive performance spaces, state-of-the art technical facilities and several comfortable and relaxing spaces to drink and dine.

Magnificent Grade 2 Star listed building opened

by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1987 in order to present the absolute best in entertainment, special events and community activities in the town.

Book your show tickets or dining experience by visiting blcgroup.co.uk

Hosting some of the finest talent ranging from Sir Ian McKellen, The Osmonds, John Bishop, Alan Carr, Martin Kemp, the stars of Strictly Come Dancing and our fabulous local societies, Burnley Light Opera and Burnley Pantomime Society.

Burnley Mechanics Theatre is also home to 1855 Bistro & Bar, serving a menu of British staples with some modern twists. Split across the modern Front Room and more intimate Lounge Bar, the 1855 Bistro & Bar is open during the week serving lunchtime favourites as well as two hours prior to most theatre performance, creating the ultimate pre-theatre dining experience.

Mechanics theatre

Manchester Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 1BH 01282 664400 www.burnleymechanics.co.uk

blcgroup.co.uk

Tel: 01282 01282664444 664400

Part of the BLC Group

in this issue...

16

6

70 101

140

News

13

Bank on Dave

16 18 22 29 32 36 47 50

Creativity: past, present & future Sameera Mohmed 14: Lamissah La-Shontae Saturday Girl: Casey Orr The drama of dress Angels & Monsters David Tomlinson: Light is colour Sophie Gibson: Taking on the Empire

55 56 58 60 64

Level up: expansion & improvement UCLan: the changing face of the canalside Pioneer Place Burnley College: building for the future The Tale of Towneley

69 70 78 84

Home + Garden Lemon Leopard Interior Design The growing heart of the community Life at The Foundry

89 90 94 97 101

Powering Padiham Padiham Town Hall A town effort Padiham : LA Beauty spot

107 108 111

Events Unique venues Platinum Jubilee

118 120 122 124 128 134 136 140

Outdoor fun The Leeds and Liverpool Canal Beat those Streets!

Finsley Gate Wharf Richards Route Bridleways Plug in & saddle up The South Pennines

143 144 147 153

Victuals: food and provisions The Burnley burger trail The Circuit Science in every cup

159

Donna Livesey

153 5

CROW WOOD HOTEL WINS TOP WEDDING AWARDS Burnley’s award-winning wedding venue, Crow Wood, is celebrating after winning two prestigious wedding industry awards.

The beautiful hotel, set in idyllic countryside, has had its outstanding service, attention to detail and delight in making sure a wedding day is a memory to treasure, formally recognised.

It has won the wedding industry newcomer of the year award at the Wedding Industry Awards, closely followed by the Hitched.co.uk 2022 winner of the large hotel wedding venue for Lancashire.

Paige Mallabourn, from Crow Wood’s wedding team, said: “These awards are so meaningful to us 6

because they are as a direct result of our couples having nominated us for our professionalism and the quality of our venue and service.”

The hotel has also been picking up recognition at a national level from the media.

Marketing manager, Justine Cooke, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that the Daily Express announced Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort as its hotel of the week over Christmas 2021. It was also picked up by the Sunday Mirror, People and Star on Sunday.”

In addition, Crow Wood Hotel was named by the Manchester Evening News in its top five of luxury hotels in scenic locations within a short drive of the city.

The paper said: “Having opened its doors in 2019, the Crow Wood Hotel is one of the most luxurious hotels in Lancashire and is set in 40 acres of private parkland.

“The modern building has incredible views of Pendle Hill, as well as its own impressive lake and gardens, ideal for a leisurely stroll.

“After a refreshing walk in the country air, head to the Woodland Spa for some treatments which will help you to relax and unwind.”

Crow Wood has opened its diary and is now taking bookings for 2023 and beyond. So pop the question and say ‘Marry Me in 2023’ and do it in style at Crow Wood.

Burnley College help Manchester Arena bomb survivor reach new heights

A Manchester Arena bomb survivor is training at Burnley College to take on Africa’s highest mountain.

Martin Hibbert, who was left paralysed after the 2017 bombing which claimed 22 lives, is taking on Mt Kilimanjaro, with the aim of raising a million pounds for the Spinal Injuries Association.

The 45-year-old is being trained for free at the college’s newly-extended £6.5 million state-of-the-art Fitness Evolution centre, including sessions in an altitude chamber that can simulate the level of oxygen he can expect during his trek to the top of 5,985m tall mountain, in Tanzania, Africa, for the Martin’s Mountain challenge.

Wheelchair user Martin’s training and recovery is also being boosted by sessions in the Lancashire college’s new cryotherapy chamber, which plunges to 90 degrees Celsius below freezing.

Martin said: “The help and support me and my team have been receiving from Burnley College has been exceptional. “I simply wouldn’t have been able to even think about attempting to climb Kilimanjaro without their help.

“Me and my team are going for regular sessions in the altitude chamber, which simulates the lack of oxygen, and air pressure, we’ll experience on our way up the mountain.

“It’s really something special – the personal training plans we’ve received, and all the support from the college, has been incredible. “Sessions in the cryotherapy chamber have really helped me recover, even if it is a bit nippy, to say the least.”

Ashley Alderson, Fitness Evolution manager, has been instrumental in helping Martin and his team train at the college, and has made his expert staff available to Martin and his team at any time.

He said: “We have an industry-leading facility, and we are always looking for opportunities to help and give back to the community.

“Martin’s Mountain really struck a chord with us. His reasoning behind the challenge is so powerful, and he has set such tough goals for himself – raising a million pounds and climbing one of the highest mountains in the world – so we wanted to do whatever we could to help.

“Through training in our Environmental Chamber, also known as ‘Altitude Therapy’, Martin and his team can slowly acclimatise themselves to the strain and stress they’ll be placing on their bodies while climbing the mountain.

“The machine can change the humidity, temperature, air pressure and oxygen saturation to mimic perfectly the environment they’ll be facing near the top of the mountain.”

Martin’s Mountain challenge is expected to last a week, consisting of five days to get up the mountain, followed by a two-day descent. Ashley added: “Our involvement with Martin hopefully won’t end when he completes his climb, as we will be there for him to help with the recuperation when he gets back to England.

“Being a wheelchair user is challenging enough, but to push yourself beyond and climb one of the world’s highest mountains just takes unbelievable strength and determination.

Burnley College principal Karen Buchanan said: “As a college, we’re proud to be at the heart of the community and play our part in helping everyone achieve their goals. We have some of the best facilities in the country, and it feels only right that we do whatever we can to support Martin and his team in their selfless challenge. I wish them every success on their expedition, and eagerly await the pictures of Martin at the top of the world.”

Martin, from Clitheroe, added: “It’s clear that Burnley College really want to help me and my team, and I’m really grateful. There has been almost no research conducted on the effects of high altitude on spinal cord injuries, so that has always been my biggest concern.

Burnley College have helped me with strength and conditioning programmes, and their Environment Room is really getting me ready for the challenge.

“The Cryotherapy Chamber is incredible for recovery, too. The tailored programmes are second to none, and the fact they’re providing all of this for free is just outstanding.

“We can’t thank them enough.”

To donate to Marin’s Mountain, please visit www.spinal.co.uk/news/martinsmountain/ 7

BURNLEY YOUTH THEATRE AWARDED HUGE INVESTMENT TO HELP DIGITISE ITS THEATRE SPACE Burnley Youth Theatre has received a grant of £142,638 from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme.

Set up in 1973, Burnley Youth Theatre deliver, produce and programme a wide range of creative activities, productions and events which engage children, young people and families from their purpose built theatre and across the community.

As part of these 2021-22 and 2022-23 grants, over £22.7 million has been awarded to 66 cultural organisations across the country, including Burnley Youth Theatre. The Capital Investment Programme aims to help cultural organisations across the country transform their buildings and equipment so they can operate safely post-pandemic, improve access, seize technological opportunities and reduce environmental impact.

Burnley Youth Theatre will use the funding to digitise its theatre space by installing an immersive AV projector, upgrading its existing facilities and creating an outdoor classroom.

Darren Henley, chief executive, Arts Council England said: “World class creativity and culture needs a resilient and sustainable infrastructure to allow it to flourish. With these investments in the buildings, equipment, and digital systems of cultural organisations 8

across England, we are helping to secure the future of that infrastructure, and making sure that people from every part of the country can continue enjoying all the benefits it delivers for years to come.”

Anthony Preston, chair of Trustees, Burnley Youth Theatre said: “This investment comes at an important time for our organisation as we prepare to celebrate our 50th Anniversary year in 2023. We have emerged from a challenging two years with renewed vigour and excitement for the next stage of our development. This significant award will provide added momentum to the transformation of our facilities, providing updated technical capabilities in our theatre, refurbished toilets, and opening up our fantastic outdoor site for more creative activities. At the heart of these changes are improving our green credentials, extending yet further our inclusivity and opportunities for children, young people and their families, and providing a welcoming and excellent experience for our audiences, participants and the local community of Burnley”.

Burnley Youth Theatre is such a huge pillar of the community, especially for young people, and we certainly look forward to seeing the improvements made by this generous investment.

WITCHFEST LAUNCHED:

in bid to break World Record & raise £���,���

The hospice intends to reclaim the Guinness World Record for having ‘The largest gathering of people dressed as witches’ – a feat they held for 12 months in 2012.

Five celebrities are helping to promote the summer-long campaign which ends in the record attempt at the Pendleside WitchFest at Barrowford Park, on Saturday, September 17th 2022.

Emmerdale star Samantha Giles has been joined by Pendleside ambassadors Radio 1 DJ and TV personality Jordan North; Clarets striker Jay Rodriguez and singer Josh Hindle; as well as Pendle Witches expert Simon Entwistle.

Samantha, who plays Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap drama, is also a children’s book author and her first penned novel was ‘Rosemary And The Pendle Witches’.

Nelson-based internet and telecommunications group Daisy are the festival’s main sponsors and were represented at the launch by sales director Andrew Riley.

Children from Barrowford Primary School dressed as witches and mingled amongst the guests.

Mother-of-two Samantha, who is a selfproclaimed witch, said: “I became fascinated with the Pendle Witches when I was researching my book. And when I heard about the WitchFest campaign I immediately wanted to get involved.

“Here’s hoping we break the record in September and more importantly raise the £100,000 for the hospice.”

Pendleside first created the world record in 2012 – on the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witches trials and subsequent hangings.

The record then was 482 but that was beaten a year later by a town in Spain who recorded 1,607 people. This year Pendleside intends to gather a minimum of 2,022 people to correlate with the year.

Helen McVey, chief executive of Pendleside, said:

“The WitchFest campaign is focussed on creating a lot of family fun while at the same time bringing the witches’ world record back to its rightful home in this part of the country.

“And, of course, our main aim is to raise at least £100,000 towards continuing the palliative endof-life care; health and wellbeing services; and bereavement counselling services that we provide.

“It costs £4.5 million to run the hospice each year of which we receive about £1 million from the NHS. The rest is raised by the generous people of Burnley and Pendle.

“We are reaching out to all businesses, schools, colleges and other organisations to join us on September 17 to break the world record so we are appealing to as many people as possible to come forward.”

Apart from the world record bid there will also be a sponsored walk from Barrowford Park to Barley and Roughlee and back, a live music stage, and other entertainment and side stalls including drinks and food areas. At the launch tour guide Simon Entwistle dramatically told the story of the Pendle Witches who were a group of ten women and two men who were hanged in 1612 after being accused of witchcraft and the murder of 10 people.

Actress Samantha said: “The so-called witches were people who used herbal and natural remedies but were accused of casting nasty spells on individuals.

They were blamed for everything that went wrong in the area. From landowners’ crops failing to farm animals going lame and even people dying.”

For more information about the WitchFest and how to take part in the world record attempt go to www.pendleside.org.uk/pendleside-witchfest and www.facebook.com/pendlesidewitchfest 9

BURNLEY ARTISAN MARKET to run throughout 2022 The Burnley Artisan Market is to become a permanent fixture on the town’s event calendar after positive feedback from visitors and businesses.

Delivered in a partnership between Burnley Business Improvement District (BID), Burnley Council and Independent Street, the market first took place in September before returning in October, November and December.

It got underway in the new year on Saturday 5th February 2022 and will take place on the first Saturday each month throughout the year.

The idea behind bringing the market to Burnley was to entice a wider demographic into the town from surrounding areas and so far the method has proved fruitful, with a number of businesses reporting that they’ve been visited by new customers on market days.

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HOMEMADE ITEMS & PRODUCE Each event is jam-packed with a wide range of stalls featuring homemade items and produce, with a spotlight shone on local independent businesses, ingredients and materials.

There’s also live music, craft areas for children and a number of food and drink providers who passionately showcase their unique creations.

Initially introduced as a trial, the overwhelmingly positive response to the artisan market made making it permanent for 2022 an easy decision for Burnley BID project manager Andrew Dean.

“We were blown away by the reaction to September’s event and it has continued to go from strength to strength over the months that have followed,” said Andy.

“Artisan Market day is always buzzing and it has definitely helped entice new visitors into the town. I’m looking forward to seeing it continue to grow and develop in 2022 and help encourage even more people to come and discover Burnley.”

SO BUSY ON EACH EVENT DAY Independent Street’s Lisa Cowley added: “We’ve loved bringing the Artisan Market to Burnley and seeing St James’s Street so busy on each event day.

“The challenge will now be to make the offering even bigger and better than before for the people of East Lancashire and beyond but we’re already looking forward to making that happen.”

A HANDFUL OF EVENTS PLANNED IN BURNLEY TOWN CENTRE FOR 2022 INCLUDE: • • • •

Dinosaur summer trail 23rd July to 3rd September Classic car show 10th September Halloween programme Christmas programme

Follow Discover Burnley Town Centre on social media to keep an eye out for the events!

John Spencer Textiles & Burnley College students join forces for the Burnley Business Awards ‘�� Burnley business stalwart John Spencer Textiles and Burnley College Art & Design students joined forces to deliver part of the décor for the Burnley Business Awards 2022.

The prestigious awards ceremony was held in a giant marquee at the back of Towneley Hall on 30th June.

And so, when they were set a challenge by Burnley Council, which organises the Burnley Business Awards, to help create décor for the evening following the awards theme of ‘Burnley in Bloom’, they knew what needed to be done. “We have a long-standing partnership with Burnley College and try to ensure any textiles waste is made use of. The students tasked with creating beautiful floral displays using the waste fabrics from our fabric retail brand Ian Mankin. This could be scrap from the

sampling process, waste yarns and even selvedge. It’s a win-win – waste fabric is put to good use and the textiles students have a hands-on project for their portfolio”, Samantha Sully, marketing assistant at John Spencer Textiles, said.

Azra Haračić, photography lecturer within Creative Industries and Computing at Burnley College, said: “Our amazing students threw themselves into this project! They were actively engaged in a unique and creative way to produce a range of three-dimensional flowers as well as gorgeous two-dimensional designs.

The fabrics supplied have allowed them to be experimental and it has been a rewarding experience for students and staff alike. We are extremely proud to have partnered with such a prestigious company for this live brief.”

Sweet smell of success for Timeless Fragrance CO. An independent Burnley business is going from strength to strength after being created during the first lockdown in 2020.

Timeless Fragrance CO., which is based on Hammerton Street, was initially launched by Joanna Dewhurst as a distraction to the COVID-19 pandemic and her role within the NHS, but soon began to grow when neighbours loved the wax melt samples she had created.

Fast forward nearly two years and the company is really making a name for itself, with items stocked at Pendle Village Mill and major national retailer The Range.

Joanna has explained more about the business’s rapid rise and the main products that customers can get their hands on.

“I set out to create tattoo themed and scented candles, but wax melts were much faster to make and test and I gave them to some of my neighbours to try,” said Joanna. “They immediately wanted more, and I soon realised how big the demand was and that I could make this very successful.

“We now produce everything from wax melt snap bars, tea light jars,

wax melt burners and carpet shakers to soap sponges, bath space dust and even room & linen sprays. We’re completely vegan friendly too and everything is handcrafted by us in our workshop to ensure the highest quality.

Anyone who comes in can test over 150 scents before they buy so they can find precisely what they’re looking for.”

Joanna then went on to reveal why she decided to locate Timeless Fragrance CO. in Burnley.

“I chose to base my shop here as I am local and wouldn’t have had the opportunity to open without the amazing support from the people of Burnley. They ultimately help to make the business what it is and give us the platform to grow on a weekly basis.

“We have some of the best customers who support us week in week out and the same goes for other local businesses; I’ve gained some fantastic friendships through this.”

After reflecting on where the company has come from, Joanna finally provided an insight into her plans for the future and where she’ll be turning her attention next.

“Our plans for the next year are to expand the business locally and

worldwide and offer some fantastic opportunities,” she commented.

“We would love to take part in more community events too and carry on working in a more sustainable way to keep being environmentally friendly.

“Another ambition is to see our products in more multi-retail chain stores too so watch this space!”

Timeless Fragrance CO. is currently open from 9am-4pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Check out the company’s website now to discover more: www.timelessfragrance.co.uk

11

< David Collinge

The Burnley textiles manufacturer flying the flag ��� years later If you’ve ever waited in traffic close to The Range and B&M in Burnley, you may have noticed the huge new advertising screen. But did you know the screen is fixed to the building of a British textile manufacturer, that’s been flying the flag for Burnley for 150 years?

John Spencer Textiles has made quality woven textiles since 1871. John Spencer was a farmer in Briercliffe who came to Burnley as a weaver before setting up as a grocer in Finsley Gate.

His son John worked in Clifton Mill and ended up becoming the manager at 21. The two Johns and brother James set up a weaving business in 1871, moving into Trafalgar Mill under the Room and Power initiative.

Room and Power is where weavers could rent looms at a mill, using the power of the mill’s steam engine.

(Interesting fact: Room + Power is the brand name of the new flexible working space at Padiham Town Hall.

After becoming too large for Trafalgar Mill, the Spencers moved into their current location at Ashfield Mill, as well as taking on looms in other mills. By 1913, and after building another mill in Rosegrove, they managed 2,442 looms.

The business was handed down the generations and is currently held

by David Collinge, who shares a different surname as his father took over the business from his uncle.

We were privileged to have a tour of the mill which, despite its rich heritage, has embraced technology and has quite the set-up.

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The scale of the machinery is incredible and the techniques impressive. Alongside the machinery, highly-skilled craftspeople design the fabrics and should a thread break, they do a hand-tied special weaver’s knot to fix the problem.

Rich in history, but relevant in a modern world “We don’t stand still here, online sales increased by 250 per cent during the pandemic. As a business, you have to adapt. We’re fortunate in that everything is made on site, and as a British manufacturer, we could help our customers navigate the business issues that resulted from Brexit.

“We have over 50 employees and when you buy from us, you’re buying from a business where Burnley people are making the products. I think transparency of supply chains is a key issue at the moment and we’re proud of the local talent pool we have.

We also train apprentices in-house as weaving and sewing are truly specialist skills. The support we give our staff, and the family environment means we have a very low employee turnover,” chairman David Collinge told us.

As we’ve all seen from the pandemic, home interiors and DIY boomed, a big reason why sales shot up. But incredibly, we learnt on our visit that textiles form the backbone of filtration, engineering, parachutes, F1 cars, Boeing 757’s, wind turbine blades…the list is endless.

As well as the big name of John Spencer, you may have heard of Ian Mankin. This textile brand

has showrooms in London and is actually a sister brand to John Spencer. It regularly features in home magazines, so where does that brand fit into the Burnley story?

“Ian Mankin was my first customer; he was selling furnishing fabrics in London. When he told me he wanted to retire, I took the opportunity, and we purchased the business in 2008. It made sense and it’s amazing to think there are showrooms in London and around the world, filled with fabrics that are made right here in Burnley,” David said.

They release one Ian Mankin collection a year, which are incredibly well received in the interiors press. But David is keen to make sure that the business still looks at ways to evolve, and one big agenda is the green one.

“The textile industry can get a bad rep for how energy intensive it can be, and John Spencer has a responsibility to lessen any impact. We do several things, such as donating leftover fabrics to charities to make bunting or children’s toys, and we partner with Burnley College to provide fabrics for their textiles students.

Cushion cover pads are often made from leftover textiles or recycled plastic bottles,” David explained.

It’s certainly an incredible achievement to have been going for 150 years AND to have seen business boom over the past two years. So, next time you’re waiting for that red light to turn green, you’ll know exactly what lies behind the big screen!

D BANK ON DAVE from Bond to Burnley

Netflix makes movie to celebrate Dave Fishwick’s battle with the banks

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BANK ON DAVE NETLIX FILM

D

ave Fishwick became a household name when he took on the banking industry and established Burnley Savings and Loans, otherwise known as “Bank of Dave.” The self-made millionaire, who made his fortune working hard to build his van business, fought against all the odds to set up a community bank, so that he could help the local businesses of Burnley. In his bid to support his beloved Burnley, he took on what he describes as “the elitist financial institutions of London” and fought to receive the first, new banking license to be issued in Britain in over 100 years.

It’s quite an achievement, considering Dave’s humble beginnings. And when TV crews took notice and began to follow Dave in his everyday life, he quickly became a firm favourite for his down-to-earth yet no-nonsense approach – an approach that is typical of the people of Burnley, in fact.

We met up with Dave shortly following the exciting announcement that his life was being turned into a Netflix film – with a large chunk of it to be filmed in Burnley, as well as in Colne, where his minibus sales business is based, and in the Ribble Valley, where Dave lives with his family.

“Someone has said to me ‘most people don’t get a film until they’re dead’! That made me laugh, but also made me really take stock of what a privilege it is to have The Bank of Dave, my incredible team and the community of Burnley made into such a big production. It’s quite overwhelming,” Dave said.

It has been revealed that Rory Kinnear, who stars as Tanner in the James Bond franchise, will play Dave and prior to filming, had shadowed Dave to pick up his mannerisms and accent.

“It’s an absolute honour that such a prestigious actor with an Olivier award is playing me in the film. It was very surreal to see him walk through my front door, especially as I recently watched the latest Bond film.

It really is from Bond to Burnley,” Dave explained.

Hollywood star Joel Fry, from Cruella and Game of Thrones and Phoebe Dynevor from Bridgerton also star in the movie, which is written by Piers Ashworth and directed by Chris Foggin.

Netflix has acquired the rights and WME Independent, the international film financing and distribution arm of talent agency WME, will handle the worldwide sales.

“WME used to look after Charlie Chaplin and Elvis, so they’re in good company in Burnley!”, Dave told us – and we couldn’t agree more!

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A TEAM EFFORT His right-hand man at Burnley Savings and Loans is Dave Henshaw and Dave is keen to point out that whilst he’s in front of the camera, it’s Dave H and the team who have helped build the business where it is today.

“If the Bank of England was run by Dave Henshaw, the country wouldn’t be in the mess it is in. He’s got the highest morals, ethics and decency of anyone I have met. I know the camera is often in my face, but I couldn’t have achieved what I have without Dave H and the rest of the team”, Dave fondly explains.

It is important to Dave that the film is a positive reflection on Burnley and its people, and he hopes that it will attract tourists from all over the world who see the beautiful scenery. “The location manager was taken aback when I drove him around the stunning countryside and other places in Burnley – it will be amazing to have that shown to audiences throughout the world.”

Dave also hopes that the community spirit comes across on the screen.

“People say hello to one another, they help each other out. At The Bank of Dave, we didn’t furlough one person and we didn’t take a penny from the government in COVID money when many other big financial institutions did.

The Bank of Dave has lent out £27 million to thousands of people and businesses,” he says.

We’re incredibly excited to see a Netflix movie made right here in Burnley and of course, a huge congratulations to the two Daves and their team!

Dave Fishwick & Dave Henshaw

BANK ON DAVE the interviews

How surreal does it feel that you stood here watching a film crew make a film about your life right here in Burnley?

DF: “Well, it all started around 14 months ago, I got a phone call from a guy who’s here today, he’s the script writer. He’s called Piers Ashworth. What a wonderful guy he is. He actually wrote the first Mission Impossible for Tom Cruise, as well as tonnes of other movies. He’s working with Sylvester Stallone at the moment on a huge new movie.

“And he gave me a call. He said, Dave, I’ve just made this movie in Britain called Fisherman’s Friends, and it’s in the box office. And he was looking for another feel-good movie. So, he found out about me and David Henshaw doing what we did and helping thousands of people get the best rate of interest and the money to lots of people who couldn’t borrow on the high street and giving the money back into the community. And that’s how it all started.”

And obviously, the support on social media when this was announced has been absolutely incredible. What would you like to say to the people supporting you?

DF: “It’s wonderful. Without the people of Burnley, Nelson and Pendle and the surrounding area I couldn’t do what I do. And it’s not about me. I’ve got a huge team and without them, it couldn’t be possible. And especially David Henshaw, he’s the old-fashioned bank manager. He’s been in the job 60 years; it just couldn’t have happened without him.”

And what you think this will mean for Burnley to be showcased across the world? Do you think it’ll change people’s perceptions of Burnley?

DF: “Let me tell you, this happened here today because of yourself and the team at Burnley Council, the MPs and the CEO [of the council], everybody helped put this together because it can be so difficult to film in some of the places featured. So, I pushed really hard, as you did and all the team to get them to come and actually film on locations.

“And it was so important that Burnley, Nelson, Pendle, the Ribble Valley and all across East Lancashire were included as this film’s going to be global.

Hundreds of millions of people are going to watch this all over the world, and I want us to showcase Burnley and the surrounding area. It’s a beautiful part of the world and I want people to see that and the spirit of those who live here.”

It feels like, despite this film, you still remain the same Dave, with your chip shop on a Friday.

DF: “Fish and chips and a can of Fosters and you know, I’m going to take some of these Hollywood stars out for that delicacy in Burnley. So, it’s going to be awesome.

“I mean, we’ve got Phoebe from Bridgeton that has over 400 million views. We’ve got characters from Bond, Rory who won an Olivier for being such a wonderful actor. He’s been in tonnes of movies. We’ve got Joel here today, he’s in huge hits like Cruella. He’s also out of the Game of Thrones.

Hundreds of millions of people have watched him around the world.

“And here he is now in Burnley. And look at Rory, from Bond to Burnley. I started off life as a builder’s labourer on a building site at 16. I left school with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever. And today we’re doing a film about it all, which is really cool.”

PIERS TEMPEST INTERVIEW On set, we managed to grab writer Piers Tempest for a few minutes to find out why he decided to write the film.

PT: “It’s about one man against the system, and the man wins, and he wins on behalf of Burnley.

I heard the story of Bank of Dave a long time ago, from a friend of mine who did the voiceover for the documentary and told me about it.

“So, I watched it. I thought, that would make an interesting movie. And so, I wrote it, and now we’re making it, which is fantastic. You know, it’s been fantastic, it’s a great place.

I’ve obviously been up here a few times to meet with Dave and find out his story and all the background.

“It’s been fantastic. We love it.

I love it. I’m here. It’s great to be filming. I don’t suppose all that many movies get shot in Burnley, but good for us. It’s a feel-good movie about a local town. And it’s about one man against the system and the man wins and he wins on behalf of Burnley. As is common with films, we’ve added some fiction to make it even more fun to watch. But here’s going to be a very big rock band playing, as part of the tribute to Bank of Dave.”

(It has since been revealed that the band in question is Def Leppard!)

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C CREATIVITY: past, present and future

ART / CULTURE / FASHION

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(L-R) Sameera Mohmed (designer), Casey Orr (photographer), Lamissah La-Shontae (model)

What do you get when you combine a 14-year-old Burnley girl, edgy fashion photographer and a UCLan fashion graduate?

This is the powerful troup of women we somewhat accidentally assembled for our stunning Creativity section of this magazine. And the result was inspiring, beautiful and uplifting.

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Sameera

Mohmed S

ameera Mohmed is about to graduate from University of Central Lancashire with a first-class degree in Fashion Design and the future couldn’t look brighter for this talented student after winning the Graduate Fashion Week boohoo competition. boohoo were searching for upcoming designers so partnered up with Graduate Fashion Week to launch a nationwide hunt for a designer that stood out from the crowd. boohoo explains: “We were overwhelmed with the number of applicants we received and the amazing quality of all submissions. Whilst choosing a winner was a difficult decision for all involved, Sameera’s application stood out to the design team for her designs that also consider modesty and inclusivity.”

Sameera tells us, how she felt when she heard that she had won the competition: “I was completely over the moon. It felt like I had worked so hard for my degree so far this year and it was a challenge to take on another project, but I was so thrilled that all the hard work paid off.”

Sameera explains that the concept behind her boohoo collection was based on creating a diverse, more sustainable and modest collection which caters to all women of different races and beliefs.

“The pieces in my boohoo collection are flexible to be styled in whichever way the customer feels comfortable, so a collection that can be bespoke to your individual personality, style and background.”

Sameera’s modest collection are now available on the boohoo website at boohoo.com/womens/ modest-clothing.

I was completely over the moon.

It felt like I had worked so hard for my degree so far this year and it was a challenge to take on another project, but I was so thrilled that all the hard work paid off.

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What is Sameera’s Love is Blind collection?

Senior fashion lecturer Amanda Odlin-Bates says: “UCLan have produced some extremely talented modest fashion designers over the years, and this is such a fantastic opportunity for Sameera to see her modest collection being manufactured by boohoo and shown on the catwalk as part of Graduate Fashion Week.

This is a real insight into the commercial side of the fashion business and contrasts with her own final collection design process, which is entitled ‘Love is Blind’ and is a hybridisation of her Indian heritage and her mother’s medical eye condition, Wet Macular Degeneration.”

My mother has inspired me all my life and her way of dealing with her loss of sight needed celebrating in a creative conclusion. This east meets west, texture-rich collection uses fabrics and trims sourced from a village in India called Bharuch, with prints inspired by the distorted shapes seen through my mother’s impaired vision, and I have used authentic ‘mapped-vein’ inspired machine embroidery onto fine tulle to create delicate dresses. I also sourced recycled scrap optical lenses to create a sustainable and contemporary method of adding oversized ‘glass sequins’ as decorative details and braille patterns created with raised, coloured eyelets spell out my collection title ‘Love is Blind’ 21

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Lamissah La Shontae is just 14 years old. Something that we had to remind ourselves throughout our cover shoot for this issue, as she confidently sat on the stunning staircase of Padiham Town Hall and expertly navigated her way through a series of demanding poses and elaborate outfits.

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T

his young lady from Burnley, who studies at nearby Shuttleworth College, has already made a name for herself. In fact, when we were liaising with her mother, Zohra, to find a date Lamissah could spend several hours with us, she reeled off a busy schedule.

“She’s got the Child of Britain Awards in London, she’s not really available the last week in June... we can do early July, but things change so quickly at the minute,” her very organised mother tells us.

Luckily for us, we were able to find a Thursday that Lamissah was available, as well as Lancashire designer Sameera Mohmed who dressed Lamissah for the shoot in her boohoo collaboration. Throw in the fact we secured edgy fashion photographer Casey Orr and Amanda Odlin, senior fashion lecturer at The University of Central Lancashire, who also taught Sameera, and it’s feeling

like something of an (unexpectedly all-female) coup.

At the same time, we’re secretly thrilled we’ve managed to assemble such a strong team of local women who are making waves in their fields, none more so than Lamissah. Fresh from the Child of Britain Awards, she has also been nominated for a National Diversity Award for being a positive role model. That’s in addition to her British Citizen Award, which she received at The House of Lords in 2021 for all of her charity campaigning.

Add in the fact that she’s secretly been working on a project with Peter Andre (Can you give us a clue about what it is? “We filmed in Jamaica and London but sorry, that’s all I can say!”), has countless other films, mainly horror, under her belt and of course, is juggling school, and it’s clear to see why Lamissah is a force to be reckoned with.

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So, who is Lamissah and how did she get to where she is today within her short 14 years?

Born on 11th September 2007 in Burnley, Lamissah was the fourth child of her parents Zohra and Shahid, who have since gone on to have her younger brother Xavier, 11.

She has three older brothers, Sajjad (29), Naushad (28) and Hamza (24).

In fact, Lamissah was the first girl on the paternal side of her family for 55 years and her name was eagerly chosen by her mother years before her arrival! Lamissah means “soft to the touch” and is Arabic in origins.

“My older brothers are going to love that I’m wearing a headscarf, I’ve never worn one before, and they can be wary about my modelling. But they see the work I do and know it’s all OK so they’re proud. My brothers can be protective – they really spoil me. They’ll pick me up and drop me off at friends – but I think they’ll take a particular interest with any future boyfriends,” Lamissah laughs.

Being the first girl in the family for decades clearly meant Lamissah meant business. By the age of two, her nursery recognised there was something special about this little girl. She was scouted as a baby

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model, but Zohra felt it was too young to enter that world. However, she couldn’t fend off her daughter’s ambitions for too long, as by four her school has placed her on the gifted and talented register. As well as academically thriving, Lamissah played acted, sang and played instruments, and did eventually enter the world of modelling.

By seven years old, Lamissah was signed to a reputable modelling and casting agency, Mune, based in Manchester and has enjoyed a steady flow of commercial work.

But her mother is clear that it’s daughter who chooses which work she takes on and remains in control of her own career.

Zohra explains: “Having her photo taken started off as a bit of mother-daughter time together, I used to spend long periods in hospital with her baby brother. But it quite quickly catapulted into something much bigger. Before we knew it, she was booking modelling job after modelling job and then was asked to appear in independent films.”

Even now, on this shoot, surrounded by adults who are expert in their field, Lamissah comes across as self-assured, but in a quiet and humble way. She is feeling a tad under the weather and didn’t get a great night’s sleep, but you wouldn’t know, as she goes through

outfit changes in different locations within Padiham Town Hall without missing a beat. Her mum keeps thanking us for the food and drink and allowing them to be a part of it – it’s obvious her family are grateful for the opportunities they have.

Despite her success, Lamissah is keen to raise awareness for various charities and it is this line of work that has secured her several accolades.

So far, she has raised money for Alzheimer’s Society, Dementia UK, Child Diabetic UK, Ronald Mc Donald House, Rainbow Child Foundation, Macmillan Nurses, Help The Heroes, Marie Curie and NSPCC. But how did she fall into fundraising?

Zohra continues: “Seeing her baby brother, who was born with complex health issues, be in and out of various hospitals for long stays, as well as her late grandfather on an end-oflife plan, meant she was exposed to McMillan Nurses and poorly children.

“Lamissah would arrange small events like sponsored walks or school discos, and she wanted to ensure those less fortunate or with health disabilities could attend. She eventually gained support from Barry Kilby and in return, she now supports the Barry Kilby Prostate Cancer Appeal (Barry is the former chairman of Burnley FC who campaigns for earlier detection of prostate cancer after being diagnosed himself).”

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A girl with her phone and PJs at heart With such a jam-packed work and fundraising schedule, we wonder how Lamissah manages to juggle her schoolwork too. Thankfully, Shuttleworth College in Padiham, where she attends, are incredibly supportive.

The head teacher Ruth England provides Lamissah with ten authorised days per term time for projects and of course, she has to show evidence of what she will be working on. It helps that she’s bright and doing well in her subjects, but Zohra is clear to point out that should the academic side of things suffer, she would suggest Lamissah focuses full-time on schoolwork until she’s back where she needs to be.

With filming typically long days, Zohra has a winning strategy for ensuring her daughter isn’t too tired for school the next day – and it turns out, it’s the simple things that matter.

“I drive her everywhere, even if it’s London, because when it’s a late finish, I’d much prefer her to be relaxing in her PJs, with her phone and potentially sleeping if it really is a late one.”

Lamissah has a huge social media following – 250,000 on Instagram alone (@lamissahlashontae). She is clearly grounded despite her seemingly enviable career already, so how does she ensure those who look up to her know that such opportunities are the result of hard work?

“My parents, agent and PR team have access to my social media, I don’t, so that does help with me remaining focused on my school and work, as well as finding time to hang out with my friends and family.

I do have a private social media account where I can cat to friends only though. I think it helps that I’ve been doing modelling and filming from a very young age, so it’s become quite a normal part of my life. I like to get the job done and then get back to school with my friends or go home and watch a movie,” Lamissah says.

It’s also important to Lamissah that her (often young) followers don’t think it’s easy to become famous or make money, especially from social media or reality TV.

“The truth is, it can be very hard work, I have to be 100 per cent committed once I’ve signed a contract. I have to travel, catch up on schoolwork, learn scripts, attend castings. Then some weeks there may be no opportunities. So, it’s a balancing act,” she explains.

In between shots, we ask Lamissah what she thinks of Sameera’s fashion designs: “I’m truly privileged to be wearing these amazing clothes, as a young female, especially one from a cultural background like myself, Sameera is such an inspiration. It’s clear her hard work has paid off and I can understand how what has happened within her family has driven her to succeed, we have similar backgrounds in that sense. It’s also refreshing to see a fashionable yet modest clothing range available for all women at a brand as big as boohoo.”

When we finally wrap up shooting, we ask Lamissah what she’s up to this weekend after a busy day.

“Well tonight I’m definitely going to sleep!

Tomorrow I’m going to a fair with my friends, Saturday it’s Eid and my younger brother Xavier’s birthday, then I’m babysitting my nieces on Sunday.”

She provides this answer as she’s posing in an incredible outfit designed by Sameera in the council chambers. And we can’t help but smile that despite her impressive career, she really is a normal 14-year-old girl from Burnley.

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HAIR BY

Sasha Dippolito

MAKEUP BY

Jess Robinson Beauty

Both based at Feathers & Co, 43-45 Burnley Rd, Padiham

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SATURDAY GIRL Casey Orr

S

aturday Girl is an award-winning photographic project. Since 2013 international photographer Casey Orr has travelled the UK with a pop-up portrait studio photographing fashionable folks in towns and cities on Saturday afternoons; exploring identity and self expression through fashion and portraiture. She considers fashion a language, one which speaks of the undercurrents in culture, the unspoken signs that tell of our values and tribe identities and how these things burst forth (whether we intend them to or not) in self-expression.

She only photographs on Saturday afternoons, a time when people are out to meet friends, shop, hang out, to look and be looked at.

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Orr says: “There is a long history of the way we ‘dress up’ for the weekend, a history of promenading that we can still see on Saturday – a chance for young people to be in the world as they wish to be seen, beyond the confines of weekday responsibilities, schools and family. Although our workweeks vary now and we don’t share weekly routines in the same ways we once did there is still a freedom associated with Saturday.

Saturday sparks with potential.”

The project started in Leeds in 2013.

This was the beginning of her nationwide survey of fashion and youth culture that has spanned 20 cities and towns. She has photographed hundreds of people, with numerous exhibitions and publications.

The project was published by Bluecoat Press in 2021.

In 2021/22 her studio Saturday Girl About Town has been in Burnley and across Northern England exploring the ways in which young people are getting back out onto the streets after the upheaval of these last few years.

Orr continues in Burnley throughout 2022/23 as Saturday Town ‘Where EVERYDAY is Saturday’ as she documents the changes in personal identity, culture and values through the ways in which folks choose to look.

Orr says: “This is an exciting time to be alive; when the binaries of identity, the edges of self are falling away, allowing for limitless possibilities of identity. This is happening on an individual level and also a societal one; both dynamically changeable and complex, constantly reevaluated; from class and culture via era defining experiences of pandemic and social upheaval.”

The portraits will be part of an important national body of work developed across England between 2014 and 2024 with Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool. In Burnley the project is supported by MidPennine Arts and Historic England. The project continues to explore the multiplicities of experience found in the north.

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BURNLEY PORTRAITS Casey has been working with; MidPennine Arts, Historic England, High Street Action Zones and Burnley College.

SEE MORE OF THE WORK VISIT | www.caseyorr.com

instagram @caseyorrphoto | @saturdaygirlphoto

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THE DRAMA OF DRESS GAWTHORPE

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t’s often described as the Downton of the North, but it’s about time Gawthorpe Hall was recognised in its own right. Charlotte Steels, director of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collections, explains why the historic hall isn’t just a pretty building, but one filled with a rich history that will get the Bridgerton and Downton Abbey fans excited.

Gawthorpe Hall in the heart of Pennine Lancashire is an Elizabethan gem built by the Shuttleworth family between 1600-1605. Steeped in a rich family history that spans witches and wars, with tales of love, loss, duty and the occasional royal visit you might be mistaken for thinking that you have discovered the plot of a period drama which would fire up the quill of Lady Whistledown herself!

The worldwide popularity of series such as Downton Abbey and Bridgerton in recent years has reignited our passion, not only for the period drama, but the glamorous costumes that were worn and the stunning architecture of the homes of the rich and powerful.

Whether it is the romance of the idyllic settings or the glamour of a regency ball, we are captivated by the lavish scenes that we see, a comforting escape from the 21st century which harks back to simpler times - though with characters and narratives which are familiar and relatable.

Stepping inside Gawthorpe Hall today is like walking onto one of those film sets. The ornate rooms of the upper and lower floors are presented as a Victorian home. Also housed there and displayed on the first floor is the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, which was amassed by last resident of the Hall, Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth. The collection includes examples of textiles and clothing from around the world with some, that you may find quite familiar to what you have seen on TV. The Shuttleworth’s have a long association with the Padiham and Burnley area dating back to the 14th century, however it was with the building of Gawthorpe Hall from 1600-1605 that they demonstrated their social standing as one of the premier families in the area.

In 1842 the heiress to the Gawthorpe estate Janet Shuttleworth married Sir James Kay, the prominent Victorian educationalist and doctor.

He added her name to his own to become the Kay-Shuttleworth’s. Sir James and Janet moved in high social circles and were acquainted with many notable people of the time including authors such as Elizabeth Gaskell and Charlotte Bronte.

Sir James was the driving force behind the creation of the Gawthorpe Hall that we see today.

He commissioned Sir Charles Barry, the architect responsible for the renovations of the Palace of Westminster and Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey as you may possibly recognise it). With the assistance of Gothic Revivalist A. W. N. Pugin, Barry extended and renovated Gawthorpe between 1850-52.

Ughtred, the eldest son of Janet and James inherited Gawthorpe on his mother’s death in 1872 and he lived there with his wife Blanche and six children (Angela, Nina, Rachel, Lawrence, Edward and Catherine). Ughtred held many notable roles including MP for Clitheroe and in 1886 he became a privy councillor to Queen Victoria. In 1902 he was made a peer, becoming the first Lord Shuttleworth.

The family had a strong sense of social responsibility and were active in the community.

Rachel, their third daughter remained unmarried and spent most of her life at Gawthorpe, devoting her time to civic roles and to helping others.

She had a lifelong passion for making and collecting textiles and became a renowned expert, teaching and lecturing. Rachel believed that creativity was beneficial to wellbeing and happiness. She devoted her life to actively improving the social welfare of the communities on her doorstep and in the aftermath of the Great War and the Depression established craft clubs around the area to support the unemployed. She recognised that she could help women and girls to find honest work through teaching them craft skills.

Rachel’s mission from her early 20s had been to create a centre for learning. To this end she amassed a collection of around 11,000 global textile and craft items. She established her textile collection as a charity in 1959 and in the years before her death in 1967, turned her beloved home of Gawthorpe Hall into a “Craft House” where she held exhibitions and ran courses.

Today the Textile Collection numbers over 30,000 items and is an accredited museum that continues to display the collection at Gawthorpe Hall and to use it for educational purposes.

VISITOR INFORMATION Address: Burnley Road, Padiham, BB12 8UA T: 01282 771004 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gawthorpe-hall Until you can make it to Padiham, you can view the entire Gawthorpe Hall collection online on the National Trust website.

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VENETIAN FAN, c.���� From the 18th century fans became an important accessory for a lady as an extension of their expression and body language. This fan was bought in Venice by Blanche Kay-Shuttleworth around the time of her marriage to Ughtred in 1871. Held properly fans were a sign of true elegance. A language supposedly developed around the way a fan was held, moved or positioned, allowing ladies to send messages across a room.

Watchers of season two of Bridgerton may remember the unscrupulous Lady Featherington instructing one of her daughters in the less subtle arts of using a fan to attract the attentions of the new Lord Featherington. In 1827 a Parisian fan maker developed a guide on the language of fans, such as drawing the fan across the cheek meaning “I love you” and touching the tip with a finger “I wish to speak to you”.

This all sounds incredibly romantic and appears in many period dramas, but possibly just began as a skilful marketing tool that repopularised the fan after they had begun to fall out of fashion.

- A SAMPLE OF -

GAWTHORPE TEXTILES -COLLECTION����s BEADED EVENING DRESS Whilst watching the final scenes of the first Downton Abbey film our sharp-eyed curator spotted Lady Mary Talbot wearing what looked to be an almost identical dress to one in our collection. On further research we found that the costume designer had indeed found an identical dress, which was modified to alter the neckline and create a full length skirt. This stunning silver and black beaded drop waist evening gown with a scooped neck, is made of cotton muslin with glass beads and paste stones and dates to c.1920-25. The large amount of beads and embellishments make the original, shorter version of the dress heavy, and so the longer version worn in the film must have been even heavier to wear.

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SIR UGHTRED KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH’S PRIVY COUNCILLOR UNIFORM COAT, c.���� Held in the collection is Sir Ughtred’s Privy Councillor’s uniform made by Henry Poole & Co. of Saville Row London around 1900.

The jacket is made of a fine navy wool, which provides the perfect backdrop for the striking goldwork ornamentation. This impressive coat would have been worn when attending formal occasions and would have been quite stiff and heavy to wear.

EMPIRE LINE SILK EVENING DRESSES English fashions were heavily influenced by the French. Marie Antoinette began a trend for a new, simpler style of fashion when she was painted wearing a muslin chemise style dress in 1783. At first it was seen as scandalous, but grew in popularity with the French aristocracy and so came to dramatically change the female silhouette. During the early 1800s heavy corsetry and fabrics were replaced with lighter, more free flowing gowns and the Empire style became the fashion across Europe.

The style was typified by the waistline moving upwards to just under the bust with short, puffed sleeves and a cone shaped skirt decorated towards the bottom. In the Regency period of Bridgerton we see many of the female characters, particularly the younger generations wearing this style of dress.

In the collection we have two dresses of this type which are dated slightly later (c. 1819-23). They are made of silk net with silk satin ribbon. The pink dress includes tiny silvered blown glass beads, embroidery and silk twist cord and the blue dress includes cotton and waxed paper flowers. It is rare for dresses of this type to survive due to the delicacy of the silks and the heavy embellishments.

The dresses were thought to have been worn by members of the Wilson family of Eshton Hall near Skipton, possibly by Margaret Frances Anne Wilson (b.1804) and Frances Mary Wilson (b.1806).

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Angels and

MONSTERS by byMJ MJHindman Hindman How How art art can can transcend transcend time time and and bring bring hope. hope.

Evelyn EvelynDe DeMorgan’s Morgan’spaintings paintingswere wereproduced producedininresponse responsetotowar, war,inequality inequality and andaaglobal globalpandemic. pandemic.One Onehundred hundredyears yearslater laterthe theworld worldhas hasprogressed progressed but butsome somethings thingsremain remainthe thesame. same.As AsJean-Baptiste Jean-BaptisteKarr Karrwrote wrote“plus “plusça ça change, change,plus plusc’est c’estlalamême mêmechose” chose”––the themore morethings thingschange, change,the themore more they theystay staythe thesame. same.The Thetopics topicsfound foundininher herwork workwere wereexplored exploredininaarecent recent exhibition exhibitionatatTowneley TowneleyHall.

Hall.InInaddition additiontotoits itsown ownstunning stunningcollection collectionofof art artand andantiquities, antiquities,Towneley TowneleyHall Hallhas hasalways alwayshosted hostedexciting excitingand andimportant important temporary temporaryexhibitions exhibitionswithin withinits itsgalleries. galleries.But Butthis thisexhibition exhibitionwas wasaabit bit different, different,while whilestill stillininthe theplanning planningstages stagesthe theworld worldwas wasthrown throwninto intoaa pandemic, pandemic,the thelikes likesofofwhich whichhad hadnot notbeen beenseen seenfor forover over100 100years. years.This Thisand and other otherparallels parallelssparked sparkedan anidea ideaininthe themind mindofofthe theDe DeMorgan Morgancollection collection director director(and (andBurnley Burnleygirl) girl)Sarah SarahHardy.

Hardy.Rather Ratherthan thanjust justdisplaying displayingthe the collection, collection,she shedecided decidedtotobuild buildon onititand andengage engagenew newand andfresh freshvoices voicestoto respond respondtotothe thework workand andhow howititspoke spokeofoftoday’s today’sangels angelsand andmonsters. monsters.

We Wespoke spoketotoaafew fewofofthose thosevoices… voices…

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From WWI and woman’s suffrage to the walls of Towneley Hall, the wards of Royal Blackburn Hospital and the war-torn streets of Syria.

Sarah Sarah Hardy Hardy Director, Director, De De Morgan Morgan Collection Collection As As with with anyone anyone working working in in the the arts, arts, and and museums, museums, Sarah’s Sarah’s journey journey to to becoming becoming the the director director of of the the De De Morgan Morgan Collection Collection was was not not straightforward. straightforward. Her Her interest interest in in art art was was fifirst rst piqued piqued by by regular regular visits visits to toTowneley Towneley Hall Hall and and Park Park when when she she was was aa young young girl girl growing growing up up in in Burnley.

Burnley.The The art art gallery gallery was was full full of, of, as as Sarah Sarah recalls, recalls, “beautiful, “beautiful, rich, rich, jewel jewel like like painting,” painting,” igniting igniting aa passion passion for for the theVictorian Victorian period, period, which which intensifi intensified ed through through her her school school history history lessons lessons and and has has only only grown grown stronger stronger over over her her life. life.

During During her her studies studies of of art art history history at at Durham Durham University, University, Sarah Sarah explored explored and and experienced experienced many many other other forms forms of of art, art, music music and and fifilm lm from from around around the the world. world. Asking Asking herself, herself, “what “what on on earth earth does does someone someone do do with with an an art art history history degree?” degree?” Sarah Sarah took took aa bit bit of of aa side side step step and and spent spent aa year year in in Cambridge Cambridge working working with with aa group group of of choristers choristers at at an an exclusive exclusive private private school, school, but but eventually eventually she she returned returned to to Manchester Manchester University University to to gain gain her her Masters.

Masters.This This move, move, back back to to the the northwest, northwest, brought brought her her back back into into contact contact with with aa “hotbed “hotbed of ofVictorian Victorian art art and and culture” culture” and and with with itit the the art art of of the the Pre-Raphaelites, Pre-Raphaelites, once once again again reviving reviving the the zeal zeal she she felt felt as as aa child. child.

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In, In, what what at at the the time time seemed seemed like like another another side side step, step, Sarah Sarah moved moved to to London London and and secured secured aa job job at at the the National National Gallery, Gallery, “mainly “mainly telling telling people people where where the the loos loos were.” were.” Making Making herself herself at at home home in in her her new new roles, roles, Sarah Sarah stumbled stumbled across across the the De De Morgan Morgan Collection.

Collection. Seeing Seeing the the works works and and being being reminded reminded of of her her childhood childhood in in Burnley, Burnley, she she took took the the bold bold step step to to ask ask ifif she she could could work work with with the the collection collection and and establish establish aa KS2 KS2 education education programme. programme.

Shortly Shortly after, after, due due to to fifinancial nancial reasons reasons the the collection collection was was left left without without aa museum museum to to be be displayed displayed in. in.This This was was “like “like aa red red rag rag to to aa bull” bull” and and Sarah Sarah turned turned this this frustration frustration into into fundraising, fundraising, and and £100,000 £100,000 later later she she was was able able to to develop develop and and deliver deliver aa touring touring exhibition exhibition of of De De Morgan Morgan ceramics ceramics to to fifive ve art art galleries galleries around around the the UK. UK. But But she she didn’t didn’t stop stop there. there. After After deciding deciding to to tour tour the the ceramics ceramics of of William William De De Morgan, Morgan,Towneley Towneley Hall Hall was was the the obvious obvious fifirst rst stop. stop. “It “It really really worked worked very very well well to to have have these theseVictorian Victorian ceramics ceramics on on display display at atTowneley Towneley Hall Hall alongside alongside the the outstanding outstanding Pilkington Pilkington Collection Collection of of Lancastrian Lancastrian Ceramics.”

Ceramics.”

Sarah’s Sarah’s attention attention then then turned turned to to the the paintings paintings of of Evelyn Evelyn De De Morgan, Morgan,The The Artist Artist of of Hope.

Hope.

What What first first drew drew you you into into Evelyn Evelyn De De Morgan’s Morgan’s work? work?

II think think you you can’t can’t look look at at these these pictures pictures and and not not be be really really inspired inspired by by the the way way they they look. look.They They are are visually visually beautiful, beautiful, stunning stunning images, images, but but also also quite quite different different to to things things that that you you would would normally normally consider consider seeing seeing in in an an art art gallery. gallery.They They elevate elevate ordinary ordinary people people to to the the position position of of life life models. models.The The people people that that you you look look at at in in the the pictures pictures look look like like normal normal people, people, and and there’s there’s just just something something very very intriguing intriguing about about them. them. II think think the the colours colours are are astonishing astonishing and and when when you you consider consider some some of of these these pictures pictures are are over over 100 100 -- 150 150 years years old, old, II think think there’s there’s something something quite quite mesmerising mesmerising about about that that and and uncovering uncovering the the past past through through the the beautiful beautiful paintings. paintings.

Also Also the the complex complex symbolism symbolism within within them, them, II think think is is aa really really interesting interesting place place to to start. start. What What does does that that mean? mean? Why Why is is there there aa snake snake in in it? it? And And then then you you can can uncover uncover and and unfold unfold the the messages messages that that the the artist artist wanted wanted you you to to have have by by discovering discovering all all those those clues. clues. Each Each painting painting is is like like aa treasure treasure hunt, hunt, they’re they’re great. great.

Why Why did did you you choose choose Towneley Towneley Hall Hall to to host host this this exhibition? exhibition?

The The fifirst rst reason reason was was that thatTowneley Towneley has has an an outstanding outstanding collection collection of ofVictorian Victorian art, art, some some pieces pieces in in particular particular II was was very very keen keen to to see see next next to to the the paintings paintings by

by Evelyn Evelyn De De Morgan.

Morgan. One One of of those those was was Waterhouse’s Waterhouse’s Destiny, Destiny, in in which which we we see see aa woman woman holding holding aa bowl bowl and and looking looking out out through through aa window. window.The The aesthetic aesthetic of of which which is is really really quite quite similar similar to to two two paintings paintings by

by Evelyn Evelyn De De Morgan, Morgan,The The Love Love Potion Potion and and The The Gilded Gilded Cage.

Cage. II think think this this can can really really help help people people see see that that Evelyn Evelyn De De Morgan Morgan wasn’t wasn’t working working in in aa bubble, bubble, she she was was working working as as part part of of aa wider wider art art movement movement and and how how artists artists all all infl influenced uenced each each other other with with their their painting painting and and their their style. style.

Another Another key key reason reason for for choosing choosingTowneley Towneley Hall Hall for for Artist Artist of of Hope Hope was was that that at at the the time time of of curating, curating, the the northwest northwest was was the the most most affected affected area area in in the the country country with with the the COVID COVID pandemic. pandemic. Of Of all all the the places places in in the the country country that that could could do do with with something something beautiful beautiful to to give give them them hope hope for for better better days days ahead, ahead, II felt felt that that maybe maybe the the northwest northwest of of England England was was aa real real key key contender contender for for that. that.

And And it’s it’s that that sort sort of of idea idea that that really really directed directed the the content content of of the the exhibition, exhibition, gave gave itit that that hopeful hopeful twist twist and and invited invited our our community community partners partners to to respond respond to to the the pictures. pictures.

Is Is Evelyns Evelyns De De Morgan’s Morgan’s art art still still relevant relevant today? today?

Artist Artist of of Hope Hope is is an an exhibition exhibition that that invited invited people people from from the the local local community community to to re-interpret re-interpret Evelyn Evelyn de de Morgan’s Morgan’s paintings paintings for for the the 21st 21st century century audience. audience. When When II was was putting putting the the exhibition exhibition together, together, talking talking about about subjects subjects like like contemporary contemporary confl conflicts icts and and the the COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic, pandemic, itit just just became became really really obvious obvious to to me me that, that, actually, actually, itit wasn’t wasn’t my my place place to to tell tell people people how how they they should should look look at at the the paintings paintings today. today. And And actually, actually, what what would would be be more more interesting interesting is is for for local local people, people, people people who who don’t don’t have have an an art art history history degree degree to to have have that that fifirst rst instinctive instinctive response response to to the the pictures pictures and and show show us us what what the the contemporary contemporary relevance relevance of of the the pictures pictures was. was. Artist Artist of of Hope Hope was was really really born born from from that. that.

As As much much as as the the paintings paintings deal deal with with quite quite diffi difficult cult subjects subjects such such as as death death and and war, war, all all of of them them at at the the centre centre of of them them have have aa message message of of hope. hope. And And itit was was really really that that that that came came out out from from lots lots of of the the work work II was was doing doing with with community community groups. groups.

We We saw saw with with the the COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic pandemic 100 100 years years after after the the Spanish Spanish Flu Flu pandemic, pandemic, that that actually actually what what remains remains the the same same across across time time and and across across cultures cultures is is that that people people will will always always have have hope hope for for better better days days ahead. ahead. And And so so being being able able to to reinterpret reinterpret that that 100-year-old 100-year-old symbolism symbolism for for aa contemporary contemporary audience audience has has been been really really successful. successful.

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Have you found Hope within this exhibition?

Yes, I do think Evelyn De Morgan’s paintings are symbols of hope. At the age of 17, in her diary, she wrote “that life is short and art is eternal”. So she really did have that understanding that what she put down on canvas would be interpreted and helpful to people beyond her own lifetime. And the hope that she had to have was definitely to break down the barriers of her time to be able to do what she so marvellously did. I’m talking, of course, in the most part about the fact that she was a woman and as a 17-year-old woman, to say to a family like “I want to go off and be an artist” really was something that was very unpopular and not very easy to do. We’ve got an enormous number of paintings and drawings by [Evelyn]. It really shows that she was very dedicated to putting the work in to achieve what she did. So I think her having hope from her early career maybe inspired me to have hope in mine as a northern working class woman to be the director of an art collection isn’t a very well established route at all. And I think in that way, somehow our paths are slightly aligned.

A particular painting that I love, which is actually in this exhibition, is called Lux in Tenebris, which means light coming from the darkness. And at its core it’s a really beautiful painting, but I think it’s one that anyone can look at and think there is hope in really dark places. It’s full of swampy crocodiles and in a really sort of dingy looking swamp is this beautiful figure of light. Something that I really like about it is that the artist actually made an amendment to it. Originally the figure of light, who wore this beautiful, sumptuous gold robe with tiny little flames on it, was originally holding a torch of light, but for reasons unknown, the artist has painted that out and replaced it with an olive branch for peace. So better aligning the ideas that peace and light are in our future rather than it being just light.

Did you know?

“The Grey Sisters came to Towneley Hall” 40

How has curating this exhibition helped you?

I think we’ve all been through something quite extraordinary in the past two years, and myself, like many others, had to turn from working in an environment such as an art gallery or museum, where you’re surrounded by colleagues and the general public all the time, to working at home. From my kitchen table. It really was a very, very difficult time to go through, I think particularly during the winters. Being able to plan this exhibition and particularly work with community groups did actually really help me personally, and that was something that I never expected to get from this exhibition.

I think whenever I do my planning around the art, I’m always imagining this point when everything’s on the walls and visitors are in here hopefully enjoying what they see in the show we’ve put on. Being able to have that extra engagement with people like Syrian refugees, young carers, NHS staff and a wonderful charity called Blind Veterans UK and hearing stories of other people going through incredibly difficult times and always having hope for better days ahead absolutely gave me hope and it’s been the exhibition I’ve enjoyed working on in my career more than any others.

Which painting on display in the exhibition is your favourite?

For me personally, I’m going to choose The Grey Sisters by Evelyn De Morgan as my favourite picture on display. And I’ll tell you the truth, it’s not ever been my favourite. It’s never really been one that I’ve liked, but I’ve grown to love it through the additional meanings that we’ve sort of placed on it in this exhibition.

It’s based on the German poet Goethe, we see the figure of Faust. He’s built a wall around himself and out of the figures of want, debt, need and care only care is able to get through to him.

So it was an obvious choice for the young carers to respond to and talk about and they wrote a poem in response to it, which is just beautiful and it really did change way that I view that picture and made it quite special to me.

I was also quite interested to learn from my mum who is a very keen amateur genealogist, when she was doing some research on Towneley Hall, she found that that picture actually has been here in 1904, as part of a wider exhibition, The Grey Sisters came to Towneley Hall. To think that our ancestors might have come here and seen The Grey Sisters previously has really given it a new meaning for us.

A Hero Called Care Young Carers, Child Action North West We all need a hero Ours is called Care With his big bag of kindness Have a go, if you dare He likes to wear pink Some red and lime green And he perseveres Coz’ he’s nice and not mean He lives in a cottage That’s all nice and warm No demons or worries Just flowers (not thorns) He likes being together Not lonely or scared We all need a hero Ours is called Care 41

Debbie DebbieHardy Hardy NHS NHSnurse, nurse,stroke strokeward, ward,Royal RoyalBlackburn BlackburnHospital Hospital(and (andmother motherto toSarah) Sarah) Being Beingborn bornand andbred bredininBurnley, Burnley,Debbie Debbiewas wasextremely extremely familiar familiarwith, with,ininher herown ownwords, words,“going “goingup upTowneley” Towneley”and and exploring exploringthe thepark parkand andhall. hall.As Asaalittle littlegirl, girl,the thedaily dailydog dog walks walkswith withher hergranddad granddadaround aroundthe thepark parkand andacross acrossthe the golf golfcourse courseand anddiscovering discoveringthe theexhibition exhibitionand andcollection collection housed housedininthe thehall hallleft leftaalasting lastingmemories. memories.“Whenever “WheneverI I approach approachthe thehall hallI Ijust justfeel feelcomfortable comfortableand andwarm,” warm,”Debbie Debbie explained. explained.Debbie Debbieshied shiedaway awayfrom fromtaking takingcredit creditfor forSarah’s Sarah’s love loveofofart artand andhistory, history,but butthe thefondness fondnessfor forTowneley Towneleyhas has been beenaaconstant constantininthe thefamily familyfor forgenerations, generations,sosoit’s it’sno no surprise surprisethat thatSarah Sarahcarries carriessuch suchaastrong strongconnection connectiontoo. too.

As Asthe theCOVID COVIDpandemic pandemicraged ragedon, on,one oneofofthe thevoices voices that thatbecame becameimportant importanttotoengage engagewith withwas wasthat thatofofhealth health care careprofessional, professional,the theangels angelson onthe thefrontline. frontline.Luckily Luckily for forSarah, Sarah,her hermum mumDebbie Debbiewas wasmore morethan thanhappy happytoto help, help,not notonly onlyby byresponding respondingtotothe theart artherself herselfbut butalso alsototo help helprecruit recruitother otherlocal localNHS NHSstaff stafftotothe theproject. project.With With40 40 years yearsofofexperience experienceworking workingasasaanurse nursefor forthe theNHS NHSshe she thought thoughtshe’d she’dseen seeneverything, everything,but butwhen whenthe thepandemic pandemic hit hitDebbie Debbieand andher hercolleagues colleagueswere werereally reallyput puttotothe the test. test.This Thisnot notonly onlyput putaastrain strainon onthem themphysically, physically,but but emotionally emotionallytoo. too.InInunusual unusualtimes timesoften oftenhope hopecomes comesfrom from unsuspecting unsuspectingplaces, places,ininthis thiscase case100+ 100+years yearsold oldpaintings. paintings.

Has Hasart artalways alwaysbeen beenimportant importanttotoyou? you?

I’ve I’vealways alwaysloved lovedparticularly particularlycoming comingtotoTowneley Towneley because becausethis thiswas wasmy mylocal localgallery. gallery.But Butififever everI Igo go anywhere, anywhere,I Ilove lovetotogo goininan anart artgallery. gallery.And Andininfact, fact,I I remember remembertaking takingSarah Sarahtotothe theNational NationalGallery Gallerywhen when she shewas wasquite quiteyoung youngand andsending sendingher heroff offsomewhere somewheresoso that thatI Icould couldlook lookatatthe thepicture pictureofofLady LadyJane JaneGray Graybeing being executed. executed.And AndI Ididn’t didn’tthink thinkthat thatshe shewould wouldwant wantto. to.And And then thenafterwards afterwardswhich whichshe shewas wasfurious furiouswith withme mebecause because that thatisissomething somethingthat thatshe shewas wasreally reallyinterested interestedin. in.I Ilove love 42

going goinginto intodifferent differentgalleries gallerieswherever whereverI Igo, go,whichever whichever town. town.I Ialways alwayshead headtotothe themuseums museumsand andthe theart artgalleries, galleries, for formyself myselfasaswell wellasasI Imight mightsee seesomething somethingthere therethat thatI I can cansay saytotoSarah, Sarah,“You’ll “You’llnever neverguess guesswhat whatI Ifound!” found!”

How Howdid didyou youfeel feelwhen whenSarah Sarahasked askedyou youtotoadd add your yourvoice voicetotothe theArtist ArtistofofHope Hopeexhibition? exhibition?

I Imean, mean,obviously obviouslyI’ve I’vealways alwayshelped helpedher herininany any way waythat thatI Ican, can,and andI Ithought thoughtititwas wasaagood goodidea. idea.

I Iwork workon onthe thestroke strokeward wardatatthe theRoyal RoyalBlackburn Blackburn Hospital, Hospital,and andwe wehave havemet metpeople peopledirectly directlyfrom fromthe the emergency emergencydepartment. department.We Wewere wereininan anemergency emergencysituation situation and andtreating treatingpeople peoplewho whohave havesuddenly suddenlyhad hadaalife lifechanging changing experience. experience.Of Ofcourse, course,during duringCOVID COVIDno norelatives relativeswere were allowed allowedtotovisit, visit,sosowe webecame becamethe thefifirst rstline lineofofcomfort comfort totoour ourpatients. patients.And Andanything anythingthat thatwe wecould coulddo dofor forthem them that thatwould wouldhelp helpthem themwas wasofofparamount paramountimportance. importance.To To be beable abletotoshow showpatients patientsDe DeMorgan’s Morgan’sartwork artworkand andthe the messages messagesofofhope hopehelped helpedlift lifttheir theirspirits, spirits,and andmine minetoo. too.

ItItreally reallyfelt feltlike likewe wewere werefifighting ghtingaawar, war,we wehad hadtotowear wear protective protectiveclothing clothingand andwe wehad hadtotobe befifitted ttedfor forstealth stealthmasks masks that thatno nogas gascan canget getthrough. through.So Soititreally reallyresonated resonatedwith with the theFirst FirstWorld WorldWar Warand andwhat whatEvelyn Evelynmust musthave havethought. thought.

I Iasked askedaround aroundon onthe theward wardififanybody anybodywould wouldbe be prepared preparedtotocome comeand andlook lookatatsome someimages imagesand anddecipher decipher what whatthey theysaw. saw.We Wehad hadquite quiteaagood gooduptake. uptake.We Wehad had nurses nursesand anddoctors doctorsfrom fromthe theward wardthat thatI Iwork workon onand and listening listeningtotowhat whatsome somepeople peoplesaid saidabout aboutthese thesepaintings, paintings, ititreally reallygives givesyou youan aninsight insightinto intotheir theirfeelings. feelings.

I Iwas wasjust justfascinated fascinatedasastotohow howthey theyinterpreted interpretedthe the paintings. paintings.For Forexample, example,the thepainting paintingInInMemoriam Memoriamwas was responded respondedtotoby byaanurse nursethat thatI Iwork workvery veryclosely closelywith withcalled called Salima.

Salima.She Shegave gavenew newlife lifetotothat thatpainting. painting.I Icould couldhave havecried cried when whenI Iread readher herinterpretation. interpretation.Salima Salimahas hasworked workednights nights

with withme meoften, often,and andshe shesaid saidthat thatshe shesaw sawititasasan anexhausted exhausted nurse nurseafter afterher herdreadful dreadfulnight nightshift shiftthroughout throughoutthe thepandemic. pandemic.

But Butthere thereisisaasunrise sunriseon onthe thehorizon, horizon,and andititreally reallygave gaveher her hope hopelooking lookingatatit.it.The Theeloquent eloquentway waythat thatshe shedescribed describeditit and andknowing knowingher herasasI Ido doititreally reallybrought broughttears tearstotomy myeyes. eyes.

Do Doyou youthink thinkthere’s there’ssomething somethingfor formodern modern audiences audiencesininthis thisexhibition? exhibition?

I Ireally reallydo. do.During Duringthe theworst worstpart partofofthe thepandemic pandemicI I felt feltlike likeI Iwas wasfifighting ghtingaawar, war,and andthis this[exhibition] [exhibition]isisfrom from aawar. war.I Ifeel feellike likeI Icould couldstep stepinto intothese thesepaintings paintingsand anditit be bereal realtotome menow. now.And AndI Iknow knowthat thatit’s it’ssymbolism symbolismand and

we weall allinterpret interpretthings thingsslightly slightlydifferently. differently.My Mymonsters, monsters, my mycrocodiles crocodilesmay mayhave havebeen beenthe theCOVID COVIDmolecules molecules atatmy myfeet feetrising risingup, up,but butthere thereisishope hopeup upthere. there.

You Youmentioned mentionedstopping stoppingSarah Sarahlooking lookingcertain certain paintings paintingswhen whenshe shewas wasyoung, young,but butdid didyour your experience experiencechange changehow howyou youviewed viewedart? art?

What WhatI Ididn’t didn’trealise realisethen thenwas wasthat thatchildren children adapt adapttotoanything anythingmuch muchbetter betterthan thanadults. adults.So Soifif aachild childcomes comesininand andsee seesome somedragons, dragons,they’ll they’ll probably probablythink thinkthat thatthat’s that’sabsolutely absolutelymarvellous! marvellous!

Salima Salima NHS NHSNurse, Nurse,Royal Royal Blackburn BlackburnHospital Hospital For Forme, me,this thispainting paintingcan caneasily easilybe be interpreted interpretedasasnurses nurseson onthe theend endofoftheir their shift. shift.The Thepainting paintingdisplays displaysthe theutter utter exhaustion exhaustionofofthe thesoul, soul,tiredness tirednessand and weariness. weariness.Her Herhead headisison onher herarms, arms,asas means meansofofsupport, support,mental mentalsupport supportafter after all allthe thechallenges challengesfaced facedthat thatday. day.

The Thecrown crownininthe theright righthand handisis symbolic symbolicofofthe thenurse’s nurse’suniform. uniform.She Sheisn’t isn’t wearing wearingthe thecrown, crown,maybe maybeitithad hadrested rested on ontop topofofthe thehead, head,sitting sittingglamorously, glamorously, bright brightand andproud. proud.But Butnow nowitithas hasbeen beentaken taken off, off,held heldloosely looselyininthe thehands handsby by fifingertips, ngertips,not notput putaside, aside,showing showingthe the resilience resilienceofofthe thenurse. nurse.The Thecrown crownalso also reminds remindsme meofofthe therelay relayraces, races,where wherethe the next nextperson personruns runsby byand andtakes takesthe thebaton. baton.

InInthis thiscase, case,the thecrown crownisistaken takenby bythe the new newstaff, staff,the theweight weightofofthe thecrown, crown,the the challenges challengesand anddemands demandsofofnursing nursingisisnow now ininsomeone someoneelse’s else’shands. hands.The Thenew newnurses nurses are arenow nowthe thenew newcarrier carrierofofthe thecrown. crown.

The Thedress dressisiscreased creasedlike likethe thehandover handover atatthe theend endofofthe theday. day.Initially Initiallystarted startedasas pristine pristinepaper, paper,no nofolds, folds,no nomarks, marks,the the dress dresson onthe theportrait portraitshows showsususaahint hintofof the thebeauty beautyititonce onceheld. held.Now Nowit’s it’storn torn slightly slightlyon onthe thesleeves, sleeves,same sameasasthe the handover, handover,torn tornand andripped rippedatatthe theedges. edges.

InInthe thebackground, background,you youcan cansee seethe thesun sun bright brightand andtrying tryingtotobreak breakthrough, through,showing showing the thehint hintofofaabrighter brighterbetter betterday. day.This Thisfor for nurses nursesisisthe thechangeover, changeover,for forthe thenight night staff staffititmeans meansthe theend endisisnear nearand andthe thesun sun isiscoming comingup, up,time timetotogo gohome homeand andwarm warm our ourfaces facesininthe thesun’s sun’srays. rays.The Thecolours coloursare are warm, warm,and andwe weneed needitittotobe. be.We Weare arecold cold and andworn wornout outinside insideand andsun sunwill willrevive revive ususand andbring bringwarmth warmthback backinto intoour oursouls. souls.

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Vian Hussein Artist, interior design student and Kurdish Syrian refugee Many of Evelyn De Morgan’s painting were made in response to the conflicts like WWI, the Second Boer War and women’s suffrage. The beauty and symbolism found in her work are a testament to a desire to help, to lift spirits, to process trauma and offer a message of hope to those who viewed her paintings. Sadly conflict, wars and inequality still rage on across the world today.

“We stand as citizens of the UK and look out to other countries where the war is happening and perhaps feel quite helpless and want to do more” Sarah remarked, and with this in mind she wanted to bring the voices of the victims of war to the exhibition, “I’m in a very privileged position that I have no first-hand experience of war and conflict. So for me to interpret the paintings of the First World War, it made it feel a bit insincere.

And I hope that what this exhibition has done is to give people access to those credible voices on the subject and made the paintings a lot more accessible that way.”

Working with Lancashire County Council, Sarah was put in touch with a group of Syrian refugees now living in Lancashire and through their reinterpretation of Evelyn De Morgan’s painting they told her their stories. This led to a partnership with a young artist called Vian Hussein, who was also able to make painterly responses to Evelyn De Morgan’s paintings.

Vian was 14 years old when the war broke out in Syria, forcing her and her family to flee their homes to neighbouring Lebanon. After seven years living with uncertainty she, her family and any many other refugees were given the opportunity to immigrate to the UK and start their new lives safe from the conflict. Not long after 44

arriving in the UK she was asked by Rebecca Novell at Lancashire County Council is she would be interested in joining the Artist of Hope project. Vian saw this as a chance to help her settle in, learn more about her new home and maybe help address the monsters in her past.

And she hasn’t looked back since.

Do you remember the first time you saw Evelyn De Morgan’s art?

The first time I saw Evelyn De Morgan’s work, I felt the power in her painting. I remembered all my experience, the war and my old days in Syria.

I liked De Morgan’s style in her painting because she is mentioning the massive issues that was happening in the 1900s. She was talking about feminism and the world, for example, the First World War. She was trying to capture all that suffering in her painting by using some religious symbolism. So, I felt like very attracted to her paintings, I will absolutely look up whenever I see her paintings in other museums.

Another thing I noticed when I saw De Morgans paintings was hope. And hope, for me, it is new opportunity, new doors, new lives. And I feel like her paintings gave a lot of power to me and as I saw the hope in her paintings, and her confidence.

Hope for me means another chance. New doors.

New opportunities. New lives. I saw this in De Morgan’s work, because hope is all that humans can get during conflicts and the wars and in the end, I found hope is surviving. And that’s what I found in her painting.

What did you learn during the project?

As it is the first exhibition that I got involved in, I feel like I learned a lot about art especially using some equipment and materials. And I feel I have improved through this opportunity and the knowledge that I got from Evelyn De Morgans paintings. I felt the process as she was trying to capture religion, the war and the conflicts in her paintings. I feel like it taught me about how to express [myself] and to change all these feelings into colours on canvases.

What are the key themes of De Morgan’s work that spoke to you?

I start looking at her works and get all my inspiration from her using of colours, subjects, themes and all her topics that she used in her painting. Largely, it was feminism and the subject of war and conflicts where she tried to mention women and children, who are the biggest victims in conflicts. Another theme is religion, where De Morgan mention Jesus and the cross in her painting. And that inspired me to think about religion and its impact on the wars and conflict, where it’s the biggest cause of wars and in particular how religion had a huge impact on women’s life all around the world. Especially in Middle East, where women really struggle to get their basic rights, and in wars where they have no rights. I feel like that really touched me, especially in my painting where I drew the women with the refugee camp in her womb and that really describe the struggle that women have in the Middle East.

How did painting in response to recent events and Evelyns De Morgan’s work help you?

Painting used to be a refuge to express all my feelings, and that helped me to explain all my experiences and what I have been through during my journey. I feel like this opportunity really helped me to express more about what I have been through and about all the journeys that any Syrian can go through.

Did you paint a lot before you did this project?

No, I didn’t paint much before this exhibition, so this opportunity really had a positive improvement on my drawing and painting skill. I started drawing and paint more after when I saw De Morgan’s works. They inspired me to use many topics that she used but in my own special way. I feel like she really inspired me in painting. And I will continue painting as it is a process to reach my dreams.

I’m studying at the moment on an art and design course at West Lancashire College, and I’m looking forward to go into university to continue with an interior design course. When I started the course art and design, I wasn’t thinking about doing art, but when I got the opportunity to get involved into that exhibition, that helped me more to build my skills and to looking more to artists and to their paintings and got me involved into the art world.

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How Howdid didititfeel feelto tosee seeyour yourwork workdisplayed displayed alongside alongsidesuch suchamazing amazingart? art?

IIfeel feelso soproud proudto todisplay displaymy mywork workalongside alongside such suchan anamazing amazingartist, artist,aagreat greatfemale femalein inparticular, particular, which whichmakes makesme mefeel feelreally reallyso soproud proudbecause becauseshe’s she’s one oneof ofthe thegreatest greatestartists artistsof ofthe the20th 20thcentury. century.

What’s What’syour yourfavourite favouritepiece piecefrom fromthe the work workyou youhave haveproduced? produced?

Each Eachone oneof ofthe thepaintings paintingstook tookme mearound around ten tenhours hoursand andall allthem themtogether togethertook tookme meaafew few months. months.They Theyeach eachhave haveaadifferent differentview viewpoint point and andaadifferent differentmeaning, meaning,but butabsolutely absolutelyfor forme me ititisisgoing goingto tobe beThe TheJourney, Journey,because becauseits itstalking talking about aboutleaving leavingeverything everythingbehind behindand andmove move forward. forward.And AndIItry tryto tomerge mergemy myexperience experienceand and what whatIIhave havebeen beenthrough throughinto intothis thispainting. painting.So SoII feel feellike likeit’s it’sone oneof ofthe themost mostimportant importantto tome. me.

Which Whichof ofEvelyns EvelynsDe DeMorgan’s Morgan’spaintings paintings on ondisplay displayisisyour yourfavourite? favourite?

One Oneof ofthe thebest bestpaintings paintingsthat thatEvelyn EvelynDe De Morgan Morgandid didand andIIfeel feelisisvery veryinspiring inspiringwas was S.O.S. S.O.S.which whichisistalking talkingabout aboutthe thefeminism feminism and andthe thefemale femalerole rolein inparticular. particular.

What Whatdo doyou youmiss missmost mostabout aboutSyria?

Syria?

The Themost mostthing thingIImiss, miss,IIfeel feelthat thatit’s it’sthe theKurdish Kurdish community communitywhere wherefriends friendsand andfamilies familiesused usedto togather gather together. together.IImiss missthe thecities citiesand andthe thepeople peoplethat thatIIused used to tomeet, meet,the thestreets streetswhere whereIIspent spentall allmy mychildhood. childhood.

Some Someof ofthe thethings thingsthat thatIImiss missisisthe thefood, food,IImiss missthem them because becauseyou youdon’t don’thave havethem themhere herein inthe thecountry. country.

Did Didthe theproject projecthelp helpyou yousettle settle into intothe theUK UKmore moreeasily? easily?

Doing Doingart artand andgetting gettingthe theopportunity opportunityto todisplay display all allmy mywork workin inthis thisexhibition exhibitionhelped helpedme meaalot lotto to engage engagewith withthe thecommunity, community,to tomeet meetaalot lotof ofpeople people and andtalk talkand anddiscuss discussabout aboutart. art.And AndIIfeel feellike likethe the UK UKhelped helpedme meaalot lotand andespecially especiallythe thepeople people who whohelped helpedme meto tobuild buildmy myskills skillsand andto toexpress express my myfeeling feelingabout aboutwhat whatIIhave havebeen beenthrough. through.

IIfeel feellike likesince sinceIIcame camehere, here,IIclimbed climbedaalot lotof of steps stepsand andIIdid didaalot lotof ofthings thingsin inmy mylife, life,which whichII really reallyfeel feelproud proudof. of.IIfeel feellike likeI’ve I’vestarted startedfrom fromzero zero and andnow nowIIsee seemyself myselfreally, really,I’m I’mgoing goingup upand andIIwill will not notstop stoptill tillmaking makingall allmy mydreams dreamscoming comingtrue. true.

Since Sincebeing beinginvolved involvedin inthis thisexhibition exhibitionVian Vian has hasgone goneon onto todisplay displayher herwork workatatthe theArtz ArtzCentre Centre in inSkelmersdale Skelmersdaleand andtold toldher herstory storyatatevents eventssuch such as asKernow KernowTransformed TransformedFestival Festivalin inFalmoth.

Falmoth.

Recontextualising Recontextualisingthe thework workof ofEvelyn EvelynDe De Morgan Morganwith withdiverse diversemodern modernvoices voiceshas hashelped helped many manypeople peopleprocess processrecent recentevents eventsand andthe themodern modern world. world.Towneley TowneleyMuseum Museumand andGallery Galleryboasts boastsan an ever-changing ever-changingcalendar calendarof ofevents eventsand andexhibition exhibitionto to promote promotethe thevoices voicesof oflocal, local,as aswell wellas asinternationally internationally renowned renownedartists. artists.From From18th 18thJun Jun2022 2022--30th 30thOct Oct 2022, 2022,for forexample, example,the thework workof oflocal localartist artistDavid David Tomlinson Tomlinsonwill willbe beon ondisplay, display,chronicling chroniclingthe the changes changesin inBurnley BurnleyWood Woodover overrecent recentdecades. decades. >> >> 46

David Tomlinson

LIGHT IS COLOUR

47

Art is like walking, walking with a friend.

I walk when I can.

48

Alison Cooper, assistant curator at Towneley Hall, explores another impressive exhibition to be showcased at Towneley Hall – David Tolinson’s Light is Colour.

This retrospective explores Tomlinson’s unique view of Burnley and it’s people, as well as the changes to the Burnley Wood neighbourhood, where David grew up.

Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museum are thrilled to host a retrospective exhibition of over 80 stunning artworks spanning both our temporary gallery spaces. The exhibition documents the compelling paintings of locally rooted artist David Tomlinson. A recent piece of work by Tomlinson depicting Burnley Wood was chosen by Vic Reeves and Grayson Perry to be exhibited at Manchester Art Gallery’s exhibition from the 2020 lockdown series screened on Channel 4, Grayson’s Art Club. This caught the eye of staff from Towneley Hall, who were interested to know more about his work. Since 1986, painting and drawing has been a daily devotion for David Tomlinson, inspired by all that surrounds him. His art is almost a religion, he paints and draws every day. This dedication is reflected in the proficiency of a unique visual style created alongside a distinct voice. This retrospective explores the relationship between the artist, dedication to their medium and the subject matters which inspire on a daily basis.

Covering many decades of David’s artwork it is orientated around the people, buildings, places and spaces of Burnley, documenting his artistic journey, one of immense life change and a search for a different way of being.

Reflecting on his time growing up in Burnley Wood, David speaks of a fondness and sense of belonging for the area.

He told me: “Burnley Wood, terraced houses twoup-two-down, the bakers, barbers, greengrocers and cobblers. Our chapel and church, local picture house too. Busy pubs and clubs to boot. Under the tables I sat, chattering adults and singalongs were early memories, then late walks home. Fish and chips was a regular tea as mum and dad would arrive home late. A Lowry painting was firmly pinned on the chippy’s wall, “it looks like this around ere!” I thought. It fascinated me, a painting of industrial Salford was here and I was there!”

After finishing school, he talks about starting the world of work.

David said: “Up to start work at 8am. You’re going to be a plumber. Thanks dad” I said. £211-6 was my wage for a 48 hour week, a six-year apprenticeship, and indentured as well.”

His journey until this point had been typical of many people growing up in his community, working and bringing up a family, until an incident at the age of 38 changed his life forever. Suffering from a severe heart attack, David became unable to work. To aid with his rehabilitation he joined a painting for pleasure course where a new journey began to take shape. Experiencing much praise from his tutors, he enrolled at Burnley College on a BTEC course which opened up all kinds of doors and possibilities to future artistic development, embedding a deep sense of self-worth as his creative life began to blossom.

In the1980s, he spent three years studying at Liverpool University and completed a BA Hons degree, where he travelled from Burnle yto Liverpool weekly, stopping in a YMCA to break up the long commute. From the wilderness of the moorland that surround industrial border towns like Burnley, to capturing the change in light and space in urban environments he shows a strong passion for painting outdoors.

David continued during our conversation: “Learning to capture the changing light, the weather and moods of the landscape enable me to paint instinctively without the art theory and dictums, it gave me a freedom to embrace my own way of working, way of seeing, and my own style.”

The bold colours and use of space typify his unique style. A connection with people as well as their surroundings is evident, capturing the feel for the souls inhabiting these environments and the spaces in between. The exhibition includes

many portraits and self-portraits which embody hues of colour and strong distinctive shapes. After graduating from university, David continued to paint and draw. One large body of his work documents the many changes which happened in the Burnley Wood area of the town around the turn of the Millenium.

“A wealth of life experience, aspirations and memories had driven me to create a body of artwork in response to what I felt was the loss of identity of Burnley Wood. A place I still love and visit regularly. Around the time of the Millennium I witnessed the destruction of buildings and the doorstep infrastructure in the local community and attempted to come to terms with this through my artwork; expressing the passion and disillusionment I felt. Responding to the abandonment of place but also the human spirit,” he detailed.

“During the fragmentation of parts of Burnley Wood I helped to establish and run a community arts group at the One Stop Shop community centre, in an attempt to explore new ways of creating art with a community looking for ways of bonding as a group and exploring new way of being expressive.”

This emotive and unique body of work depicts Tomlinson’s development as an artist, as a human, as his therapy and as a community collaborator. His documentation of the Burnley Wood area is prolific and works as an almost artist residency in his own local community. Towneley Hall are thrilled to be showing this extensive and varied body of work from a talented and dedicated artist linked to the local community.

Discover more of David’s work at:

Towneley Hall 18th June to 30th October 2022 12:00-17:00 (last entry 16:00) Towneley Annual Pass: Adult Students Children under 17

£5.50 FREE FREE 49

SOPHIE GIBSON

TAKING ON THE EMPIRE Sophie Gibson is a Burnley-born artist who graduated with an honours degree in fine art at Liverpool John Moores University, in 2009. She has worked within the arts and culture scene throughout the Northwest and exhibited her work both nationally and internationally.

W

hen Sophie’s not working as a lecturer, the Burnley Empire takes up most of her time, along with many other exciting projects she’s involved with, in the town. Kelly Smith put on her hard hat and had a chat with Sophie at the theatre she loves so much.

Can you tell us more about the recent art exhibitions you have been involved in?

SOPHIE: Recently I have had an exhibition at Towneley Hall called Hidden Reveals, the brief was to respond to Towneley Hall’s art collections, something I have really enjoyed having a look at what they had, exploring, and reimagining it. I wanted to do something slightly different, so I looked at the chemist labels, because I love the text, I love the colours, and I recreate those out of paper making collages.

50

I also had an exhibition called I Think About You, which was based on some postcards that my Grandma June gave to me a few years ago. I didn’t know what to do with them, but I knew they were special to me. In these postcards there was correspondence between people across the world. There was one line in a card, that said it all, wrapped in this one postcard “to let you know that I think about you”. I thought that was quite sweet, especially after, the pandemic, all the lockdowns and correspondence with people keeping in touch. These works are a combination of gold leaf as well as collage and was exhibited in Burnley Mechanics.

©Allen Thomasson, Sophie & Michelle installing banners

I have been involved in Burnley Light Night, which unfortunately over the past two years has stalled. This year the artists are doing something different in response to the survival of artists in astronaut suits, called Under One Sky. As artists, freelancers and self-employed people we have just about been surviving whilst everything has been shut down and this is just a wonderful way to have a little bit of a comeback of the light. This will be exhibited in 117 Lower St James’s Street.

I’ve also been working with students from Burnley College who had the opportunity to commission a piece of artwork on Lower St James’s Street. This is a mural by Alexandra Gallagher, a Lancashire-based artist, which is part of a hidden trail. This artwork has uplifted the area with the injection of life and colour it needed and is now talked about by many.

Can you tell us how you went from being an artist to an activist?

SOPHIE: I think, in all honesty, it was being in the right place at the wrong time. I used to go to my friend’s cafe, in Scott’s Park.

One weekend there was a meeting about the Empire, and I recognised Mike from the NonSensibles and that intrigued me straight away; the Empire and singer of a punk band.

Can you tell us how you got involved in the Empire and why?

SOPHIE: It was a combination of being intrigued, but also knowing that someone should be doing something to save and restore this incredible building, not knowing that that someone would be me. I love going to gigs or exhibitions and unfortunately a lot of that happens outside of Burnley. The Empire was an opportunity to make a difference to the town. It is such an amazing project, I have learnt a lot along the way, and I feel very privileged to be involved.

51

What do you hope to do with the Empire going forward?

SOPHIE: We would love the Empire to be a multi-use arts and culture venue. We want to create a venue that facilitates everything that doesn’t already exist in Burnley. If it’s bringing bigger names to perform here that would be incredible and a better offer for the town’s arts and culture. If it means we can walk to town and back after seeing a live performance that normally we would have to go to Manchester or even further for them, then that would just be amazing.

©Burnley Civic Trust (1970) ©Burnley Civic Trust (1980) ©Ted Bootle 1981

©Ben Hamlen (2021) 52

Now you talk about your vision, how long do you think it will be before the Empire opens to the public?

SOPHIE: It is so important that members of the community, who are people that have supported us online, offline and donated, that they get the opportunity to see inside the Empire, but it’s safety first, and we still have more stabilisation works to do. As soon as it’s safe to do so we will give people a glimpse inside.

Throughout our restoration journey, we are keen to work with students to help with the hands-on learning as well as upskilling people in the local area. We have worked with students from Manchester School of Architecture who have used the Empire as their subject.

We hope to showcase their work in Burnley soon, which is their response to how to reuse the Empire.

For me it’s not just about that opening night, it’s very much the journey along the way.

What do you think the Empire means for the town?

SOPHIE: It was once described as the prettiest venue in the north, maybe it can once again be a venue to put the town back on the map. Burnley has such a rich history of people who have performed here, were born here and so much more. It’s very much in the hearts of the community.

People have some fond memories of the place, not just attending an event, but also working here as well.

Lastly, how is the Empire project being funded?

SOPHIE: We are a charity, so are very reliant on funding coming our way. We have been lucky enough to receive funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic England and the public. We really couldn’t do it without the support of others so if you would like to make a donation, we have a link on our website which is burnleyempiretrust.co.uk. On the website you can also sign up to our mailing list or contact Burnley Empire Trust and tell us how you could help.

We also share progress on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @BurnleyEmpire where you can also contact the Trust.

Visit burnleyhaz.org.uk for the full interview with Sophie.

53

DINE AND DRINK WITH

Burnley Leisure and Culture

197 Bistro & Bar

at towneley golf course

1855 Bistro & Bar

at mechanics theatre

1955 Kitchen & Bar at prairie sports village

O U R V ENUES ARE RE NOWNED FOR D E LIC IO US FOOD AND A WARM AND F R IEND LY ATM OSPHE RE. With the added bonus that when you visit one of our venues not only will you be supporting us as a charity to reinvest into Burnley but you will also help us support the great work done by the Community Grocery.

WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY GROCERY BURNLEY? The Community Grocery helps keep families fed.

Located at Valley Street Community Centre in Burnley, £1 from each of our Full English Breakfasts will go towards a paid on voucher for a family or individual who really needs help. £4 buys them a full shop at the Community Grocery, so for every £4 we raise a family or individual can access a full shop. You can still support this incredible scheme during any visit to our venues and donate as little or as much as you like. Follow us on social media at @CommunityGroceryBurnley

W E LO O K F O R WA R D TO S E E I N G YO U S O O N Book tables at blcgroup.co.uk or call 01282 664400

blcgroup.co.uk

Tel: 01282 01282664444 664400

Part of the BLC Group

L LEVEL UP expansion & improvement

It’s not only students who will benefit

55

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE CANALSIDE

T

he Leeds and Liverpool canal was once a crucial artery connecting Burnley with the rest of the world.

Today, the canal and its collection of imposing former mill buildings with the Pennine landscape as backdrop, provides a striking setting for the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Burnley campus, drawing students from around the world to study a variety of undergraduate and post graduate courses. The canalside mills that once produced cotton exported around the globe have been beautifully restored into amazing places to study. Higher Education is now one of the UK’s largest export industries.

Students can study a wide range of courses including accounting and business, medicine, nursing and midwifery.

Last year, the campus expanded with the purchase of Sandygate Mill, which now accommodates a state-ofthe-art library facility. Burnley Council has also acquired the iconic former Newtown Mill building which will be sympathetically renovated over the next 18 months to provide modern new learning space whilst retaining its industrial character. The building, which is locally known as Newtown Mill, was in fact never a mill. The building was originally the home of Burnley Ironworks, which produced the engines that powered the cotton industry including the Corless Stationary Engine Mill that is now exhibited in the Energy Hall at the Science Museum in London. Building on the Burnley engineering heritage, students at UCLan Burnley can study degree courses in Manufacturing Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, to name just a few.

But there is more to student life than learning and the student experience off campus is just as important. Burnley’s amazing Pennine Landscape offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the great outdoors and Burnley town centre, with its cafés, bars and clubs just a short walk away. The new Pioneer Place development, due to be completed in summer 2023, will add a new dimension to the student experience. The £23 million scheme will include a seven-screen cinema and five food and beverage units offering opportunities for students and their families to eat, drink and socialise.

56

Newtown Mill, Burnley

Newtown Mill, Burnley

Building Proposal

QUEEN’S LANCASHIRE WAY ELEVATION LOOKING SOUTH

Corten Steel Cladding

Existing Stone

Standing Seam Roof

Glazed Curtain Walling

MATERIAL SWATCHES

COURTYARD ENTRANCE AT NORTH-EASTERN CORNER

PROPOSED QUEEN’S LANCASHIRE WAY ELEVATION

PROPOSED REAR ELEVATION

N N

Schedule of Proposed Areas Schedule of Proposed Areas GEA 5442m2 GEA 5442m2 4347m2 GIFA 4347m2 GIFA

Access 63m²

WC 39m²

31m² (18 people)

No access (low headroom)

No access (low headroom)

1 to 1 room

Lift

Tea point

Tea point

Lift

Access

1 to 1 room Lift lobby 17m²

30m²

Service Riser 3m²

Meeting No accessroom (low headroom)

WC

20m²

18m²

Access

1 to 1 room

Seminar 14 19 RoomRoom

89m²

28m²

Canopy

Meeting room

Roof Light

Flat roof area

Flat roof area

20m²

Seminar

Focus space

Seminar Room 16

Canopy

1 to 1 room

30m²

Service Riser 3m²

18m²

Tea point

Tea point

36m²

36m²

No access (low headroom)

No access (low headroom)

WC

Seminar Room 14

Seminar Room 15

127m² (64 people)

Shaft

Lift

Lift lobby 17m²

No access (low headroom)

64m² (32 people)

Large Teaching room 2

Seminar Seminar 15 18 RoomRoom 36m²

28m²

Focus space

36m²

36m²

Seminar Room 17

36m²

Seminar Room 19 36m²

89m²

Seminar Room 16

Seminar Room 17

28m²

Seminar Room 18 36m²

28m²

No access (low headroom)

No access (low headroom)

51m² (32 people)

Maintenance Walkway

Maintenance Walkway

Maintenance Walkway

Maintenance Walkway

Maintenance Walkway

Roof Light

Roof Light Roof Light

Roof Light

2 2 Room Computer Room Computer 50m²

50m²

Screen divider Screen divider

608m²

Access inc hot desks and PC terminals

Access inc hot desks and PC terminals

Heat Pumps

608m²

Wellness Wellness room room 52m²

VoidVoid

Roof Light Roof Light

Teaching wall / Screens / Projectors

Business Business Interaction Interaction Suite Suite

42m² (21 people)

Teaching wall / Screens / Projectors

Louvre

Louvre

Louvre

Medium Teaching room 2

Roof Light

54m² (32 people) Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Roof Light

35m² (18 people)

Medium Teaching room 1

Roof Light

Louvre

Lift

Medium Teaching room 4

Cleaners Cup'b

85m²

Maintenance Walkway

50m²

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Service Riser 7m²

ACC WC

Access Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Roof Light

Heat Pumps

WC 4

25m²

Void over Void over

42m² (21 people)

Teaching wall

Teaching wall

SeminarSeminar Room 1 Room 1 42m² (21 people)

WC 3

WC's

Roof Light

42m² (21 people) Teaching wall

WC 2

127m²

(64 people)

51m² (32 people)

Teaching wall

SeminarSeminar Room 3 Room 3

Teaching wall

Lift

Lift lobby 17m²

WC 1

Seminar Room 10 Large 32m² (18 people) Teaching room 2 Seminar Room 11

Roof Light

Teaching wall

Medium Teaching room 2

Roof Light

Roof Light

35m² (18 people)

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Roof Light

Roof Light

23m²

64m² (32 people) 31m² (18 people)

Cleaners Cup'b

85m²

Medium Teaching room 1

120m²

Stair 9m²

Roof Light

Reception

Lift

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Medium Teaching Seminar room 4 Room 9

Service Riser 7m²

ACC WC

Access Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

24m²

11m²

WC 4

25m²

Roof Light

Roof Light

Teaching wall

SeminarSeminar Room 4 Room 4 42m² Plant (2142m² people) (21 people) Room

SeminarSeminar Room 2 Room 2 42m² FurnitureFurniture(2142m² (21 people) people) Store Store 23m²

WC 3

WC's

54m² (32 people)

Reception desk

Reception

Reception desk

Teaching wall

24m²

11m²

WC 2

Screen divider

50m²

Plant Room

WC 1

32m² (18 people)

Seminar Room 11

Computer Room 1 1 Computer Room

LV LV Switch Switch Room Room

Lift

Lift lobby 17m²

Seminar Room 9

Seminar Room 10

VoidVoid

Stair 9m²

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA) Lift

(72 people)145m² (72 people)

285m²

Entrance Lobby Entrance Lobby 81m² 81m²

Theatre entrance

Screen divider

Large Large Teaching Teaching room 2 room 2 145m²

WC 39m² Access Corridor Corridor Access 285m² Feature Staircase Feature TerracingStaircase Terracing

Main Main Entrance Entrance

Stage / Digital screens

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Stage / 181m² Digital screens

Lift lobby 17m²

WC WC WC WC WC WC Service WC 2 WC 3 WC 4 WC 5 WC 6 WC 7 WCACC WC Riser Service ACC WC 1 2 6 7 4 5 3 7m² Riser 7m²

Building information point

Street Street Entrance Entrance

181m²

58m² (32 people)

Shaft

Shaft

Lift

Lift lobby 17m² WC 1

Access

63m² Building information point

Entrance Entrance Foyer Foyer

120m²

Medium Teaching room 3

Stair 9m²

Roof Light

Open plan

office (20 people)

Roof Light

ACC WC

Feature Staircase Terracing

58m² (32 people)

Open plan

office (20 people)

Roof Light Access Hatch

Service Riser 5m²

38m²

Theatre entrance

Lift Lift

Lift lobby 16m²

WC's ACC WC WC WC 7 8

Feature Staircase Terracing

136m²

Shaft

Lift

Shaft

Shaft

130m²

Lift

Lift lobby 16m²

WC's 38m²

136m²

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Medium Teaching room 3

Stair 9m²

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

18m²

19m²

Shower Shower WC WC WC WC 7 WC 8 WC Shower 6 5 2 Shower 1 6 5 1 2

Lecture Lecture 2 Theatre Theatre 2 (140 ppl)(140 ppl)

GEA GIFA

108m² (50 people)

108m² (50 people)

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Stair 9m²

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Lift

Louvre

WC WC WC Showers WC Service Riser 1 2 3 WC 4 WC WC WC Showers 5m² 18m² 1 2 4 3

Plant

Stair 9m²

Screen divider

19m²

Lift

34m²

Louvre Louvre

Plant

Screen divider

Heat Pumps

Heat Pumps

Lift

Bike shelter 34m² Bike shelter

Louvre

Cafe seating Cafe 130m² seating

Stair 22m²

Large Teaching room 1

Large Teaching room 1

(52 people) 105m² (52 people)

Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA) Teaching Wall (Screens & AV TBA)

Screen divider

Screen divider

Stair 22m²

Courtyard Courtyard

45m²

Schedule of

Large Large Teaching Teaching 1 room 105m² room 1

16m²

Cafe Service hatch

Shaft

Bin Prep / Store 32m² Prep / Store Store 32m²

16m²

Cafe / Servery Cafe / Servery 45m²

Cafe Service hatch

Entrance Entrance

Shaft

Bin Store

Courtyard Courtyard

Roof Light Roof Light

Lecture Lecture 1 Theatre 1 Theatre ppl) ppl) (150 (150 142m²

142m² Roof Light Roof Light

Roof Light Roof Light

52m²

Workshop spaceWorkshop space

Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar 5 Room Room Room Room 5 Room 6 6 Room 7 7 Seminar Room 31m² 31m² 36m² 8 8 Room 31m² 31m² 36m²

Refuse Refuse Store Store

Alternative Alternative Entrance Entrance

Changing Changing Stair Places Places 18m² 20m²

20m²

Stair 18m² WC 1

W/C 15m² WC 2

WC 1WC 3

39m²

W/C 15m² CommsComms WC 2

Louvre

Cleaners Cup'b

13m²

13m² WC 3

ACC WC

Louvre

Proposed Ground Floor Proposed1 :Ground Floor 200 1 : 200

Cleaners Cup'b

WC 1

WC WC's 2 WC's ACC 20m² WC 20m²

WC 3

WC 1

Staircase Staircase 18m²

WC 2 WC 3

18m²

Roof Light

Roof Light

Roof Light

30m²

Proposed Second Floor Plan 1 : 200

1 : 200

Roof Light

Storage Storage 30m²

Proposed First Floor Proposed First Floor 1 : 200

PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Roof Light

Roof Light

39m²

PROPOSED FIRST FLOOR PLAN 0

0

4

4

8

8

12

12

16

16

20m 20m

Proposed Second Floor Plan

Proposed Third Floor Plan

1 : 200

1 : 200

Proposed Third Floor Plan

Proposed Roof Plan

Proposed Roof Plan

1 : 200

1 : 200

1 : 200

PROPOSED SECOND FLOOR PLAN

PROPOSED THIRD FLOOR PLAN 0

Graphic Scale: 1:200 Graphic Scale: 1:200 CLIENT

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GENERAL NOTES: DAY Architectural Ltd accepts no responsibility for any costs, losses or claims whatsoever arising from these drawings,

CLIENT University of Central Lancashire University of Central Lancashire

PLEASE NOTE:

related documents unlesslosses there is compliance with the Client or any unauthorised DAY Architectural specifications Ltd accepts noand responsibility for any costs, orfull claims whatsoever arising from these drawings, user of the following: PLEASE NOTE: specifications and related documents unless there is full compliance with the Client or any unauthorised user of the following: 1 All boundaries, dimensions and levels are to be checked on site before construction and any discrepancies reported to the THIS DRAWING IS INDICATIVE ONLY AND IS SUBJECT TO A DETAILED SURVEY OF THE EXISTING BUILDING. TO Architect /and Designer.

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REFER TO THE SURVEY ASSOCIATION'S DRAWING SSS-8484 FOR CURRENT SURVEY INFORMATION. Doare notreproduced scale this drawing.

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FURTHER CO-ORDINATION WITH ALL DISCIPLINES REQUIRED. ALL PROPOSALS TO BE REVIEWED AND AGREED FURTHER CO-ORDINATION WITH ALL DISCIPLINES ALL PROPOSALS TO BE REVIEWED AND AGREED WITH THE FIRE ENGINEER, ACOUSTICIANREQUIRED. AND BUILDING CONTROL OFFICER. WITH THE FIRE ENGINEER, ACOUSTICIAN AND BUILDING CONTROL OFFICER.

SCALE

GENERAL NOTES:

A1

DRAWN BY

CHECKED BY

GH BY RL CHECKED GH PROJECT No. JB / REVISION RL

JB DRAWN BY/

P2 Revised following client comments. Issued for PLANNING. Revised following client comments. Issued for P1 Issued for PLANNING. PLANNING.

21/04/2022 RL 25/03/2022

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Issued REVfor PLANNING. DESCRIPTION

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21/04/2022

DATE

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PROJECTUCLan Burnley UCLan Burnley GH

DAY DRAWING No. REVISION DAY-XX-XX-DR-A-04-0002 P2 DAY-XX-XX-DR-A-04-0002 P2

GH

DRAWING STATUS

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PLANNING PLANNING

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PROJECT No. 1306-21 1306-21

Information contained on this drawing is the sole copyright of DAY Architectural Ltd. and is not to be reproduced without their permission.

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FURTHER CO-ORDINATION WITH ALL DISCIPLINES REQUIRED. ALL PROPOSALS TO BE REVIEWED AND AGREED WITH THE FIRE ENGINEER, ACOUSTICIAN AND BUILDING CONTROL OFFICER. WITH THE FIRE ENGINEER, ACOUSTICIAN AND BUILDING CONTROL OFFICER.

SCALE

21/04/2022

Issued for PLANNING.

25/03/2022

DESCRIPTION

DATE

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DRAWN BY

25/03/2022

JB / RL

PROJECT DAY DRAWING No.

PROJECT

UCLan Burnley DAY-XX-XX-DR-A-04-0003

UCLan Burnley

P2 RLRevised GH following client comments. Issued for PLANNING.

21/04/2022

P1 RLIssued for GHPLANNING.

25/03/2022

RL

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REV BY

CHKD BY

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1:200

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DAY DRAWING No.

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DAY Architectural Lt DAY-XX-XX-DR-A-

PLANNING

Information contained on this drawing is the sole copyright of DAY Architectural Ltd. and is not to be reproduced without their permission.

“The development of Newtown Mill is another Key Views pivotal and exciting development in our ongoing

plans to raise young people’s aspirations in the area, respond to local employers’ skills needs and support the regeneration of Burnley.”

UCLan’s vice-chancellor Professor Graham Baldwin

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25/03/2022

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HITS ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE he acquisition and redevelopment of Newtown Mill on Queen’s Lancashire Way will provide state-of-the-art teaching facilities with inspirational heritage features, high-quality teaching rooms, student social spaces and business and public engagement areas. In addition to this, the proposal also aims to provide high-quality external spaces and public realm improvements.

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DRAWING

University Central Lancashire Proposedof Floor Plans - Sheet 02

University of Central Lancashire

PLEASE NOTE:

1 and All boundaries, dimensions andto levels on site before construction and any discrepancies reported to the All boundaries, dimensions and levels are to be checked on site before construction any discrepancies reported the are to be checked THIS DRAWING IS INDICATIVE ONLY AND IS SUBJECT THIS DRAWING IS INDICATIVE ONLY AND IS SUBJECT TO A DETAILED SURVEY OF THE EXISTING BUILDING. TO TO A DETAILED SURVEY OF THE EXISTING BUILDING. TO Architect / Designer.

Architect / Designer.

BE USED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSESON ONLY. BE USED INFORMATION ONLY.and ALL ELEMENTS AND DIMENSIONS TO BE CHECKED SITE.ALL ELEMENTS AND DIMENSIONS TO BE CHECKED ON SITE. Service: Any discrepancies is toFOR be advised to the Architect PURPOSES / Designer and direction 2 Partial Service: Any discrepancies with site or other information is to be advised to2thePartial Architect / Designer and directionwith andsite or other information / or approval is to be sought before the implementation of the detail. / or approval is to be sought before the implementation of the detail.

3 Block and site plans are reproduced under license from the Ordnance Survey.

3 Block and site plans are reproduced under license from the Ordnance Survey.

TO THE SURVEY REFER TO THE SURVEY ASSOCIATION'S DRAWING SSS-8484REFER FOR CURRENT SURVEYASSOCIATION'S INFORMATION.DRAWING SSS-8484 FOR CURRENT SURVEY INFORMATION. 4 Do not scale this drawing.

4 Do not scale this drawing.

5 For the purpose of coordination, all relevant parties must check this information prior to implementation and report any 5 For the purpose of coordination, all relevant parties must check this information prior to implementation and report any discrepancies to the Architect / Designer. discrepancies to the Architect / Designer.

FURTHER CO-ORDINATION WITH ALL DISCIPLINES REQUIRED. ALL PROPOSALS TO BE REVIEWED AND AGREED

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DAY Architectural accepts no responsibility for any costs, losses or claims whatsoever arising from these drawings, DAY Architectural Ltd accepts no responsibility for any costs, losses or claims whatsoever arising from Ltd these drawings, PLEASE NOTE: specifications and related unless there is full compliance with the Client or any unauthorised user of the following: specifications and related documents unless there is full compliance with the Client or any unauthorised user ofdocuments the following:

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UCLan BURNLEY’S EXPANSION discrepancies to the Architect / Designer.

Studio 1, Lancaster 77 Deansgate, Manc DRAWING STATUS T: 0161 834 9703 W: www.day-archite Inform

DAY Architec

PION PLAC 58

NEER CE

Work has commenced on the multi-million pound Pioneer Place cinema and leisure complex that will transform part of Burnley town centre.

The £23 million scheme, which will include a seven-screen cinema and five retail and leisure units, plus a 226-space car park, is set to be completed in late summer 2023 and opened in the autumn of that year.

The multi-screen cinema will be operated by REEL Cinemas which will continue to operate from its current site in Manchester Road, Burnley, until it moves to Pioneer Place. The Manchester Road site will then be re-developed for occupation by supermarket chain Lidl GB. The adjoining Star pub will remain unaffected.

The new supermarket will create around 40 jobs and represent further investment into the local economy.

It is estimated the construction of Pioneer Place will support around 180 jobs, with a further 100-plus new jobs being created in the cinema and supporting food outlets.

The work will be carried out by the council’s development partner Maple Grove Developments,

part of the Eric Wright Group.

Pioneer Place has secured funding from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Getting Building Fund, Burnley Council and Lancashire County Council, and fashion company and the borough’s largest employer boohoo.

Kailash Suri, managing director of REEL Cinemas, said: “We are delighted that work will be underway shortly on our new cinema and that we will be able to offer customers old and new a truly outstanding cinema going experience, the likes of which is currently unavailable in the town.

“REEL Cinemas prides itself on offering our audience members great customer service, complete comfort and value for money. As part of the Pioneer Place development in the centre of town the new REEL Cinema Burnley will give even more members of the local community somewhere to spend quality time with family and friends.”

John Lyttle, CEO of boohoo, who have committed £300,000 towards the development, said: “As a longstanding support of Burnley, which has been home to our international distribution centre for over a decade, we are delighted to see the launch of this exciting project, which will enhance the area for the local community, including thousands of our own team who live locally.

“The council has fought hard to ensure this project comes to life and we look forward to seeing it come to fruition.”

Burnley Lifestyle Magazine is particularly impressed to hear about the experience the new cinema will offer – including films for autism and hard of hearing customers, as well as Bollywood, Polish and independent films. The children’s play area and new food and beverage offer at the cinema also sound incredible.

We’re also eagerly awaiting the announcement of what the new five restaurants, bars and cafés will be.

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BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Change is a constant on the Burnley College campus.

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Fitness Revolution

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ur £110 million campus is permanently developing and evolving – powered by a passion and commitment to providing unrivalled facilities, unequalled opportunities and expert training for the future of everyone in Lancashire and beyond.

With the £2.5 million expansion of the awardwinning Fitness Evolution, a £4 million cutting-edge new four-storey block dedicated to Health and the Sciences education and a transformation of its breathtaking multi-purpose atrium into a brand new space only a few months away, it really is an exciting time.

Ever-developing excellence An ever-growing campus, Burnley College is focused on giving every student, apprentice and learner a safe and secure space to pursue their passions. The brand new Health and Science block opened at the beginning of 2022 and is friendly, spacious and bright with dedicated active learning zones, and a fantastic café where you can grab coffee with friends.

Fitness Evolution, our onsite award-winning sport and fitness facility, is used to being in the gold medal spot. Now they’re leading a different race altogether.

With the opening of the £2.5 million expansion, Fitness Evolution took the next step to secure its position as one of the premier providers of strength and conditioning training in the UK. Some of the breath-taking new facilities: • Environmental Chamber - Simulates the diverse climates of the world, from 12 to 40ºC, humidity control and altitudes simulation of up to 5000m above sea level.

• Cryotherapy Chamber – Reaches staggeringly cold temperatures up to -80ºC. Helps reduce the production of the stress hormones.

• Spa - Our incredible spa facilities include a plunge pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room and two tranquil treatment rooms.

“Doing the things other colleges just don’t do...”

– Burnley College Matrix Survey 2022 The Student Services and Health and Wellbeing provision for our learners and staff at Burnley College received the highest praise in its recent matrix assessment – an independent review of the service we provide our students on every level.

One of the centres of student life and extra curricular activities at Burnley College is the Atrium, currently in the process of being transformed into a multi-media, maxi-purpose space to further enhance our offer – opening September 2022.

Our exceptional Student Services Team will be relocating to a bigger and more flexible area too – so they can continue to “do the things other colleges just don’t do.”

Sustainability solutions The college has secured £2 million of funding for its Low Carbon Corridor – a hub which will help businesses transition to a greener future.

It’s filled with technology from air source heat pumps to electric boilers to hydrogen and battery technology - much of which is already being used on site in the new Health and Science block - a building designed to have as little impact on the environment as possible.

“Lancashire led the way in the Industrial Revolution. We will lead the way once again in the Green Revolution. We can’t wait to play our part in making a difference.”

– Neil Burrows, assistant principal with responsibility for employer engagement.

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Sarah Cole FdA in Children, Young People and Their Services

EVERY GREAT JOURNEY STARTS WITH ONE STEP As a busy single mum-of-three, Sarah thought degree-level study maybe out of reach – until she enquired at Burnley College University Courses.

Follow in Sarah’s footsteps and hear how she turned her dreams into reality.

BE INSPIRED BY SARAH’S STORY

T TOWNELEY hall, park & more

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THE TALE OF TOWNELEY Fling open the doors: 120 years of Towneley Hall going public The next two years are momentous ones for Towneley Hall and Park, and the people associated with them.

The historic hall and 62 acres of parkland were sold by Lady O’Hagan, the last of the Towneley family to live at the hall, to what was Burnley Corporation in 1901. The price paid was £17,500 – the equivalent of around £2.5 million today, which sounds quite the bargain! The following year Towneley Park was opened to the public – and 120 years later that historic milestone is being marked.

2023 marks the 120th anniversary of the hall opening to the public as a museum and art gallery,

which still attract tens of thousands of visitors a year.

By coincidence, Cosima Towneley is the Mayor of Burnley 2022/23 and her father Sir Simon Towneley marked his 100th year in 2021. All of which, we hope you agree, deserves recognition.

Mike Townend, senior curator at Towneley Hall museum, says: “Towneley has a special place in people’s hearts and has been loved and cherished by generations of local people. It has a much wider appeal as well, with visitors coming from all over the world. It really is a wonderful place, full of history, art and nature.”

Towneley Park

Towneley Hall

The park is the biggest and arguably most popular, in the borough and has repeatedly won national Green Flag awards to recognise its quality and positive impact on the community and those who visit.

The parkland has developed down the centuries, with the earliest map dated 1661 showing gardens, woodlands and fields around the hall. In 1758, Charles Townley (sic) inherited the estate and made extensive changes, including creating what is known as a “ha-ha” wall in front of the hall’s pond, as well as planting thousands of trees, including the oak that still survives at Castle Hill.

The park now covers 400 acres. In 2001, a £1 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant was used to build an extension to the hall and in 2005 a further £2.5 million HLF grant enabled a major restoration of the park and improvements to visitor facilities.

The first hall at Towneley was built in 1380 and, if you know what you’re looking for, traces of it can still be seen in the current building (the outline of the gable of the original hall can be seen in the south wing).

By the mid-15th century, the Tower House, now forming part of the south wing of the hall, had been built. Over the following centuries, the hall was further extended. The current general layout, with a central hall and two wings, was created by Richard Towneley in the 17th century.

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What’s next?

Like all historic buildings, Towneley Hall requires constant upkeep and periodically, major repairs are needed.

In 2020, Burnley Council commissioned specialist conservation architects to carry out an extensive and detailed survey of the hall which identified that some major repairs are needed to ensure that it is in good condition for the next 120 years.

The council has been successful obtaining a grant of £890,000 from the Arts Council’s Museum Estate Development Fund towards the cost of repairs which will include: • Replacement of roofs, leadwork and guttering; • Repointing of high-level stonework and dismantling and rebuilding a section of the outer wall of the west wing (Great Hall); 66

•

North Wing: Treatment of dry rot in the north tower and art gallery; • Great Hall: Repairs of 1730s ornate plaster ceiling; • Repair and replacement of windows: There are 130 windows in Towneley Hall.

Most require some repair and some of the timber windows require replacement.

The works will be carried out by specialist contractors using traditional craftsmanship and materials.

It is expected that the repair contract will commence in late autumn 2022 and be complete by Easter 2025. During this period parts of the hall will be closed, but once the repair work is complete, Towneley Hall can look forward to the 700th anniversary of its foundation in 2080!

SIR

SIMON TOWNELEY

S

ir Simon Towneley does not remember the opening of the hall and grounds to the public, but born in the dying days of 1921, his birth made a wonderful symmetry of continuity following the death of Alice O’Hagen, his great aunt, earlier that year. Although home was to be London and school for the most part, he and his brother Peregrine were constant visitors to their grandmother, Lady Alice Reyntiens, who had inherited the Worsthorne Estate, part of the old Towneley Estate, from her cousin, Cosmo Gordon Lennox.

Dyneley, rather disparagingly described as ‘a suburban villa on a bleak hillside’, was to host most of their childhood holidays.

Sir Simon remembers hearing of the outbreak of war on Sunday 3rd September 1939, following Mass at St. Mary’s. Then followed a flurry of preparations and inductions into the Home Guard in Cliviger.

“Both Perry and I were under the command of James Burton, my grandmother’s butler. I doubt we would have been much use if there had been a real invasion but it was quite fun,” he remembers.

Sir Simon continues: “Unlike the first war, there was little of the mad rush to volunteer and our call up was quite orderly.

I finished school, made my mark with the 60th Rifles, The King’s Royal Rifle Corp, and simply carried on normal life which meant starting my Oxford degree.”

The degree was put aside when called to action in Italy. Landing at Taranto, he joined the push up Italy, only to be taken as a prisoner of war, along with many of his fellow riflemen, following atrocious weather that caused the tributaries of the Po to flood, cutting the troops off from reinforcements.

Nine months in a prison camp followed.

Sir Simon explains they were “the worst times and the best. The comradeship in adversity cannot be forgotten, but the privations marked each of us. Let us say we were very glad to get home”.

Following a stint as an Oxford Don, his book on Venetian Opera is still a ‘go to’ tome on the subject, he remembers Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth with affection.

“She was rather keen to get me involved,” Sir Simon remembers, “especially once Mary and I married (1955) and it was clear we were not fly by nights!” And indeed ‘fly by nights’ they certainly have not been. Sir Simon has been a steadfast supporter of the arts, not just within the borough, but throughout the North West and remains patron of a significant number of charities, associations and societies to this day. His wife, the late Mary, Lady Towneley, also left her mark. A doubty countryside campaigner, she received the MBE in 2000 for Services to the Countryside, and left a visible legacy both in the borough and beyond that is the Pennine Bridleway and Mary Towneley Loop.

A former High Sheriff (1971) and Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire (1976 -1997), Sir Simon has seen four monarchs and 21 prime ministers; the General Strike, The Depression, war and pandemics, a man on the moon and the arms race, the rise and fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, plantations of trees have been planted and felled within his lifetime but one thing is for certain, his roots run deep.

Sartorial elegance.

Sir Simon in his gar de

n

Sir Simon, then Mr & Mrs Simon & Mary Towneley on their wedding day June 1955, Spanish Place, London

n nt Simo Lieutena 60th y, le e n w To nair RRC) Le Rifles (K

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CLLR COSIMA TOWNELEY,

MAYOR OF BURNLEY ����/��

T

he Mayor was born in Cliviger and was educated at St. Joseph’s, Park Hill before going away to school in Dorset and Shropshire.

With a degree in History/History of Art, and a Post Grad in Land Economy, she has worked in South Africa, South-East Asia, London and Scotland before returning back, full time, to the borough in 2010 to start a small business producing pickles, preserves, cordials and confectionary to be sold at markets around the North West.

She’s stayed close to her roots when it came to

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politics, representing Cliviger with Worsthorne on Burnley Council from 2007, holding the Burnley Rural seat for Lancashire County Council from 2017 and remaining a Cliviger parish councillor.

“I love this borough and it’s a great privilege to serve as Mayor of Burnley. It will be a momentous year as so much is happening within our vibrant communities. I will strive to promote and support all our residents in their endeavours and look forward to meeting many of our individuals and groups that make our borough such a splendid place to live, work and play.”

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HOME GARDEN with colours that blossom inside & out

It seems like there has been a resurgence in popularity of interior design and gardening.

We take a look at some of the developments in Burnley.

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Inside the stunning home of Kim Yates, founder of Lemon Leopard Interior Design

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LEMON LEOPARD {INTERIOR DESIGN}

A fun family home full of colour “My husband says there’s certainly a lot going on in here.

But the kids think it’s so fun. It portrays us as a family, we’re a happy, joyful family and our home reflects our personalities.” hen we met interior designer Kim Yates, 35, in the kitchen of her stunning home in Barrowford, Lancashire, we can see why the children she shares with husband Mark, 34, love it so much. Ronnie, 6, and Remi, 3, must love waking up every day to a riot of colour, texture and pattern clashes.

“It is a bit of a sensory overload, but the kids adore the house.” And it was her children who inspired Kim to take the plunge from being the owner of beauty salon Lemon Beautique to heading back to the classroom to complete a UCLan degree in Interior Design.

Little Remi was born at 27 weeks and naturally, it was a scary time for the family.

Kim explains: “We were going to and from Burnley Hospital, attending regular consultant appointments and

W

something had to give. I was managing the salon; my husband has a very busy job in project management, and we had a toddler to also take care of. Then COVID hit at the beginning of 2020, and it made us weigh up our priorities even more.”

And for Kim, that meant deciding what she truly wanted to do with her career. She had a fulfilling career running her beauty business and had built up a loyal clientele.

Her clients would often comment on her incredible eye for colour and her ability to bring their designs to life. The early arrival of Remi, in combination with the pandemic, helped push Kim to take the plunge and follow her dream of interior design. She signed up to study for a degree at UCLan and shortly after our interview, discovered she had obtained a first-class degree (BA Hons). Furthermore, she has already taken on her first job under her Lemon Leopard Interior Design Business.

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So, how was it going from owning a beauty salon with a baby and toddler to starting afresh?

KIM “It was scary going back to being a student, I’d not used a laptop since school and coming from the beauty industry into a digital world was overwhelming.

However, my tutors really believed in me and knew I had the creative side, it was just the digital skills I needed to polish up. I sat down with a friend who does marketing for a job, and she showed me the basics.

Once you master those, it’s not as scary as it seems, and I’ve come on so much in three years.”

So much so, that Kim’s Instagram account (@lemonleopard_interiordesign) has over 24,000 followers. Not bad, for someone who hadn’t used a laptop for almost 20 years! Getting to grips with social media is essential for most businesses these days and Kim is clear that it has opened many doors for her.

“I’ve gotten to work with some fantastic brands on Instagram, especially smaller ones often ran by one person, and I love supporting local where possible. My Instagram account has helped me show off my portfolio and support other new businesses in the process. It really has got to the point where businesses, especially visual ones in interiors, leisure and retail, can’t afford to not be on social media.

When people visit places, they take photos of shop fronts, window displays and there are always plenty of loo selfies! Who would have thought it was important to have a nice-looking bathroom, but it’s what many consumers expect these days, and it presents a fantastic opportunity for graduates like myself who can help with that.”

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Family life in Burnley

Don’t talk about the fridge!

In fact, Kim refers to the recent transformation in Padiham town centre as a fantastic example of why well looked after shop fronts are essential.

“Padiham looks beautiful now, we are so lucky to have all of the mills and architecture we do in Burnley.

I really like the Sandygate area, it has so much potential.

In fact, I’d love to manage a wedding venue in one of the old mills one day, but one thing at a time!

“Even what Burnley FC in the Community has done with Leisure Box [the play centre was where Mark had taken the children for our interview so we could chat in peace!] and also the Barnfield Northlight development in Brierfield – it’s absolutely stunning, the whole area really has come on leaps and bounds, it’s great to see as a resident and now as a business owner,” Kim explains.

There is certainly plenty going on, especially for young families. In their downtime, the Yates family love to get out into the fresh air, with Gawthorpe Hall a favourite. The couple also like to escape to Crow Wood when the opportunity presents and is in fact where Kim started her beauty career when the team consisted of six therapists. The beauty therapist team there now has over 40 and Kim admits that Crow Wood Hotel and Spa has set the standard when they visit other spas: “nothing else comes close.” It certainly is a fantastic asset in our borough and a must-visit whether you live in the area or are visiting from further afield.

However, an opportunity recently arose for Kim that would have seen her switch Burnley for Brighton – and without her husband and children in tow. She was encouraged to apply for the TV series Interior Design Masters and, after submitting the application, was told she would hear back in a few weeks.

“The next day, the phone rang! After an hourlong video interview, I was told I’d immediately gone through to the final stage. I was given a live brief for an Airbnb in Margate and had to design a full scheme, within a budget, within a week. It was the Easter holidays, and I had both kids at home and had wondered what I’d gotten myself into! Whilst I felt confident, I wasn’t selected. I asked for feedback and was told not to take it personally and that fitting together contestants is like a jigsaw, there might have already been someone else with my niche style. Everything happens for a reason, filming away for ten weeks would have taken a huge toll on family life and other opportunities have since presented themselves.”

One major opoortunity being a big commercial brief, which is still in its first stages, but Kim appreciates how lucky she is to be designing a key community space so soon after finishing her degree.

Downtime is essential for the busy Yates family, with Kim admitting they are “addicted to the buzz and stress of a renovation”. And much to our disbelief, the couple plan to put their home on the market in the summer of 2022.

But why, when they’ve got it to such a high standard after a dizzyingly fast ten-week renovation?

“It’s a question we’re often asked, people think we’re bonkers. We completed the renovation in just ten weeks. To some people, that would have been a daunting project, but you just need to break the space down, figure out how you use it and create some tactile mood boards to ensure all colours and textures flow.”

It’s also important to ensure any plans are sympathetic to the age of the property. Their home was built circa 1900s for a local mill owner. It used to be one big house with next door and was turned into two, with the back of the house originally the front. Arts and craft architecture in style, the garage was added in the 1930s to house what was thought to be one of the first motor cars. The stained glass, coving, panelling and archways have all been kept. The couple did decide to replace the original single pane lead windows with new double glazing in a crittal style to improve energy efficiency.

It all sounds smooth for these renovation addicts, who are on to their fourth renovation project. But Kim assures us that it certainly isn’t plain sailing. We asked what the biggest argument has been so far during the project.

“The purple fridge!” Kim reveals. “It was silver like most fridges, but I’m just not keen on silver.

Mark came home from work one day and I’d started to paint it purple and covered the ice dispenser with leopard print vinyl. He started to pull off the vinyl!

But I put it back on. The kids love it of course.”

Kim admits that even as a little girl she would switch up her bedroom every weekend, so making regular interior updates comes naturally to her. She describes her style as modern-vintage-maximalism, whereas her husband prefers grey, white and clean lines.

There are also a few “disagreements” between the two about how they should present the house to market, with Mark thinking the décor might put off potential buyers.

Kim reasons that “people who you wouldn’t expect to, love it – men in particular love the pink. I think many people want to go bold but aren’t brave enough.

Who knows, someone with the same style as me might fall in love with it”. And when Kim first viewed it, it was the staircase and entrance hall that won her over – “I have this thing about entrance halls.”

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So, with the house finished, what next for Lemon Leopard Interior Design?

KIM “We’ve currently got our home listed on Peer Space, which is where we invite location scouts to potentially use our property for filming. We’ve had some interest already and I’m working on the new commercial project. I think there’s a huge gap in the market for property staging, especially if a property has been listed a while with little interest, and that’s one of the many extra services I offer under Lemon Leopard. I obviously want to grow the business, but I don’t want it to get so big that I become removed from the handson process. Not that it feels like work. I love doing what I do, it fits around the children as I can do my work fluidly to suit. Mark says he doesn’t want us to do another full renovation, but we always say that!

This was supposed to be our forever home, which the next one should be…but who knows! I also did a live brief for Ikea when I was at uni and they’re going to use some of my designs in store, so I’m excited to see that come to fruition too.”

A big thank you to Kim and her family for allowing us into their beautiful, colourful home and we wish them all the best with their next move and Lemon Leopard Interior Design.

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THE GROWING HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY

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lisha Paneers is a keen gardener, making the most of her modest yard at her home in Burnley, brimming with herbs and vegetables. We sent her to Pennine Lancashire Community Farm to see what wonders are grown in this fantastic project.

Gardening can be a wonderful hobby and suitable for various abilities and budgets. Whether you’re maintaining huge swathes of land or, like myself, small backyard herb pots, there’s always something to get stuck into. I’ve always found the act of gardening therapeutic and extraordinary for my mental health, especially in times when the day-to-day grind can be exhausting. Gardening is amazing whether you want to dedicate your spare time to a solo backyard project or join a community of gardeners to accomplish something greater.

Burnley is encircled by gorgeous farmland, amazing parks and luscious green spaces. Our gardens and yards allow us to bring a part of that space into our homes and communities.

For those of us who may not have access to (or need a somewhat more) green space, there are numerous organisations and schemes within our amazing borough which are devoted to assisting us with exercising that green thumb. I have had the pleasure of visiting several of these and one such place is the Pennine Lancashire Community Farm.

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pon visiting Pennine Lancashire Community Farm, I met with Helen, one of the members of staff. She filled me in regarding the astounding work that the farm does with the nearby community at their Eco Community Hub in Stoneyholme. The actual hub is a self-sustaining building, that was constructed during the winter of 2019/ spring 2020, with a living rooftop, water recycling, and insulated walls to assist with lowering the energy consumption. The hub was built in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, with assistance from an architect.

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Close to the hub are allotments which can be leased for £2 each year.

“These allotments are extremely important for the residents, they provide a rich growing space for vegetables, develop community spirit and are a key stone for wildlife. Many of the women who grow in these allotments also attend the Chilli Club – a project that is partnered with the Bangladesh Women’s Wellbeing Association, Burnley Youth Theatre and the farm, which is regularly run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The club aims to bring the different communities together through cooking and experiencing different cuisines,” Helen explained.

Planting a seed I had the delight of speaking to one of the ladies (who asked to be called Mrs Ahmed for this feature), she told me: “Gardening has forever been a piece of my life, it helps keep me active as I grow older. I still enjoy planting seeds and watching them develop, even after all these years.

Gardening allows me an opportunity to accomplish more with my day.”

One of her most loved things is showing her grandchildren how to garden and to involve the produce in cooking. She explained how significant gardening is to her and her family and that it gives her a feeling of satisfaction that she can share her cooking with friends and family, knowing that she’s grown all the ingredients herself.

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The Pennine Lancashire Community Farm offers many other voluntary opportunities such as their Fresh Food Initiative, which grows fresh produce for local food bank services. Another voluntary service is the Budding Burnley Scheme, run by Charter Walk in the core of Burnley town centre just off St James’s Street. Budding Burnley is a community allotment maintained and grown by volunteers. The scheme is run in association with neighbourhood schools and volunteers to assist with life skills and blossoming hobbies. Last year, the Budding Burnley allotment won the level 5 prize during the Britain in Bloom awards for their amazing work.

This year, the scheme has returned with the aim to give something back once again to the community. The local volunteers will grow a wide range of herbs and vegetables which, once fully grown, will be harvested for donation to local foodbanks and community kitchens. The organisers trust that this year will be even more successful than the last and assist more youngsters with encountering the delight of gardening and giving back to the community.

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A hidden acre in Towneley Park If you live towards Burnley Wood or close to Towneley Park, there is also the amazing Offshoots programme run by Newground.

Offshoots is a section of land, approximately an acre in space, concealed in Towneley Park. The site is comprised of growing beds, polytunnels, DIY studio, kids’ mud kitchen play area, and so much more. You can take part with planting for bumble bees to help with local pollination and fertilisation, master and foster basic carpentry abilities utilising reycled goods, meet new friends and work on your physical and psychological wellbeing.

If gardening isn’t your forte (and if not, thank you for reading as far as this point!), they offer opportunities with general site upkeep and DIY; meet and greet the general public, woodwork and much more. The Offshoots programme is run from 10am Tuesday-Saturday and welcome members from all walks of life.

If you are concerned that growing your own produce will take too much time from your day, there are many quick and easy plants that can help you save money and save on waste. My top choices are spring onions - just cut an inch or so over the root and place it in fresh water, after only two or three days the leaves are ready to be cut back and can be used in cooking. Egg shells are a phenomenal method for lessening waste - simply wash, dry and sprinkle into plant pots to stop those pesky slugs and snails from eating your hard grown produce!

Regardless of where you reside in the borough, there are many opportunities to engage with these brilliant communities and get out in nature. From my own experience, I have discovered that plants have the astounding ability to impact the environment around them, from the delight of seeing newly bloomed blossoms outside your window to becoming a significant part in the ecosystem and the superb creatures that live there. It can be a wonderful hobby for all ages and have immeasurable benefits for youngsters learning where their food comes from. I hope you too can appreciate gardening as much as I do and become a part of this beautiful growing heart of our communities.

If you want to get involved with these projects, you can find their information below.

Offshoots

daniel.mcdermott@newground.co.uk Tel: 01254 265163

Budding Burnley

buddingburnley@charterwalk.com Tel: 01282 425368

Pennine Lancashire Community Farm

info@penninelancashirecommunityfarm.org | Tel: 01282 421690 83

LIFE AT THE FOUNDRY through the keyhole

The show apartment at The Foundry

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ebecca Holden, from Northgate Estate Agents, is responsible for marketing the stunning new apartments at The Foundry, on Hammerton Street in Burnley town centre. Here, she takes us through the next phase of this exciting development and talks to one happy buyer in the luxury complex.

Featured in the last edition of Burnley Lifestyle Magazine, The Foundry is a Grade II-listed Georgian mill, built in 1844, and was formally known as Proctor’s Mill. Developed by Hammerton (Lancashire) Ltd, it is now a residential development of 26 apartments in Burnley town centre.

When we visited the former Lava and Ignite nightclub on Hammerton Street last year, business partners and developers Mick Cookson and Steve McPherson took us on a tour, which was still in parts a building site, with only the top floor apartments ready for viewing.

Fast forward one year, we arrive to see furniture being delivered, residents coming home from work and others enjoying a drink on the terrace with family.

Sales at the property are managed by Northgate Estate Agents. Rebecca Holden, Northgate Partner Agent met us on site to show us how it all looks now.

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The show apartment at The Foundry

“My apartment feels like a proper home, not just an apartment in a big building. I love it so much, I’m so happy here.”

The south-facing frontage is a sunny private terrace for residents, overlooking The Corkhouse.

The Corkhouse is an intimate venue specialising in wine, sharing boards and great live music – not bad to have as your local! We are taken to the ground floor show home with private balcony overlooking the River Calder - it has been beautifully done and feels bright and airy in neutral colours with natural fabrics and furnishings.

Access to the upper floors is by staircase or lift; there is a glass staircase at the entrance to the building and a stone staircase at the rear. We head up in the lift to meet Georgina, one of the first residents to move in. Georgina is a 23-year-old HR manager who snapped up a two-bed apartment in The Foundry to mark her first step on the property ladder.

Georgina first viewed the apartments in November 2021 and quickly put down a reservation on her favourite one. Whilst the conveyancing was in progress, she brought her family and measured up to choose furniture. Georgina then moved in during the spring of 2022 with the help of her mum.

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Georgina’s apartment

Georgina invited us into her new home for a look around, we asked her what she liked about the property. She told us: “It’s so close to everything - a short walk to bars, shopping, job opportunities and not far from the motorway. I actually only came to look because it was the old Ignite building and I wanted to have a nosey. My parents used to party here and so did I. But I knew straight away when I came to view that it was the only place I wanted to live. I love the building, the cobbled streets and little windows around. It’s like city living but in the nicest part of town. I’m a country girl so I like that it’s in a quiet spot. All my family are shocked I’ve actually moved out - they thought I would be at home forever!

My apartment feels like a proper home, not just an apartment in a big building. I love it so much, I’m so happy here.”

We asked Georgina who she thinks The Foundry is ideal for: “We’ve got a nice little community, I knew there would be young people here, and then there’s families and older people. It’s ideal for anyone like me, in their 20s and wanting to make a life for themselves, become independent. Not those wanting to party all the time, those who want to make a really nice start in life.”

Rebecca added: “I’ve been involved with the development since it was a bare stone shell so it’s been great to see a building site evolve into a 86

lovely place to live. The demand for the apartments has been high, appealing to a wide market from the local area, but also people from Manchester and London - from young professionals, families to retired couples. We found that the biggest apartments were reserved first - we actually could have sold the three-bed penthouse many times over!

“We have since had a couple of the larger apartments come back on the market, for typical reasons, such as chains falling through etc, however we are close to being fully sold out with just a handful of properties left.”

It certainly does feel like an apartment you’d find in somewhere like Manchester, except much more affordable and with incredible countryside just moments away. If, like Georgina, you fancy having a nosey around this beautiful development, you can call Northgate Estate Agents on 01282 525710 to book a viewing. Who knows, you might just find your new home?

Welcome to The Lawrence, an award winning dog friendly property featuring The Courtyard restaurant (open to the public), 14 design led rooms, wedding and event spaces.

28 Church Street Padiham, BB12 8HG 01282 771804 www.thelawrencehotel.co.uk

P POWERING PADIHAM

the emergence is well underway!

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“The Room + Power co-working hub is a real jewel in this imposing Grade II-listed building.”

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POWERING PADIHAM the emergence of a new-look town hall

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ooking at the Corinthian columns fronting Padiham Town Hall, you’d be forgiven for thinking this imposing building in the centre of the town was older than it actually is. In fact, you need only go back as far as 1938 when on the 26th of February the building was formally opened by the Leader of London County Council, Herbert Morrison. Prior to this, Padiham; as much of the North of England, was heavily involved in the cotton industry and the site of the town hall had previously been the home of Bridge End Cotton Mill, locally known as “The Wonder Mill”.

The Local Board of Health had been established in 1873 was present in Padiham up until 1894, at which point the continued growth of the town led to it being established as an urban district. In the early 1930s, the former Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe Hall had urged civic leaders to procure a dedicated town hall and so in 1936 construction began. The building was designed by architects Bradshaw, Glass & Hope in the Neo-Classical style and the result was a landmark building worthy of the progress of the town.

The building continued to serve as the headquarters of the local urban district for many years, until 1974 when the enlarged Burnley Borough Council was formed. It has been the home of Padiham Town Council since its inception in 2002, but after becoming a bit tired, has undergone a huge transformation in the past few years, much like the rest of the town centre.

Parquet floors, racing greens and classic leather sofas

The final phase of the refurbishment of Padiham Town Hall is now open and we are excited to present Room + Power co-working! One of the largest spaces in the building was the former committee rooms on the first floor. This presented an opportunity to offer something complementary alongside the seven fixed office spaces that were also renovated as part of project, which was supported by £300,000 of Growth Deal Funding through the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

The Room + Power co-working hub is a real jewel in this imposing Grade II-listed building. It boasts dual aspect double height windows, beautifully restored feature parquet flooring and is furnished with a combination of contemporary stylish desk space alongside a comfortable and modern lounge area. The space was set up to allow flexible space to suit a range of businesses who need easy access to a professional space with a real wow factor.

Users of the co-working space will have the option of two membership tiers of Gold and Silver for added flexibility. These include access to the hub from 8am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, Padiham Town Hall mailing address with designated mailbox, free parking, locker facilities, high-speed wireless internet access, copier/ printing/scanning facilities and the use of two modern meeting rooms with 65” touch screen monitors.

Why are we mentioning co-working space in a lifestyle feature? A thriving and vibrant town centre is dependent on entrepreneurs, creatives and gogetters. In an ideal world, the people and businesses who choose Padiham Town Hall as their base will become so successful that they need larger premises in the town, bringing empty buildings back to life. The next cohort of new businesses move into Room + Power and so the cycle begins again.

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“There is a growing demand for flexible, high-quality office space and restoring the first floor in Padiham Town Hall made a lot of sense. The scheme compliments the investment made in Padiham town centre over the past couple of years to ensure this beautiful and historic town continues to provide a fantastic experience for businesses, visitors and residents. The response to the scheme has been amazing, with the fixed office space already fully occupied and a strong interest in the co-workspace following its launch.”

Kate Ingram, strategic head of Economy and Growth at Burnley Council.

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There are also all the benefits of being in a town centre location with access to a range of independent shops, cafés and bars and supermarkets as well as the nearby Padiham Leisure Centre. Padiham Town Hall sits close to the banks of the River Calder and is adjacent to the Padiham Greenway and is also a short walk to National Trust Property Gawthorpe Hall and its grounds.

Indeed, as you will see in this edition of the magazine, Padiham has plenty to offer. Many new businesses and residents here have moved to Padiham from nearby smaller towns and villages, recognising the affordable lifestyle and that it is a town ‘on the up’. And long may its star rise.

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A TOWN EFFORT: BRINGING PADIHAM BUILDING SOCIETY BACK TO LIFE

The former Padiham Building Society and how it looks today

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s you walk into what used to be the former Padiham Building Society, it’s hard to know where to look first. Whether it’s the striking signage of Tone, the digital content agency that has the bottom floor, it’s super-cool chill-out area or the beautiful historic features that have been thoughtfully retained, the renovation of the building is credit to Liam Veitch, who masterminded the huge project.

Liam founded and runs Tone and grew up in Padiham. After an unsuccessful three years trying to find a permanent home for his thriving agency, his attentions turned to the former building society building, which went on to become Santander.

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He took Burnley Lifestyle Magazine on a tour of the building and told us: “The loss of Santander was a shame for Padiham, but a sign of things to come, so at its closure in 2018 I immediately registered my interest.

“At that time we were growing at Tone Agency, and so floor space was growing at the same rate. By the end of the two-year journey to secure the property (various legal technicalities to work through), we were well over £5,000 every month in rent. Although the property was purchased and renovated with my own personal capital, a mortgage on this property would be a fraction of that.”

The rumour mill It was certainly an interesting journey for Liam, who admits it was the largest project he’d undertaken and the biggest team of contractors he’d ever worked with (Liam has been in property development for some time, but this project was a whole different kettle of fish).

It seemed many people were adamant the building was going to be a Wetherspoons.

“I keep to my roots and listen in on conversations happening on Padiham Community Talk. I eventually lost count of the number of times it was ‘confirmed’ it would be a Wetherspoons. I even had someone in the queue at Bertwistles tell me they ‘had it on the highest authority’ it was to be a Wetherspoons. Little did they know they were speaking to the highest authority, and that it was 100% false. I collected my tuna salad and let them continue.

“Beyond the Wetherspoons rumours, and the obvious disappointment that this was the last bank in the town to close, the support has been unanimous, particularly from local businesses who will benefit from people working here to come back into Padiham,” Liam explained.

Whether you wanted it to be a Wetherspoons or not, there’s no denying that not only is it incredible that the building has been brought back to life, but that Tone and the businesses renting the spaces upstairs are contributing to the local economy and employment.

Upstairs, Inskip Spaces is filled with incredible businesses – Gaming Publishing, Matt Brunton Design, Artclub Live, Sandra Holden Counselling Service and Emotional Awareness Recovery Services. These businesses and their clients have their own access on Inskip Street, kitchen and toilet facilities. The kitchen and toilets rival what most of us have in our homes, they are modern and meticulously designed.

“I lost count of the number of times it was ‘confirmed’ to be a Wetherspoons!”

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After

Before Liam Veitch

Keeping to his roots We asked Liam if, when growing up in Padiham, he could ever imagine owning the building. It must feel surreal. “Well, I’d looked at others – namely the ‘Talk of the Town’ building, the tall ornate building on the hill opposite the old NatWest, as well as others in Burnley, so it was definitely coming. I grew up in Padiham and most of my family are still here, so it actually feels ‘as it should be’ and exciting, motivating rather than surreal for me. Though I was surprised nobody else felt it was the one-off opportunity I did,” he said.

You can’t help but be impressed with what he has done so far – looking at

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the before and after photos should give you some idea of the work involved. However, Liam isn’t finished just yet, including hopefully turning the former safe area downstairs into a socialising and entertainment space.

“I have further plans to enhance the frontage and make it even more of a ‘statement’ than it already is.

Supplemented by the new public realm works it’ll be a real gem. It already is but it’ll be even better over the coming years.

“The building is a great example of what local people can do. I could fill ten pages with the history of this

building. I know every beam, pillar and rafter. I restored the original 1950s sign ‘Padiham Building Society’, sourcing new iron lettering to bring it back to its origins; as a building owned by people who are proud of Padiham rather than a multinational corporation.”

And it certainly was a town effort.

Liam used dozens upon dozens of local companies on this project, which is incredibly impressive and we love his vision and purpose.

A huge congratulations to Liam and his team and we look forward to coming back to see what he does with the rest of the space.

PADIHAM : LA how musical director Joe Clegg has gone global from Burnley

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Joe & Bastille

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s we speak to musical director Joe Clegg, in his studio at the former Padiham Building Society, there’s a fantastic juxtaposition between the heritage features of the boardroom – the high ceiling with elaborate coving and the heavily panelled wooden walls – and his modern kit, from which he produces music for artists around the world.

It certainly seems incredible that such a wellknown name in the music world could in fact be based in a small town like Padiham, but as the pandemic has shown us, why not?

“It doesn’t really matter where you live anymore. I lived in Bristol for several years, but I moved back to my hometown in Lancashire which works well as a base, particularly with a young family. When I need to get to the city, I can drive to the airport and get a flight, and within 30 minutes find myself in London, or further afield to New York or LA,” Joe explains.

He makes a valid point. In a world where technology has come to the fore, and in a town where airports such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool can be reached within an hour, it could be argued that there is no need to be based in a major city.

It wasn’t always that way for Joe, however.

He attended secondary school in Brierfield and studied music at Nelson and Colne College, which is where he met his now-wife Hayley.

One day in his early twenties, the opportunity presented itself to audition as a session drummer for an upcoming artist.

And the decision to take a Stagecoach from Burnley to London to meet the artist changed the trajectory of his career. That artist was Ellie Goulding and it was a career that saw Joe be her drummer and musical director for 12 years, travelling the world many times over.

“I presumed, being a young musician and trying to break into the industry, that if you weren’t in London you wouldn’t get an opportunity like that. I just would drive from Lancashire down for rehearsals, leaving at 4am in the morning, until eventually her manager clocked on that I was spending so much time travelling and driving. They told me that living in Lancashire wasn’t an issue. It doesn’t matter where you live if you’re the right person for the team. And then quickly that initial project went from just doing a handful of shows for a few people to travelling all over the world. The live music sector is definitely made up of people from all over the world,” Joe reminisces.

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This area has such a rich heritage of music and art; there is a wealth of creativity here. I can make music on my laptop and export it all over the world. I’m here in Burnley making music, which goes on to becoming a live show that you could see at any major arena, a mix for a performance on TV or an album on Spotify or wherever.

Bastille in Padiham Being based in the borough of Burnley clearly hasn’t held back Joe’s career. Tom Walker, Mumford and Sons, Clean Bandit and Bastille are just some of the artists he has created music for. And much to our disbelief, Bastille recently spent three weeks in Padiham whilst they worked with Joe on the ‘Give Me The Future’ UK arena tour show.

We’d love to know if anyone recognised them, or were they able to go incognito with presumably, no one expecting to see a globally famous band grabbing a coffee or popping into their local Tesco.

Joe suggests that the big names he works with enjoy venturing out of the city because of how laid-back it is compared to places like London – not to mention the stunning countryside.

“This area has such a rich heritage of music and art; there is a wealth of creativity here. I can make music on my laptop and export it all over the world. I’m here in Burnley making music, which goes on to becoming a live show that you could see at any major arena, a mix for a performance on TV or an album on Spotify or wherever. The world’s a lot smaller than it was.”

And we thank Joe for taking time out to show us a corner of his world, in his beautiful music studio in Padiham.

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BEAUTY

SPOT the hub of

hair &

beauty

WE SENT LEANE KELLY ON A MISSION to discover the thriving hub of hair and beauty salons in the picturesque town of Padiham...

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WHY IS THE TOWN SEEN AS SUCH AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO DO BUSINESS? ALL IS REVEALED…

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riving towards Padiham to interview local hairdressers and beauticians for this feature, I realise that I am lucky enough to live in such a beauty spot. There is a sense of peace and relaxation as the green landscape surrounds me on either side, which I appreciate because since lockdown ended, I have noted the unwelcome reintroduction of hurry into my life. The mixture of wooded areas and open countryside, makes me feel for a moment as though nothing has changed. But the landscape certainly has changed for local business and my mission today is to find out what is attracting talented entrepreneurs to the town of Padiham.

BY LEANE KELLY

Padiham is a picturesque town in the heart of Burnley and has been described as the creative hub of Lancashire.

As I write this article, Padiham has just hosted its 5th successful Painting Padiham event, where artists come from all over the country to set up their easels and paint Padiham. But it’s not this type of artist that I’m focussing on today. I am on my way to meet artists of a completely different kind, those with a skill for the art of hair and beauty. Padiham is fast becoming an epicentre for hair and beauty in East Lancashire, attracting new talent at an incredible rate. Not only that, but it also has a core of well-established salons who have more than stood the test of time. So, what’s it’s secret?

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he first salon I walk into leaves me in no doubt that Padiham is about people.

J-Lo’s Hair and Beauty in the centre of the town are an experienced team of hairdressers with an independent beautician, Belle Amé.

As I walk in, I feel the welcoming atmosphere and notice how relaxed the clients are. Owners Josie and Louisa celebrated the salon’s 20th anniversary in the town in April 2022. The successful partnership is built on the many years of experience that both ladies bring to the business. Josie, who has always worked in Padiham, trained at Blackburn College and worked in local salons in Padiham from the age of 18. Louisa originally trained in beauty before going onto hairdressing, and both ladies met whilst working together in one of the local salons. It was then that the ladies decided to refurbish and reopen the historic building on the Padiham high street as a contemporary and trend-setting hair and beauty salon.

The team here share a real passion for people, particularly helping them to feel good about themselves and perking them up when they are feeling down. Josie says: “Hairdressers are like friends, and because we have been in the town so long, we know our clients really

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J-LO’S HAIR AND BEAUTY well, we listen to them and help them to feel better.” The salon specialises in colour corrections and bouncy blow dries and the girls have a wealth of experience in cutting and styling of all kinds.

Louisa enjoys being especially creative with edgy cuts and both ladies have their fingers on the pulse with the latest hair trends.

But it’s not all about hair and beauty, the ladies are proud of their community and the team at J-Lo’s have recently held a fundraiser in memory of local girl Danielle Harker who sadly passed away from bowel cancer. Louisa says: “There’s a real community spirit here in Padiham, all of the shops here gave donations to the raffle, whether it was big or small, nobody refused.” As we chat, I can feel the passion for this little town come alive and I feel there’s nothing that Josie and Louisa don’t know about Padiham. They feel strongly about the future of Padiham and it’s clear that the business community here support each other. Josie and Louisa would love to see more cafés and boutiques coming into the town to compliment the thriving hair and beauty scene.

On the secret of their success, the team put it down to consistently providing excellent customer service, friendship, loyalty and offering excellent high-end products and great value for money.

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usband and wife partnership, Hakan and Ann couldn’t agree more. After almost a decade in Padiham, owners of Dads & Lads Barbers have teamed up with Hakan’s cousin Cem to open another shop, Central Barbers just down the road. Ann explains that the demand was just so high that they were having to turn people away and agrees that men are looking after themselves more now. Lewis, one of Central’s barbers, explains how men want to follow fashion and new trends more than ever before and I have the privilege of watching him create a ‘skin shade’, one of the latest trends. Ann keeps herself up to date with the latest techniques and plans to offer new services alongside hair to keep up with the changing needs of customers. I sense that familiar loyalty to Padiham and the community here and Ann talks passionately about growing up in the town. She would love to see some more places for young people to socialise in the town as a community hub for the younger generation.

DADS & LADS BARBERS

JACK JONES BARBERS

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eading across the high street, I make my way to Jack Jones Barbers and receive a warm welcome from owner Annette. There’s a really upbeat vibe in the salon and I can tell that the customers enjoy the banter in here as well as a good haircut!

Having started in Padiham 15 years ago, this is now one of Annette’s two barbershops, the other one being in the nearby village of Barrowford. Annette employs three staff, although when I ask her where the name Jack Jones came from she laughs as she tells me it was cockney rhyming slang for being ‘on your own’ as that’s exactly what she was when she first set out.

Annette wasn’t wasting any time starting her career when at just 13 years old, she got a special work permit to allow her to work at a hair salon in Colne as a Saturday girl. She had always wanted to be selfemployed and have her own business. There have been twists and turns along the way and she moved away from hairdressing when her children were small.

Things changed when she saw an advertisement to be your own barber. Annette tells me: “I just thought, I could do that!” and it reignited her passion for the

industry. When the shop flooded in 2015 it didn’t stop Annette, she knocked through into the room next door and decided to expand the business.

I ask how the industry has changed over the years and Annette points out that self-care is now just as important for men as for women. The range of services offered has changed completely to include beard shape ups, cut-throat shaves (I squirm at the thought) and more. She tells me the internet has contributed to this and opened up the industry to young men wanting a career.

Jack Jones Barbers moves with the times and has embraced modern technology with the Nearcut app to make booking easy for customers. Annette says the key to her success has been in never being complacent but always providing excellent customer service. The business has a huge clientele and customers say that they wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Describing Padiham as a “great town with a great community spirit and fantastic people”, it’s obvious why she chose the town for her flagship barbershop.

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itting pretty at the top end of town is Antonia’s. Owner, Jennifer, greets me warmly as I bustle into the salon wet through from a sudden cloudburst. The warm atmosphere soon dries me off and I meet Jeanna who runs holistic therapy business, Pendle Therapies from the salon too. I quickly realise that this is more than just a hair salon.

The salon itself is beautiful and relaxing (I am in no hurry to leave this place), and there are rails of boutique clothing and a tranquil water feature that immediately make me think of summer and holidays.

Jennifer says she became a hairdresser because she “never grew tall enough to be an air hostess!” but I think it’s obvious where her true calling was. She trained at Pat Gregorys in Burnley who she cites as a real mentor and inspiration. She had always had a passion for hairdressing and still feels the same now. Both ladies tell me how they find their jobs rewarding and enjoy making friends with their customers. But there’s a real businesswoman at work here, surviving three recessions and a pandemic in the 45 years she has been hairdressing. After opening up her first salon in a small shop in Padiham to test the market, Jennifer gradually bought the building that we sit in now.

This was a carefully thought-out business expansion and over the years Jennifer added beauty to her range of services to cater for changing trends. She added her onesize clothing range to create a unique salon boutique and it’s this diversification that is the key to her success.

The most recent addition has been the arrival of Jeanna, holistic therapist and owner of Pendle Therapies. Jeanna

THE LOOKING GLASS

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was first attracted to the salon when she saw the boutique clothing online and loved the feel of the place when she walked in. She now offers a whole range of holistic massage therapies but specialises in post-surgery manual lymphatic drainage. Future plans for Antonia’s include introducing more clothes into the range and an aesthetic nurse will be joining them soon. Jennifer’s enthusiasm for newcomers in Padiham is great to see and she is keen to see new businesses starting especially with the younger generation. Jennifer and Jeanna both feel that Padiham is changing for the better and are thrilled to see businesses moving to the town.

ANTONIA’S

his is great news for newcomers Kellie and Melissa who have made the decision to relocate to Padiham.

The ladies, who have been friends for 15 years, met whilst working together as hairdressers in Barrowford. Ambitious Kellie had set herself a goal to own her own salon before she was 30 and succeeded when she opened The Looking Glass when she was 29. Both Kellie and Melissa, owner of Hair by Melissa Claire, decided that after many successful years in Barrowford, now was the time to make the move together to Padiham. When I

ask what has attracted them to the area, it’s the heritage, and the development of the high street along with its community spirit. They see Padiham as a one-stop shop for customers with its range of cafes, shops and supermarkets and the free parking gives shoppers the time to browse without having to hurry (that wins my vote of course!).

Mel and Kellie are experienced colour technicians with a passion for the science in hairdressing and talk knowledgably about how techniques have changed over the years. What is most evident is the enthusiasm that they share for their craft and the joy they bring to their customers. On the effect of the pandemic, Mel tells me: “Customers really missed coming to the salon and there is a new-found appreciation for hairdressers.” The ladies have noticed that customers really appreciate the time in the salon as it can be the only time that they get to stop and relax. As working mums themselves, Kellie and Mel understand how hard it can be to fit everything in, including self-care. Kellie explains: “Customers want their time in the salon to be an experience rather than just a haircut so to offer them both at once is great – it’s like hair therapy!”

That’s why the salon will offer Prosecco Fridays, a time to wind down after a busy week before heading into the weekend.

A weekend which is fast approaching for me with a deadline to put pen to paper and spend time with my little family.

FLAMINGOS BEAUTY LOUNGE

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can’t help thinking about my little girl when I see the delightful window of Flamingos Beauty Lounge where I make my final stop of the day. It instantly makes me smile and I can imagine my daughter saying “look Mummy, there’s a huge pink Flamingo in the window!”. Inside it gets even better and I’m fully immersed in the tropical theme (again I am back on holiday thoughts).

Owner and manager Deborah is busy with customers as usual but finds the time to chat warmly about her new venture here in Padiham. Deborah opened Flamingos in December after hearing about the building and wanting a complete career change.

Having qualified in nails and beauty many years ago she decided that now was the time to set up in her home town.

Flamingos isn’t just an ordinary beauty salon though. This is a family-oriented business, the name being chosen by her granddaughter, and Deborah’s daughter Chloe helping out whilst also running The Boys Bakehouse from upstairs in the shop. In addition to offering a wide range of beauty treatments, the mother and daughter team offer children’s pamper parties with a difference. Children can spend time being pampered by Deborah and then head on up to the bakery to do crafting and cupcake decorating. Deborah has a real heart for young people, having worked in children’s services and mental health in the past. She works alongside social workers and schools to offer work experience and taster sessions for young people in a real working environment. I ask whether, like the hairdressers, she finds that people come to have some ‘me time’, but Deborah says she has had a different experience in her salon. Customers value family time now, perhaps more than ever, and she’s often busy doing ‘mummy and me’ pamper experiences.

A WARM WELCOME AWAITS It seems to me that whether you’re wanting to relax and retreat on your own, to spend quality unhurried time together with your little ones or simply raise a glass with a friend (otherwise known as your hairdresser), then Padiham is the place to do it. Yes, the landscape has changed for all of us and Padiham is embracing the change whilst maintaining an unwavering sense of community and togetherness. The town has recently benefitted from heritage lottery funding to renovate the high street and you can spend the day there being pampered with friends, followed by shopping and a bite to eat. You could even stay over at The Lawrence, a beautiful boutique hotel in the centre of town.

There’s a warm welcome waiting for anyone wanting to chat their cares away, put the world to rights or have a good old bit of banter here in Padiham – and it’s not just in the hair and beauty salons. Padiham is brimming with positivity for the future and many businesses are heading to the town to use the new office and co-working facilities available. The welcoming business community would love to encourage some more cafes, boutiques and wine bars to compliment the thriving artistic hub. One thing for sure, once you discover Padiham and all it has to offer, you won’t be in a hurry to leave.

These are only a handful of the hair and beauty businesses in Padiham. For a full list of salons go to WWW.PADIHAM.ORG.UK/DIRECTORY 105

Towneley golf course

F L O G T A E R ENJOY G C L B T A S E I ACTIVIT Our impressive golf facilities offer an 18-hole course and an 18 hole Pitch and Putt set in the grounds of Towneley Park. Plus a 9 hole mini golf course and Toptracer Driving Range at Prairie Sports Village.

18-hole course

Golf Driving Range

Our 18-hole municipal course is an excellent test of golf and an enjoyable day out. 5834 yard, par 70 course, set in mature parkland and featuring some well placed ditches providing a challenge to golfers at any skill level.

Our Golf Driving Range is powered

by Toptracer Range. Challenge your friends to games of Long Drive, Go Fish, Scramble or beat your personal best drive using the same technology used to trace a pro tour player’s shots on TV.

Pitch & Putt

Mini Golf

Our 18-hole par 3 pitch and putt course is perfect for juniors, golf novices and fun-seeking families, and with holes ranging up to 100 yards it’s great for the more experienced golfer looking to sharpen their short game.

Our 9-hole mini golf course has been inspired by famous golf holes from around the world and is proudly sponsored by Lloyd Mini of Colne.

We have something for everyone whether you are seasoned pro or looking for a day out with the family. Join us by visiting blcgroup.co.uk to book your spot today.

Towneley Golf Course Todmorden Rd Burnley BB11 3ED 01282 438473

Prairie Sports Village Windermere Ave, Burnley BB10 2FU, 01282 477201

Pre-booking for all golf activities is required. Please call 01282 477201.

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PERSONAL EVENTS put the pizzazz into your party!

The perfect venues for your perfect party

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UNIQUE VENUES just for you Burnley is home to an array of unique venues that will put the pizzazz into your party. From historic halls and heritage former mills to green spaces and a certain claret and blue home, our borough has impeccable venues to hire for every requirement.

So, when are the invitations going out!?

A FORMER INDUSTRIAL HUB ON THE FAMOUS STRAIGHT MILE Finsley Gate Wharf has been tirelessly transformed from a derelict former cotton industry hub to one of the newest venues in Burnley. It is one of the original wharves on the longest manmade waterway in Britain, The Leeds to Liverpool Canal and enjoys prime position (and views!) of the famous Straight Mile. Also known as the Burnley Embankment, the canal is carried 60ft above town and makes a unique backdrop to any gathering. When built between 1796 and 1801, it is described as one of the seven wonders of the British Waterway System.

Finsley Gate Wharf itself dates back to 1801 and provided workspaces for boat builders, blacksmiths, forgers and later, carpenters. Now, the Grade II-listed buildings have been restored and form The Warehouse, The Turnbridge Guesthouse and The Forge.

Within The Warehouse is The Mile Suite, which has 60 capacity for sit-down, increasing to 80 if you take away some of the seating so you have room to dance the day or night away.

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THE STAIRCASE OF ALL STAIRCASES If you want a photo backdrop that will get all your guests talking and snapping away, look no further than Padiham Town Hall’s staircase.

Made out of marble and wrought iron and flooded with natural light, it’s a statement for any party and speaks for itself. This Art Deco Grade II-listed building is still operational to this day and is a popular venue for weddings, in particular due to its attractive interiors.

The town hall ballroom has an extensive dance floor, stage, projector and new lighting and sound system and can accommodate 200, complete with its own kitchen and bar for a convenient and fuss-free occasion.

If you did happen to want to book Padiham Town Hall for a wedding, you can say your vows in the council chambers, which provide a unique but also regal-feel to the special occasion.

UNIQUE VENUES

just for you

FOR THE CLARET AND BLUE FAN Did we mention we’re proud to be home to Burnley FC!? You may have attended many a match on The Turf, but have you stepped inside its brand-new hospitality facilities?

Testament to the commitment to detail on this huge project, the renovated hospitality and venue offering ticks the box for an exclusive setting. Rooms cater for 35 through to 250 people with a variety of menus available.

Room hire is free if you cater for 60 or more people, leaving plenty of money left over for the delicious food and drink. For

a more intimate gathering, an executive box with a view of the pitch allows up to 12 guests to dine and surely will be a venue that will keep your guests talking for weeks afterwards. The Centenary Suite is a new contemporary space for up to 100 guests that also enjoys spectacular views of the pitch and is a bright and airy space.

If you have a few more friends and family to invite, then The Trophy Room in the heart of the Bob Lord stand can fit 150 and is certainly one for football history fans due to the

impressive trophy and kit displays.

Even more popular than that? Then the 1882 Lounge could be the venue for you. Described as one of the “best function suites in Burnley,” up to 200 of your guests can celebrate your special event with you.

And finally, for up to 250 guests, there is the brand new Clearly Interiors Longside Lounge, a stunning pitch-side room with an array of screens, a breathtaking wine and gin display and ample space to hold the celebrations of all celebrations!

A ����s GEM IN A PARK Having been fully restored in 2018, The Pavilion in Thompson Park provides a perfect 1920s Art Deco- styled event space that is quickly becoming a firm favourite for christenings and family celebrations. No detail has been overlooked during its sympathetic restoration, right down to the door handles.

The Pavilion can seat up to 60 people, is fully accessible and provides a stunning raised vista over the boating lake and rose garden. Its internal features have been restored and two large art deco mirrors hang over the original fireplaces. You can bring in your own catering, who can use the satellite kitchen, or use the very reasonable Burnley Leisure to provide everything from afternoon teas and BBQs to sit-down meals and children’s buffets.

Should you be lucky with the Lancashire weather, The Pavilion has multiple French doors opening out to the terrace. Your guests can take in the beautiful views of Thompson Park, a registered historic park and gardens. It is home to a charming boating lake, a recently refurbished children’s playground and paddling pool, a putting green and popular miniature railway, making it perfect if you have young children to entertain too.

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UNIQUE VENUES

just for you

A SHOW-STOPPING HISTORIC HALL The historic Towneley Hall is set in 445 acres of beautiful parkland, providing the ultimate entrance for the VIPs in your life. The stunning surroundings and character of this imposing period property means should you wish to, you could even forgo decorations and let the interiors do the talking.

The Red Regency Room is what you’d expect from its name: painted

in a deep red, it is full of décor from the Regency period and is housed in the wing, which was the earliest part of the hall. The adjoining Green Regency Room is, you’ve guessed it, painted a sumptuous green and is used a temporary exhibition room.

Should the weather be kind, the side doors between the rooms can be opened to allow your guests to flow out into the sunken garden and

grounds of the hall.

Indeed, if you want the best of both worlds but don’t quite trust the Great British weather, you can hire a marquee on the grounds at the back of the hall. Towneley Park itself is the largest park in the town. It is home to a new children’s area packed with lots of different things to do, a Victorian flower garden and abstract and outdoor sculptures.

These are just a handful of some of the unique venues we have in Burnley that will truly put the wow-factor into your gathering. With these venues doing the talking, you can save time and energy on the décor and instead focus on just which VIPs are making your guestlist!

For more information on all these venues visit: Finsley Gate Wharf: finsleygatewharf.com Padiham Town Hall: padihamtowncouncil.gov.uk Burnley Football Club: burnleyfootballclub.com/more/more-hospitality The Pavilion: blcgroup.co.uk/hospitality/hospitality-at-thompson-park/the-pavilion/ Towneley Hall: towneley.org.uk

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JUBILEE EVENTS the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

1952 -2022

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ELIZABETH 11 70 YEARS

What a monumental achievement of our Queen to have served our nation on the throne.

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or some of you, it may only feel like yesterday that members of the royal family visited Burnley for the 60th jubilee. Our streets were lined with children waving Union Jack flags, flags hung from buildings and the sun was thankfully shining as Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles arrived in our borough. Indeed, it is a rare occurrence for three senior royals to embark on such a tour together and the special memory will no doubt be etched in the minds of many of us.

During her visit, the Queen acknowledged the incredible efforts that had gone into transforming the borough. If the Royal Highness was to bless us with a visit for her 70th jubilee (although, of course, at the time of writing, this was not on the agenda), she would no doubt be even more amazed at how far Burnley has come since her last visit.

As you will see in this edition of the magazine, Padiham has had a tremendous amount of work carried out over the past two years alone, from the attractive public realm and shop fronts to the restored Padiham Town Hall – but we will leave that for you to discover in our Padiham special coverage.

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Over in Burnley town centre, where to begin?

The foundations of Pioneer Place, the new leisure and hospitality complex next to the main shopping area, are quickly taking shape and the framework will shoot up from the ground before we know it. This complex will provide yet another bow to the arrow of our thriving town centre, which has repeatedly been singled out in the press for having enjoyed impressive recovery both during and following the pandemic. Rather than travelling to neighbouring towns to access similar offerings, residents and students can enjoy the facilities on their doorstep instead.

The £100 million expansion of Burnley College continues at apace and really is a “they didn’t have this in my day” moment should you ever get the chance to take a tour. Alongside the expansion of UCLan Burnley, more recently with plans to occupy the former empty Newtown Mill on Queen Lancashire Way, Burnley certainly has gone to the next level of redevelopment ten years down the line from the Queen’s visit.

Ten years ago, the Queen, Prince Philip and their son Prince Charles stepped off the train at Manchester Road (the station again has come on a long way since 2012, with the opening of the Todmorden Curve in 2015 to connect Burnley directly to Manchester, and further improvements in the pipeline still) and stepped onto a canal boat barge for a half-mile tour. They travelled through the Weavers’ Triangle, a piece of heritage that holds a special place in the heart of Prince Charles, before moving onwards to Slater Terrace and Victoria Mill. Once again, this part of town is unrecognisable from the 60th 116

jubilee and is akin to something you would find in a city such as Manchester, Leeds or Liverpool. Slater Terrace is a thriving hub of creative and digital businesses, whilst the interiors still provide a nod to their cotton-making heydays. Sandygate Halls, the purpose-built student accommodation for UCLan Burnley, houses over 90 students alongside the canal and is an incredible asset to our university town status. Not only is it conveniently next to Victoria Mill, but also the canal and a short walk from the town centre, really providing an affordable quality of life and environment that is truly unique.

Burnley FC was another stop on the royal tour, with Turf Moor seeing a substantial amount of investment into both its corporate hospitality and external appearance over the past couple of years. The digital screens both in and around the ground befit the prestige of the club, whilst the incredible hospitality facilities have made our party venue feature also in this edition.

Now in her 70th year on the throne and sadly without her husband by her side, the Queen has certainly faced challenges in recent years. But it was fantastic to see people come together across the borough to throw street parties to celebrate her reign. More than 80 street parties (and those are only the ones we were aware of) plus numerous other parties and events were held as we all went barmy for bunting and had a flag waving frenzy to mark this historic milestone.

Burnley town centre’s monthly artisan market on the Saturday was decked out in red, white and blue while Padiham also took part in the celebrations.

The Mayor of Burnley, Councillor Cosima Towneley, lit a Jubilee beacon at the Singing Ringing Tree in the moors above Burnley to form part of a national chain of fires that lit up the night sky before spending a very, very busy weekend visiting as many street parties and other events as possible, to meet people and wish them well as they toasted the Queen and recognised her magnificent reign. And we thank Her Majesty for including Burnley time and time again during her reign.

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O OUTDOOR FUN the canal reigns again

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Jordan North A teary Jordan said:

“It’s amazing, thank you so much to everyone who has donated. It really means the world to me. It’s fantastic.”

BBC

Radio 1 DJ Jordan North rowed a huge 100 miles from London to his hometown of Burnley in aid of Comic Relief. Landing at the finish line at Finsley Gate Wharf, he was met by hundreds of family, friends, schoolchildren and other well wishers. AN INCREDIBLE £826,307 WAS RAISED IN TOTAL. 119

© Charles Emerson

UNLOCKING THE LEEDS AND LIVERPOOL CANAL

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he Super Slow Way is a project aimed at creating a canalside park stretching from Blackburn through Burnley to Pendle.

International design practice BDP has been appointed to create a series of thematic landscape strategies and area studies that explore and demonstrate how to unlock the 23-mile stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal through the repurposing of disused land and buildings.

Super Slow Way is being developed by a joint venture between the Canal & River Trust, Pendle

Council, Burnley Council, Hyndburn Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council, UCLan, Creative Lancashire, Lancashire BME Network, Arts Partners Pennine Lancashire and Incredible Edible.

James Millington, director of landscape architecture at BDP, says: “We are very excited to start our work with local stakeholders to create strategies for green infrastructure, lighting and wayfinding and design beautiful landscaping projects that focus on the needs of local people and local places.”

“Our subsequent designs will create beautiful green spaces along the canal that vary in scale and complexity.”

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© Sam Walsh © Sporting NRG © Timberplay

The stretch of landscaped riverside park will “marry physical improvements to infrastructure and buildings with creative landscape architecture to support expansive programmes of environmental, cultural, leisure, educational and economic activity”, according to BDP. BDP’s work will focus on three main strategies: • Greening and biodiversity – making the land more productive with healthy by encouraging biodiversity and supporting climate resilience in local communities • Lighting and wayfinding – installing lighting and signage to make the area feel safer, and easier to navigate • Movement – connecting town centres and neighbourhoods to the canal, improving movement and access to the new park.

Darrell Wilson, design team lead at BDP, adds: “Ours will be an inclusive and integrated design approach that seeks to revitalise neighbourhoods, improve access and safety, enhance biodiversity, increase walking and cycling routes, deliver wider integrated transport systems, and enable commercial growth across this part of Lancashire.”

Events are regularly held – head to superslowway.org.uk to find an event near you (or not so near, if you fancy an adventure)! © Source Creative

© Matt Savage

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BEAT

THOSE STREETS!

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So how did one local family find the Beat the Street experience?

THE WALSH FAMILY

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e know how wonderful our borough is when it comes to beautiful countryside within easy reach. It’s almost “our secret” and one that perhaps we sometimes take for granted.

In 2021, the Beat the Street health and activity initiative was launched locally, encouraging people of all ages (but especially families) to get out and explore some of the lesser-known hidden gems that can be found around every corner.

More than 10,000 people travelled the equivalent of 80,000 miles as they explored the borough following clues to “beacon” locations. The more you visited the more points you collected, and it brought out the competitive spirit in all who took part!

More than 30 local primary schools and 60 per cent of their pupils took part, along with their parents, family and friends. Local businesses and other groups also got involved.

People who took part in last year’s event were asked about their experiences, and one of the topics covered was around how often they used the canal towpath, and why.

• Almost half (48%) said they had discovered a new place, space or walking route whilst playing Beat the Street • One in four (25%) said they were more likely to visit the canal • When asked “Would you consider taking part in any of the following activities on your local canal?” people reported a range of activities, with walking (77%), cycling (43%) and running (42%) the most popular

“We started playing when the children brought home a card and a fob from school. We played a little before school and in the evening and then also started arranging weekend walks with friends who were also playing for Lowerhouse school.

“Realising how well we were doing and how high up the leader board we all were, motivated us to carry on and do more. Throughout the six weeks we all became more competitive as individuals and as a group hoping the school would continue in first place. Most of the miles we walked over the six weeks were purely down to playing Beat the Street. We really enjoyed the social aspect of meeting friends at times when we probably wouldn’t have normally. It benefited us hugely staying active in all weather and at all times of day and night.”

Vicki Birch, participation, health and wellbeing manager at Canal & River Trust said: “Beat the Street gave people a great opportunity to explore their local canal, with flat, traffic-free walking and cycling routes. Visiting the canal can lift your mood, and help you to recharge by water. Research shows spending time by water can help you feel happier and healthier.”

Beat the Street Burnley was co-ordinated by national company Intelligent Health and delivered locally by community partnership Burnley Together along with the Canal & River Trust.

Burnley Together works in partnership with Burnley Council, Calico Homes, Lancashire County Council, Burnley Leisure, Burnley FC in the Community, BPRCVS and other partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors to create a central community hub.

Visit www.beatthestreet.me for more information on the Beat the Streets initiative.

“...Research shows spending time by water can help you feel happier and healthier.”

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FINSLEY GATE WHARF An oasis in the heart of a community

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n 2010, Lee Shepherd sailed past the derelict Finsley Gate Wharf and he dreamt of a brighter future for the heritage site, under his ownership. And now 12 years later, he’s sat in an incredible venue on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

We caught up with him to see how everything was going…

“There’s one word for that and it’s still the same word as it was before and that word is ‘challenging’.” Burnley Lifestyle Magazine has just asked the owner of Finsley Gate Wharf, Lee Shepherd, what it was like opening a brand-new leisure and hospitality offering during a pandemic.

If you’ve not been to Finsley Gate Wharf yet, it truly is a (not-so-hidden) gem. Not so hidden in that as you approach the mini roundabout at the top of Finsley Gate, just around the corner from Towneley Hall, huge fabric banners on the bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal make it clear there is

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a new restaurant, bar and events venue in town. One could argue, however, that for many it may indeed be hidden, with it being just outside of the town centre and therefore if you don’t often venture too far from the shops and cafés, you may not have realised it is there. Although, considering Radio 1 DJ Jordan North recently finished his Comic Relief row on the banks of Finsley Gate Wharf, the new venue will no doubt attract many new customers through its doors after seeing it plastered across social media and on TV coverage.

“To open a new canalside attraction, wedding venue, restaurant, bar and accommodation as we were coming out of a pandemic, many people thought we were crazy. It took so long to get to this point that there was no way we were turning back,” Lee continues.

And indeed, it was a long journey for Lee. Back in 2010, he revealed his vision for the

~ THE HISTORY~ Finsley Gate Wharf is one of the original wharves on the longest manmade waterway in Britain, The Leeds to Liverpool Canal and enjoys prime position (and views!) of the famous Straight Mile. Also known as the Burnley Embankment, the canal is carried 60ft above town and makes a unique backdrop to any gathering. Built between 1796 and 1801, it is described as one of the seven wonders of the British Waterway System.

Finsley Gate Wharf itself dates back to 1801 and provided workspaces for boat builders, blacksmiths, forgers and later, carpenters. Now, the Grade II-listed buildings have been restored and form The Warehouse, The Turnbridge Guesthouse and The Forge.

former buildings after coming across the location whilst on a canal boat. Lee established his canal boat trip business after retiring from the armed forces, presuming it would be a steady income to top up his Army pension.

Whilst sailing one day, he came across the buildings and the seed was sown to transform them into something special. However, due to the condition of the site, he knew it would take many years to raise the funding and go through the official channels to reach his goal. And so, he opened the Kingfisher Waterside Bistro at Reedley Marina to see if he could make a success of a canalside business. The relaxed café remains popular to this day and is set in a stunning location. Seeing its success and the wellbeing benefits of being outdoors, particularly next to water, Lee was confident he could scale up his business. He unwaveringly worked alongside partners such as Burnley Council, The Canal & River Trust and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to secure a grant for emergency repair work. A further £2.2 million was secured from the HLF’s Heritage Enterprise Programme, allowing full work to begin.

“This building was derelict for 50 years and in total, £3.5 million has been spent from top to bottom. It’s created a future. We currently employ 25 staff here, that’s 25 families all within the Burnley area with a sustainable future,” Lee proudly tells us.

GETTING BACK TO THEIR ROOTS Lee is keen to point out that he wants the venue to be inclusive for all. Whether you’re in a three-piece suit or in muddy dog-walking attire, everyone will be made to feel welcome, and that includes residents who live in the surrounding houses.

Touchingly, Lee gets emotional when speaking about how people come in whose family built their careers in

the textiles industry and worked at Finsley Gate Wharf when Burnley’s cotton sector was booming. They often thank him for keeping their family history alive and transforming this once derelict and crumbling heritage attraction into a beautiful modern venue that still proudly shouts about its past.

“We’ve had people coming back here wanting to work as they used to play in the grounds as a kid”, Lee recalls.

It has been transformed from an unloved site into what Lee describes as “an oasis in the heart of a community. You don’t even have to drive to it, it’s literally a four-minute walk from the town centre.

Having said that, we have a couple who drive up from Nottingham every two weeks and come here”.

Despite the fabric banners, it seems that it is in fact still a hidden gem for many.

“It stops people in their tracks, you see it, they will be walking along the canal and will look to how they get across from the other side. We get customers coming through our doors saying they didn’t even know we were here.”

Lee credits word of mouth as another way people find out about Finsley Gate Wharf. He hasn’t embarked on a full marketing campaign yet but reveals that the business is operating 18-24 months ahead of where he thought it would be by this point. So, if Finsley Gate Wharf is financially thriving, what part of the launch has been “challenging”?

“Recruitment. I know we’re not the only ones to struggle finding good people and the hospitality sector seems to be struggling the most. We pay above the living wage and it’s important to me to keep developing the skills and careers of our people to take our offering to the next level. Hospitality can be a job for life, there’s no reason why you can’t go from pot washer to MD,” Lee says.

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GOING TO THE NEXT LEVEL With business seemingly thriving and the perfect location secured, what plans does Lee have to take Finsley Gate Wharf to the next level of success?

From a business perspective, he wants to continue developing and retaining staff, ensure the menu is refined further still and increase the drinks offering: “we’ve just been given the rights to sell Thatcher’s Fusion, which is a unique product, and shows that we can attract the big players”.

There are also some changes to be made to the guest house, so it has a self-contained kitchen and also finish the landscaping.

“Most of all, I want to make sure people have the full experience as soon as they step foot on site. We have all of the biodiversity around us, including goslings and ducklings, whilst the aesthetics of the canal continue to receive heavy investment. We have the largest public canalside space. Canal footfall increased by up to 400 per cent during the pandemic and people still love being by the water. Burnley’s green spaces is why I decided to move here after I retired from the Army.

“People come here to relax, step away from their world and I want to ensure they feel more than welcomed. Presentation is key, both in terms of the venue and food and drink. If your meal comes out and it’s beautifully presented, you’re already enjoying the food before you’ve started to eat. If the head of your Reedley Hallows pint is perfect, you’re already enjoying the experience.

I want people to enjoy their time here from start to finish and that includes arriving onto well maintained grounds,” Lee concludes.

Sitting in the sun speaking to Lee whist canalboats, dog walkers, cyclists and joggers go by, it certainly does seem like an oasis in which to escape.

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“People come here to relax, step away from their world and I want to ensure they feel more than welcomed.”

~ PARTNERS ~ Lee is complimentary about working with partners such as Burnley Council and The Canal & River Trust. “If you go on to the council website, you can read their canalside masterplan. They have a great policy about developing brownfield land before greenspace and there’s something like 1,000 properties built along the canal corridor. Not only do they have this plan, but they’re delivering it.

“Burnley has more canalside heritage than

Birmingham, Skipton, Saltaire, Bingley. We’ve still got the buildings and the UCLan canalside campus is great – there’s nowhere else like it in the country. Transforming mills, including Finsley Gate Wharf, has had a ripple effect; one example is the former P3 Computers mill being turned into residential. It’s important to protect our heritage but making them fit for a modern world so they continue to live and tell stories, because that’s important to pass down.”

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- Jeremy Richards WRITER & RIDER OF RICHARDS - ROUTE -

I learnt to ride a bike 50 years ago and still remember my first bike - a fire engine red Raleigh with three gears. I loved the freedom it gave and the chance to be out for hours exploring. Like many, as I grew older and was lured in by cars and motoring, my love affair with bikes waned but never went away. The passion returned in middle age and now I have dreams of serious touring and being in the saddle for days.

Whether that’s on an e-bike or not is probably down to how lazy I’m feeling - but I’ll definitely be clocking up the miles.

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S D R A H C I R OUTE R W

e’re lucky to have some amazing award-winning parks across our borough and it’s worth seeing them all, at different times of the year, to fully enjoy their true beauty.

Which led me to thinking – could you get to every one of our six main parks while avoiding too much traffic or built-up areas? And the answer is Yes! Sort of.

So setting off on my trusty electric bike and armed with a map I decided to find a cycle/walk route between each park that’s as off-road and quiet as possible.

You can follow this – or break it down into more easily manageable smaller loops that take in just a few of the parks. Or you could find your own version of what I proudly like to call the Richards Ride! Catchy huh.

A few rules of the off-road sorta speak: •

Be aware you’ll be sharing towpaths and park paths with other people – slow down and be aware of others around you • Watch out for traffic where necessary – this route is quiet but there are parts where you’re on roads • Close any gates you go through – there’s only a couple • Enjoy our beautiful parks and countryside!

I did this counter-clockwise so bear in mind if you’re following my directions.

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Mapping & data taken from Strava.com © Natural Earth Data © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap

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BRIDLEWAYS Mayor Cosima Towneley continues her exploration of the Burnley countryside, this time focusing on bridleways and how they have stood the test of time and must be protected for the future.

The year of 2022 marks 20 years of the Mary Towneley Loop and ten years of the Pennine Bridleway, the dream, or should that be obsession, of the late Mary, Lady Towneley.

This national trail is unique as the only national trail open to all non-motorised users, on hoof, foot or cycle. As it bends and winds from the White Peak area of Derbyshire to the edge of the Howgills in Cumbria at the mighty fine Fat Lamb in Ravenstonedale, it covers 205 miles of shared path with a multiplicity of circuits springing east and west from the arterial route itself.

So what does this have to do with Burnley you may wonder; everything. It was the South Pennine landscape and its lost historic ways, plus the need to escape a noisy household, that inspired Mary to research, plan and execute an audacious idea that would rediscover and breathe new life into those forgotten highways.

Having transported the wealth and geegaws of the nation; lime, wool, coal even ribbons and letters, to all corners of the British Isles, these tracks and trail had been left to the cry of the curlew and pippet as transport evolved in the valley bottoms. As the canals were dug and train lines laid, the sunken lanes and causey stones constituting the drove roads and pack ways began to disappear, subsumed back into the moorland, heath and common they had for centuries criss-crossed in fine and foul weather.

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Add to this agricultural mechanisation and the stage was set for one feisty lady to take up a cause that has, eventually, fed into many a diversified agricultural business and SME in this borough.

Burnley's explosion in horse ownership and equestrian businesses, in an area perceived, rightly or wrongly, as urban centric, benefits the local economy to the tune of £8 million a year. There is equestrian access to ten per cent of the Borough Public Rights of Way. Better than our immediate neighbours Pendle and Rossendale, with eight per cent and six per cent respectively, and definitely more inclusive than the Ribble Valley, which for all its rurality, is (in my opinion), considerably less recreationally welcoming than its industrial neighbours.

So, what does the next 20 years hold for riders, and cyclists, in the borough? For one, let us hope we can take advantage of the planning system to support rural strategy and that inclusive recreation, tourism, active travel and environmental policies take a firm place in future plans – here's to horsepower in more ways than one.

Find more information about the Mary Towneley Loop at www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ en_GB/short-routes/mary-towneley-loop/

here’s to horsepower in more ways than one.

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THE SOUTH PENNINES the hidden gem

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osima Towneley, the new mayor of Burnley at the time of writing, is passionate about the countryside and the commercial benefits that the borough’s rural and agricultural sectors deliver. She is therefore delighted by the formation of the South Pennines Park. Here, she explains why.

In a meeting, the other day, a very pertinent point was raised with regard to pride and place. Why, when one often sees written into a job description, an advert for Air B&B, even on road signs, associations to some nearby place of natural beauty and/or historic, literary or other interest, do we never see SOUTH PENNINES writ large? The only upland area in Britain to not have an official landscape designation is woefully underappreciated, not just nationally, but by those who live in its very shadow.

But, things are changing. Led by Helen Noble, chief executive of the formerly named Pennine Prospects, South Pennine-partnerships, public and private, have been reinvested with a sense of purpose. Burnley has played a key role in this phoenix-like rise, which led to the self-declaration of the South Pennines Park (SPP) in September 2021. ‘Self-declaration’ is a term that needs a little unpacking. In short, SPP, we seem to have dropped the ‘R’ for regional for the moment, is not proposing a National Park along traditional lines. It does not have the legitimacy, or funding, of those formally constituted in legislation but years of consultation have produced a road map and governance structure that typically represents the northern grit and ballsy attitude typical of the communities living in the landscape that birthed the Industrial Revolution.

“Over eight million people live within 30 minutes of the park...”

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“Whilst we cannot rely on the safeguards embedded in legislation, nor are we constrained”, said Helen Noble, speaking to The Times in September 2021, as she acknowledged the benefits of this ‘fish nor fowl’ status allowed for greater agility, adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit more suited to meeting the challenges faced by the environment and people, social and physical, of today rather than those of a post-war era.

And that’s just it. The plight of South Pennine urban communities are well documented and has led to a host of government, of all persuasions, initiatives for one thing or another. We need to make sure we shine a bright spotlight on those families and

businesses who nurture the landscape that makes our borough so distinctive.

Rural business is not all jolly artisan bread and farmhouse preserves. Rural businesses are not an alternative to the retail and manufacturing, but they are a substantive, coexistent, but often silent, partner. They nonthe-less champion the borough and although many may feel uncredited, our agricultural sector deserves, and must, be drawn into and recognised as a partner in the future of Burnley. They are, after all, guardians of a unique landscape which cradles the town and settlements of the borough. The formation of the SPP is a fantastic step in the right direction, but the road ahead still remains long.

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Where exactly is the South Pennines Park?

An alternative National Park - covering 460 square miles of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester - has been launched and includes Burnley.

South Pennines Park aims to bolster recognition and unlock financial resources for the only upland in England that is not a designated National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The park founders are establishing a flexible operating blueprint for managing the landscape that gives people a significant voice - a first of its kind in the UK. The South Pennines Park will ensure support for cross boundary working on key projects, like flood protection, tourism, transport, heritage and conservation. It offers a new model for how nondesignated areas can contribute to the government’s objectives on levelling up and restoring our natural environment and pursues an integrated approach to environmental, social and economic objectives.

The idea for the park was first discussed in the 1940s, and today represents a key milestone in its development. The operating model has been set up by Pennine Prospects, who are working in partnership with local authorities in the park area, as well as Natural England, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, the National Trust, transport providers and other communities and conservation groups.

Helen continued: “The need for a park was absolutely clear because the South Pennines Park region needs a champion at national level to fight for it, protect it and seek sustainable investment.

Over eight million people live within 30 minutes of the park and more than 660,000 live in it - twice the population of all the English National Parks put together. It is an area of stunning scenery; a spectacular ever-evolving landscape that has been moulded and shaped by the people, the packhorses, footsteps of yesteryear; rich in industrial and cultural heritage.”

FOXSTONES

FARM HOUSE HOLIDAY HOME www.cottages.com (Ref: UK38004) Call: 07974 647 212 Foxstones Farm House is a Grade 2 listed building dating back to the 1600’s and has been opened up as a holiday home for all to enjoy. Located in the beautiful parish of Cliviger, in the Borough of Burnley, the house has three bedrooms, including a luxurious and spacious master bedroom.

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There are two bathrooms, a large lounge & dining room and a modern kitchen with an electric Aga. With an enclosed patio area to the rear, and a lovely garden to enjoy, pets are welcome.

There are wonderful walks straight from the door to the breath-taking countryside.

V VICTUALS food and provisions

Burnley’s coffee science, the burger trail and the eclectic bar awaits

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THE BURNLEY BURGER TRAIL Luke Pollard took one for the team and went on the hunt for some of the best burgers Burnley has to offer.

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T

his issue of Burnley Lifestyle Magazine is filled with walking and cycling trails but I’m going to fill you in about a trail with a twist. Burgers have become somewhat of a trend. Whilst we used to associate them with fast food chains and cheap takeaways, many of us now enjoy this delicious bunned cuisine at some of the finest restaurants. They’ve even grown in popularity during the pandemic, with 28 per cent of consumers saying they ate more burgers in 2020 and 2021 than ever, according to SmartBrief.com.

So, we decided to test the trend. We asked our Instagram and Twitter followers: where does the best burgers in Burnley? These were the top five poll results.

Of course, I felt it my duty to ensure the responses were aligned to expectations, so I carried out the very hard task of sampling burgers in five of Burnley’s most popular eating establishments. Here’s what I thought…

Here’s where the trail took him…

Bertram’s

The Palazzo The Palazzo is an Italian restaurant based in a former bank on Grimshaw Street and is one of the grandest buildings in Burnley town centre.

The stunning William Waddington architecture would be more than at home in the heart of Rome or Venice. It’s not just known for its Italian cuisine though, as many of our followers said The Palazzo serves some of the best burgers in town, so I had to give them a try.

There are two burgers on the menu, the ‘Wagyu Cheeseburger’ or the ‘Mediterranean Burger’, which is the vegetarian option. I went for the Wagyu cheeseburger and was not disappointed! This thick chunk of wagyu beef was accompanied with juicy cheese which stringed off as I cut it in half. Between the brioche buns there was also sliced tomato, caramelised onions, parmesan mayonnaise and American mustard (which was not at all overpowering, as it sometimes can be).

This burger is perfect if you want an elegantly understated juicy, flavourful feast in a spectacular setting.

Bertram’s is known for being a fine-dining hotspot in Burnley. The two Rosette, adultsonly eatery is located on the impressive Crow Wood Hotel and Spa Resort site, adjacent to the award-winning Woodland Spa. The two burgers on Bertram’s menu are ‘The Connoisseur’s Choice’ and ‘The Goat’s Cheeseburger’, which is vegetarian. I ordered the connoisseur’s choice, which was served with a jug of peppercorn sauce, but was lucky enough to try both as I was dining with a vegetarian. What I loved about this burger was the simplicity; sirloin beef patty, bacon, lettuce and cheese stacked between two buns. Nothing more, nothing less. But, this is Bertram’s we are talking about, so the simplicity is perfected with every ingredient on that plate, hence this burger’s fitting name. It’s vegetarian counterpart, the goat’s cheeseburger, could sway even the most loyal of carnivores.

The grilled aubergine, sun blushed tomato and rocket served on a single bun went perfectly with ramekin of basil mayonnaise.

Ellis’s This is often the main name people think of when we talk about burgers in Burnley. Ellis’s’ large social media following is testament to their burger-making prowess. The menu features a huge range of burgers, most of which are named after famous rap songs, and a scrumptious selection of loaded fries.

The selection of burgers were so varied and appealing I had to choose one based solely on the name; the “Straight Outta Burnley”. Not to be confused with NWA’s Compton classic, this is a double cheeseburger with minute steak slices, grilled

onions, jalapenos, baconnaise, burger sauce and skin on fries (yes… fries inside the burger).

This is not the simple stack of ingredients you find at the fine-dining venues. This is a heavy, over-the-top mess of magnificence. It is somehow ugly and beautiful at the same time and you will not look composed eating it! Remarkably, “Straight Outta Burnley” is one of the least over-the-top burgers they offer. You can have burgers topped with deep fried halloumi, Doritos or even Frazzles. I also loved the laidback atmosphere with their funky deco.

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Here’s where the trail took him…

Illuminati Illuminati is a chic cocktail venue right in the centre of Burnley’s nightlife district. They not only hold bragging rights as expert mixologists, but also in serving delicious finger food.

Their menu offers the ‘Cult Chicken Burger’ and their astonishing ‘Smash Burger’.

For those who don’t know, a smash burger always consists of a brioche bun, cheese, bacon and, the most important part, a messy beef patty smashed flat over a grill, giving it a crisp, rugged exterior packed with beefy, juicy goodness. Illuminati’s smash burger came with two patties, a juicy tomato and a few shreds of lettuce (so you can tell people you were kind of being healthy!). I’d recommend going on a Thursday where you get two smash burgers for £15 – an utter bargain for the quality.

So there we have it, five of the best burgers in Burnley, as chosen by our followers. There are of course many more succulent burgers being served throughout Burnley, but these noteworthy places have earned the interest of our wonderful followers (who often know a thing or two about our area!).

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Kenank’s Kenank’s is takeaway only, but don’t be fooled thinking it’s like your average Friday night kebab house. What they lack for in chairs and tables, they more than make up for in seriously tasty, no-nonsense burgers. These things are heavyduty handfuls and they have a great selection to choose from. The aptly named ‘Beast Burger’ was my choice, a 4oz beef patty, bacon, cheese, pulled pork, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, *takes breath*, mozzarella, American cheese and - wait for it – another 4oz beef patty, as if that wasn’t enough already. There are of course, smaller burgers on the menu, the “Big Ken Burger” and “Big Daddy Burger” being two contenders (they’re still huge, though).

Don’t be fooled by the huge amount of ingredients – you could taste every single one and combined, was absolutely delicious.

What a hidden gem this is (or, the worstkept secret after this article goes to print!)

I should also point out that this is one of the few takeaways that deliver Mexican food - the burritos and fajitas are just as delicious as the burgers.

Why not give them a try and see which one you like best?

THE CIRCUIT

Burnley’s answer to Manchester’s Northern Quarter Bank Parade, a Burnley street on the rim of the town centre, is home to not one, not two, but three retrostyled bars, each one individual in its own right.

Owner Ray Harrison and his son Ryan Harrison are the visionaries that have brought these three venues to life.

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The Circ Retro Café Bar

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The original bar of this trio is The Circ Retro Café Bar, which opened in 2020 at 3 Bank Parade. After travelling the globe and visiting many different bars, Ray has had plenty of inspiration to work from. This, combined with experience from owning the popular Circ nightclub in the 2000s, meant that the new venture was destined for success.

With all of Ray’s ideas in place, he then contacted Darren Harrison (no relation), whose artistic knowhow brought these ideas to life. They have live music playing every weekend, mostly well-known local bands. Walking through its front doors feels like walking into a time capsule, decorated with a plethora of quirky artifacts which Ray has collected over the years.

Where else can you find a huge cow mosaic, a mannequin and real airplane seats all in one place?

We particularly loved the pop culture tributes dotted throughout the venue, including a Batman mural and two Tarantino murals.

Circus Café Lounge After The Circ’s success, the decision was made to open the Circus Café Lounge next door. The décor in here is just as stylish; it includes a vintage 1960’s Vespa behind the bar and even part of a waltzer to sit in. The concept of this bar is similar, yet for live events it focuses a very wide spread of genres from soul, funk, reggae, psychedelia, house, disco – anything really goes! Music scouts, Paul Barrett and Shaun Badger Bennett, are in place looking for the best artists around, planning the acts and also arranging the sound systems. They carry out their work under their brand Habitual Grooves.

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The Electric Circus This is the latest addition to this collection of bars. From the seemingly small, graffiti-sprayed exterior, you’d be forgiven to think this is another intimate party offering like the other two venues.

However, don’t be fooled, as its huge interior will hold up to 500 customers at one time. It’s recently become fully licensed and the bookings are already rolling in.

There’s a big stage which attracts the well-known names and they’ve got even bigger plans for this space in the future, aimed at Burnley’s growing student population.

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“The real draw-in is the quirkiness.”

We spoke to Ray as he gave us a tour of all three premises.

“The real draw-in is the quirkiness. I’ve been to bars all over the world, Thailand, Australia, you name it, I’ve then brought all of my ideas back to my hometown of Burnley, along with all of my vintage artefacts I’ve collected over the years which gives these places their character, and this is the result.”

Darren’s background was originally street art; he’s been helping Ray with the logos, interior design, graphic design and impressive spray-paint work. He told us: “These three places are like nothing else in Burnley, not only have they been decorated with Ray’s collection of vintage artwork, but they’re in a prime location. It’s away from the mainstream nightlife area of the town centre, but I think this gives it an edge and has almost created this trendy section of Burnley for anyone to enjoy.”

So, next time you’re planning an evening out, why not head a little out of the centre to discover the Circ Circuit and the feast for the eyes the three venues provide?

SCIENCE IN EVERY ~ CUP ~ 153

W

e are all feeling the pinch right now and life’s little luxuries feel ever more important; a well prepared cup of coffee and sweet treat are no exception. In Burnley you’re spoiled for choice with independent and chains alike vying for your attention, but one popular coffee house is taking the next step to offer customers the perfect cup.

Walking through Burnley town centre (especially if the sun is shining) you’ll find a myriad of coffee lovers sitting alfresco to catch up with friends, have a well-deserved rest from shopping or just taking a quiet moment to read the newspaper and enjoy their flat white. We stopped in at the much-loved coffee hotspot, Little Barista, to find out about their in-house coffee roaster and how it will help them perfect the science of coffeemaking.

This family-run business in Charter Walk Shopping Centre already boasts a loyal fanbase.

After speaking to owners, husband and wife team, Ali and Andrea, it’s now clear that this town centre gem is about to take their coffee offer up a level.

This bustling coffee shop has all the characteristics of a modern, ethical coffee haven.

Before even stepping one foot inside the building, groups of happy customers can be seen enjoying Little Barista’s creations in their alfresco seating area. Upon entry to the shop, you’re hit with the scent of freshly ground coffee and met with the smiling faces and warm welcomes from their friendly team of staff. It’s not just coffee on the menu either; they have an array of sweet and savoury food including sandwiches, soups and cakes, all of which have vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. And, with the addition of their new state-of-the-art coffee roaster, Little Barista are taking things that one step further.

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...we just want to give the best coffee possible to the people of Burnley” 155

KNOW YOUR ROOTS The coffee-making process is actually very complex. It is quite literally an exact science, and every step in the process requires precise equipment. Any slight shifts with the airflow, humidity, temperature or time when roasting, grinding or brewing can have a significant impact on the final result. Therefore, it’s important that Little Barista have full control over this process so that your first sip of the final product is absolutely flawless.

The exact science isn’t just down to the roasting process though, it starts at the very beginning with the coffee bean farmers. Like wine, different regions of the world produce different types of coffee.

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Little Barista’s house roast uses organic, fairtrade coffee beans from Sumatra, Indonesia – something they show with unquestionable pride. The Sumatra Orang Utan Coffee Project helps preserve the orang utan populations and their habitat in the Indonesian rainforest, while supporting 350 smallholdings organic coffee farmers. So every cup of coffee you drink at Little Barista means: farmers are paid a fair wage to help comply with the conservation standards, orangutans are safe and cared for with veterinary visits and the rainforest is protected for the future.

But this isn’t enough for Ali, and with his new roaster by his side no-one can stop him.

ROASTED TO PERFECTION So why is in-house roasting so important to Little Barista’s future?

“Having our own roaster means a better variety of coffee for our customers,” says Ali. Sourcing: Where the beans grow effects their flavour. From the soil, the temperature and the humidity to the local flowers, everything has a massive impact on the final taste. Sourcing his own green beans allows Ali to control the taste and blends he offers.

Blending: While single origin roasts offer a focussed flavour which suits drinks such as espresso, areopress, americano and syphon coffee; blended coffees can be tailored to different drinks. By blending the chocolatey taste of one bean with the caramel flavour of another you can create the perfect coffee profile for sweet creamy drinks like cappuccino, latte, and mocha without adding extra sugar and syrups.

Roasting: Turn large hessian sacks of green beans into usable coffee beans required precision. The 5kg batch roaster, which take pride of place in Little Barista, controls not only the roasting temperature but also the cooling process. Light roasts offer higher acidity, fruity aromas and a toasty taste, medium roasts are more balanced with a sweeter profile and dark roasts are bold, punchy and present the

bittersweet flavour usually associated with coffee.

The flavour of the roast can change in a split second so attention to every element is required, if you get up early enough you might be lucky enough to catch the master at work.

Cupping: Ali will wait for between 12 and 24 hours before testing the batches in a thorough taste test, allowing the flavours to settle and mature.

Coffee cupping is the best way to test the flavours and helps quickly tell the differences made by the beans, the blend and the roast. Simple brewing in large ‘cups’ and tasting off a cupping spoon allows the smallest subtleties in flavour to become apparent.

After cupping, Ali tweaks blends and roasts slightly to get the desired flavour.

Brewing: By sourcing his own beans, creating blends and varying the darkness of the roast Ali can offer smaller batches to suit different customers and drink types. A blended dark roast with caramel and nutty notes will elevate a sweet mocha while a single origin light roast with a floral flavour will make a refreshing V60 filter coffee.

“It also means that our coffee will meets our high standards, instead of relying on suppliers. At the end of the day, we just want to give the best coffee possible to the people of Burnley,” explained Andrea.

TAKEAWAY COFFEE: Once you’ve found your new favourite roast, why not take it home with you? Just pop to the separate ‘bean counter’, choose your beans and Little Barista will grind them to the perfect coarseness for you to make your preferred coffee at home.

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Little Barista’s ethical approach to sourcing coffee beans is reflected in their ethical approach in just about anything else they do. For example, they serve coffee in Huskee Cups; these are made of repurposed coffee husk, a biproduct of coffee production, which helps to recycle hundreds of tonnes of waste material from the production of coffee.

It appears then, that Little Barista has thought of everything, with each detail of their shop thought out to give their customers the best experience possible whilst also maintaining their ethical obligations to the farmers. We can’t wait to see this coffee shop’s popularity grow even more as time goes on – and smell the wonderful aroma of freshly-ground coffee every time we walk through the town centre.

TASTING EVENINGS: Explore the science of coffee at one of Little Barista’s tasting evenings, where Ali and team will walk you through the whole process start to finish and you can try your hand at cupping. BEWARE! You might just change your usual coffee order! Follow Little Barista on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date.

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D DONNA LIVESEY Rolling her sleeves up and getting stuck in

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Donna and her son Joseph collecting one of her awards Donna with her husband Matt and son Joseph

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Padiham

St Peter’s

leisure centre

leisure centre

S S E N T I F Y ENJO RE WITH BLC AND LEISU

Our award winning facilities provide access to gyms, swimming pools, exercise classes for all abilities, sauna, steam & spa and FREE personal training. Also as part of your membership with BLC you are part of Active Network which allows you access to 18 leisure centres across East Lancashire.

Regular exercise can benefit your mind, body, and health.

Improves physical and mental wellbeing

Increases immunity to disease and illness

Provides relaxation & leisure

Join today at blcgroup.co.uk St Peter’s Leisure Centre Church Street Burnley BB11 2DL 01282 664 444

Padiham Leisure Centre Park Rd Padiham Burnley BB12 8ED 01282 477 222

blcgroup.co.uk

Tel: 01282 664444

Supports your local community.

We invest all funds back into the local community

Brings us together

THE ACTIVE NETWORK PROVIDES ACCESS TO A CHOICE OF 18 GYMS, 13 SWIMMING POOLS, 2 FUN POOLS AND OVER 350 CLASSES PER WEEK.

Part of the BLC Group

marking the

120th anniversary of Towneley Park

To mark the anniversary of the park opening to the public, an online exhibition of images through the period, one for each year it’s been open, is being held. The exhibition included photos and memories of local people who have enjoyed the park through the decades.

A series of outdoor exhibition panels, aligned to present the past image as it’s seen now, and a series of tours and lectures are also planned.

visit: towneley.org.uk

EXCEPTIONAL DINING

EXPERIENCES Critically acclaimed, multi-award winning Bertram’s Restaurant is a unique and modern adult-only restaurant located within the Crow Wood Resort.

It’s set in 100 acres of countryside affording panoramic views courtesy of floor to ceiling windows. The food speaks for itself.

2020 WINNER!

bertramsrestaurant.com