promoting excellence in Blackpool since 1975
Our next meeting will be held on Monday 15th September 2025 in the Holiday Inn, Talbot Road, Blackpool at 7pm.
The guest speaker will be
Carl Carrington, the Head of Planning and Conservation at Blackpool Council.
The talk will be ‘Key Developments in Blackpool 2023 and 2024’.
Non-members are welcome for a small donation of £2.
October Monthly Meeting at the Holiday Inn, Talbot Road, Blackpool.
The guest speaker is Alistair Baines of Cassidy & Ashton, Architects, Building Surveyors & Town Planners. Speaking of ‘The life and times of a sand grown architect’.
Non-members are welcome for a small donation, £2 is suggested. We’ll see you soon.
The agenda will be business and raffle followed by the guest speaker.
A day out in the mills of Lancashire. Our coach tour took us from Blackpool to East Lancashire: Helmshore Mill near Rawtenstall and Queen Street Mill at Harle Syke in Burnley to visit the former cotton mills now being operated as museums by Lancashire County Council.
Our group outside Helmshore Mill. The multi-storey mill has full size cotton and wool factory equipment in two mills set out as it was and with additional displays, such as Arkwright’s Water Frame and spinning wheels, plus a waterwheel and an attractive stone former railway bridge adjoining the factory.
Soon some of our group were weaving, warping and carding on looms and mules ready for a shift at 7.30am in the morning, in a different life.
Lunch makes you jolly. Both mills have cafes.
Queen Street Mill weaving shed with dozens of looms and the belts powered by a large steam engine with a tall factory chimney. Quite a sight and very noisy when in operation.
These are impressive museums that were operating up to the 1980s and now mark the significance of the textile industry to the development of the region. The processing machinery looks complex and it tended to be built locally.
On Saturday 30th August 2025 Blackpool Civic Trust attended the unveiling of the Blue Plaque representing the activities of the Seasiders Independent Supporters Association.
‘In 2013 the movement brought Blackpool Football Club back into the heart of the community and led to the introduction of independent regulation by the government.
The Armfield Club, the independent supporters club, opened in 2020 and is a lasting legacy for all Blackpool fans past and present who played a role in re-claiming our club.’
Elaine Smith MBE, Chair of Blackpool Civic Trust with John Armfield, son of Jimmy Armfield, next to the blue plaque (lower).
Elaine Smith with Judi Brown a member of the Blackpool Civic Trust.
Enjoy this tour of the Town Hall showing off the Mayor’s Parlour, the silverware,
stained glass windows and other artefacts. The highlight of the tour will be the impressive Council Chamber with its many points of interest, such as the Wragg Window, history wall paintings and the four windows representing the activities for which Blackpool was known.
Sat 20 Sept 10.30am-3pm
Enter through the front door of the Town Hall and be greeted for the tour.
Tuesday 13th August 2025
We visited impressive Backlot Cinema and Imax in the Houndshill Shopping Centre, Blackpool and were led by Sales and Events Manager Megan.
Megan highlighted the venue’s various screens, including conference spaces available for hire and informed us of the free car parkig, ticket pricing and the bespoke clubs they offer for a variety of viewers.
There was interest in the weekly Social Club, which offers seniors a day time ticket with a drink to see some of the latest films.
Note that as of next week the cinema is to be taken over by Arc Cinemas and the now closed diner is not part of that deal.
Please join us at our monthly meeting on Monday 18th August at 7pm in the Holiday Inn, Blackpool. We will discuss matters of interest followed by our guest speaker: Peter Legg, Head of Economic and Cultural Services, Blackpool Council, speaking about the renovation of the Stanley Building on Church Street. Non-members are welcome for a small donation, £2.
We visit the Backlot Cinema on Corporation Street on Tuesday 12th August 2025 at 11am. The new Imax cinema in the Houndshill Centre, Corporation Street. It should be an interesting tour.
Book via RachelSykes@hotmail.co.uk
Our newsletter from Elaine
Our next meeting is on Monday 21st July 2025 at 7pm in the Holiday Inn, Talbot Road, Blackpool. The guest speaker is Claire Walmsley-Griffiths a local photographer who you may have seen at events.
Forthcoming Visits
Our next outing is to look around the Backlot Cinema at 11am on August 12th. Rachel will have the board out for you to put your name down at our meeting next Monday (21st) at 7pm at the usual Holiday Inn.
Next Monday is also your chance to pay your £20 for our coach trip to the two Lancashire Mills on Thursday 4th September. After next Monday it will be sent out to other organisations to fill up the coach. Seats on the bus will be booked on a first come with the cash basis!
Forthcoming Events
Also, from next Monday onward, tickets will be on sale (again £20) for our Afternoon Tea Awards ceremony in the Winter Gardens’ Spanish Hall on January 22nd 2026 – our 51st anniversary – at 1pm for a 1.30pm meal. Yes! I know that sounds a long way away but do you want to pay £20 in the middle of buying Christmas presents? At the speed this year is going it will soon be Christmas!!!
Remembering Loraine Calvert
Finally, on a sadder note, I do hope that a lot of you make time in your busy schedules to say goodbye to our friend Loraine Calvert. Loraine (yes, it is one ‘r’) worked so hard for the Blackpool Civic Trust both as a member and a Committee Member for such a long time that she deserves our proper farewell now. Through ill health, Loraine had been ‘off the radar’ for the past few years but it didn’t mean that she had been forgotten.
The funeral is at St Stephen on the Cliffs at 12 noon this Friday (18th) before being taken to Carleton Crematorium. The wake is being held at the Norbreck Bowling Club, Clovelly Ave, FY5 1RZ and all are welcome.
If you are coming to the wake, I would be grateful if you would let me know by tomorrow (Tuesday) please as Corrine, Loraine’s daughter, needs numbers for the catering.
Claire Walmsley Griffiths Guest Speaker
If I don’t see you on Friday, I do hope I see as many of you as possible on Monday. Our speaker is Claire Walmsley, a local performance and heritage space photographer. I am really looking forward to this as over the past number of years Claire has been there with her camera at so many events that I have attended. I am sure that this will apply to a lot of you when you see her and I think it will bring back happy memories for many of us.
Our next monthly meeting is on Monday 21st July 2025 at 7pm at the Holiday Inn Talbot Road Blackpool. The guest speaker is Claire Walmsley Griffiths a Heritage Spaces and Performance photographer from Blackpool.
Non-members are welcome for a small donation of £2.