Life in Northern Towns

We've been to Preston a few times before this visit.  Once to see Belle and Sebastian at the Guild Hall (fantastic gig) and the other times we were just passing through.  Preston is in the heart of Lancashire and it seems all roads lead to (or from) Preston.  It used to be a northern town, but in 2002 it was granted city status as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee.  It's just - *whispers* I'm not that inspired by the place. Getting to Preston is dead simple from Manchester - take the M60, M61, M6 and whatever junction you fancy.  Obviously as it's a city the locals will know where all the free parking spots are, whilst for us visitors we make do with the paid car parks.  I decided to use the car park above the bus station.  Weirdly this car park, an example of brutalist modernist architecture, has been at the centre of a campaign to get listed building status to stop the Council from demolishing it.  It has ...

Looking back at my blog I noticed there weren't that many Lancashire towns featured, so I thought I’d rectify that matter with a trip to Leyland . Leyland is a relatively easy place to get to from Manchester: M60, M61 and junction 8 then follow the signs to Leyland.   However there is a slightly longer but quicker way: M60, M61, M65, M6, junction 28 and follow the signs for Leyland. Parking is easy in Leyland.   There is a big Tesco near the centre of town with a free car park – job done. Leyland itself is an unassuming town.  The shops on the main road are predominantly simple red brick shops, with rows of plain two-up-two-down Victorian terraces on the side streets.   There is a small row of 60s built shops and peppered amongst these are some rendered buildings.   However the only places of architectural interest are the pubs and the local church. It was a quiet day in Leyland and there were only a few people pottering about.   ...