PRESTON

 WE LIVE 'ERE !

WHO DOES ?  :-  John W, Mike, Jim C, Danny and Dave.

So what's to see in Preston.. Well read on and you will see.

After parking at the end of the Boulevard in Frenchwood we set off along the park path to make our way into Preston proper.

Just past the children's play area Jim spotted something.

A group of trees which he knew quite well.

Jim eagerly told us about his brother-in-law having planted this group of Hornbeam trees after they had made way for a line of new Elm trees.

Jim and Danny check that they have correctly identified the trees as Hornbeams.

At this point we mistakenly took the set of stairs to the right of the path thinking this would take us to the terrace of the canons.

It didn't and we had to descend again. It did however lead us to a small valley containing some interesting sculpture.

Sadly it was also the valley where, many years ago, a young boy was murdered.  The crime was never solved.

Leaving the valley we came to the "Correct" set of steps - a LOT of them !

At the top of the stairs we found ourselves on the terrace overlooked by the menacing canons.

Very exciting...but look..... MORE steps !

Looking back across the terrace we could see the "Old Tram Bridge" now closed but awaiting developments.

The canons were replicas of those used in Sebastapol during the Crimean war. Oh that such weapons were the only ones available in Sevastapol right now.

A few more steps took us up to Bushell Place where in times gone by the ladies and gentlemen of Preston's "Society" would parade. Possible on Sundays.

At the end of Bushell Place and over Avenham Lane was the one time Harris Art School.

We took the road to the right of the columned building and continued our progress towards Preston City Centre.

Being elderly gentlemen and therefore creatures of habit and it being past our coffee break time and as we were passing a cafe - WE STOPPED !

I am sure many Prestonians will recognise that we are at the top of Guildhall street close to Fishergate, We had passed the old "Guildhall" a couple of minutes before.

The old GUILDHALL.

Our caffeine addiction sated we made our way to the Flag Market.

It was busily full of craft stalls.

The Old Market cross was occupied by a group of young students who happily allowed us to take a photograph.

At the opposite end of the square is the Cenotaph beyond which is the old Post Office building.

Some years ago there were complaints that youths were using the steps of the cenotaph to gather around and many thought this was disrespectful , I could understand their point and perhaps it was disrespectful but I can think of no better legacy left by the fallen than the health and well being of the next generation.

As we left the square we looked back at the Harris Museum, Library and Art Gallery. Entirely swathed in scaffolding and plastic.

The market square is a very historic place, It was here, in 1715,  that the last battle to take place on English soil came to an end as the Jacobite army surrendered to the King's Men. The soldiers were disarmed in the square but the officers and Gentlemen were allowed to go into local pubs to surrender their arms perhaps to avoid embarrassment (nothing changes), The prisoners were kept in the Parish church close by (the Minster). It was a cold winter and after weeks of captivity there was hardly anything wooden left in the church as it had been burnt to keep warm. The local population, already poor, were obliged to keep them fed. In a final blow to the poverty stricken citizens the English soldiers were then allowed to loot and plunder the town (spoils of war. Again nothing changes) 

N.B.The writer cannot guarantee the accuracy of the above which was gleaned from several sources.

A final little piece of history before moving on. If you look carefully, in the top righthand corner of the square is a small stone circle with a centre of lead. This was where a post used to be for bulls and possibly bears to be chained up for the popular "Sport ???" of bull baiting. (being attacked by dogs)

From the square we walked on towards the market building to greet some familiar characters.

The Victorian market "Roof" has been walled in and is no longer open to the elements.

WALLACE and GROMMIT......... Nick Parkes is a local "Lad".  The lady on the bench was NOT PLEASED to be included in the photo ,

We now cut through St George's shopping Mall to get back to Fishergate.

Down a street to the right, as we walked towards the station, was ST WILFRID'S school where a Jesuit priest "Daddy Dunn" brought gas lighting to Preston. The first school to be lit by gas and Preston is said to be the first town outside London with gas street lighting.

For several years in the late seventies John W was deputy head of this school. It is no longer a school. 

So down Fishergate to the railway station. 

Before we reached Fishergate we cut down a narrow ginnel. Danny told us his grandfather lived in one of the house which backed on to it.

Here we see County Hall in the background. Lancaster is the Capital City of Lancashire but Preston is the administrative centre.

On down to the station.

Hello. What's this. Can we catch the Hogwarts Express from this platform ?

"They left with hearts aglow and returned with hearts broken"

Out of the station and across the car park to where a broken fence allowed us illicit entrance to Miller Park.

Miller Park is a delightful park overlooked by the Park Hotel where people arriving by train could stop over night

The track by the river is now part of the Millennium Wheel.

Dave lives not far beyond the railway bridge in the photo and here he is coming to meet us.

Dave led us away from the river bank to show us something special .

Brilliant idea Dave and Liz !

We walked on through Miller park and under the now disused railway bridge into Avenham Park.

Once in Avenham Park we made a beeline for the cafe.

Sausage or Bacon barm cakes all round please.... and mugs of tea.

Leaving the cafe, Dave set off to return home whilst the rest of us followed the riverside path back to the cars at the Boulevard.

We stopped briefly to contemplate the possibilities for the future of Tram Bridge. We all hoped it would soon be brought back into use - but at what cost?

Our next brief stop was to puzzle over a chestnut tree which John thought was a sweet (edible) chestnut,   Was he right ?

A delightful treat when we arrived at the car. Mrs Holleran (Kath) had made some cakes to celebrate Mike's imminent Birthday, They were excellent.

SO........ That's what you can see in Preston and the wonder of it was that there was so much more we didn't see.   Perhaps another such expedition sometime in the future.

THE END

JW