Made in Preston and the surrounding area, the engineers story.www.madeinpreston.co.uk - website established 2002 |
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Read about Preston and its surrounding area on this website.
Great things have been made in the area and some still are: most of the RAF's current fighter aircraft, such as Eurofighter Typhoon, and Leyland Trucks.
Previously buses like the Leyland Atlantean and its predecessors, Atkinsons Vehicles, the Deltic prototype locomotive, 1000's of trams and large electric motors, miles of cotton woven and rayon fabric.
Manufacture of printing presses was a sophisticated and big industry from 1860 to 2006. Many smaller manufacturers made machinery for the cotton mills and hand tools. Wireworking such as fencing, sheeting and ornaments was significant.
Photo: Blackpool made in Preston trams Easter 2013.
Companies such as Horrocks, Dick Kerr's(English Electric), Joseph Foster(Goss), Leyland Motors, Leyland Rubber(BTR), Leyland Paints were well known nationally in their time. Slingers and Starkies were well known locally.
Inventions from Preston like the Arkwright water frame spinning machine that transformed cotton manufacturing and made a big contribution to the machine age.
May Bank Holidays things to do:
Ribble Steam Railway running on 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th and every weekend.
British Commercial Vehicle Museum, weekends and 27th
Ride a Made in Preston tram at Blackpool, 25th, 26th, 27thl
Latest Pages, not in date order:
Bridges Transport Ltd - those old familiar trucks - 29th April 2013.
Couple of posts on the blog: Preston People Panorama and High Speed Broadband in Lancashire 24th April 2013.
Kirkby Stephen riding 1946 Preston Bus 7th April 2013
Good Friday on Blackpool Trams made in Preston - next running Sat 4th May to Monday 6th May.
Give me those Bus Station Blues - Message from Stoke 31st March 2013
Leyland Bus and Coach Show 24th March 2013
Big Bra maker Made in Preston March 2013.
Visit to Longridge and Ribchester on 18th December 2012.
Diary of things in and around Preston 2013
Ribble Steam Railway visit - Deltic prototype here for the guild and now until 2013.
Monthly PNE status since 2005, click here. Updated 31st Mar 2013.
Read our tram page for details of the Made in Preston trams running in May 2013 along Blackpool promenade. New 2nd April 2013
Great Past - Big Questions
It is amazing how around the early 19th Century all this activity came into being and largely held its own up the 1950s. Then decline accelerated and manufacturing was replaced by call centres and shops. Question about where we are heading. Post Empire, post industrial to uncharted land. Nothing is guaranteed, nothing is owed, the world is changing as well. Job creators need a big helping hand. Big questions.
Photo of Miller Park - Preston Guild 2012 Vintage Weekend:
The website is great, have you read the blog. Usually updated at least three times a month.
If You Wish to Visit Preston, what to see, if you're a bit older, largely based on things liked by the writer. We don't do nightlife.
Harris Museum & Art Gallery for art and culture. Plus the Flag Market Square, Cenotaph and Town Hall buildings. Don't miss Miller Arcade.
Guild Hall & Charter Theatre for theatre, music and comedy and good Tourist Information shop.
Bus Station, under threat, for 20th Century outsized brutalism.
Look at the Victorian Covered Market roof.
Fishergate, Friargate, St Georges and Fishergate Malls, Miller Arcade for shopping.
Winckley Square area for Georgian sunken square. Winckley Street and Winckleys Cafe.
Miller and Avenham Parks and the River bridges.
St John's Minster and look at Arkwright House
Look at St Walburgs steeple.
Railway Station.
Museum of Lancashire
Deepdale for Preston North End football.
Deepdale Retail Centre - not so big.
Ribble Steam Railway, museum and workshop plus running steam train.
Wander round the docks, see the Bull Nose and view nearby car park..
Fulwood Barracks Queens Lancashire Regiment Museum.
Outside:
South: Leyland - British Commercial Vehicle Museum.
East: Brockholes Lancashire Wildlife Trust Centre and Reserve.
Samlesbury Hall.
Hoghton Towers.
Ribchester.
North: Garstang main street and Millenium Walk and beyond, plus the Garstang Deli.
Barton Grange Garden Centre, quality.
Lancaster Canal and Guys Hamlet & Eating Establishment.
West: Lytham main street, heritage centre and walk on promenade.
Fairhaven Lake, RSPB centre, Ribble estuary, and walk to Lytham.
South West: Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve.
A short essay about Preston written by Desiree Le Claire of Reutlingen (near Stuttgart) written as a school project. 14th Jan 2013. (Please note we cannot vouch for the content but it is a good piece of research and language study and an example of how students overseas learn English so well). A bit of feedback: Desiree says her teacher commented it is too much like a list, but she is happy with her mark.
Design Flair:
These companies showed flair for exceptional design - the streamline tram, the rear engined Atlantean bus, the Canberra bomber that flew like a fighter and wowed the USAF in 1949. Thousands of apprentices and designers educated at the Harris Technical College, now the University of Central Lancashire.
Tornado F3 Air Defence Variant at the RAF Museum Hendon. The lengthened UK version carries more fuel, more powerful engines, 4 medium range air to air missiles and air intercept radar, all delivered from Warton:
History:
There is an interesting history with human evidence from 12,000BC, Bronze Age, Roman, Viking, Norman, plague, battles with Scots and Civil War, leading to the forefront of the industrial revolution. Continuous celebration of the Guild Merchant every 20 years inspiring the saying for a rare event: 'as often as Preston Guild'. Read about the 2012 Preston Guild starting lower down the page. See our Harris Museum page and the Discover Preston gallery.
Politics:
2013. Preston Council are planning significant controversial changes to the face of Preston in the name of cuts. Lancashire Council are planning improved road and rail routes. Work is proceeding on electrifying the rail between Manchester and Blackpool, but completion is a few years away. New Enterprise Zones are being established in the area.
Photo of the elegant art deco style Lancastria Building condemned by Preston Council in December 2012:
Preston Bus Station on Preston Council's list for demolition if an investor can't be found. They are encouraged by Lancashire County Council who want to build a smaller bus station and ground level car park:
At least two postings in our blog about Preston Council's plans, read the blog.
Preston Guild 2012
Preston Guild - I was there. New Page Saturday 1st September 2012 Trade Procession and Thursday 6th Sept.
2012 was the year of Preston Guild. Let's not forget the Olympics, Para-Olympics, Queens Jubilee. An English Premier League club won the European Champions Cup, British cyclist won the Tour de France and a British tennis player won a grand slam.
An excellent YouTube video preview of the Vintage Guild Weekend that was held on the 1st and 2nd September on Preston's Avenham Park and Winckley Square:
Click here for Vintage Guild Weekend website
The Vintage Weekend Art and Craft and Food look interesting but maybe you prefer the music, fashion, film, market. Food on Winckley Square.
Preston Guild have adopted the term 'made in Preston' for 9 projects they are doing. One of these relates to recollections of English Electric and Leyland Motors. In the main they're tending to be more art related 'made in' products. Please note, and I think they'll want you to, the projects have nothing to do with this website. Read about it on the Guild website.
Books:
A new book: Leyland Then and Now by David Hunt and William Waring.
Another new book by Keith Johnson Lancashire Evening Post history writer. 'Preston Through Time' - Click here.
Campaign Group 'Friends of Preston New Victoria' on Facebook,
seems a great idea if it is good condition under the plasterboard.
Neat recent website of old Beerhouses in Preston, click here.
Recent book Preston Remembered by Keith Johnson Click here.
www.madeinpreston.co.uk - since 2002.
Our Made in Preston blog is fully moderated and tends to stray off topic.
Made in Preston: Deltic Prototype. At the Ribble Steam Railway for the 2012 Preston Guild and now until 2013. On loan from the National Railway Museum.
Over 99% of the photos and text on this site are owned by the writer. There is no official registration system for copyright. It's an automatic right in the UK for original work. Good manners usually go a long way when using other peoples work.
Music
26th October 1962 - Beatles play at the Public Hall
13th September 1963 - Beatles play at the Public Hall
23rd November 1971 - Led Zeppelin play at the Public Hall
1989 Preston Public Hall knocked down leaving the front which is now the Corn Exchange pub.
What would you hear at a Beatles concert in September 1963.
Please Please Me - Jan-63 - UK
From Me To You - Apr-63
Twist And Shout E.P. - Jul-63
She Loves You - Aug-63
Beatles, Please Please Me.
With the Beatles - Dec 63
Read more on the Music in Preston page
It's hidden here because it's a bit shy being an embryonic page.
Our Two Blogs
Made In Preston - the blog writing about Preston twice a month or so.
The North Westerly writing about anything once a month or so.