Moving to St Annes near Blackpool..your thoughts please

[Globalti]

I do like Victorian architecture. It's just that the surroundings are bleak and windswept and flat, there are very few trees, the stone is dark and mildewed and the place exudes austerity. Contrast that with Stonyhurst College, which faces south across the Ribble Valley and nestles amongst mature woods and farm land. I've sometimes thought new pupils must find Stonyhurst daunting but they must find Rossall terrifying.

 

[Adam4868]

I do like Victorian architecture. It's just that the surroundings are bleak and windswept and flat, there are very few trees, the stone is dark and mildewed and the place exudes austerity. Contrast that with Stonyhurst College, which faces south across the Ribble Valley and nestles amongst mature woods and farm land, I've sometimes thought new pupils must find Stonyhurst daunting but they must find Rossall terrifying.

Its called the North Sea,hard for things to grow in there.

 

[Blue Hills]

Has rossall ever been used in a film? It screams SCREAMS to be.
I also like victorian architecture.
I did enjoy my ride along that long long prom. My memory, maybe false, is that it was mostly traffic free all the way from fleetwood to blackpool.
Maybe some sunny, or gloomy, day, we should do a ride there to see if it still has that air of dark evil secrets within.

 

[Drago]

Same here - in real life it looks grim but the pictures on the web make it look as good as Stonyhurst.

You want grim? Then try Northampton, where even the robbers live in fear of being robbed by bigger and scarier robbers.

 

[Adam4868]

Has rossall ever been used in a film? It screams SCREAMS to be.
I also like victorian architecture.
I did enjoy my ride along that long long prom. My memory, maybe false, is that it was mostly traffic free all the way from fleetwood to blackpool.
Maybe some sunny, or gloomy, day, we should do a ride there to see if it still has that air of dark evil secrets within.

Yes the sea front is all open,as in you can ride all the way from Starr gate(south end of blackpool) to fleetwood.

 

[Globalti]

Be careful passing though Blackpool; there is a lower promenade, which you don't realise exists if you've only ever been up on the main prom. The lower prom is where some of the boozers and no-hopers and chancers like to hang around and there's a slightly strange atmosphere about it. Stick to the fancy upper prom and weave through the stag and hen parties and wandering grannies. When you reach Clevelys you can turn inland and ride straight for a couple of miles and there's a nice cafe at Wyre Estuary Country Park. From there you can explore the Skippool marina, which has a collection of house boats and yachts in various stages of photogenic decay.

 

[Accy cyclist]

It's ok saying you can ride from Starr Gate to Fleetwood on the promenade,but it must be difficult,especially in summer with all those wander in front of you tourists. I cycled from Fairhaven Lake in Lytham to Cleveleys and back, but took my chance on the road which gets very busy once you get to Starr gate and The Pleasure Beach,but quietens off when you reach Gynn Square. The obstacles i met along the route included trams (always wondered who has right of way with those things?), horse and carts, taxis that cut you up and don't indicate and pedestrians who just step out in front of you(oh it's only a bike,it'll stop for us attitude). I can't say it was a pleasant experience,more of a challenging one.

 

[Blue Hills]

I like the sound of that marina/creek. A destination for a ride I think.

 

[Accy cyclist]

When you reach Clevelys

Do they still have that old wooden helter skelter there? I friction burnt my arm on that thingy in the 1960's. Or was it in Weston Super-Mare maybe?

 

[Blue Hills]

Re the obstructing crowds accy, i don't recall it being a problem. Can't remember the time of year, but even for tough northerners there is a lot of off season. Most of the prom i was riding was very quiet. I do remember being impressed by how far the prom went on. Even though some of the outer bits are quite plain it still must have cost a fortune.

 

[Blue Hills]

Do they still have that old wooden helter skelter there? I friction burnt my arm on that thingy in the 1960's. Or was it in Weston Super-Mare maybe?

Can't remember. Our paths seem to have narrowly crossed a fair bit accy. When small small in the 60s I was in cleveleys a fair bit.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Even though some of the outer bits are quite plain it still must have cost a fortune.

Many millions i reckon. That illuminations ride will be coming up next month. The one where the road is supposedly closed while thousands of cyclists ride through the lights. I've heard they go at about 7 mph due to them being wheel to wheel. Mmm,i just do not fancy that!

 

[Accy cyclist]

On about other things on the Fylde Coast besides rental properties My dad who was a coach builder in Blackburn helped restore the Blackpool trams in the late 1970's. He didn't go to Blackpool,no they took the trams to Blackburn (about 30 miles away). He told us that they laid 30 miles of tram tracks to get them there and back. We believed this for years till we eventually sussed that they brought them over on big transporters.

 

[Globalti]

Some great photos of Skippool here: https://whatslefttosee.wordpress.com/places-ive-been-to-explore/skippool-creek-boat-graveyard/

 

[Nibor]

Oh not that old bee in your bonnet again! Do you think that posters who say they live in places like Oxford, Peterborough, Lancaster, Glasgow etc etc actually live right in the middle of those places or maybe some live slightly on the outskirts? If we put down the actual towns and not the nearest well known destination, not many would know where those posters lived. If i put down Great Harwood, which is one of the towns that make up the borough of Hyndburn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyndburn, then no one would know where i lived. Even saying Accrington sometimes leaves some wondering where it is. I always remember a friend telling me that when he went to Canada for a holiday,folk asked where he came from. At first he said Great Harwood. 'Haven't heard of it' they replied. Then he said Accrington which also left them clueless. Then he tried Blackburn..still the same 'where is that?' response. 'Ok,then it's about 25 miles from Manchester' he told them.'Ah so you come from Manchester,why didn't you say that in the first place?' they said. I hope this helps folks!

But you react so beautifully to it Accy.