Art and design work by Blackpool students is currently on show at a major town store.

Work by Blackpool Sixth Form students is being displayed on the mezzanine level at the flagship Sainsbury’s store at the Talbot Gateway.

The rolling exhibition has come about from a collaboration between the college and the retailer.

Elaine Little, head of Visual Arts at Blackpool Sixth said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase students’ talents and there is an exciting range of displays throughout the coming months.”

The work being shown is a mixture of both A Level and BTEC visual arts work featuring a variety of media including costume design.

There will be a new installation with a festive theme featured on the mezzanine level this month.

We hereby name this island!

Jetskiers Ross Spence and Micah Jebb have laid claim to a mysterious bank of shingle off the Fleetwood coast.

The Gazette reported earlier this year how a bank of shingle and stone has emerged from the sea and appears to be a permanent addition to the geography of the area.

Various theories abound as to its origin – ranging from a shift in the natural sediments to the resurfacing of stones from an ancient Roman port.

It has become a mini-tourist attraction for jetskiers and boaters – and now Ross, from Thornton, and Micah, from Poulton, have made a tongue-in-cheek attempt to claim it for themselves.

Admiralty charts from 1700 show there has always been a bank which is called Kingscar Bank, but nothing has been visible until the last few months.

Revellers over Christmas and New Year have been warned by police that they could still be over the limit the day after their celebrations.

This year’s drink-drive crackdown will also see officers using saliva testing kits alongside the standard breath tests, meaning motorists will not only be tested for the alcohol but also for cannabis and cocaine.

Insp Andy Trotter from Lancashire Police’s road policing unit said: “This year a main focus of our activity will be on late night revellers who may still be over the limit the morning after.

“If you drive at twice the legal alcohol limit you are at least 30 times more likely to cause a road traffic collision than a driver who hasn’t been drinking, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

“A conviction could also mean that you lose your job, home, family and friends. The consequences can be devastating.”

It is one of the dilemmas of the Christmas countdown just what do you get for that person in your life who has everything. A personal shopper might just have the answers. Mike Hill reports

Feeling the strain of the Christmas shopping season?

Is pressie-hunting becoming a festive chore?

For many of us, approaching the task with a sense of impending dread, Jenny Norton is a real gift.

She is a professional gift finder and is all geared up to take the strain out of finding the perfect present.

When once it was only the likes of Harrods who offered someone to help customers find their way around the store and pinpoint the perfect gift now there are more and more of life saving shop assistants on the high street.

For Jenny and the personal shopper team at Debenhams in Preston’s Fishergate Shopping Centre this is the busiest time of the year.

She says more and more people each year are taking advantage of her skills to deliver that perfect gift-wrapped Christmas.

The 54-year-old from Preston has been a personal shopper for 13 years and just loves working flat out during the busy festive season.

It means getting into the Christmas spirit early. She says: “It starts in late November and early December with women looking for help to find the perfect outfit for their Christmas or New Year party and then moves into gift finding.

“We have a brilliant job and it’s fantastic to get into the Christmas spirit and to really be able to help people. We love coming up with fun present ideas and putting a smile on someone’s face.

“Our aim is to allow people to sit back and relax while we find all the gifts. It is lovely to be able to share, in a way, with everyone else’s Christmas festivities. I suppose I’m Santa’s little helper!”

Some shoppers come to Jenny with a list of family, friends and relatives, some idea of their interests and a budget. She goes away and returns with a choice of presents she believes would be ideal for them.

Others have a complete gift list for her to find. The service is free and it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half to come up with the goods.

Asked what people seek help from a festive gift finder, Jenny says: “All types. It may be an older person with younger relatives who isn’t sure what they would like or what today’s trends are.

“I have a regular annual visit from an older lady looking for presents for her grandchildren. She never knows what to get for them.

“It can also be people who are pressed for time because of work commitments and we do see a lot of men looking for that ideal gift for the lady in their life. Some arrive at the last minute in a bit of a panic.

“Our job is to give them ideas and choices and to take the strain out of the whole present choosing process.”

So what are people likely to get in their stockings this year?

Jenny says: “There are the firm traditional favourites like hats and scarves. The new Alexander McQueen perfume is also proving a really popular choice.

“Lingerie is always a favourite gift from men to their partners and we help a lot of them, steering them in the right direction and making sure they get it right.”

Jenny has words of advice for gentlemen when it comes to making that choice: “Not in red!”

So what present will she be hoping to find under the Christmas tree on the big day? Perfume is her personal favourite.

She says: “My husband Niall does struggle a little bit but I leave lots of magazines open for him to point him in the right direction and he usually doesn’t do to badly in the end.”

However, engaging a personal shopper was once the exclusive privilege of Hollywood A-listers.

Celebrities that have engaged the services of a personal shopper range from singer Rihanna to actress Meryl Streep.

They’ve proved popular with stars that can’t go out and browse the shops on their own without being mobbed by fans.

Premier League footballers ,including Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck, are also reported to have used the services of a celebrity shopper to help them put together their wardrobes and track down the latest must-have accessories.

In this world it is all about the look. Celebrity personal shoppers have to have an eye on new designers and red hot fashion trends.

There’s even a list of the best personal shoppers in West Hollywood online. The competition is fierce.

As one VIP shopper who has worked with a host of football stars explained to a national newspaper: “I know it all sounds very glamorous but I work really hard too.

“My phone is on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has to be that way so that my service is the best.”

For those who are not just daunted by the Christmas shopping fellow high street giant

John Lewis offers what it calls a Full Festive Works service to take the pain out of preparing for Christmas.

They will send a team who to your home and decorate the whole house right down to trimming the Christmas tree.

While there are an army of festive friends out there to help with every bit of the Christmas experience from meal planning to gift wrapping.

And Harrods even has a toy concierge service providing someone who will takes notes over the telephone of your child’s favourite characters, colours and hobbies and then pull together a sack of goodies which can be picked up in store or wrapped and shipped out.

Or you just take the path favoured by Prime Minister Theresa May who recently described husband Philip as her personal shopper when asked who fills her wardrobe for her.

Colouring books are no longer just for children.
The growing demand of adult colouring books has created a whole new leisure activity for all ages not just youngsters and has become so popular that even huge brands like Vogue have released their own range of colouring books specifically aimed at adults and Vogue readers.
Professor Cary Cooper is an expert in psychology and health at Manchester Business School, Manchester University, and believes simple escapism is behind the fashion.
He says, “I think it’s become popular because people just need a break away from a much more pressured life than they had when they were kids and colouring in books, that era is gone.
“We lead much more frenetic lives and this is an opportunity of escaping that for a period of time, having some personal reflective time and just giving you a stress free from all the pressures of life.”
Prof Cooper believes colouring can provide benefits for grown ups in reducing stress and providing a moment to take a break from extremely busy lives, something many adults rarely seem to do.
He said: “It takes you away from all the things that are troubling you. It forces you to concentrate on colouring the book, but it also takes you back to a less stressful time in your life when you were a kid and reminds you that from time to time you need some personal reflective time.”
For most people their childhood represents a lot of happy memories and thinking back to that period in life when feeling down or stressed can sometimes help reassure the situation.
Taking time for you just to concentrate on something completely different than day-to-day life can lift the burdens, even if only for a few hours making all the difference and providing a number of health benefits in the same way that walking or visiting new places can help.
Understanding the need to de-stress and building upon the idea of visiting new places to distract people from their busy lives, The History Press has launched a new colouring book for people of all ages, aiming to help people to unwind and have some time to reflect.
The book, ‘The Lancashire Colouring Book: Past and Present’ is the latest in a series of regional colouring books and features 45 illustrations of landmarks from across the county including Lancaster Castle, The Harris Museum and Lancashire’s rich countryside. Leah Grant, of The History Press, says the rise of social media has helped fuel the new trend.
She says: “The rise of colouring books is part of a wider ‘digital detox’, offering an alternative way to switch off and absorb oneself in a creative and relaxing pastime.
“The trend has been fuelled in part, by social media, as people have been uploading their coloured creations to platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest – thereby gathering fans and marketing their therapeutic effects.”
As well as helping people to relax colouring also fills the free spaces in people’s lives which they are less used to having in an age when any spare time often gets filled swiping through social media platforms or scanning the Internet.
Doing two things at once seems has become more commonplace with people thinking nothing of browsing a smartphone while watching television or reading a tablet while listening to music, for example.
In this world, having something to do other than staring at a bright screen has made colouring a welcome alternative choice.
Health is becoming a bigger concern for people and after hearing the list of benefits colouring can bring the trend can only get more popular.
Dr Sandi Mann, a psychology expert at the University of Central Lancashire, says: “Colouring is something that has just the right cognitive load to allow us to be doing something, but not too much that makes it too demanding.
“I find most people colour whilst doing something else, for example listening to music or even in a boring meeting.
“I think we are afraid these days of ‘doing nothing’, so always have to be busy, colouring allows us to meet this need.
“It also helps us cope with boredom. The repetitive nature of it, coupled with creativity, allows mind wandering and daydreaming, a process, which is pleasant and gives respite.”
The effect of this has meant several different versions of colouring books have been published over the last two years to meet the demands of consumers.
Ami Warnock, from Waterstones Preston store, says: “The Secret Garden and Harry Potter are the most popular colouring books available in our range.
“We have quite a large range now, the publishers have really capitalised on the popularity, so we are seeing more and more everyday.
“It’s quite nice because they have branched out into children’s as well and they’ve done some really nice classics ones.
“There’s an Alice in Wonderland, a Jane Austin one and a Shakespeare one as well, which is new in for this year.
“Our top seller of last year was The Secret Garden from Johanna Basford, which kind of started it all off.
“It was so popular it actually went out of print.
“That was last year’s best selling Christmas colouring book and we sold just shy of 200 copies of that book.
“Most popular this year are the Harry Potter ones, which dropped pre-publication of The Cursed Child and they also brought out brand new ones for The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
“We have sold about 70 copies of the Harry Potter book.”

l The Lancashire Colouring Book Past and Present is out now priced £9.99 from The History Press.

Wyre’s green waste collection service will be suspended for a short period from December 16 to January 16.

The green waste collection service will be suspended for a short period over the winter months. The break is part of the terms and conditions of the service that offers 22 collections a year with a shutdown period over Christmas and New Year.

The last collections will be on Friday 16 December and the service will resume on Monday 16 January.

The changes enable the waste collection service to concentrate on the extra recycling generated over the Christmas holiday period. Christmas trees will still be collected.

Current green waste subscriptions are valid until April. Residents wishing to continue with the service can re-new their subscription from mid December.

A survey over proposed major changes to dog control in Fylde is now live and residents are being invited to have their say.

The consultation will be live until Sunday, January 15 and covers the proposed introduction of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) for dog control and other potential sources of anti-social behaviour, under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The PSPOs differ from the existing dogs on leads and dog exclusion bye-laws as they will allow for the issuing of a fixed penalty notice to the value of £100, reduced to £50 if paid within seven days.

Plans include borough-wide PSPOs which require dogs to be kept on leads on all public highways and other locations, exclude them at various locations, including children’s playgrounds.

A football coach accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a young player he taught has made his first appearance at court.

Paul Whelan, 56, denies committing the offences against a boy aged between eight and 10 when he was the coach of a junior football team in Thornton.

Whelan, of Maida Vale, Anchorsholme, pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecently assaulting the boy. The offences are alleged to have taken place over a two-year period between January 1976 and January 1978 in Thornton.

Whelan was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on January 4 by Blackpool magistrates.

His bail conditions include no unsupervised contact with under-18s with a parent’s consent, complying with any conditions imposed by the Lancashire Football Association, and living at his given address.

A blind Second World War veteran from Fleetwood has been given a prestigious military award in recognition of his wartime service.

Former Royal Navy man Ernie Lee, 92, has received the Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur from the French Government.

The medal, which is the highest French order for military and civil merits, has been awarded to Ernie for his part in the D-Day landings which paved the way for the liberation of France from Hitler’s Nazis in 1944.

Ernie was serving with the Royal Navy’s second Escort Group during the campaign, and he spent time on HMS Loch Killin.

The frigate was one of the first vessels armed with the brand new Squid anti-submarine mortar which played such a key role in tackling the Germans’ lethal u-boats.

Ernie, of Harrow Avenue, said: “We blocked the channel and stopped the U-boats - and we were very good at sinking them. I was an Engine Room Artificer 4th class, an ERA, and my role was to help keep the engine room in order so the ship could do its job. The lads up on the deck did the fighting.

“I feel very honoured to be given this award by the French, I never expected it - especially after all these years.”

Ernie was told that he could receive the award at the French Embassy in London or from any French consuls in the country - or get it sent to his home. He chose the latter.

The great grandfather is proud of his fishing traditions in Fleetwood. After leaving the Royal Navy he worked as an engineer on Fleetwood docks, helping to keep the town’s fishing fleet in ship shape.

Ernie, who has been blind for many years, was married to Mona until her death, 21 years ago.

He has a son, a daughter, four grandchildren and one grand-daughter, who are all proud of his award.

A petition has been set up to save a popular village pub which developers want to demolish.

Proposals would see the Boar’s Head in Barton, near Garstang, bulldozed but residents want the pub to stay.

The public house is now closed and has been bought by applicants Barton NWL Properties Ltd with a view to redeveloping the building.

Christopher Jones, from Barton, set up the petition.

He said: “This pub has an historic value and apparently legend says that a boar terrorised the village and a person said whoever slays this boar can have my daughter’s hand in marriage.

“The pub is a community hub. Let’s try and save our community and get our local back!”

The petition, posted on the website charge.org, currently has 54 signatures.

Here is a round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court from December 07.

Natalie Reeves, 27, drink-driving

A nurse was caught driving with excess alcohol in her body after a tip-off to police.

Natalie Reeves, 27, of Church Street, St Annes, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

She was disqualified for 17 months, fined £250 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Andrea Fawcett, said police received information about a possible drink-driver in Poulton on November 19, about 5am.

Officers stopped Reeves as she drove an Audi A1 Sport on Hardhorn Road. A breath test showed 68 micrograms of alcohol in her body – 35 is the limit.

Defence lawyer, Scott Parker, said his client, a bank nurse who worked shifts at clinics, had no previous convictions.

She had stayed overnight at a friend’s and had only a couple of drinks. After 4am she believed she was OK to drive.

At the time of the offence Reeves was taking medication which her doctor had recently doubled and she believed that may have affected her judgement.

Emma Ashburn, 29, drink-driving

A drunken mother flagged down a police patrol car to ask for help and ended up offering to fight with the officers.

Emma Ashburn, 29, of Station Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.

She was given a six months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Andrea Fawcett, said Ashburn flagged down a police car on Lytham Road, on November 17 about 4.30pm.

She was very drunk and told the officers she wanted to fight with them.

Suzanne Mugford, defending, said her client had been going through a difficult time as there were proceedings at the county court relating to her child.

The afternoon of the offence she had been trying to get into her flat but the door handle had broken. She had asked police to help her but was very drunk and admitted saying she wanted to floor them.

Sarah Hussain, 22, failed to attend court

A woman accused of ill-treating a child has been put on the wanted list.

Sarah Hussain, 22, of Frederick Street, South Shore, is alleged to have ill-treated a three-year-old girl likely to cause her unnecessary suffering or injury to her health.

The offence is said to have taken place on April 25 this year at Blackpool.

Hussain failed to attend the first hearing of her case at court and a warrant without bail for her arrest was issued by magistrates.

Luke Pettit, 26, drink-driver

A drink-driver was put under citizens arrest by witnesses who saw him drive straight over a roundabout at Blackpool and smash into a parked car.

Luke Pettit, 26, a window cleaner, of Waddington Drive, Scunthorpe, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was banned from the road for 14 months, fined £200 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Andrea Fawcett, said witnesses saw Pettit driving a Ford Mondeo on September 3 at 1.15am, at speed on Grasmere Road.

He sped over a grass-covered mini roundabout and crashed into a parked car. He was detained by witnesses until the police arrived and then taken to hospital. A blood test showed 110 milligrams of alcohol in his body – 80 is the limit.

Pettit told magistrates he was sorry for what he had done. He said the driving ban would be a huge blow to him as he had depended on using his vehicle as a self-employed window cleaner.

Lesley Thompson, 49, trading standards charges

A Cleveleys woman who faces a series of trading standards allegations has been warned she must attend the next hearing of her cases or a warrant will be issued for her arrest.

Lesley Thompson, 49, of Meadowcroft Avenue, faces five allegations under the trading name Cleveleys Home Improvements.

She is said to have failed to tell clients of their right to cancel contracts and failing to publish proper information about her address.

She is further alleged to have wrongly stated she could give a 25 year guarantee for work and wrongly issue a “Dryzone” damp-proofing certificate.

Thompson, who is being prosecuted by Lancashire County Council, did not attend the court for the first hearing of the case.

Abigail Dudgeon, 26, failing to pay

A St Annes woman who failed to pay for a £2.30 train fare to Lytham has been landed with a bill of £636 by magistrates.

Abigail Dudgeon, 26, of Back North Cresecent,St Annes, did not attend a hearing at which she was prosecuted by train firm Arriva for failing to pay with intent to avoid such a payment.

The case against her was proved in her absence. She was fined £440 and was ordered to pay £150 court costs, £44 victims’ surcharge and pay the fare she dodged.

Zara Khambata, 29, drink-driving

A woman was tracked down by police after she crashed her car into a ditch in Lytham and left the accident scene.

Zara Khambata was found to be more than twice over the alcohol limit when she was breathalysed a court was told.

Khambata, 29, of Fairlawn Road, Lytham, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

She was disqualified from driving for 16 months, fined £120 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge. Prosecutor, Andrea Fawcett, said police were alerted an Audi VRM was in a ditch on Ballam Road, Lytham, on November 18 about 11pm.

Police tracked Kambata down as the car’s registered keeper and when they spoke to her she admitted she had been driving. A breath test showed 72 micrograms of alcohol in her body – 35 is the limit.

Steven Townley, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had been out for a meal and gone home. She then got a call from her sister who said she was having a problem with her car so she went out to help her.

On the way back she crashed at an icy spot on a sharp bend known as an accident black spot. She was considerably shaken up and when she got home drank a large glass of wine.

Mr Townley said: “She was not as intoxicated as her alcohol reading would suggest she was at the time of driving. After she went home she had a large glass of wine.”

Kambata hoped to return to India, where her father lived, in the New Year. The insurance company would not pay for her car and it would cost her more than £10,000. She would also have to pay for the fence repair.

A great-grandfather who was told he has incurable cancer is determined to defy the odds – inspired by his own dad’s fight against the disease.

Robert Farrington, 65, was told he has life-limiting stomach and pancreatic cancer earlier this year.

But he said the experience of his 91-year-old dad, who he spent 55 years searching for, is giving him hope.

Separated when Robert was 10 after his parents divorced, the Garstang resident searched the country trying to find his dad, Arthur.

He had almost given up hope when in 1977 a knock on the door saw his luck change.

“It was my dad’s old army friend and he told me my dad had been trying to find me,” Robert said. “He told me my dad had moved to Australia and gave me a number to get in touch with him.”

But despite keeping in contact with his dad, it wasn’t until 2010 they were finally brought back together.

“It was a really strange and emotional feeling, seeing him after all that time,” Robert said. “Then he told me he’d survived lung cancer when he was in his 60s and it was incredible to see him going so strong at 91.”

But in August of this year, Robert was given the news he had incurable cancer. He refused to accept the news and found an experimental treatment in a German clinic which claimed it could cure him.

“I was absolutely devastated when I found out,” he said. “They told me they couldn’t cure me but I don’t want to take that. This treatment isn’t available in the UK and it’s expensive - but I’ve got a lot to live for.

“I’ve got my wife Kath, two children, six grandchildren and my great grandchild was only born in August so I don’t want to break the chain of five generations. Knowing my dad got past something similar gives me hope I can do the same.”

And so Kath set up a GoFundMe appeal, hoping to raise £100,000 to fund a lengthy run of treatment.

She said: “We are aware that other people who have attended this clinic with the same ‘no hope’ diagnosis are now either in remission or even cancer free despite being told their cancer was terminal.

”Bob has worked all his life and, whenever possible, has selflessly run around making sure everyone else is OK.

“But today what he needs is for us to return this favour.”

• To support Bob’s appeal search ‘Bob’s Cancer Treatment Fund’ on www.gofundme.com

FREE: Croston Fair, Sunday December 11

The fair will be held throughout Croston, with craft stalls at the old school, community centre, church and primary school together with entertainers, food stalls, the Land Train and Santa’s grotto.

​The event starts with Santa’s parade from the Village Green at 1pm and ends with the Brass Band leading a torchlit procession to the church at 5pm, with a short carol service.

FREE: Creature Encounters and Santa, Blackburn, December 10 and 11

Puppetry animals from Creature Encounters will be giving street performances every half hour in Blackburn Market on Saturday, from 10.30am until 3.30pm. Each street theatre piece lasts 30 minutes. Blackburn BID’s Big Christmas Fair will be held in King William Street on Saturday, from 10am until 6pm. It includes craft, gift and food stalls in four undercover marquees across the town.

Santa Splash - Eanam Canal will be full of Santas on Sunday to celebrate the end of Phase two of the country’s first coast-to-coast canoe trail. Santa hats/suits a must. 10.30am for an 11am start at Eanam Wharf.

PAID AND FREE: Cash for Kids Onesie Run, Preston, Sunday December 11

Families are invited to wear a onesie and enjoy a colourful afternoon of running, jogging, or walking. Participants will start at Baffito’s Restaurant, Preston Marina, at noon. Entry is £15 for 7.5km, £13.50 for under 16s; £12.50 for 5km, £11 for under 16s and £10 for 2.5km or £8.50 for under 16s. Toddlers are free. All money raised goes towards Cash for Kids. Call 01772 447979 to register.

FREE: Christmas Craft Fair, Sunday December 11

Ansdell Arena, based at Lytham St Annes Technology and Performing Arts College, will be filled with hand-crafted items, products from local artisans, local businesses with fantastic gift ideas on Sunday from 11am.

There is fun for all the family, as children will be entertained by craft tables, plus there will be festive food and drink and Christmas tunes to keep shoppers merry.

FREE: Christmas Tree Festival, Carnforth, Starts Saturday December 10 until December 20

Carnforth Railway Station will host its annual Christmas Tree Festival.

There will be an array of festive trees, lights, carols and decorations to get people into the Christmas spirit.

The festival will be open each day from Saturday December 10 to Tuesday December 20.

Admission to the site, in Warton Road, is free.

PAID: A Frozen Courtyard Christmas, Haigh, Saturday and Sunday December 10 and 11

Families are invited to join in the Frozen Sing-a-long show at Haigh Hall from 1.45pm and meet and greet with all the characters, at 2.15pm.

Santa will also be in his grotto from 11am until 4pm with a special visit by the Christmas Elves at 1pm. A chat with Santa costs £5.

The event is in association with Friends of Haigh Country Park.

PAID: Ghost of Christmas Past Tour, Clitheroe, December 9 and 11

There is a chance to experience a ghostly tour of historic Browsholme Hall with Simon Entwistle, acclaimed expert of mystical tales and ghostly legends and 2016 Lancashire Tourism Superstar finalist. Mulled wine and a mince pie also included. Starts at 6.30pm. Tickets, at £12.50 for adults and £6 children, available through www.browsholme.com or contact 01254 827160.

PAID: Breakfast with Santa, Fleetwood, Sunday December 11

Children are invited to spend some quality time with Santa at Farmer Parr’s Animal World, Rossall Lane, at 8.45am.

The session costs £15 per child – which includes a festive breakfast box, a present from Santa, dancing and a visit to his log cabin. There is also an opportunity to meet Rudolph too.

Parents are free.

Call 01253 874389 to book.

FREE AND PAID: Preston Space Centre Santa’s Grotto, December 10 and 11
The Space Centre, in Pedders Lane, is hosting a festive event during the weekend. Entry is free and includes craft stalls, an elf and fairy trail, face painting and toys. There is also a reindeer food bar where children can make up food parcels for Santa’s little pets. Singer Stephen Bayliss will entertain guests on Saturday.
The Santa’s grotto is £6.50 per child and includes a present.

FREE: Crafty Vintage, Clitheroe, Sunday December 11
Crafty Vintage Christmas Market at Holmes Mill, Bowland Brewery, will showcase gifts and festive treats from artisans, collectors and creators, from noon until 7pm.
Entry is free, but advanced tickets must be ordered through Skiddle on a first come, first served basis. The mill also includes a coffee shop and gelateria where they make their own home made ice creams using local ingredients.

Chinese investors have visited a site in Wyre to discuss plans for a new power station that could attract £800m investment in the region and create more than 1,000 jobs.

Councillors hosted representatives of two Chinese power companies, who also met with Government officials to discuss the proposed development at the Hillhouse Industrial Enterprise Zone, in Thornton.

Wyre Power is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NPL Group which is promoting and developing a large gas-fired power station at Hillhouse, also owned by NPL Group, within the Northern Powerhouse region.

This national infrastructure project will produce up to 900MW of electricity sufficient to power 750,000 homes and could create more than 1,000 jobs in construction and associated industries, it was claimed. It will be located adjacent to key National Grid infrastructure at the site.

Robert McFarlane, chairman of NPL Group, was invited the vice presidents and senior teams from China Power Engineering Consulting Group Corporation Ltd (CPECC) and China National Electric Engineering Co Ltd (CNEEC) on a tour of Hillhouse and the Fylde Coast last week.

He said: "I'm delighted we are working towards reaching an agreement with China Power (CPECC) and CNEEC which we all hope will bring significant inward investment to the area. Our visitors were delighted with the partnership approach between NPL and Wyre Council and how this is already transforming the Hillhouse site."

The visit culminated in a lunch hosted by Wyre Council at the Civic Centre in Poulton.

Coun Peter Murphy, economy portfolio holder at Wyre Council, said: "These are fantastic first steps for Hillhouse International Enterprise Zone and if all goes to plan, the power station will become a major contributor to Britain's energy consumption and create many jobs in the area. The investment will also attract companies in associated industries to the site and make it a roaring success."

Xue Danfeng, CPECC vice president, said: "This is our first time in the UK and our first chance to get to know the UK energy market. I would like to thank the Government officials and all those who have welcomed us. This is a good sign for us because Government support gives us the confidence to invest in the UK.

"Our new leader, President Xi Jinping, has announced a new policy regarding China's ‘One Belt, One Road’ project and we need to follow this policy. Therefore we wish to step out from China and invest in the UK power market.

"From a planning and management point of view Hillhouse is a very high standard business park. We notice many companies already joining and recognise the potential for development. Local government support encourages our investment interest for this area.

"CNEEC is another state-owned company in China and we have been partners for many years. We have our advantages and cooperation makes us stronger."

The development will be delivered under the Government’s Development Consent Order (DCO) process and the Wyre Power team is working towards a submission in summer 2017 with public consultations taking place in the new year.

Hillhouse is one of four enterprise zones in Lancashire along with Samlesbury, Warton and Blackpool Airport, which aim to create jobs and boost business in the region.

The cost of a burial in Wyre is set to increase as the authority looks to squeeze revenue out of fees and charges.

An increase of around one per cent is set to be introduced at cemeteries in the borough, taking the price of burial to £759

The increase is one of dozens proposed across the borough with sports teams, theatre groups and those with pest problems also facing a rise in prices.

Thornton Little Theatre and the Marine Hall will see some of the highest increases with prices for commercial promoters rising by as much as 15 per cent. The full day charge for amateur groups is to rise from £407 to £420 at Thornton and from £1,100 to £1,200 at Fleetwood.

For commercial use that rises to £1,200 at Thornton and £1,500 at Fleetwood.

Despite the increase, both venues remain heavily subsidised with Wyre shelling out £334,842 in the past year.

Costs at Wyre’s sporting facilities are also set to rise.

A report to Wyre Council said: “It is proposed to increase football pitch fees by between five and 15 per cent with the maximum fee for a senior team rising from £295 to £310 per season.

“Cricket fees will increase by six per cent and 14 per cent and other hire of fields will increase by between six and 14 per cent.”

One thing which will not be going up in Wyre is the cost of parking.

The borough is waiting on a review of parking across all towns before making an decision.

Coun Roger Berry is the man responsible for Neighbourhood services and community.

And a report prepared by his team explained the continued freeze.

It said: “A review of car parking charges, incorporating residents’ passes is being conducted and a separate report will be produced.

“However, all charges for Teanlowe Car Park and Ball Street have now been removed.”

Wyre Council is currently preparing it’s budget for the next financial year.

And it has already been made clear a backlog of works will be the financial priority for any cash generated in the coming year.

Coun Alan Vincent, Economic portfolio holder said: “Owing to the limited capital funds, there will not be any new capital growth bids– the remaining backlog of building maintenance works totalling £3.3m will continue to have the first call on any capital receipts.”

It’s a good start – but there’s still a long way to go!

With just over two weeks to go until Christmas, The Gazette’s Give a Gift appeal still needs more donations if we are to make sure that no patients are left empty-handed on Christmas morning.

It’s estimated that more than 600 people will spend Christmas Day in Blackpool Victoria and Clifton hospitals, and the campaign aims to ensure every patient will have a gift to open, bringing a little bit of joy during a very tough time.

As of yesterday’s collection, there have been around 150 presents donated to the designated drop off points by generous readers – but that still leaves us some way short of our target.

It’s ambitious but with the help of Fylde coast residents, we can still bring a smile to the faces of every person at the Vic on Christmas Day.

The main focus of the campaign is on the “forgotten” elderly as most Christmas present appeals already focus on children, whereas the vast majority of people in hospital at Christmas time will be over the age of the 50.

Last year, more than 88 per cent of people in hospital at Christmas were in that age bracket.

If you haven’t yet donated, it’s as easy as picking up an extra present while doing your Christmas shopping.

During the appeal, The Gazette is working closely with the Blue Skies charity at the hospital and head of fundraising Ann Hedley is pleading for more donations.

She said: “We’re so grateful to those people who have donated already but if we don’t receive more, there will be people in hospital who don’t get a present on Christmas, which is awful.

“At the moment, we’re still a bit short on men’s things and overall obviously we’re short.

“We’re panicking a bit because we’re starting to wrap on Monday so we’re desperate for people to donate.

“If there’s any companies that are interested in their staff getting together to donate that would be fabulous.

“We have received quite a few boxes of biscuits but we have a lot of patients who shouldn’t be having sugar, so please no more biscuits.”

The Gazette’s Give a Gift appeal previous articles:

Give a Christmas gift and spread a little happiness

Nolan sister is in the mood for giving

Shop provides festive fun for sick children

Shops eager to help as appeal gets a boost

Presents roll in for The Gazette’s Give a Gift appeal

How to get involved

It’s really as easy as picking up one extra present when you do your Christmas shopping. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A lot of places do ‘buy one get one free’ offers at Christmas time, so you might end up with something spare that somebody in hospital would really appreciate. Then just take the presents unwrapped to one of the designated drop-off points.

Confirmed drop-off points

• Blue Skies Hospital Fund, Blackpool Victoria Hospital

• Marks and Spencer, Blackpool Victoria Hospital

• Morrisons, Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool

• Booths, Teanlowe Centre, Poulton

• Poppy and Jacks Nursery, Breck Road, Poulton

• Smyths Toys, Vicarage Lane, Blackpool

• Asda, Cherry Tree Lane, Marton

What to buy

Sabila Johnson, Ward Manager of the Care for the Elderly ward at Blackpool Victoria, recommends toiletries, biscuits, games, books - the list is exhaustive. If in doubt, just ring the Blue Skies Hospital Fund on 01253 957903

What not to buy

There is strictly no alcohol allowed.

Dangerous items such as knives are also not permitted.

Sabila Johnson also added that socks are a bad idea, unless they have grip, due to older patients being at the risk of falls.

Boxes of chocolates may be a bad idea as a number of older patients suffer from diabetes.

Two lucky Blackpool and The Fylde College students have been named as the first ever to be recognised at a national award ceremony for undergraduates.

Russell Halton and Alex Guarracino, both 24, from the Project Management Centre of Excellence at B&FC became the first non-universitystudents to walk away with a prize at the Undergraduate Awards in Dublin this month.

Often referred to as the “junior Nobel Prize”, the Undergraduate Awards recognises excellent research and original work across the sciences, humanities, business and creative arts.

Russell Halton, from Croston, was named Europe Regional Winner in the business category for his dissertation: “The Nature of Project Management – What we can learn from Biomimicry.”

Alex Guarracino, from Fulwood, was highly commended for his dissertation: “Passion in Project Management - A necessary ingredient for success?”

Programme leader Andy Smith, from the Project Management Centre of Excellence, added, “Russ and Alex are the first college-based higher education students ever to be highly-commended at the Undergraduate Awards.

“For Russ’ work to then be judged the top business dissertation for the whole of Europe, beating students from such prestigious universities as Trinity College Dublin, University of St Andrews and the University of Exeter, makes us extremely proud.”

Fire crews were called to a blaze at around 6pm yesterday evening (7 December) after reports of a fire at a shop on Briarwood Drive.

Four fire engines from Blackpool, Bispham and South Shore and an aerial ladder platform from Blackpool were called to the property.

Firefighters used two breathing apparatus, one hose reel and thermal imaging camera to extinguish the fire which involved a drying room and an asbestos roof.

Fire crews were at the scene for four hours and no injuries were reported.

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.

Police have today arrested three men on suspicion of historical sex offences.

Detectives looking into the disappearance and murder of Blackpool schoolgirl Charlene Downes in 2003 made the arrests as part of their wider investigation into child sexual exploitation in the resort around that time.

There is no suggestion these latest arrests are directly connected to Charlene’s murder.

Two men, aged 29 and 44, were arrested at addresses in Blackburn and Wesham. A 34-year-old man was produced from prison.

The 34-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of rape. The other two are suspected of aiding and abetting rape.

The offences were allegedly committed between 2009 and 2010 and the victim was a 23-year-old woman.

These are the latest in a string of arrests made by the team investigating Charlene’s murder. As the inquiry has progressed its scope has broadened to look at the problem of child sexual exploitation in Blackpool.

So far, none of the arrests made by the team this year are thought to have any direct links to Charlene.

The 14-year-old was last seen in Blackpool on Saturday, November 1, 2003.

Despite a £100,000 reward on offer for information leading to the conviction of her killer or killers, or the recovery of her body, nobody has ever been brought to justice.

In June, detectives arrested two men on suspicion of historic sex offences.

Kashif Gul, 39, of Foxhall Road, Blackpool, is charged with rape, attempted rape, gross indecency with a child and indecency with a child. He is due to go on trial next week.

A 50-year-old man from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of indecent assault and taking indecent images of a child and was bailed but is now wanted after failing to answer his bail.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers.org. Information can also be emailed to charlenedownesinvestigation@lancashire.pnn.police.uk

Train operators will have to make sure up-to-date information about disruption is published on their websites and social media, Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard said.

The Transport minister said that very often there was ‘a fundamental disconnect’ between the information passengers got through social media and what was available at the station, with many turning up at stations only to find their train had been cancelled.

Mr Maynard added that he had pressed passenger watchdog Transport Focus to ensure all train operators put information about disruption out ‘on every channel at the same time’.

Speaking in an adjournment debate about rail services in Southend, the MP said the problem of poor information about disruption was ‘a frequent bugbear’ among rail users.

He added: “They may be having their breakfast at home and checking their mobile phone, their iPad, looking at the social media to check that their usual train is about to leave on time, that all is going according to plan.

“Their smartphone tells them that it’s good to go, the train is on time, they arrive at the station and find the train was cancelled hours ago. There is a fundamental disconnect, very often, between the social media information being put out and that which is actually available at stations.

“This is a matter that Transport Focus, the passenger watchdog, is looking at, and I’ve asked them to accelerate work on this to ensure that train companies make sure that when information is available, it is put out on every channel at the same time.”