Regular updates and any changes will be displayed here and other parts of the CRL website and via the @crl_live Twitter account.
Walker/Wood Organ, Blackburn Cathedral
REGULAR EVENTS
Every Tuesday – Clitheroe Country Market, in the Church Hall on Moor Lane, Clitheroe BB7 1AZ, 09:30 – 12:00 – a country market with quality home baked, hand made and home grown produce. A wide selection of goods from a co-operative of local producers. Home made cakes, pies and jams also handicraft items such as cards, knits and textile gifts. More details on https://www.facebook.com/Clitheroe-Country-Market-307301586087846/
First Thursday of every month – St. Anne’s Farmers Market, in the main square in St. Anne’s a monthly farmers market with locally and regionally produced food and drink on sale. Meet the people who grow, rear, make and bake your food. More details on www.visitlancashire.com/
Third Saturday of every month – Clitheroe Piano Meet Up, would you like to meet fellow players, share knowledge and develop your performance skills on a Bechstein grand? Then get along to Clitheroe Library on the third Saturday of the month 12:45 – 15:30 for more details contact Janet or Liz on clitheroepiano@gmail.com or download the poster on this link Clitheroe Piano Meet Up
Fourth Weekend of each month – Whalley Monthly Artisan Market, located in the heart of Whalley, this weekend market brings together art, design, fashion, vintage and much more from over 35 local North West creators, makers and curators. 10:00 – 16:00. Full details on this link: Whalley Artisan Market
Now and going forward for 2024 – The Longitude Gallery Clitheroe, is based in the heart of Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley. Established since 2013, we represent Northern artists and selected artists from around the UK – more details on http://thelongitudegallery.co.uk/
Clitheroe Castle Museum. Opening hours are 11:00 to 16:00 daily. Details of this over 800 year old castle can be found on this link: lancashire.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums/clitheroe-castle-museum/
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday 12:00 – 16:45 with free admission. Please visit blackburnmuseum.org.uk/plan-your-visit/ for details.
GENERAL EVENTS
Wednesday 24 April 2024 – Organ Recital – Blackburn Cathedral’s next series of organ recitals on Wednesdays starting at 12:15. Concerts feature our Director of Music, John Robinson, Organist in Residence, John Hosking and many others! This weeks concert features John Robinson on piano supporting soprano Angela Hicks. These are free events but donations to Cathedral upkeep welcomed. Full details on https://blackburncathedral.com/music/concerts/
Sunday 28 April 2024 – Big Burnley Walk – the Big Burnley Walk is Back. With three new routes, the walks provide an opportunity to explore and discover some of the fantastic places, trails and parks around the borough. There will be three routes available, so there is something for everyone. A Short Stroll – 3.9 miles, Medium Meander – 8.5 miles, & The Big Burnley Walk – 13.4 miles. This is a free event but for full details of how to register see visitlancashire.com/whats-on/big-burnley-walk-p1098860
Sunday 28 April 2024 – Morecambe Stamp Fair – a Stamp Fair for collectors of all things philatelic in The Platform, Station Buildings (old station) opposite the Midland Hotel – free event 10:00 – 15:00 details on visitlancashire.com/whats-on/morecambe-stamp-fair-p1099160
Wednesday 1 May 2024 – Organ Recital – Blackburn Cathedral’s next series of organ recitals on Wednesdays starting at 12:15. Concerts feature our Director of Music, John Robinson, Organist in Residence, John Hosking and many others! This weeks concert features Michal Szostak from Poland. These are free events but donations to Cathedral upkeep welcomed. Full details on https://blackburncathedral.com/music/concerts/
Wednesday 1 May 2024 – Preston It’s A Gas, a Friends of Winckley Square Guided Walk – join Peter Wilkinson, Friend of Winckley Square and Archivist for the National Gasworks Archive, Warrington on this fascinating guided walk. Preston was the first town outside London to have a public gas supply. On this really interesting guided walk you will visit key locations around the city centre. The walk costs £5 and is between 14:00 – 15:30 – details and how to book on winckleysquarepreston.org/events/preston-its-a-gas-winckley-square-guided-walk/
Friday 3 May to Monday 6 May 2024 – Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Festival 2024 – showcasing the very best of Jazz & Blues in all it’s genres and brings together performers from across the world to focus upon Clitheroe. Various venues in and around Clitheroe and full details on rvjazzfestival.co.uk/ for who is on where and when. Get to and from the festival by train – go to nationalrail.co.uk/ to find out how!
Saturday 4 May 2024 – Lancashire Rail Rambler Guided Walk – a walk in the St. Bees/Whitehaven area. The walk is a moderate 8 miles alighting at St. bees and returning from Whitehaven. Full details on Lancashire Rail Rambler Guided Walks Winter/Spring 2024
Saturday 4 May to Sunday 2 June 2024 – Ribble Valley Art4All Exhibition – Stewards Gallery at Clitheroe Castle Museum. An annual celebration of original artwork in the Steward’s Gallery at the Castle, call in Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May to meet the artists and find out more about their work. Original artworks, prints and merchandise will be on sale. Free entry to the Steward’s Gallery.
Wednesday 8 May 2024 – Extraordinary Women of Winckley Square Guided Walk – Patricia Harrison shares the lives of some of the Extraordinary Women of Winckley Square including: Frances Winckley, after whom the Square is named, led a remarkable life. Ellen Cross, the widow, who drove through the realisation of the vision for the Square and many others. 14:00 – 15:20 £5 fee and booking is advisable on trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/55532?
Thursday 9 May to Saturday 11 May 2024 – 15th Clitheroe Beer Festival – get your thirst for real ales & ciders quenched at this event in The Assembly Hall of St Michael & St John’s, Lowergate, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 1AG. Full details on hours and prices on clitheroebeerfestival.co.uk/. Get to and from the festival safely by train – go tonationalrail.co.uk/ to find out how!
Tuesday 14 May 2024 – a Community Rail Lancashire Guided Walk – led by the volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. The walk is an easy 8 miles starting at Rose Grove 10:15 after arrival of train, and finishing at Burnley Central. Full details on Community Rail Lancashire Guided Walks (Winter & Spring 2024)
Saturday 8 June 2024 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer – the first day of a brand new two train Saturdays only service between Rochdale, Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn and the Ribble Valley to Ribblehead with connections into the Settle Carlisle Line from either Hellifield or Ribblehead. Full details on yorkshiredalesexplorer.com
Explore Lancashire By Rail
A series of films is being made for Community Rail Lancashire by a local creative film company Huckleberry Films which are designed to encourage people to Explore Lancashire by Rail. Details of this exciting project that covers the four CRPs across Lancashire can be seen on this page Lancashire-by-Rail/
Places to Visit
Click on the link here communityraillancashire.co.uk/local-places-to-visit/ to see a host of interesting places to visit that are close to CRL’s community rail stations.
Destinations
Click on the link here communityraillancashire.co.uk/destinations/ for a page of suggestions for places and towns to visit – all suggestions and content considered.
Make a Beeline for the Station
‘Make a Beeline for the Station!’ is a community marketing project, that combined the vital elements of local education and wider group engagement with tourism attractions and professional marketing. The project, funded by a Northern Seedcorn Grant and by the Community Rail Development Fund is designed to encourage use of Northern’s hourly weekday service from Preston to Ormskirk and then on into Liverpool using Merseyrail services.
The project is supported by a video that can be seen on this page: Make a Beeline for West Lancashire and a leaflet that can be downloaded here: Make A Bee Line
Discover the South Fylde Line
Discover the South Fylde Line is a brand new line guide launched by the South Fylde Line Community Rail Partnership (SFLCRP) and Community Rail Lancashire (CRL) during Community Rail Week 2022. The leaflet takes you along the South Fylde Line from Preston to Blackpool South highlighting many things you can do along the line. The full leaflet can be viewed by clicking on this link: Discover the South Fylde Line.
Discover Amazing Women by Rail
Discover Amazing Women by Rail is a project initiated by the Mid Cheshire Line CRP and invites people to leave their car at home and use the train (along with buses and trams) to explore the fascinating, and often hidden, histories of women who lived and worked in areas along the Mid Cheshire and Calder Valley railway lines, including the Blackburn to Manchester via Todmorden route.
The project is supported with a website (www.amazingwomenbyrail.org.uk) by an A5 booklet available from local stations, tourist information offices and libraries. The booklet can also be downloaded using this link: Amazing Women by Rail