Author: Roving Mick

There seem to be a lot of places where you can buy a meal in and around Blackburn Mall these days. Some sell good quality food, but the fast food outlets are also there.

They always seem to want to shove another culture on us, mainly the American way of life we see right across the broadcast media. They advertise themselves with cardboard cut-outs and star-spangled signs. Their unfortunate staff often have to wear baseball caps with a hole at the back where pony tails can be tucked through. These staff also have to say banal things to you like: ‘You got it’, or ‘Have a nice day’. What these fast food places don’t want you to know is how bad the American way of life can be for some people’s health.

I used to work in Blackburn town centre for the local council. My colleagues and I used to be continuously blitzed with interfering lifestyle propaganda. Posters were emblazoned on walls, even in the toilets, telling us to give up smoking, give up drinking at certain times, walk to work and even go on organised walks at dinnertime.

But we never received any emails or leaflets telling us to stop eating junk food. So it was all right to put at risk the jobs of workers in the brewery and nearby pubs and clubs by giving up drinking, even in moderation. But those fast food eateries and takeaways were never discouraged.

Sadly, nobody can deny Blackburn is one of the most deprived towns in the country. And this makes it a good example of where more of these fast food places seem to be opening up. No doubt our council is grateful to these new tenants taking up valuable space in our shopping Mall and people do have the right to be treated like adults and eat what they want – unless they are children of course. Here it seems to be open season on dragging them in by any means possible, with billions of pounds and dollars of advertising budgets. You don’t have to look so far to see what good value this advertising has yielded.

But our local politicians’ Westminster colleagues on the Parliamentary Health Select Committee are calling for fast food outlets to be banned from hospitals. They are also calling on local councils to get powers to limit the proliferation of fast food outlets in certain areas. Looks like their pleas may have fallen on deaf ears in Blackburn.

For the record, my favourite place for a good wholesome meal is underneath the Mall, in the Market and it’s called The Carvery. Amongst other nice food, they make a really good beef stew and dumplings and sell tasty fruit pies.

Recently released Ministry of Defence files reveal surprising information about the role Daisyfield Mill played during the Second World War.

Daisyfield Mill’s part in Hitler’s downfall

It appears the former Granada TV studio and base of LE Training – codenamed ‘Plantation’ – was used as a secret torpedo manufacturing plant. This was under its guise as a flour mill.

The decision to manufacture torpedoes in Blackburn came about for a number of reasons. Seaports such as Liverpool and Glasgow were far too dangerous places to base munitions factories, due to heavy German bombing. Blackburn remained relatively free of air attacks throughout the duration of hostilities. Even the building of a dummy ROF, near the real plant, hardly tempted Germany’s Luftwaffe.

Daisyfield Mill was chosen due to its ideal location in between the railway and Leeds-Liverpool canal. Materials would be delivered here by train and then finished torpedoes would be floated down the canal to Liverpool, disguised as barges.

Due to the top secret nature of activities in the mill, very few signs remain of the role ‘Operation Plantation’ played in this country’s defence and subsequent victory. There are four stone pillars at the entrances to the mill. These are reputed to be four torpedoes encased in concrete which went missing during the war.

But the sharp-eyed historian only has to cross the canal to find tell-tale signs of what really happened in those troubled times. Woolwich Street, appropriately named, can still be found. But Ordnance Street and Artillery Street are well hidden – like the wartime secrets of Daisyfield Mill.

Blackburn Town Centre’s oldest building is the Grade 2 listed church of St John the Evangelist.  Built in 1788, you can see a potted history of Blackburn’s 19^th century movers and shakers by looking around its graveyard.  But those people who welded Blackburn’s culture from the past are about to be wedded to our culture of the present and future.

A new arts centre is gradually taking shape in the old church.  To be known as ‘The Bureau, Centre For The Arts’.  It was the brainchild of Claire Tymon from ‘Blackburn Is Open’, the town’s regenerative agency, set up to put unused space in the town centre back into use.  This followed the Citizen’s Advice Bureau moving from St John’s across to the library.  It was CAB’s connection with St John’s church which brought about this idea for the arts centre’s new name.  St John’s itself is a fascinating concept of Blackburn’s past and present.  You are immediately reminded this was a church when your attention is captured by sun shining through its beautiful stained glass windows.  Another legacy of former ecclesiastical days is its excellent acoustic quality.

The Bureau is setting up as a Community Interest Company, and Alex Martindale is one of the directors.  He said the Bureau will be split up into rooms.  These will be hired out to artists, exhibitions will be held and a corridor gallery will be created.  The centre is allowed to hold twelve events a year where alcohol can be consumed on the premises.  This will mean one-off monthly events will be organised.  Plans are also afoot to host a beer festival in the building.  This will showcase local brewers, including Three B’s and Hopstar.

Alex expects funding for the arts centre to come from the Arts Council of England, Council and Lottery grants.  There has also been interest from commercial organisations to pay to use space and equipment.  The building is also available for hire.  Work on the centre is progressing slowly, due to it being a new venture.  But Alex says its board of directors want everything planned properly and carried out correctly.

Activities are already taking place on a regular basis.  Blackburn Printfest will be holding a two day celebration of exhibitions, workshops, performances and print fairs. This takes place on 15^th & 16^th May.  Art Space is a monthly meet up for creatives, held every third Thursday.  Drink & Draw hold classes every second Thursday.  They have a full screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with live models in costume, to sketch alongside.  There is a dress code for this event – Drag!  This takes place on Thursday 9^th April between 6:30-9:30pm and costs £5.

Alex says he wants the Bureau to become a fully-fledged arts centre, with studios and regular events taking place.  Information can be found by emailing them: info@bureaublackburn.co.uk  or by visiting their website: http://bureaublackburn.co.uk