Blackburn

[tomphil]

There was a bit in the LEP the other night about spice heads in Preston City it's everywhere. Society has more wastrels than ever before and it's more brazen in general, druggies used to hide mostly down back alleys but not anymore they'll pop up anywhere and everywhere. 

Sad but if there was actually sufficient law on the streets it would get nipped in the bud a bit.

 

 

[Husky]

£18 Mill Mike

In response to a recent 'what is Blackburn famous for?'  question I received. I did a search for Britain's first national lottery millionaire winner. I remember this almost like it was yesterday - I'm sure most here will have fond memories of that period of time (94-95 season).

Anyway, only just found this out via the posted article (even though it happened just over a year ago).

He ended up in an unmarked grave. It's certainly a film worthy story by all accounts. Blackburn's Slumdog Millionaire?

R.I.P. 'Mike' - you put Blackburn on the map for 4 months.

 

Edited September 28, 2018 by Husky

[Vinjay]

Place was already on the map given it was 94/95 (as you point out). I did hear that Blackburn was the most successful lottery town for a while. Was that based on this one figure (presumably that 18 million for the first draw wasn't topped for a while) or the overall number of jackpot winners from the area in those early years?

There's a few morality arguments in that article (I have no problem with gambling) but here's one on the privacy front people don't normally come up with. Maybe it's the "worst case scenario" in some ways (after all most lottery winners who have troubles usually inflict it upon themselves or have troublesome relatives) but couldn't lottery winners be seen as somewhat "easy prey" for gangsters/extortionists? I'm sure there's been instances where lottery winners have been threatened (begging letters aren't extortion) so if they wish to stay private that's their right as far as I'm concerned. I don't play lotteries (I rarely have) but people knowing you have 20 million (or whatever the typical jackpot is now wasn't there a huge one this past month?) must make anyone who is already paranoid (like me) even more paranoid. At some point there might be a kidnap/murder case with a lottery winner involved and if they were "exposed" by the media that would lead to a major moral argument. The media of course would probably say "well that's the worst case scenario and unlikely" but it's not "impossible" is it? 

While I make an exception for certain families (getting more into ungrateful inheritance here not lottery winners but anyhow) the majority probably don't deserve to be threatened for "hitting the jackpot" so to speak. Some of them of course are horrible people to begin with so if they end up losing their money (though in the above example it's hardly like he lost it all) they probably don't deserve sympathy. Others who lose the money are simply stupid and while it's often easy to insult a stupid person (because many people who are academically limited often engage in stupid actions) perhaps there should be some sympathy as well. After all you could argue that intelligence is simply part of "natural selection" and people aren't to blame if they don't hit the brain jackpot so to speak. I think there's a difference between lacking academic gifts and doing things which are blatantly stupid (and sometimes illegal). Of course intelligent people sometimes do illegal things as well (sometimes with big risk for little if any gain) so it's more complex than outright simple. Perhaps I should have pursued criminology because such questions (particularly psychology related) are interesting to me.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Vinjay17

[perthblue02]

There have been kidnappings associated to lottery winners , none in the UK í think, but definitely in the USA and Australia

Some of the worst cases of the fall of lottery winners in the US LINK

Kidnap and murder case of lottery winners son in Australia in the sixties Link

[K-Hod]

Surprised nobody has picked up on this (or linked it), but there was a murder in Roe Lee a few days ago, looks like someone has been charged....-https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/16987162.dylan-slater-charged-with-the-murder-of-tarro-taz-grogan/

[speeeeeeedie]

4 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Surprised nobody has picked up on this (or linked it), but there was a murder in Roe Lee a few days ago, looks like someone has been charged....-https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/16987162.dylan-slater-charged-with-the-murder-of-tarro-taz-grogan/

I read about this on Monday. 4 were charged, now just one.

An odd and sad situation.

[K-Hod]

Reading between the lines, it sounded like they'd been at a party (quite a wild one by the sounds of it, they left at 930 am) and there had been a disagreement which has led to this lad tragically being stabbed.

There really are some absolute cretins about. 

[JAL]

There's been some great improvements in Blackburn town centre over the past couple of years from the converted cathedral quarter to the bus station yet, another office development proposed on the open green space of the boulevard is not what we want to see Cathedral people. 

If the Cathedral people want to develop further in the town centre then they should look to purchase the Thwaite brewery site and develop on there, thus not spoiling the good work that they've already undertaken in the town.

Edited October 17, 2018 by JAL

[Husky]

On 17/10/2018 at 18:25, JAL said:

There's been some great improvements in Blackburn town centre over the past couple of years from the converted cathedral quarter to the bus station yet, another office development proposed on the open green space of the boulevard is not what we want to see Cathedral people. 

If the Cathedral people want to develop further in the town centre then they should look to purchase the Thwaite brewery site and develop on there, thus not spoiling the good work that they've already undertaken in the town.

I still keep hearing (from various sources) how Darwen is the place to go out these days. Even that mainstay of Blackburn's glory days (through to the decline) The Godfather Pizza place has finally moved there  ? 

Also, I hear Preston have big plans to try and become a '24hr economy'.

How about Blackburn? Is there anything in the pipeline? It seems people don't even talk about Blackburn any more . . .

 

Edited December 12, 2018 by Husky

[K-Hod]

A number of new restaurants in the centre especially, more bars than a few years ago, but it's still nowhere near what it used to be.

[MCMC1875]

One of the nails in the nightlife coffin was the installation of roller shutter doors on the shopping centre (mid 90's?), which effectively cut the town in two in the evenings. Can't see that being reversed.

Edited December 12, 2018 by MCMC1875

[Husky]

1 hour ago, MCMC1875 said:

One of the nails in the nightlife coffin was the installation of roller shutter doors on the shopping centre (mid 90's?), which effectively cut the town in two in the evenings. Can't see that being reversed.

That's in keeping with the theme Blackburn: A Town Divided.

I do remember coming back here a several years ago and walking through the shopping centre to go to Morrisons and then when I returned it was all shut down and blocked off, so within half an hour the town centre had become a complete Ghost Town. I remember I felt semi-shocked as at the time as I was living most of the year in a an almost 24/7 City.

To achieve a '24hr economy' (of the type discussed on radio Lancs - regarding Preston) you really have to first bridge that gap between a total shut down at 5.30pm and when people may consider returning to the centre to go out to eat or the pub, cinema or whatever. Perhaps there's no chance of that ever happening in Blackburn.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2018 by Husky

[Husky]

I know that there are people here that claim Blackburn was more violent in the 90s. But I don't remember any of that reaching the national mainstream news and certainly nobody getting their ears cut off . . . .

https://news.sky.com/story/man-who-had-ears-cut-off-in-blackburn-street-attack-dies-11580629

 

[Tom]

Does anyone follow the Lancashire telegraph on Facebook?

Its the absolute pits now, ‘stories’ this week or two have included a few articles that are literally just posts that someone has made on Facebook, for example a Blackburn nightlife group posted a picture of bar life saying who remembers this bar, the telegraph then had an article saying a Facebook post said who remembers bar life!

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17422656.for-everyone-who-remembers-dancing-on-the-window-podium-at-bar-life-in-blackburn/

Also we’ve had posts reposting pictures from rate my plate and now we are literally just randomly repeating stories from years ago 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17444065.when-a-new-bq-caused-mayhem-in-blackburn-asda-car-park/

Literally a story saying ‘remember when parking was bad at Asda 15 years ago’

We’ve also had a look back at Diana Vickers career

Rock bottom 

[perthblue02]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17444065.when-a-new-bq-caused-mayhem-in-blackburn-asda-car-park/

Literally a story saying ‘remember when parking was bad at Asda 15 years ago’

 

Rock bottom 

You wouldn't be saying that if you had been caught up in the great parking spot crisis of 2004, people still bare the scars and a trip to Asda was never the same, some never went back and switched to Tesco . Myspace was awash at the time with thoughts and prayers for people caught up in the crisis

Luckily with the new B&Q across the road , timber and tools were available to build shelters and the asda cafe was still open  to see out the unprecedented event in Blackburn's history

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by perthblue02

[Tom]

Sad breaking news today, Marks and Spencer is closing.........in Accrington.......3 years ago! 

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17455345.when-marks-and-spencer-closed-in-accrington-in-march-2016/

[Mattyblue]

Saw this yesterday. I thought ‘great, it’ll show pics from in there back int day’

No, just a photo of the outside with ‘remember Jumpin Jaks?’

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17449453.do-you-remember-when-jumpin-jaks-was-the-place-to-go-in-blackburn/

 

[Tom]

4 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Saw this yesterday. I thought ‘great, it’ll show pics from in there back int day’

No, just a photo of the outside with ‘remember Jumpin Jaks?’

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17449453.do-you-remember-when-jumpin-jaks-was-the-place-to-go-in-blackburn/

 

We may both be fortunate that they aren’t showing pics from back in the day! 

[old darwen blue]

I suspect showing internal pics in that venue may reveal a multitude of criminal offences contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act ?

[Mattyblue]

That would be more of a Jazzy Kex issue!

[Husky]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17450945.blackburn-in-top-10-on-list-of-worst-places-to-live-in-england/?ref=nuo

"A cross between Shameless and Star Wars"

So, in other words Chavs and Muslims, as there certainly aren't any Jedi Knights around here. ??

[old darwen blue]

9 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

That would be more of a Jazzy Kex issue!

My mistake, that’s the one. 

[Husky]

Does anyone know why the air quality was so poor in Blackburn today?

My Air quality App basically went haywire and gave me the red alert warnings that I should be wearing a mask outside. 

Checking on-line confirms this . .

 

[old darwen blue]

Visitors from b***ley I’m led to believe. 

[Husky]

14 hours ago, old darwen blue said:

Visitors from b***ley I’m led to believe. 

Not Preston then?

I heard they all talk a load of hot air and that's why stastistically Preston has one of the worst air pollution levels in the whole of the North West.

Which may also help to explain this...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PzP1XC51kro

Edited February 28, 2019 by Husky