Author Archives: Pete of MIP

Borders closing

Posted on 1 December 2009 by Pete of MIP

Disappointing that Borders will be closing in Deepdale Shopping Centre. Paid a visit yesterday and the place was busy, the 20% off signs an attraction.  It’s good to have had 2 good bookstores in Preston. Borders was a bit different with … Continue reading →

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Blackpool v Preston North End

Posted on 29 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

November 30th an evening kick-off for Sky.  Blackpool need 3 points to get them back into the top 6 and PNE need them to make up lost ground.  This is an international break month so not many games have been … Continue reading →

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International Space Station over Preston

Posted on 25 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

The International Space Station with Space Shuttle Atlantis was visible from Preston yesterday morning (24th Nov) at 4.46 and it was very bright (if no clouds), I was in bed and it was probably raining. Atlantis undocked from the International … Continue reading →

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Tottenham 1 Wigan 9, Preston v Newcastle

Posted on 23 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Amazing away win for Wigan. I’m not a Wigan fan but I don’t like to see teams being thrashed. I thought the defence was very poor and made the opposition attackers look much better than they are. Today people are saying their … Continue reading →

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Digital Switchover and further to HD

Posted on 21 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Wednesday 2nd December the freeview digital changeover will be complete in the Granada region. Also the power at the transmitter becomes 10 times stronger. Wow does that make our aerial glow? Probably not, I’ll add just in case someone thinks it does. … Continue reading →

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Football Museum moving to Manchester, loss or opportunity?

Posted on 20 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

The National Football Museum trustees announced on their website that the museum will move to the Urbis in central Manchester opening in 2011 with some items remaining in Preston if funding can be found. Newspaper reports say Manchester is paying … Continue reading →

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Preston Railway Station investment

Posted on 17 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Preston station was named as the 6th worst station in the UK with platform access via the steps as one of the worst features. The government announced that the worst stations would get a total of £50m spent on them … Continue reading →

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House Prices Down but Turning (perhaps)

Posted on 13 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

The Land Registry figures for the end of September show the North West having one of the lowest average house prices in the UK. The North West being Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Manchester and Merseyside. Overall in the North West the … Continue reading →

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Competition Commission says Stagecoach must sell Preston Bus

Posted on 11 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

 The Evening Post alerted me to the Competition Commission announcement released today that Stagecoach must sell Preston Bus to a bidder able to provide a competitive service. It seems a bit late for this as the deal was done months ago, buses … Continue reading →

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Nuclear Irish Sea announced

Posted on 9 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Today the government announced 5 new nuclear power stations on the shore of the Irish Sea. Three in Cumbria, 1 at Heysham, 1 in Anglesey. There are currently 3 that have limited life remaining. The government has also announced a … Continue reading →

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Digital Switchover Day for BBC2

Posted on 5 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Yesterday BBC2 went digital in the Granada region. The person managing the changeover said they’d only had 10,000 calls yesterday so it went well.  At the time I thought it sounds a lot as BBC2 doesn’t get a big audience. … Continue reading →

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Queueing for the 2012 Preston Guild

Posted on 3 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Three weeks after the 2012 Olympic Games is the 2012 Preston Guild. The Royal Lancashire Show suggested last week it could be in Preston in the 2012 Guild Year and yesterday the Corporate Games said they’d hold a Games in Preston … Continue reading →

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Late October Spring

Posted on 29 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

17 degrees today, no wind, a watery sun. Set out across the Fylde and hundreds of geese were flying south in constantly changing V formations quite low. Opened the car window to hear them talking to each other.  Where had … Continue reading →

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X factor prediction

Posted on 27 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

Started watching X factor last year and was hooked. Discounting YouTube hits, here are my predictions,  it was harder than I thought – and probably completely wrong. 9th – Lloyd – nice bloke, a bit overwhelmed, voice not strong. 8th – Ollie … Continue reading →

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Royal Lancashire Show to end. Perhaps?

Posted on 26 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

The show has had empty years before but today the Royal Lancashire Show committee put into place actions to put it on ice saying the costs of 2 flooded years have been too much. The Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society also say … Continue reading →

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National Football Museum Deferred Decision

Posted on 23 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

The leader of Preston Council says on his blog. “Our bid (from Lancashire County Council, UCLan andPreston City Council) is the only one that guarantees the museum financial security. We are offering £400,000 a year plus up to £3.5m to … Continue reading →

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Tithebarn Syndrome and Blackpools Casino

Posted on 23 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

Is Preston heading along a cul-de-sac with the Tithebarn Project?  For many years the Casino was going to be the saviour of Blackpool, the ‘Las Vegas’ of Lancashire.  When the rug was pulled Blackpool had a spell of total loss … Continue reading →

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Forensic Science Services Laboratory at Euxton to close

Posted on 22 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

There has been speculation about re-organising the Forensic Science Service (FSS) for a few months and today it was announced the laboratory in Euxton, near Chorley, will close with the loss of 185 jobs possibly in 2011. The jobs will … Continue reading →

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Internet Explorer Version 8 and 10 minutes to get football results in the brave new digital TV world

Posted on 21 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

As a part-time web designer I find IE8 has gone from the extreme of earlier issues to the other extreme in terms of using web-standards. My web-design software puts special code into pages to allow for the foibles of earlier versions … Continue reading →

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Grosvenor pull out of Tithebarn

Posted on 16 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

Grosvenor pulled out of the £700m Preston Tithebarn development today saying they want to focus on smaller developments.  Lend Lease the other developer say they are staying in. It had seemed Grosvenor were the major developer but on looking at … Continue reading →

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