Hello and welcome to the first weekly edition of our

new digital magazine. This is edited by Steven Bate

who had his own record shop in Fleetwood. He also
worked and managed TV and electrical shops
including, Telefusion, Co-op, Currys, and Norweb.
Later as a mature student he obtained a degree in
public relations, became a local
Councillor and successfully
campaigned to keep Rossall
Hospital open a few years
longer than health boss,s
wanted.
Steven also
campaigned for United Utilities to solve the never
problems in the area. The massive flood storage tank
planned for Anchorsholme, is a result of that, yes it
years to get a result in local politics.

successfully
ending fooding
and outfall pipe
often takes ten

Lets be clear your editor is a campaigner, this weekly

magazine will will campaign on your behalf. As soon as
rumours were heard that the Weekly News was closing
down, plans to produce a replacement started.
Steven Bate remembers when the Gazette group closed
down the original Fleetwood Chronicle. "There was an
uproar, I had a record shop on Lord Street at the time. I was
a very active member of the Fleetwood Chamber of Trade at
the time and campaigned for a replacement to be set up.
We found the publisher of a weekly newspaper in Preston,
that was willing to set up the original Fleetwood Weekly
News and supported it" ; said Steven Bate.
Ray Williams ran the Made in
Fleetwood publication for 8 years. He is now working with
Steven making detailed plans to publish a printed Fleetwood
newspaper. This will take quite a few weeks to organise,
meanwhile here is our weekly digital magazine version.
Our research indicates that over 20,000 Fleetwood area
residents, are able to view this digital magazine on either a
PC, a laptop, a tablet or a modern mobile phone. We hope to
continue a weekly digital edition, with the very latest whats on
info, even after our printed newspaper is launched. Extracts
from it will also be distributed via Facebook, Twitter and email.

Join our campaign for a

Fishermans Friend Exhibition
When a Brit stops to buy petrol in Italy, what is at the front of the sweets display?
Fishermans Friend. What is the most popular treat in the pockets of sportsmen in
Germany? Fishermans Friend. A leading
German magazine sent a reporter to Fleetwood
last year, because their readers wanted to know
all about the home of Fishermans Friend.
The story of Fishermans Friend is interesting
and important. Visitors to Fleetwood Museum
often ask for any information they can get about
our most famous product.
Please join our campaign for an exhibition room
or area within Fleetwood Museum on the past,
present, and future of Fishermans Friend. The museum has had a temporary stay of
execution until September.
Everyone is hopeful that Fleetwood
Town Council and Lancashire County
Council will come to an arrangement
with Wyre Borough Council (who own
the actual building) to keep the
museum open. However it is vital to
offer exhibitions that will attract
visitors, not only from other parts of
the UK, but also from other parts of the
world. What do you have to say on this
campaign? Send an email to
s.bate@blueyonder.co.uk

ALFIE SINGS FOR THE QUEEN

Fleetwood's own Alfie Boe, has received the great
honour of being invited to sing at Windsor Castle for a
special concert, on the occasion of the 90th birthday of
HM The Queen The Duke of Lancaster on 15th May. The
concert will be shown on ITV.

Save the last dance for me at half

price for Fleetwood residents
The hit musical is set in 1963. A nostalgic feel-good
journey, taking you back to the swinging sixties. We follow
two teenage sisters through the summer of 1963. The
show runs from May 31st to June 4th at Blackpool Opera
House. The next time you are going in to central Blackpool
remember to take proof of your FY postcode, to the Winter
Gardens box office and get a special 2 for 1 offer for
tickets.
Most entertainers are desperate to appear on TV.
The publicity can be worth thousands of Pounds in
extra bookings. Fleetwood based entertainment
provider Steven Raynor, may not be pleased he
appeared recently on the Channel Five TV show
Can't Pay We'll Take it Away. The debt collectors
were very close to taking away his van and the
bouncy castle in it, to pay a long overdue debt. In
the nick of time his father in law, came up with the
money to pay the debt

6th May - 7:30pm

The Band of the Kings Division is one of the premier bands of the
British Army and is in constant demand for appearances across the world. With a broad
repertoire to suit all tastes, the musicians have a highly acclaimed reputation.
Enjoy the fabulous sound of this great brass band, performing your favourite classics with
passion and style! Tickets: 11 MARINE HALL, FLEETWOOD

A look at Fleetwoods purpose or role in the future

By John Warnock
My route into politics was rather a reluctant one which
started with the King Sturge master plan developed for
Wyre Borough Council. It was simplistic, greed based and
very shallow, as it was a case of, heres all the public land
ripe for development lets
sell it off. How they thought
the public would get behind
this was mind-blowingly
arrogant.
This triggered the
Fleetwood Action Group
which formed the town
council. As a former Fleetwood Town Councillor from 2011
2015, I found myself part of the town plan working party. Unfortunately, it only met once in 4
years. It seemed I was the only one prepared to put my head above the parapet and get
shot at.
Having done a lot of research and study, I feel slightly qualified to write about this topic. I
dont see one project or industry that will reverse the decline of Fleetwood, but the
combination of lots of little bits joining together to make the future prospects of this town
brighter.
Lets start with the benefits of the fishing
industry, not my area of expertise, but having
listened to and studied the arguments. I can see
it would take a monumental U turn from a
government that favours corporations before our
valuable small & medium enterprises. This is
very evident in how the Government divided the
fishing quota. There is a lot of evidence that the
off shore wind farms built on artificial reefs are
becoming marine species rich. We know the fishermen are not in favour of the wind farms,
but I dont see them coming down any time soon.
I think its time we studied the whole area, and maybe we should pay the fishermen not to
fish for a while, whilst we get the whole picture. We must not let them disappear, a fair
sized fleet is vital for the towns diversity and sustainability. The new Fish Park project, must
learn from the failures of Aberdeen and Hull.
I hope planners have learned these lessons, so this will lead to a bright future for
Fleetwood.Eco-tourism, often overlooked, should be pushed a lot harder, as theres a lot to

promote around Fleetwood and the Wyre

Estuary. Every year, basking sharks,
dolphins, whales and other mega marine
mammals and fish migrate close to our
shores.
This could throw up another opportunity,
whilst the fishermen are being paid not
to fish, they could earn by running
sightseeing boat trips. I remember my
first sighting of a skylark at Fleetwood
Nature Reserve, hovering eight feet off
the ground, a yard away from me. Its
well worth a visit, and some people in the town dont know its there.
It would be good to see a place opened to eat or get a brew and warm your feet
somewhere on the Nature Reserve Site.
A tidal energy scheme, which I
support, throws up more questions
than answers. Yes, we need green
renewable energy urgently, but this
wont deliver cheaper bills to
Fleetwood, as it is intended to
supply direct to the national grid.
Which means the high costs of new
nuclear power stations will dictate the price we pay. So,
for all the upheaval and annoyance of the construction
phase, there will be no reward of cheaper bills.
I also question the tourism figures, as after the initial
curiosity killed the cat phase, how big a draw will the
barrage be? But having weighed it all up, its a no brainer,
not a stand-alone saviour, but another part of the jig-saw.
The only real downside is the planned retail on the dock,
as part of the barrage scheme.
For me it is dated and needs rethinking. Retail has moved onto storage and distribution for
the internet shopping age. 1970s shopping malls or 1990s retail parks are things of the
past. You only have to look at Blackpools Talbot Gateway, to
see how hard it is to fill all the units, and that development is
right next to a railway station, as well as good road access.
Fleetwoods only access is a vastly inadequate road, which
was stated as the main reason the Stenna Ferry Company
pulled out of Fleetwood. So a lot still has to be done here.

The London centric Northern Powerhouse, has to become

useful to the North as well as London, in offering the
Fylde something other than fracking it into a waste land.
Connectivity is essential, so instead of wasting billions on
a white elephant project like HS2, to get the North down
South 20 minutes quicker, we should be connecting
Lancaster across the Wyre and Ribble to Liverpool and
Liverpool Airport with a new train line.
It would open up cul-de-sac Fylde to more opportunities,
and Fleetwood could aspire to become more than just
Lancashires rubbish tip. I hope this article will kick start
some debate and get the town thinking in different ways. I think politically were bogged
down in the past centuries ideas, which wont give Fleetwood the best possible future.
There are many other bits we need, like becoming a holiday destination instead of just a
day trip town. We need more free thinkers, dealing with the here and now, with our feet
planted firmly on the ground. Your views welcome to s.bate@blueyonder.co.uk

Into the Shadows recreate the unique sounds of The

Shadows
Among their hits were Wonderful Land,
Guitar Tango, Frightened City, Dance On,
FBI, Atlantis, Man of Mystery, with their
first number one hit Apache' still
recognised as one of the most iconic
records of all time.
In this year's show, there are many new
numbers including Let Me Be The One,
the UK entry performed by The Shadows
at the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest, and
Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Tickets: 12
7:30pm Thornton Little Theatre.
Saturday 7th May 2016 - 7:30pm

An unprecedented gathering of choirs, community

choruses and singing groups from around the Fylde
Coast raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
This community fundraising event will feature
performances from:
Fleetwood and District Choral Society
Blackpool Soundwaves Ladies Barbershop Chorus
The Lidun Singers
Dream Team Singers
Blackpool Male Voice Choir
Carleton Community Choir
The Capricorn Singers
Poulton Peoples Choir
Shakespeare Primary School Elite Choir
The event will culminate in a spectacular
massed sing of around 250 voices led by Alistair
Mackenzie, a highly regarded St. Annes based
choral leader, our Musical Director for this
rousing finale.
The event will be hosted by Father Geoff
Bottoms, formerly of Our Lady of the
Assumption Church in Marton, a well-known
and popular presenter.
We will also be joined on the evening by
Fiona Dundas, Senior Fundraising Manager
for Macmillan Cancer Support, who will give
a short talk about the work that the money
raised will go towards.
Tickets 5 per seat (children not requiring a
seat are free entry).
Marine Hall in May
Tickets are available online from www.thecapricornsingers.org.uk or from members of any
participating group.

The Rubettes LIVE IN FLEETWOOD

Steven Price (Bate) remembers playing many a Rubettes record at discos in the Marine
Hall in Fleetwood in the 1970's. Well now you can see them live in the Marine Hall.
An evening with the original Rubettes Alan
Williams, John Richardson and Mick
Clarke as they play the hits and tell it like
it was. Accompanied by Steve Innes
Etherington
Hear the songs, the stories and the
memories as recalled by the guys who
were actually there. On their first solo tour
since the 70s three of the original
Rubettes line up, Alan Williams, John
Richardson and Mick Clarke re-live some
of the events leading up to and during the
Rubettes success years when their classic
worldwide number one hit Sugar Baby Love shot them to stardom paving the way for a
further 15 international hits which assured their place in Rock n Roll history as Icons of the
Glam Rock era.The seventies were indeed glamorous as was the Rubettes unforgettable
iconic image of Gatzby white suits and caps.
A seventies fan or not you wont want
to miss this unique opportunity to hear
how it all came about as recalled by
those who took part in the making.
The Rubettes hits include Sugar Baby
Love, Tonight, Juke Box Jive, I Can
Do It, Foe Dee O Dee, Little Darling,
Baby I know and many more. Formed
in 1974 they remained at the top
throughout the 70s with 15
international hit singles and 8 albums
selling over thirty million records
worldwide.
Tickets: 18
Time: 7.30pm
MARINE HALL

Beside The Seaside Present A Weekend of Fun!

Take a trip to the seaside over the May Day Bank Holiday and enjoy a fantastic weekend of
FUN in Fleetwood! Fleetwood independent businesses are putting on a show for the entire
family over the weekend of 30th April & 1st May. Over the weekend you will find Face
Painting, Balloon Modeling, Traditional Punch & Judy Show and much, much more. In
addition to this the local
businesses will be trading
and special Shop Local
Scheme - WBF discounts will
be available so this is a great
day to discover Fleetwood!
The main event of the
weekend will be The
E s p l a n a d e H a s Ta l e n t
competition where a variety of
acts will perform for your
votes/scores. This is your
chance to be Simon Cowell (or Amanda Holden) for the day. You have the opportunity to
not only enjoy each act perform but to also score each act and have your say on who
reaches the FINAL and ultimately who WINS! Official judging forms will be available so that
you can play your part by scoring each act out of 10
This is also your opportunity to
enter The Esplanade Has Talent
and showcase your fantastic talent
to the audience. Can you Sing,
Dance, Perform Magic or are you a
Comedian in the making?
Whatever your talent, this is the
stage for you and your chance to
shine! If you have a talent to
showcase and you would like to
enter then please contact Lee
Preston-Stefani on 07743 320 101.
Alternatively please visit Harbour
Lights Amusements (The
Esplanade, Fleetwood) and collect
your entry form.
There will be a prize bundle for the winning act and a prize also for one lucky judge as
one completed judging form will be plucked out of a hat. All prizes are being very kindly
donated by Fleetwood Businesses.

Secret Ferry talks?

We would like to offer you some information regarding the threat to close the Knott End to
Fleetwood ferry. However all we know is that semi secret
talks are taking place between Labour controlled
Lancashire County Council and Conservative controlled
Wyre Borough Council. It seems they both have
contributed 85,000 a year to subsidise the loss making
service. The County Council have announced their
contribution will
be scrapped
next April.
However they
said that about
Fleetwood
Museum and
t h e L i b r a r y,
then gave
them both a
stay
of
execution at
the last moment. The talks are expected to remain semi secret.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here is an interesting new development in
local social justice. Fleetwood police issue
the statement here on their Facebook
page.
Plus a photo of the convicted burglar.
Dozens of comments appear within a few
hours. Including his daughter disowning
her own father, and comments from
people he was at
school with many
years ago.
None of these
comments would
ever have been
published in a
local newspaper,
or broadcast on
local radio.
Facebook and twitter have certainly
changed local social justice.

Firearms Surrender encourages

public to 'give up the gun'
Lancashire Police and five other forces from across the
North West, are appealing for people to give up the
gun with a two week surrender of firearms and
ammunition, which runs until Monday 18th April.
Its been around 18 months since we last asked
members of the public to surrender unlawfully held or
unwanted guns and ammunition to prevent them from
getting into the wrong hands.
A total of 103 guns including shotguns, air guns, pistols, rifles and revolvers were handed in
along with 3,419 rounds of ammunition during the 2014 surrender, code named Operation
Holster, and it is hoped that this year even more items will be handed in.
Many firearms are held in innocence and
ignorance of their illegality or are overlooked and
forgotten in peoples homes. Others are acquired
and distributed by criminal networks to harm,
threaten and intimidate their local communities.
The surrender gives the chance to dispose of the
firearm or ammunition by simply taking it to a local
police station and handing it in.
Surrendering unwanted, unlicensed weapons
avoids the risk of them becoming involved in
criminality and means that members of the
community can dispose of firearms in a safe
place.
During this two-week period, those surrendering
firearms may not face prosecution for the illegal possession and can remain anonymous.
However, each firearm handed in will be assessed by
firearms officers, with some weapons being forensically
checked for evidence.
So far, since the surrender started on Monday, we
have had handed in 5 shotguns, 3 handguns / pistols,
4 starting pistols, 5 air pistols, 7 air rifles, 2 BB guns,
235 various ammunition, some shotgun ammunition
and some bullets including historic ammunition.
If you have a firearm or ammunition you wish to hand
please check the opening times of your nearest station
before you set off.

Fleetwood Pounds
Fleetwood Pounds will be a local social media
currency. Services, business's, not for profit
organisations, Charities, and events that accept
part payment in FCP will receive extensive
publicity through our social media partners.
The main use of the FP will be as a currency for
our time bank. Members doing small jobs, being
paid in FP, and spending them buying services
from other members.
This is an introduction to the concept it will be
launched, when we get your support, and launch
our newspaper.
There are thousands of volunteers in the North
Fylde area. Many of them also have a skill or
some experience, as many are recently retired or
only have part time jobs. Many work more in the
summer but have lots of free time out of season.
Then there are the hundreds that have time and
some experience, but may have health issues,
that they are recovering from. They need to be
needed. They need to be valued, but they find it
difficult to get or keep a regular job.
Fleetwood
Pounds will be an almost free reward for all those
volunteers, and will encourage the others to get out and
meet people, provide basic services and above all feel
valued.
If we can obtain enough support to get the service up and
running, our "bank" will be able to offer large amounts of
FP notes to voluntary groups, social services, health
recovery groups, and organisations such as Rotary Clubs
to distribute to worthy individuals in return for socially
helpful tasks.
Paying car owning volunteers in FP for offering lifts to
users going to the homes of other users to provide
services could be a major aspect of our service. We need

to realise that each time we assist that THREE people are gaining satisfaction, improving
their social skills, and assisting them to be part of a wider community.
The success of FP will depend on most
members promoting their services and
skills via social media. Encouraging
social media contacts to pay them with
FP, will encourage others to want to earn
FP.
It will not be easy, but a great way to get
FP up and running would be to persuade
a number of local charity shops to accept
FP as payment, or part payment, for
some of the goods they sell.
Also to pay their volunteer staff some FP,
and then encourage their staff to donate their FP pay, as raffle prizes at their charities fund
raising events.
The people we are seeking to help need to
be able to spend the FP that they earn.
Persuading small local shops and cafes to
accept part payment in FP will not be easy.
They will do so in return for lots of local
publicity.
To build on the above FP should
encourage entertainers at charity events to
be paid in FP Also then Encourage charity raffle prizes to be part FP. So in effect the raffle
prizes would be, two hours of dog walking, or two hours of gardening, or two hours of
Spanish lessons, or two hours of baby sitting.
One of the most striking aspects of FP
may be that the actual currency notes
could feature Photographs of some of the
members, and will in many cases be
colour, well designed advertisements for
the services they provide. This could be
on one side of the credit note.
We are aware of fully digital local
currencies in Bristol for example. We
have no one willing to go for free on all
the courses that would be required to fully ascertain the most viable system available.
Perhaps we should seek funding for this task at a later stage in our development?

There will be considerable social media publicity to stress that ALL FP NOTES, can of
course be used to pay for ANY SERVICE or product, at ANY venue or event in our system.
We will expect and encourage that most trades
will be for time, skills and experience of our
members, rather than products. Members will
enable and encourage the where and when
details of each trade, to be arranged via
personal confidential Facebook messages,
email or Twitter.
We will encourage the use of the SHPOCK car
boot sale app http://en.shpock.com This is
because a user can set it to only offer services
and goods for sale within a few miles radius.
There is not a lot on it at the time of writing that is specific to the Fleetwood area. We could
easily dominate it locally. It allows FOR FREE up to 4 photos per service or item for sale.
We would have a team ensuring that FP users have 4 well designed photos that promote
that these services and products can be bought with FP.
The Shpock app allows for users to easily
message interested others to agree the deals,
without us getting involved. Improving Negotiating
skills are vital for many of the deprived locals we
are seeking to help.
We welcome comments on whether or not to
encourage mobile phone text messages as a main
method of arranging Member trades.
FP plan to encourage and promote the short term
loan or hire of items between members, with FP credit notes as paymentHowever in many
cases it may be that the transportation, operation of and, transporting back of a special
piece of equipment, may be more time consuming, and therefore more costly than the use
of the item.
FP has researched and experienced
involvement in time banks. FP disagrees with
the traditional concept that all members time is
of equal value. That would be nice but we are
not a communist society. If someone is willing to
do three hours of dog walking, in return for one
hour of website design, then FP will enable that.
If two members want to compete for a 200 FP
job to design a series of publicity posters, they
can compete on price, and of course on their
record of previous similar work.

FP is inclined to insist that ALL members of FP are members of Facebook. Also are
members of our Facebook group or have liked our Facebook page. That way we all know a
little about each other, and a basic level of trust is quickly established.
FP will influence the amount of credit notes in
circulation. To introduce and build up the system, FP will
pay (in FP credit notes) members to like and share
some of our Facebook publicity posts and Twitter users
to retweet our messages.
To put FP credit notes in to circulation we will pay
members to recruit new members. Also we will pay
members considerable amounts if they can persuade
someone with particular skills to accept part payment in
FP. This should not be such a hard sell, as they would
in return receive lots of social media publicity.
FP has not decided if the service needs to be funded by a membership fee in Sterling.
There are no plans for any fee in the first few months,as this will slow recruitment. It will be
considered later.
FP will need to develop a
s t r a t e g y, t o d e a l w i t h t h e
inevitable trade there will be in
trading unused FP in to at big
discounts, when some members
are desperate for cash Pounds.
This is inevitable to some
degree, but a lot of this trade
would in effect undermine and
devalue ALL members time, skill
and experience. We may need to
be quite tough, and discourage
and or terminate the membership
of people that sell cheap their FP
to get cash for drink or tobacco
for example.
FP will seek to develop and
enforce some degree of quality
control. For example if a member
is asking 10FP an hour to teach
Italian language skills. They must
be reasonably good at that task,
if there are complaints, we may have to stop them advertising that service through our
social media facilities.

FP will encourage, undertake and fund the making of audio, video and graphic publicity
material for our members services. This will be a very big part of what we do, most of this
will be distributed via social media.
FP have plans for social events where members can meet each other. To explain what their
services are, respond to questions, negotiate on bigger jobs that may be part cash and
part FP. Also members will be encouraged to bring books, DVD,s, CD,s and other small
items they are willing to sell for FP. We expect and hope that some of our members will
make craft items, they will also be offering a selection of those for sale on the day

Spotlight on Local Personality

Scott Oram
Scott Oram is one of the good guys in the Fleetwood
area. Many will know him as a member of numerous pop
groups since 1970. He made a record literally in a shed in
Cleveleys. It is now a collectors item "I'm not your
stepping stone" by The Outer Limits. Yes I have a copy
somewhere. I sold a few for
99p, from my record shop on
Lord street Fleetwood about
1975.
Scott is nowadays making
bronze sculptures by special
commission. Here are two at
the final clay stage before the
bronze cast is made.
Scott has had quite a few jobs
over the decades. Including
being an extra in an episode of Dr Who, and being a
lecturer in Design History in a Liverpool University.

Do you see your GP twice as often as you used to?

There are no reliable statistics for just
Fleetwood, but nationally we visit our Doctors
eight times a year on average. It used to be
only 4 times a year, how often do you visit?
Every town should have a GP for each 1,500
residents, Fleetwood should have about 40.
Many can choose a Thornton Cleveleys
practice if they wish and a choice is good.
The other problem is many existing local
doctors are aged over 50 and will be retiring.
Local health boss,s are saying recruitment is
not easy as trainee doctors seem to prefer
going in to hospital medicine.
Please send an email with your views on LOCAL health services to
s.bate@blueyonder.co.uk

Meet the animals at Farmer Parrs Animal World

Now the weather is nice, is it time to take your children or grand children to Farmer Parrs?
If ewe like animals, ewell love Farmer Parr's. An award winning LEA approved visitor
centre comprising of an animal farm, museum, pottery, tea room / shop, outdoor play area
and large indoor barns.
Farmer Parr's opened over 15 years ago
and has developed into an ideal place for
young and old alike. Take a trip down
memory lane in the extensive country life
museum or Paint-a-Pot in The Pottery
Studio run by 'Autism Initiative'. There are
also 12 acres of paddocks, ponds and
walkways plus large undercover barns
too.

There is plenty to do come rain or shine so gallop on over! Daily events include tractor
and pony rides, animal shows and feeding, and animal petting. Presentations and talks can
be arranged for schools and other group visits.
Birthday parties are catered for and include a great value party buffet, plus use of the
function room and animal show.

World leading green power

generation proposal for Fleetwood
Wyre Tidal Energy is a not for profit social enterprise that has been established to promote
and deliver the construction of an Electric Bridge across the Wyre Estuary to harness the
natural energy of the tidal flow to produce:
Renewable Electricity | Flood control for the river | Regeneration for North Fylde area
The River Wyre at its estuary, has one of the highest tidal ranges in the UK. The river is
tidal for some 23 km and its natural shape, with its relatively narrow estuary makes it ideal
to extract power from the tidal
flow and generate green
electricity with an Electric
Bridge joining Fleetwood to
Knott End.
The Electric Bridge will
create a new pedestrian and
cycle route between
Fleetwood and Knott End, an
access for emergency
vehicles, a tourist attraction
and a multi-use asset for the
benefit of local communities.
This is a social enterprise. The motivation is 100% altruistic and all those involved are
unpaid. This project will be profitable and, once the investors capital and interest are
repaid, all proceeds will be used for the benefit of the local community.

Linear VETT is uniquely

suitable for power generation
f r o m t i d a l fl o w s s u c h a s
estuaries and tidal channels
because of its benign
environmental footprint and
competitive capital cost.
A VETT system, due to its
constant flow-through of water,
is substantially different to a
conventional barrage system.
Estuaries are identified as a key source of tidal energy. A single VETT crossing has the
ability to generate 250-1000 MW of power, depending on the crossing conditions.
Environmental Impact VETT allows the
tide to pass through the device with minor
attenuation of the tidal range.This
minimises the environmental impact on
the upstream or downstream ecosystems.
By preserving the tidal signal in the
landwards lagoon, impacts on flora and
fauna are minimised.
The developers claim that 80% of the tidal
and river flow water will go through the
system almost as it does now. Fish, silt
and mud will be almost unaffected, which
is not the case with old style barrage
generation and storage systems.
It will be lower cost and much quicker to install, making it more viable under current
economic conditions. The details have not yet been officially announced, and News Made
in Fleetwood, will provide more details in the coming weeks. Meanwhile you may find this
link of interest :- https://youtu.be/pjLwCmdk6cE

DISCOVER ROSSALL POINT

The observation tower is open to the public so that they can learn about the coastal
environment, bird life and plant life or just enjoy the view. The ground floor gallery has
information about the local area and seasonal
displays.
There are two observation decks for bird watching
and taking in the views over the beach to the Irish
Sea and across Morecambe Bay to the Lakeland fells
and the Forest of Bowland. Anyone who cannot make
it to the top deck will be
able to enjoy the view
through a screen at
ground floor level . The tower has been designed to look as
though it is leaning into the wind and rises 42 feet above the
sand dunes.
A specially commissioned
artwork 'Drift' features
throughout the building and is
made up of a series of
individually designed pieces fashioned from natural
materials and textures inspired by the natural patterns from
the coastal environment. Rossall Point Tower was
commissioned by Wyre Council with funding through the
Sea Change programme. The tower is operated by Wyre
Council and manned by Wyre Volunteer Rangers who run
events and provide information about the local coastal environment.
Opening Times - Friday to Sunday ~ 11:00 to 15:00
Location - Located on the Rossall Promenade between
Cleveleys and Fleetwood. Accessed via a path from
Princess Parade or from the Rossall Point Car Park and
Play area. The postcode for the car park is FY7 8PG.
Wyre's coast is home to some fascinating wildlife and
spring is the perfect time to explore.
Rossall Point's seafront observation tower boasts two
observation decks for birdwatching and taking in the
views across Morecambe Bay and is a great place to start
exploring the beach from.

Look out for land based birds such as

wheatears and sand martins and sea/shore
wading birds like knots and oyster catchers at
this time of the year. In the dunes, keep your
eye out for celandines, cat's-ear and red
campion. And theres always the possibility of
spotting some of Rossall Points more elusive
visitors such as grey seals, dolphins and
porpoises. Youll need your binoculars though!
Important conservation work takes place on the coast too. Our rangers and volunteers were
recently delighted to find two live goose barnacles, attached to a piece of plastic that had
washed ashore, during a litter pick at
Rossall beach. Goose barnacles,
also called stalked barnacles or
gooseneck barnacles, are filterfeeding crustaceans that live
attached to hard surfaces of rocks
and flotsam in the ocean intertidal
zone.
Rare to the Wyre coastline, these
two now reside at Blackpool and The
Fylde College, assisting students studying our marine environment.
A few days later, Wyre's rangers were amazed
to find hundreds more alive on Cleveleys
beach. This group of barnacles now resides at
the Sea life Centre at Blackpool, where they
are set to become part of a new display,
incorporating barnacles from as far away as
Canada.
Regular strandline surveys are carried out at
Rossall Point where we often find shark
eggcases (or mermaid's purses), which are
reported to the The Shark Trust for their Great
Eggcase Hunt Project. The Trust is mapping
the species, quantity and locations of over
90,000 eggcases that were found across the
UK in 2015.
The following eggcases have been found on
Wyre's coastline:
173 Smallspotted Catshark (or Lesser Spotted
Dogfish)
3 Nursehound Shark

422 Thornback Ray

8 Spotted Ray
6 Cuckoo Ray
In recent decades, several species of
shark, skate and ray around the British
coast have dramatically declined in
numbers. The project is an extremely
valuable source of information on the
potential whereabouts of shark, skate
and ray nursery grounds. The
identification of these critical areas enables the Trust to propose conservation measures,
helping reverse the decline of these charismatic animals.
Thank you for reading our first edition, please do forward it to a friend that you believe may
be interested. If you are reading this on a tablet, and you think your neighbour or friend may
like to read it, please do let them try it out.
Edited by Steven Bate