Good news! We will soon know who has signed up Blackburn's new continental market.
Offer letters have gone out to 53 current traders for a total of 68 stalls in the new market, which is based in the heart of the new Mall shopping centre.
We have also sent out eight offer letters for the eight mini shops in the new market.
Existing traders were given first refusal for the stalls in the new market.
We also received a number of applications from new businesses outside the town and they will now be considered.
So watch this space!
Primark's 200th store officially opened its doors to shoppers this week as The Mall Blackburn unveiled the impressive results of a 19-month, £66m redevelopment programme, which has seen overall retail space increase by over a third.
Hollyoaks star, Ricky Whittle officially opened the new Lord Street Mall, declaring the new 50,000 sq.ft. anchor store, Primark, open for business.
Hundreds of shoppers queued up from the early hours to catch a glimpse of the actor who has also enjoiyed success on BBC’s 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
Primark Blackburn offers two floors packed with the latest commercial fashions, with womenswear, accessories and footwear on the ground floor and menswear, childrenswear and homeware departments situated on the first floor.
Outside in the new Lord Street Mall, shoppers can enjoy a drink at Costa Coffee, situated in the main atrium, while checking out the new WH Smith store.
A rolling programme of store openings will follow over the coming months, as advanced lettings discussions and retail fit outs are completed on the scheme’s remaining units.
Peacock’s, a first for the town, will open its store in late autumn, while retailers Next and New Look intend to open in late summer. A new Deichmann store will follow in September and in Spring 2011, Blackburn’s new 68,000 sq. ft continental market will be unveiled.
Loraine Jones, General Manager of The Mall Blackburn said: “We know the people of Blackburn have been eagerly awaiting the opening of our new extension. We hope they like what they see and can join in the excitement as new stores continue to open their doors over the coming months. This is an exciting time for Blackburn and a truly 21st century shopping experience."
The showpiece of Blackburn’s Big festival took place recently.
The Celebrate Blackburn Big weekend took over the town centre July 23-25 with a full programme of events.
Highlights included The Big Sing: a workshop with Blackburn people’s choir, The Big Picture: pavement drawing event, The Big Curry: outdoor curry festival, The Big Bubble: where the town was invaded by bubbles, The Big Performance: where performers and entertainers took to the town’s streets, The Big tea dance at King George’s Hall, a specialist market on Fleming Square with stalls selling award-winning meats and vegetables, fresh cakes, chocolate, hog roast and jams and chutneys and the Big Night Out, 'On the Rocks' music festival.
'On the Rocks' featured two nights of free live music, on Friday July 23 and Saturday July 24, with critically acclaimed artists and DJs, playing across Blackburn town centre in an eclectic mix of venues including: Blackburn Library, King Georges Hall and other bars, pubs and clubs.
Acts performing over the weekend included: The Phantom Band, Dark Sky Singers, Django Django, The CureHeads plus many more bands and DJs.
Celebrate Blackburn’s Big festival is still in full swing, featuring a host of larger than life music, arts, food, cultural, fun and sporting events all dedicated to showcasing the best of Blackburn.
There are still plenty of events to come including a free outdoor children's festival.
Celebrate Blackburn is all about celebrating your life, your town, and your community.
For a programme of events visit www.visitblackburn.co.uk.
Fleming Square in Blackburn town centre is to be transformed into a rustic retreat this Saturday, July 24, when its first Specialist Market takes place as part of the Celebrate Blackburn Big Festival.
Around 16 stalls will be set up from 9-3pm on the square, located behind Upper Church Street, selling award winning meat, vegetable, jam and chutney.
Other produce on offer will include local butter, fresh cakes, chocolate and Japanese noodles.
There will also be a hog roast.
The market has been organised by the owner of the Fleming Square-based Chilli Lime Deli, John Caffrey.
John, born and bred in Blackburn, is hoping the market will help get more people shopping in the town centre and, if successful, hopes it can be a regular monthly fixture with a variety of produce and new traders each time.
He said: “I want to raise the profile of Fleming Square and assist local businesses. I’ve contacted high quality local farmers, local importers and specialist suppliers to set up stalls. I’ve a real passion for food and my deli specialises in local produce. I’m hoping the event will be a success.”
Fleming Square is a hidden shopping gem in Blackburn town centre.
It has a variety of shops from Chilli Lime Deli, Blackburn Coffee Exchange and Eve lingerie, to the wide range of hair and beauty treatments on offer at Scarlet, Gossip and Jeff Stone’s barbers.
Celebrate Blackburn’s Big festival is currently in full swing, featuring a host of larger than life music, arts, food, cultural, fun and sporting events all dedicated to showcasing the best of Blackburn.
Celebrate Blackburn is all about celebrating your life, your town, and your community.
The Blackburn Visitor Centre is now open for business after moving into a new location on Salford.
The popular centre has moved just across the road from its former Church Street home to 3-5 Salford, in the former environment services one-stop shop.
The centre receives more than 200,000 visitor enquiries each year and is the first stop for anyone looking to make the most of a visit to the area.
It also has a fantastic selection of gifts, books and souvenirs with a distinctive Lancashire feel.
Councillor Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration, said: "Blackburn Visitor Centre is a vital part of the town centre, providing a wealth of tourist and travel information for visitors to and residents of Blackburn.
"I’m confident it will go from strength to strength, whilst in this location just across the road from the £66m Mall development. It will continue to support and promote local tourism businesses and services right across Pennine Lancashire before a planned move into the new market development next year."
Opening hours are: Monday - Friday 9-5pm and Saturday 9.30-4pm. Closed Sundays and bank holidays.
The telephone number remains (01254) 688040.
Signs have been put up at the old Church Street building (set to become Blackburn Rovers’ new Oneroverstore) redirecting customers to the new location.
Visit www.visitblackburn.co.uk for more details of accommodation, attractions and for a what’s on guide for the Blackburn with Darwen area.
For other areas of Lancashire try www.visitlancashire.com
In the second of his featured blogs local promoter, James Gilbraith, talks about putting on bands in Blackburn...
I have to be honest. At times, promoting bands in this town isn’t easy. It can be a traumatising and confidence eroding venture. Trying to get the message out that you have a quality event programmed can be like trying to suck a golf ball up a straw. The new revolution of Facebook / Myspace isn’t the free answer to advertising. I can tweet, crow and hoot until my fingers bleed but it doesn’t always help.
Once bands have been played on mainstream radio, they become impossible to book as the price of a live performance skyrockets. Therein lies a Catch-22 situation. You want the bands you book to have had airplay but, if they get the airplay, you can’t afford to book them! Getting an act that has had some decent media coverage to play in Blackburn is not easy.
Equally there are plenty of people who work in this town, live elsewhere and make decent livings. The majority would not dream of spending their free time here. We have to ask ourselves why?
But we have had some fantastic live music events. Experiences of a life time really, but there have only been 50 – 100 people to witness them. After pure persistence bands from the USA, including Portland Oregon, Las Vegas, New York have all played brilliant live shows.
I love this town and have lived here all my 42 years. I’ve just got sick of the attitude that the town is culturally devoid of anything other than a procession of cover bands and celebrity DJs.
Along with like minded folk (Jamie Holman and Joe Fossard ) and venues like Live Lounge, we are slowly trying to change that glass half empty culture. And the thing is this, we must succeed or what’s the alternative? The only way has to be up.
COSTA COFFEE SIGNS UP FOR THE MALLGood news! Costa Coffee has just signed up for the Mall! They’ll be in on the opening date of Monday, July 26th, which should delight all those folks who hanker after a ‘proper coffee’ on the way to work.
Shoe shop, Deichmann, has also been signed up. This is in addition to Primark, Peacocks and WHSmith, Next and New Look, as well as new continental market.
Shopping in Blackburn just keeps getting better and better.....
Blackburn Rovers are ‘moving shop’ after winning a premier position at the heart of the re-vamped Blackburn town centre.
The football club’s Oneroverstore, which opened in The Mall last summer, is to relocate to replace the existing Blackburn Visitor Centre on Church Street.
The new store, which will retain its extensive range of Rovers’ merchandise and matchday ticket operation, is also set to incorporate a new café bar, TV screens and outdoor seating area.
The popular visitor centre is moving just across the road to 3-5 Salford, in the former environment services one-stop shop.
Thousands of people visit the centre every year and it is hoped that its new base will help to increase the number of visitors to the market as well in the run to the opening of the new premises in the Mall in March next year.
Rovers’ managing director Tom Finn said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce this exciting venture. It further underpins our close working relationship with the local authority and emphasises our long-term commitment to the town centre.
“It represents a very progressive move - an even bigger, even better store in a superior location. Getting a presence in the town centre has proved a massive plus and this move takes things a stage further.
“We have major plans for the site, not least the catering aspect, and believe it can enhance the major improvements currently taking place.
“Football will obviously remain high on the agenda, but we hope that through the introduction of a quality food and drink outlet we can provide an inviting and popular place for the entire community to visit and enjoy.”
Blackburn with Darwen Councillor Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration, said: “The new Blackburn Rovers store, which will be in a prime location directly opposite the new £8m Blackburn market, will help to develop Church Street as a thriving shopping area, particularly once The Mall shopping centre extension opens.
“Blackburn Rovers is a major player in the Borough and it is right that the club should have a much bigger presence in the town centre.”
The new store will open on Monday August 2nd.
Local promoter, James Gilbraith, gives his thoughts on the upcoming 'On The Rocks' outdoor Blackburn music festival and more...
‘On The Rocks’ should be a great occasion for music lovers. There is a lot going on in terms of genres and appeal for many different age groups. It should be quite a weekend. I can’t wait to have a walk around and take in all of the quality entertainment.
I have to say I’m personally excited about a few of the artists, and DJs on the bill. Oh Ruin are playing the Green Man Festival which is now sold out, with tickets almost twice their original price on eBay. To see them play an intimate show in Jazzy Kex should be one of my high points of the weekend.
Some of Blackburn’s home grown talent also gives us many reasons to be cheerful; The Snow Byrds and Cassini Club have been filling venues across the town and are surely about to break into the mainstream.
Blackburn’s own record label, Winter Bird, have also got a solid stable of exciting artists on show, from Mick Travis and his humorous tales of loves won and lost, the beautiful smouldering voice of Stacey Mckenna to the glorious multi-instrumental indie/folk of Fifth House. These artists are Blackburn through and through: heartfelt and reflective.
We also have some class DJs who have rocked stages from Beathearder to Womad in Les Scott and John Tree playing genre hopping music from around the globe. Local DJs looking to blaze their own path are Peanut, Dean Green and Lewis B, along with the DubStep crew of Royster, John Matrix and Compa. These guys are the future of clubland, make no bones about it.
And all that’s just the tip of the iceberg. One of the UK’s most unique sounds, The Phantom Band, play the headline spot in the Windsor suite at King George’s Hall and The CureHeads (the world’s premier The Cure cover band) play North Bar.
So much wonderful music but you know the best part: it’s all FREE!
Lorraine Jones gives you a first look at Blackburn’s newest addition
In the video below, we put local questions to Loraine Jones, the General Manager of The Mall, Blackburn. Loraine was kind enough to speak candidly about the Mall’s development, pitfalls along the way and her vision for the future as well as giving us a sneak peek inside the construction site.
About Loraine
Me, My Job and IBackground - I have always worked in retail, and have been in management roles since the age of 19, working my way up from area management to national operations and managing director roles at Yorkshire Mill Village and Boundary Mill Stores.
First job- Pricing prescriptions (without the use of a calculator!) at the Prescription Pricing Authority in Bolton.
Qualifications needed (for current job) - In my opinion experience is just as important as qualifications.
Personal skills needed - In my line of work you need to be highly organised, a logical thinker and have the personality and leadership skills to manage a large team. Being able to multi-task is essential as no two days are the same and the workload is always varied.
Best business memory - Launch of Yorkshire Mill Village after a £10m re-development and meeting Lesley Ash.
Best business advice (given or received) - Never stifle your entrepreneurial skills and keep an open mind - nothing is ever set in stone.
We’re really pleased to announce that we’re going to reduce costs for market traders to get everyone through some tough times. This means that there’ll be rent cuts for ALL traders, not just those who have been around for a long time. Some will see their rents cut by 10 per cent and for those who were on concessions, their rents will be subsidised to the same previous level they enjoyed.
We’ve picked up a lot of concern from traders over the switch over to the new market so we are trying to make things easier for those people who are so key to keeping the market going.
We’ve been looking at ways we can help for the last few weeks but we’ve faced a few ‘bumps in the road’. We originally received legal advice saying concessions should be withdrawn and casual traders stopped from taking stalls on the market, as part of closure plans. This has now happened but we are aware of the difficult trading conditions for traders, so we decided we could continue to support the traders but it would have to be through a business continuity package.
The current market has been around for 50 yearsand its key strength is the traders themselves. They provide the service and the relationships that draw people into the town so it is crucial that we find a way of supporting them.
BUT, we’re not saying this is where we stop listening! We’ve set up this site as a way of us actually having an on-going conversation with you about what we want the town centre to look like.
In the meantime find some more details below about the support package and a reminder about the timetable for the new market.
-There are plans to use the empty stalls in a creative way through art projects. Local artists will be working on the market with local schoolchildren, community groups and visitors. It will be part of the successful POP project, which has been running in the town centre and has proved very popular.
- A programme of promotional events is also being put together to support existing trade and increase interest in future trade.
- The Fit out Programme is due to start. The contractor for the flooring and underground heating has been appointed and work will begin shortly.
- We are also advertising the market to outside traders and targeting specific specialist traders now that existing stallholders have had first dibs.
We’d like to know straight away what you think of this move, any questions but also wider views about the town centre development. We promise to respond here in the right way
Good news! We will soon know who has signed up Blackburn's new continental market.
Offer letters have gone out to 53 current traders for a total of 68 stalls in the new market, which is based in the heart of the new Mall shopping centre.
We have also sent out eight offer letters for the eight mini shops in the new market.
Existing traders were given first refusal for the stalls in the new market.
We also received a number of applications from new businesses outside the town and they will now be considered.
So watch this space!
