Over the past month, I’ve been discovering some of Preston’s former cinema sites with the aid of local historian John Cotterall’s book ‘Preston’s Palaces of Pleasure’. It has been wonderful […]

Last month I posted the first part in my quest to locate some of Preston’s former cinema sites. At the height of the cinema boom, Preston boasted 22 cinemas, inspiring […]

Early railway activity in Preston involved a plethora of companies, stations and lines, none of which cooperated with each other! Railway company feuds and a tale of two (or more) […]

Like many, I have long been fascinated by films, the cinema, and my family’s stories of cinema-going. I remember the distinctive sound of the Pearl and Dean introduction at the […]

Once there stood a pleasure palace, green and magnificent, it was billed as “The most charming resort in Lancashire” – and it was in Preston. For a short time in […]

The unsafe building at 3 Fox Street allegedly has a seriously spooky history – one which you wouldn’t expect. A temporary road closure is in place in Preston city centre due to […]

Preston-born poet Darren Hobson has published new work that shares his memories of growing up in and around the town during the 1970s and beyond. Locations in Avenham, Penwortham and […]

St Joseph’s Orphanage opened in Preston in 1872 on the site of a former almshouse. Its construction was funded by a £10,000 donation from a wealthy widow named Maria Holland. […]