New Artwork on the Mythological Coastline

Two new items have recently appeared in Cleveleys

The Ogre's paddle is over 9 metres long and is carved from a tropical timber called Purple Heart. Legend (from the story of The Sea Swallow) has it that the paddle drifted up “to lie on the muddy sand like some strange offering”. Over time, the timber will weather like a real paddle.

 

The paddle is over 9 metres long

It would probably take an ogre's strength to use this paddle

 

Mary's Golden Shell has also arrived, to continue the theme of The Sea Swallow. This 8 metre by 4 metre stainless steel structure is located on the beach. The incoming tide washes around it; but when the sea is out you can walk inside it, and hear the effect of the wind and waves on the laser-cut metal.

 

The tide lapping around the shell gives the impression of a drifting object

 

Click HERE to go to the start page of the five related images at DMC Photogallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fylde Sunset

Early September is a great time for sunsets and the Fylde Coast is ideally positioned – facing West. I'm luck enough to live near the sea and took the opportunity to grab my gear and find a good position at low tide to shoot a series of pictures from the beach.

This is one of the pictures, and you can find others in the gallery pages on my website by clicking here

FYLDE COAST PIERS

Four piers grace the Fylde coast: three in Blackpool; and just one that is open to the public in St Annes. The piers were introduced in the Victorian age, and are a testament to both the industrial heritage of Britain and the emerging pursuit of leisure and tourism during this period. This pictorial blog discusses the piers in the sequence they appeared.

 

All of the pictures are recent. It is possible only to capture images of the present, whilst attempting to portray the personality and history of the structures.

 

There are three piers in Blackpool. Looking through the North Pier, using a telephoto lens, it is possible to see the central and south piers in the background, as well as the Big One on the Pleasure Beach.

 

Blackpool North Pier was opened in 1863 and a fishing jetty was added in 1866 then extended in 1869, giving the structure a total length of 1410 feet (approximately 430 metres). Some 20,000 people attended the opening ceremony, presumably with the intention of subsequently enjoying the 'genteel relaxation' envisaged by its architects.

Beach Structures: a testament to the industrial heritage of Britain … viewed from under the North Pier.

 

Eventually new attractions appeared. Fairground rides, amusement arcades and theatres were added, and the pier has continued to provide relaxation and enjoyment in spite of notable hazards. Ships have collided and caused damage – including Nelson's former flagship Foudroyant, moored off the pier for an exhibition in 1867, and others in 1892 and 1897. Buildings and theatres have been damaged or destroyed by fire, then rebuilt or replaced. In December 1997 a storm severed the jetty from the main structure, and the pier now stands without a jetty at the total length of 1318 feet (approximately 402 metres)

Some of the original Victorian architecture can be seen on the pier, along with live entertainment in the Merrie England Bar, the Carousel Bar, and amusements.

 

Some of the Victorian architecture can be seen on the pier.

 

The Central Pier

Blackpool's second Pier was originally known as the South Pier until a third pier was added. What is now known as the Central Pier was designed for fun from the start. Opened in 1868, fun was provided in the form of dancing, then ice skating was offered from the early 1900s.

The structure was originally 1518 feet (approximately 460 metres) in length and included a jetty. The pier is 340 metres and the jetty was 120 metres. The jetty was used for steamboat excursions, but was removed in 1975 due to lack of use.

Fire seems an inevitable part of a pier's history. The White Pavilion was replaced by the Golden Goose complex in 1967, and this was damaged by fire in 1973, to be replaced by an arcade and nightclub which remain to this day.

 

A ferris wheel dominates the Central Pier. This was added in 1990 and stands 108 feet (32 metres) tall. Adding this feature was no mean feat, as the structure needed strengthening at an estimated cost of £750,000.

 

a ferris wheel dominates the Central Pier. Here it is shown in context with a section of the Golden Mile.

The ferris wheel is clearly visible on Blackpool's skyline and, along with fairground rides and a family bar, tells a visitor 'here is fun'.

 

The features of the Central Pier shout 'Here is fun'.

 

St Annes Pier

In viewing the images in this blog, you will see pictures of two piers in St Annes. Although there are two such structures, only one is open to the public. In fact, the separate structure known as the 'old pier' is actually the remains of a fire-damaged section of the original pier.

The Old from the New. Although there are two piers, only one is open to the public

Here is the story.

St Annes Pier was opened in 1885 as a relatively modest affair, with just a shelter at the seaward end to protect passengers of pleasure cruisers, at a cost of £18,000. The pier was progressively developed: with a pavilion and kiosks added in 1904, along with and a mock Tudor frontage then a Floral Hall, culminating in completion in 1910. The total length of the pier was 914 feet (277 metres).

 

The mock Tudor frontage

Alas the common theme continues. There were two fires – one in 1974 then another in 1982. The Floral Hall was burnt down and the seaward end of the pier was so badly damaged that it had to be destroyed, reducing the pier to a length of 600 feet (182 metres). However, part of the old pier still stands, isolated from the rest of the structure.

part of the Old Pier still stands

St Annes Pier is famous for its Victorian wrought iron work, and its appearance is distinctly reminiscent of this period. Further restoration was undertaken in the 1990s and currently the pier features shops, cafés, amusements and a ten-pin bowling alley.

St Annes Pier is famous for its wrought iron work

Blackpool South Pier

This is the newest of the Blackpool piers; it was opened on Good Friday 1893 and was originally named the Victoria Pier because the Central Pier was then known as the South Pier. The pier opened to the strains of two brass bands, a choir and an orchestra.

Although the pier is the shortest, at 429 feet (approx. 131 metres), it was wide enough to accommodate a bandstand, shops, and ice cream stall and a photo booth. A larger and more modern pavilion was built in 1937, but this was ultimately damaged then destroyed after fires in 1958 and 1964. A theatre was built to replace the Grand Pavilion, and today the pier offers fun and adventure with children’s rides and a white-knuckle experience for the more adventurous, in the forms of the Skyscreamer (reverse bungee) and the Skycoaster.

 

The South Pier offers fun.

and for the more adventurous, white-knuckle rides

 

FOR MORE PICTURES of the Fylde Piers visit DMC Photogallery.net and don't forget to look at the Limited Edition portfolio. Below is an example of the pictures you can see.

 

 

 

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Lifeboat Bravery

I found this monument while photographing St Annes Pier and the surrounding area. It is a structure that pays testament to the bravery of a specific lifeboat crew, and was unveiled in May 1888.

The citation explains that this monument was erected by public subscription in memory of the crew of the St Annes lifeboat Laura Janet, who lost their lives in a gallant attempt to rescue the crew of the German barque Mexico, wrecked off Southport on the night of 9 December 1886.

  

I have tried to create an effect consistent with the dignity, selflessness and bravery of the act; and, hopefully, a reminder of the debt we owe to this voluntary organisation and the people in it.

Sculpture and Structures

Some interesting sculpture and structures have appeared on the Fylde Coast over the last few years. Opinion of their value may vary, but this article is intended to help you appreciate their significance and enjoy their beauty. Our pictorial journey starts at Blackpool's South Shore and ends in Fleetwood

The Mirror Ball

This structure, claimed to be the world's largest mirror-ball, brightens Blackpool's seafront. You can find it on the South Promenade, just south of the Pleasure Beach. The revolving artwork features some 46,500 mirrors, and continuously gives a different view as the light and weather change and traffic passes by.

The Mirror Ball was designed by Michael Turner and made by an engineering firm in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is apparently called “They Shoot Horses, Don't They?” after a 1906's film, and has beat a 2.4m-diameter mirror ball in a Los Angeles night club to the world record. It was commissioned for the Great Promenade Show.

 

Desire

 

I called this picture “Cutting Edge” because of the perspective and focus on the 'teeth'. There are different published interpretations of this structure: it is heart-shaped, perhaps depicting desire or the pain of love; others conjecture the V-shaped structure is a shark repellent with its sharp teeth. If the latter, it is effective: there are no sharks off Blackpool's shore. The steel structure has rusted to give a natural red appearance, and its 'teeth' appear to be stainless steel.

 

High Tide Organ

This organ was commissioned for the Great Promenade Show and stands some 15 metres tall. The artwork is described as a “musical manifestation of the sea” and was designed by Liam Curtin and John Gooding. The harnessing of wave energy and the sculpted concrete and metals (of steel, zinc and copper) combine to produce a sound as the tide swells.

The best time to hear the organ is two or three hours before or after high tide, as the instrument is played by the sea through eight pipes attached to the sea wall, which are connected to 18 organ pipes within the structure.

The Wave

The Wave is a 10.5 metre high sculpture in St John's Square, Blackpool, designed by artist Lucy Glendinning. It is said to reflect Blackpool's coastal location; its giant curl of steel representing a breaking wave is studded with coloured resin inserts, which were apparently inspired by the detail of the stained glass in St Johns Church.

This creative image pictures Blackpool's Wave sculpture against a sunset sky, depicting surfing at sunset.

Sea Swallow Sculpture

 

This sculpture is inspired by the final paragraph of the book 'The Sea Swallow', which describes two sea swallows that fly over the beaches along the coastline: “For at night they stand together on the sea wall, as if protecting the town with their great white wings.” The book was written by Gareth Thompson, with the birds based Hannah Megee's illustrations.

The Sea Swallow is a children’s story book for the Wyre coastline, a narrative with threads of local folklore woven into the text. It speaks of petrified forests and sunken villages and the Sea Swallows that fly over the coast.

 

The sculpture arrived in Cleveleys in June 2012, and this abstract creative image focuses on the two swallows that protect the town.

Welcome Home Statues

These statues, at Fleetwood, Lancashire, celebrate the heroic lives of the fishermen and their families. It also serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives at sea. The statues are the work of Anita Lafford, and were sponsored by Fisherman’s Friend and Wyre Borough Council.

This creative image highlights the texture of the sculpture.

 

To see these and other images of the Fylde Coast, visit dmcphotogallery.net/gallery.html

 

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