I was confused by the rash of Bank Holidays and Jubilee Festivities and found myself in the midst of Blackpool’s celebrational party, and they know how to party here. The crowds were too thick to cycle through safely, I was returning from Lytham to Fleetwood on the promenade. This was my first time out on the bike since my collision here which resulted in torn knee ligaments. I was being extra careful.
I had accomplished my mission to visit the Mussel Tank which I’ve passed so many times without realising it was there, thanks to Shazza for highlighting it. There is some purpose to blogging after all. The tanks, built in 1934, were used for cleaning the mussels harvested from the muddy Ribble Estuary. By the mid 1950s the beds closed down, mainly because of changes in the Ribble channel affecting restocking. There were three tanks. A cleansing tank now the RNLI, a chlorination tank now the Ribble Cruising Club and the storage tank now the Mussel Tank which has been given a face lift as an open space for public enjoyment. There are interpretation plaques about the mussel trade, an art wall displaying ceramic tiles portraying local features produced by students at Lytham Sixth Form College. There’s also a large-scale mussel sculpture by a Martyn Bednarczuk which I thought resembled a smiling dolphin rather than a mussel.
One of the original tanks. Lytham St Annes Civic Society
I was glad to see that they had restored the sails on the iconic windmill.
Nearby was an installation by Tom Dagnall reflecting on the diversity of the SSSI Ribble Estuary.
It was time for an excellent coffee break in St. Annes.
There seemed to be an awful lot of people on the prom in the vicinity of the tower. I just assumed Jubilee celebrations but as I cycled on there were more and more camera clutching folk by the tram line.
I stopped to enquire and was informed of a parade of trams from the past. Nothing seemed to be happening, so I cycled on keeping to the higher way alongside the tramline. Eventually the parade arrived. A motley collection of Blackpool trams and an exquisite turn of the century Bolton tram. There was a lot of flag waving from the passengers, they must have thought me a misery. The photos may mean something to someone.
I made it back in one piece, quite pleased with the 30 odd miles I’d cycled.
Think I replied on my own post without realising.
Now I see the mussel shell again, yes it does look like a smiling 🐬 dolphin. 🙂
The windmill back to looking it’s best.
And the tram parade looks good fun.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I can see how I’ve just cycled past it before, very low-key. .
The trams were a bonus.
I’m impressed with your efforts but am concerned that you may be wearing that bike out.
I tried Internet for a translation of the latin but it seems to be a difficult language to get a meaningful translation from, It came up with “majestic abound,” I think I get the drift but…
I couldn’t translate it accurately either, perhaps the sculptor had it wrong. I’m sure the gist is plentiful (mussels)
Those old trams are lovely.
The old one from Bolton particularly so.