I really appreciate your lovely comment. I'm living in North Devon now so this video and my others are probably the last ones I'll personally do. All the best. BP. 🤝
I'm heading back to Blackburn in July 2024 after leaving Blackburn in February 1984 and living in Brisbane Australia for 40 years. Really looking forward to it...Pork Pies, Steak & Kidney Puddings chips and Peas, Mushy peas, Parkin, Potato pies, Cheese & Onion pies....the list goes on and on. 👍
I'm no longer live in Blackburn. I have moved to North Devon after 59 years in Blackburn, born and bred. My life changed beyond recognition in 2017 following life changing injuries in a road traffic incident. Although Blackburn is not the same town now, I do miss the town, and it's familiar feel as well as the surrounding countryside. However, this is my new life now. I wish you all the best for your return to our town. By the way, fortunately, I can get Holland's steak and kidney puddings here from ASDA! 😋
Although I know every town or city has its problems, I personally wouldn't rush back. Even in 14 years things have deteriorated. Yes, there are worse places but I'm talking about Blackburn. Thanks for watching and commenting. Glad you enjoyed it.
I was born In Blackburn at 21 Guide Square in 1951 and attended St Mary's school on Bennington St off Haslingdon Rd. I hardly recognised the place. I lived from the age of 2yrs old in Manxman Rd, Higher Croft and would walk to school with my two older sisters. I , joined the Army at age 151/2 and apart from sporadic visits have have not lived there since. To me it now looks like any other bland. mid sized town with the same boring shopping centre. SORRY. .Good video though. Bring back the green buses on the boulevard. No mention of the Barn cinema over the canal at Ewood where I spent many a rainy Saturday morning watching the latest cowboy film. Innocent times in the 1950s Cheers.
@VincentSmith-i7o Thank you, Vincent, for sharing your memories of our town. I left Blackburn in 2022 after 59 years there and although I do agree with you about its failing character, it will always be home for me. Blackburn is ideally located for visiting some of Northern England's finest countryside. Unfortunately I don't ride now but am grateful for my videos. All the best to you. 👍🏻
Hi Lee. Your very welcome, glad you enjoyed my little video. I have a friend who lives in Western Australia who also comes from Blackburn. I'm hoping to visit friends who live in Canberra next year. I'm not riding now sadly. Take care. 🤝
Hi Paul! My mum and dad bought 138 back in 2001 and they still live there now! My mum actually remembers meeting you when they came to view the house! Knock on the door on your next drive by, will have a cuppa ready for you 😊 (p.s the front door looks much better now!! 😂)
@mez1583 Hi. Please give your Mum and Dad my best wishes. I don't live in Blackburn now. I'm in North Devon now. My life changed dramatically in 2017 when I lost my dear Wife in a motorcycle incident. Next time I'm in Blackburn, I'll call by that's for sure. I often wonder if they made use of all the wires under the floorboards? I remember labeling all the ends to show what went were. My daughter and I laid all the cables. I certainly wouldn't fit under that floor now, lol! All the best and thank you for watching and commenting on my video.
I just called them and passed on your wishes :) They remember all of the cables and the labelling too haha! They pass on their well wishes to you also. Very sorry to hear about your accident and your wife too. Hope you are doing better and you must come down to see the house when you are back in Blackburn. Take care - the Gorji family 😄
had relatives that stayed in infirmary street and when we came down from Edinburgh we had many a good night in the infirmary bar on the corner which looks like its called the lochside tavern if that the same place. the wife and i used to watch the ice hockey (murrayfield fans) but thats not the arena i remember was the original just round the corner from the infirmary bar i remember popping in for a pint when we were down
Hi, I know this was an oldish video but as a new subscriber I couldn’t resist making a comment. Thank you, once again for a well informed & safe journey through some of the streets I remember. I lived in Blackburn from mid 60’s to mid 80’s & am amazed at the change. I do still visit (I am now in SW France where I’ve lived for the past 14 years) but I still have family in the Blackburn area. I love to go home & touch base. I’ve missed a visit due to lockdown but hope to get there before the year is out. Sorry for the ramble, just wanted you to know what part of the world you are covering. Take care, stay safe & keep up the good videos 😉 🌻 Lynda
Hi Lynda. Thank you for your ramble. It is good to hear from Blackburnians who live abroad now. I'm glad my video is providing a little help in keeping you here despite lockup. I've got four more videos of Blackburn, only these are walkabout videos in the town centre. The first one is Blackburn 1995. Please see the description for each video for details. The other three are part of a series called Blackburn 2015. Apart from the occasional repeat, update of a video and car videos, (dashcam) I'm no longer producing biking videos. I currently don't ride due to a family bereavement three years ago. All the best to you. Paul.
Biker Paul oh I am sorry for your loss. I hope to catch up on your other videos during the next day or so. I enjoyed the bike ones as I’ve not seen any like that before & as a previous pillion rider, was delighted to have the road experience along with some memories. However, I will continue to enjoy your walkabouts or dashcam videos. Thank you . Regards, Lynda 🌻
Really enjoyed your video, love the accent, I have family dotted round Blackburn, Higher Croft and Infirmary Road, not sure where others live, I've not been for years. I'll check out your other videos tomorrow, I think I spotted Yorkshire videos, so I'll enjoy them.
Hi Lynne. Thank you so much for watching my vlog. Check out my Blackburn 1995 and 20 years later videos where I walk around the town centre with our daughter and my Wife. Yorkshire? This is my playlist of Yorkshire rides. Hope you enjoy. Take care. Yorkshire: ru-vid.com/group/PLlf-DVgaOR0CKZqWIhhtum6IBJPnvnes3
Great video! I am an Xpat in Spain whom was brought up on Springfield Terrace off Green Lane and lived on New Wellington Street in Mill Hill in the 80s, plus my 1st job was at Waterfall Mill an overdose of nostalgia.... Many thanks forgot to mention also a biker myself and my first 50cc was an old fizz box 🤣🤣
I'm glad you enjoyed the ride and video. I have friends in Spain, I wouldn't mind living part time there myself. I'm not riding now due to a non fault crash. Hope to ride in future if my health allows. All the best.
@@waynegee2484 Thanks Wayne. Do you follow Richy Vida on RU-vid? His channel is a must watch. They've ridden Picos de Europa a few times. That area looks unbelievably beautiful and fabulous riding roads. All the best.
Super Video Paul! Was Up in Blackburn for a Football Match against Hull City in January. Nice to get a flavour of the town of the Team I Support 👍 Regards from Dublin
Depends on what you're comparing it to? I can assure you that the majority of Blackburnians mourn the loss of our town. It is untidy with little or no pride in evidence and a council that has been in office too long. They are unmovable and yet they have allowed the destruction of listed buildings etc.
Well, that was a blast down memory lane and I really enjoyed it. I'll never forget Accrington Road. I lost my license for three months for speeding along that road when I was 17 on a Norton 650 SS. I still remember the sergeant's name who caught me in a Ford 3 litre Capri, Sgt Don Cothliff. I still have the cutting out of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph where my court case in Accrington made the news. I used to live on New Bank Road so I know all around that area very well. The new St. Silas Scool is a real eyesore. I attended S.Silas school from 1963 to 1974, a beautiful old building and I still keep in touch with a few people I met there, to this day. I also lived on Billinge End Road so your ride down from Preston New Road went right past our old front door. It was interesting to hear you say that there were 5 pubs closing every week at the time. I know the Muslim population doesn't drink alcohol and that has contributed to the decline in patronage. I worked at W.H.Bowkers transport who was based at Hollinbridge street. There used to be a very popular chippy on the corner. I had many a feed of fish and chips or potato pie and chips with gravy from that chippy! Liked and subscribed.
Hi again John. Thank you so much for making my video literally come alive again with your own personal story (even the speeding one where you remember it with such detail) about our special town. I'll direct you to my 'Zippy Rides' into town and to Mill Hill as I'm sure you'd find those interesting. Going from an FJR1300 to a mobility scooter was quite something, however I was so thankful for it as it gave me my freedom back. I would like to ride again (I know Lynn would want me to) however in recent months I have started to think about getting what Lynn and I planned to do after hanging up our bike boots for the last time, get a motorhome. I have so much I'd like to see in Europe, maybe it is time to do it in more comfort with having my disability now? We'll see. All the best John. Paul.
Amazing! Took me back about 65 years to when I stayed with my granparents after my mother died ans I went briefly to my first school in Feniscowles. We lived on Livesy Branch Road and would walk down to see my Aunty in Cherry Tree.Yor tide tookme past my Aunty's drapery shop on Preston Old Road , then over the scaringly narrow bridge over the canal (where the Bank and Cherrytree Mills uded to stand) then low and behold you turned into the estate wher my Aunty lived passing her houe just past the corner of Fielding Crescent and Railton Avenue and then you turned and went past the house for the second time. I live in Sydney and last visited my grandparents in Blackburn in the 1950s and early 1960s. From Livesy Branch Road you could see Green fields with sheep grazing, cricket being played beyond that and in the distance a stem train chugging of towars Houghton Towers (I think) leaving a trail of smoke. Any way thanks for opening up a door of memory of those early years. Love to hear those Lancasire vowel sounds too. Thanks Paul in Sydney
Hi Paul(?). I'm really thankful for your wonderful comment on my little video. This video has gone from something that didn't really do anything but you have brought it to life! Thank you so much. I was picturing Blackburn as it was in your day because I'm very sorry to say that the town is no longer a place you want to bring a family up in. It's one of the most segregated divided towns in Northern England and it will only get worse. They're opening more Islamic centres (most not governed by OFSTED) mostly in disused Pubs and they've in recent months got a brand new Muslim only Boys school (or girls I can't remember) and are having a Bollywood cinema built near to Blakey Moor swimming baths! So you can see we have a council who are looking after their every whims. Sorry to portray a negative town but I fail to see anything positive to say about it. Take care. Thank you again.
Biker Paul Maybe try embrace these changes that are happening i understand it may be difficult for you as it is so different to the place you grew up in, but from the list u gave i feel like i must respond, in regards to the islamic centres, those centres do the most work in trying to better the community and close the divide between muslims and non muslims. In regards to the mosques being converted from pubs, those pubs aren’t forced to be sold, its because they are empty which is why they wish to sell and mosques take their places beacause it is easier to convert than converting a house for example as there is more space in the pub. The cinema i can assure u that nobody from the asian community asked for that, we were already happy with vue and agree its a complete waste. The schools are muslim only because they teach islamic education, they also happen to be one of the best education centres in the country and for blackburn to house such a facility can only be a good thing. Blackburn is segregated but it is nobodys fault, it is just the way things have worked out that over time the asian community preffered to live amongst their own for ease and comfort as anyone would and for no other reason. As familys have grown and new genrations have come that divide has gotten bigger and bigger but its naturally happening like that, nobody is going out of there way to “destroy” blackburn. Everybody wants the best for the place they live in. Everybody.
I wholeheartedly concur with you here Rob. I have moved to North Devon now and whilst I miss my hometown in many ways, family and friends wise and the surrounding countryside, I am sad to say I don't miss the actual town it has now become. 😢
@@npr1300A8 Yeah, have to say like your good-self, I moved away with my family,to the fylde coast, North Devon was a good move,I'm sure. and and just as you say in your post, the town just isn't the place it once was,I enjoyed your ride around the old place,keep up the good work , when you can,
Just came across this video now, im a asian lad who has lived in blackburn my whole life and ive never been taught the history of the area so i appreciate this history ride u gave, maybe try make some more vids like this? Anyways great content 👍🏾
Thank you for watching, commenting and your kind words about my content. Unfortunately I no longer ride due to being involved in a crash over 3 years now. I may do an updated video from my car one day so watch this space. All the best.
