Hello there! Welcome to Ashton-on-Ribble

When we set ashtononribble.com's chief researcher, Jim Goring, the task of documenting and researching all the churches of Ashton, little did we know the task we were setting him. He rose to the challenge, however, and has snapshotted all the ones in the area - and just establishing what counts as a church is not an easy task. There are between 18 and 25 churches in Ashton. Here we've included the ones that are still used for religious worship.

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Architecture

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The buildings in these photos reflect how styles of architecture in Ashton, and indeed the whole of the UK, have changed over the years. St Andrew's, Ashton's first church, was established in 1836, just before Queen Victoria took to the throne. Unsurprisingly for a town which boomed during the 19th century, there are many typically Victorian churches in Ashton such as Emmanuel and Ashton Methodist.

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Anyone who thinks church building ended with the death of Victoria wrong, however, with a number of places of worship being built since then, including Sacred Heart and St Michael and All Angels. The latest church in Ashton, whose date we have pinned down, was St Peter and St Paul, opened in 1972.

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St Andrew's

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Blackpool Road, built 1836, remodelled 1873

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St Walburge's

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Weston Street, built 1850-1854, spire added 1867

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Emmanuel

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Brook Street, built c.1870

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Ashton Methodist

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Wellington Road, built c.1882

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Ashton Baptist

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Garden Walk, built c.1890

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St Michael and All Angels

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Tulketh Road, built 1908-1915

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St David's

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Eldon Street, buit c.1910

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Wycliffe Memorial

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Tulketh Brow, built 1910-1912

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Sacred Heart

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Beech Grove, built 1937, consecrated 1953

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Our Lady and St Bernard's

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Elswick Road, opened 1965

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St Peter and St Paul

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West Park Ave, opened 1972

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St Christopher

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Blackpool Road, built c.1972

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Preston Ethical Spriritual

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Newton Road, date unknown

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Thanks

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Thanks to Jim Goring.

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Bibliography

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Dates taken from:

Flintoff, Thomas R: Preston Churches and Chapels, 1985, Carnegie Press

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More info

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See our article Whatever happened to ....Ashton's ex-churches 

Money has been made available to restore The Willows' historic walled garden.

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The Willows, a charity which supports people with special needs, is to restore the garden which was  designed by eminent landscape architec, Thomas Mawson.

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As part of the restoration, a woodland walkway will be created for use by the whole community.

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More information

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Full article in the Lancashire Evening Post

Information about Thomas Mawson

The Willows on ashtononribble.com

Bruce Forsyth visited Tulketh Mill in 1977* to film an advert for Stork margarine. The filming took place in the canteen of Tulketh Mill which, at the time, was being used by the Peter Craig catalogue company. In the advert, Sir Bruce extolled the virtues of the margarine whilst surrounded by workers munching on bread covered with the marge.

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(Sir Bruce at the mill with Peter Craig workers - Click image for full size)

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Filming took place on a Sunday and according to one article about the event: 'All the ladies concerned knew just how tiring film work really is, but, despite this, they agreed they had a most unusual Sunday'1.

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What was Bruce's comment on the ladies? 'They were all marvellous. You would never guess this was their first time in front of the cameras - didn't they do well!'2

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Were you there?

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We want to hear from you!

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Notes:

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* Not sure, it could have been 1976.

1. Article 'Tulketh ladies star in TV commercial'. We are unsure of the source as we only have a photocopy of the article with no source information.

2. ibid

Thanks

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Thanks to the ashtononribble.com reader who sent us this photo.

Here are some great pics taken of the original 'Green Frog' back in 1990.

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The Green Frog, based on Preston Docks, has been serving top quality food - including delicious sweek and savoury French Pancakes - for the last 20 years. During that time it has undergone quite a transformation.

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The more familiar Green Frog you'll see on the docks today:

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Thanks!

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Thanks to Gail for supplying these photos.

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The Green Frog on Facebook

For more information about The Green Frog, look up their page on Facebook:

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In Facebook, search for 'The Green Frog Appreciation Group'.

Tennis continues throughout the winter at TULKETH with a comprehensive programme for all ages from 4 years to adults of all abilities.

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The Tulketh tennis club has several new groups in the programme this winter including both U 12 and U14 squad groups, beginners and intermediate adults.

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Coming soon!

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Daytime groups -  a preschool group for 4 year olds, an over 55’s group – indoor short tennis, and a ladies group. Days tbc – if interested txt Angela.

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Where?

Tulketh Tennis Centre Is situated off Tag Lane adjacent to the football centre on the old Tulketh High School site.

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Coaching Provision 2012

Monday
5-6pm School years2-4:
6-7pm School years 3-5 years New group
7-8pm Adult: beginners
7-8.30pm  Intermediates:

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Tuesday
New Group
4.30-5.30 pm Years 1-3
5.30 -6.30 Individuals
Availability in all these groups

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Wednesday :
2-5PM Individuals/school group
5-6pm School years 2-4 Full
6-7pm School years 4-6 full
7-8 pm U12 squad.

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Thursday
5-6pm School years R and Yr 1 full
6-7.30 pm One – Ones
6.30-7.30 U16s – Teens vacancies

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Friday
Club session
Supervised tennis just £2.50 per session. 
Play matches /games with friends booking required!
Angela will be there to supervise as needed!

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Saturday morning 
Squads starting in January
9.30-10.30
10.30-11.30

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Wayne Jones: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel: 07738 085644

Angela McNeela: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel: 07966 315241

A new artist studio space recently opened in Ashton, offering exhibitions, projects and residencies alongside workshops and talks.

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Empty mill

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As recently as April this year, the former ARM Ltd factory at Oxheys Mill on Stanhope Street, owned by Councillor Albert Richardson, stood empty.

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Cllr Richardson, who was Mayor of Preston at the time, met with three local artists and agreed to rent the building to allow it to be turned it into artist studios and a project/exhibition space.

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Hard work and huge potential

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With no funding, Preston artists Lisa Gorton, Denise Swanson and Joe Kennedy worked for four months cleaning, clearing and painting the old 3-storey building, to try and make it look like the arts venue they knew it had the potential to be, whilst retaining the character and history of the old mill. They each built studios, leaving space for up to another six artists to join them, using mostly reclaimed and discarded materials.

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In addition to the studios, most of the ground floor has been turned into a project space to accommodate exhibitions, installations and projects which they hope other local artists will want to engage with. Word spread quickly and a successful open exhibition attracted submissions from artists across Lancashire with over 80 people attending the Preview eventing and local art groups have already held meetings at the venue.

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Future plans 

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Future plans include more exhibitions and hosting residencies, talks and workshops. It is hoped to create a vibrant, accessible space to embrace all art forms, which the artists believe Preston needs. 

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Where?

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Oxheys Mill Studios is on Stanhope Street, just off Brook Street, PR1 7PN.

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More information:

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Click here for information about exhibitions and artists at the mill.

Haslam Park’s open air swimming pool was built in 1932, 20 years after the park was first opened. A Mr J Ward donated the money for the building of the baths. The park’s old aviary was also built with the same money. The baths survived for 50 years, but as the fashion for open air bathing came to an end, Haslam Park’s pool was eventually knocked down.

Now it’s hard to believe there was ever a pool, or an aviary, in Haslam Park.

(Photo: the site of the baths)

Do you remember Haslam Park baths? Have you any old photos?

We've had some great comments, but are always looking for more.

Tang Chinese restaurant is on Fylde Road, on the right as you drive towards the town centre.

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The restaurant offers its own dedicated Karaoke rooms so you can enjoy a Chinese meal whilst listening to your friends sing 'I will survive' without the fear of other people hearing your X Factor audition! According to the restaurant's website: “It doesn’t matter if you are a bad singer here because you are just in the room with your friends.”

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For more details, visit the restaurant's website.