Podcast

Ramsbottom Blackout – Episode 85

January 24, 2017 by Lee Leave a Comment

Thanks to @Centurion_Claim on Twitter for use of this photo.

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Blackout causes outbreak of candles in Ramsbottom – 0:36

Welcome to This is Rammy, the podcast about Ramsbottom and the surrounding area where the power has returned! No, not me, the power to Ramsbottom. If you’re a resident of the local area you’ll no doubt be aware that Ramsbottom suffered a large power cut on Thursday the 19th of January due to a high voltage fault at an electricity substation near to Ramsbottom Train Station.

Eyewitnesses, (or maybe that should be earwitnesses) reported hearing a loud bang before being plunged into darkness. Fear and panic quickly spread around the town with reports of some people buying up all of the packets of Haribo from ALDI and some reports from unknown sources of people turning to cannibalism. Not really, just checking you were paying attention.

Local fire crews were on hand to divert traffic from Bridge Street causing large tailbacks and diversions around the area. My sons nursery was forced to evacuate for safety reasons leaving staff and children in the cold singing songs by torchlight to keep their spirits up until parents arrived.

The power was off from approximately twenty past four in the afternoon until six forty five. Rush hour, not the best time for it to happen, but when is there a good time for an emergency such as this?

Local establishments such as Irwell Works were forced to breakout the candles, luckily for them they are a regular addition to the ambiance of a night in The Brewery, so they were on hand.

Ad: Wait! Before you move on. You, yes YOU can advertise on This is Rammy from as little as £10, all you need to do is get in touch with me and we can work out how best to get your message out.

Ramsbottom Running Club with Rowan Ardill – Episode 84

January 15, 2017 by Lee 3 Comments

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So, since New Year have you got on your list of good intentions an action to get out more? Maybe it’s running? I know, I know, the weather hasn’t exactly been great with the snow recently, but hear me out.

On the podcast this week I speak to the fantastic Rowan Ardill of Ramsbottom Running Club which he started only a few months ago.

Since launching officially around the end of October 2016 the newest running club in Ramsbottom has grown from strength to strength. Starting with 25 people in that first week took Rowan by a pleasant surprise, however they now have over 60 paid members and Rowan is ecstatic with how it’s going.

Rowan is well experienced with running and clubs being that he’s an Engagement Officer for ParkRun in Bolton where some of the members of Ramsbottom Running Club travel from, as well as this Rowan has a degree in Sports Development and Physical Activity so you really are in safe hands.

Ramsbottom Running Club is on course to be affiliated with England Athletics, if it’s not already.

A look back at 2016 in Ramsbottom – Episode 83

January 8, 2017 by Lee Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:10 — 8.3MB)

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A first for the podcast this year, and some people release a retrospective view on the previous year before the year is out, not me, with how unpredictable 2016 was I didn’t want to speak to soon and maybe miss aliens landing in St Paul’s gardens or something along those lines.

Now that it actually IS 2017 I’m pretty confident nothing big is going to sneak up on me for the previous year, unless that thing is the invention of time travel!

I’ve rounded up some of the noteable events throughout Ramsbottom in the past year, so buckle up, sit back and take a load off as I go through some things that happened in our small town of Ramsbottom.

January – 01:26

Ramsbottom continues massive cleanup operation after floods

2016 will for some be the year that many big celebrities died such as Prince, David Bowie and Alan Rickman. For residents of Ramsbottom it will be remembered for some of the worst flooding to hit the area in living memory. Although the flooding actually happened on boxing day 2015, Ramsbottom was still very much engaged in the clean up operation well into January and some even still to this day have not returned back to normality.

The flooding of the local area brought sadness and misery as well as bringing down The Waterside pub in Summerseat.

Rossendale Free Press – Valley floods one year on – could it happen again?

[Read more…] about A look back at 2016 in Ramsbottom – Episode 83

Is the M66 going to get smarter? – Episode 82

December 24, 2016 by Lee Leave a Comment

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The rise of Smart motorways, are you ready for the M66 Smart Motorway?

Rossendale Free Press is reporting that in a bid to ease congestion and improve transport in our region the M66 is undergoing plans to introduce a Smart Motorway system, much like the M60 is currently having completed.

The news outlet reports that the Lancashire County Council’s masterplan recommends:

four potential options to solve congestion problems and to facilitate future economic growth; the introduction of bus priority measures for the X41/X43 service, improvements to junctions on the A56 between the M65 and M66 and at Simister Island, and upgrading the M66 to become a ‘smart’ motorway.

If funding for the proposals is approved work could begin on the schemes in 2020.

So what do I think?

On the one hand, I understand the issues given that I am frequently on the M66 at rush hour, however I have also put up with the roadworks on the M60 for the past several yearsSo the M66 is going to get some improvements in the next few years.

Tardiness and the Christmas rush – Episode 81

December 15, 2016 by Lee Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:48 — 6.8MB)

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It’s that time of the year when family time tends to eat into my podcasting time, that coupled with a demanding work schedule and it was a perfect storm, so apologies for the recent tardiness regarding the podcast schedule.

Enough talk of that though, let’s crack on with what I do have for you this week.

This week, I had a day off work, actually my only day off work outside of the bank holidays this Christmas. My mission, to try and get my Christmas shopping done, something I sort of succeeded in. I’ve got a few bits left to do but, as my Dad used to say, “I’ve broken its back”.

The interesting part of the trip involved me heading to Summerseat Garden Centre, which is always a great place to visit, especially around Christmas time.

On the way back I ended up going via the notorious Bass Lane {dun dun duuunnn!}.