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How the bandstands which were created to keep the working classes away from drink supported Scotland’s ironworks.

Source: Bandstands: The industry built on Victorian social engineering – BBC News

An interesting and timely piece on the BBC right when funds are being raised to rebuild the bandstand in Nuttall Park.

The Shadow Transport Minister visited Rawtenstall’s East Lancashire Railway this week

Source: Rossendale rail link ‘investment’ backed but timescale ‘tremendously disappointing’ – LancsLive

Lancs Live has this week reported on the situation with regards to the potential of setting up a commuter link between Manchester and Rawtenstall.

Commuting between Manchester and Ramsbottom is something that has been raised in the past by various podcast guests.

There doesn’t appear to be any clear information in the article suggesting which out of the “five different options for a route” is most likely.

I’d be interested to see the plans with regards to how the overhead power cables would be handled should the “train-tram” option on the East Lancs Railway be chosen, I presume there would be enough distance between the lines and the chimneys on the steam trains.

It begs the question, would this potentially open up trams into Ramsbottom? Is this something you’d want to see?

There does seem to be issues with the Bury line from time to time, at least what I noticed online. I wonder if this tram would go via Bury or some other line?

One to keep an eye on for the future, it’s probably no faster to go from Ramsbottom to Rawtenstall to Manchester than the Red Express though.