Harry Grimshaw

Blakey Moor in Blackburn town centre has been closed between Barton Street and Duke Street while restoration work continues on the Grade II-listed Victoria Building. Blackburn with Darwen Council expects the road and pedestrian route to reopen by September 15, 2027, though the closure could last up to 18 months. Diversions, two-way traffic on Duke Street, and changes to parking and pedestrian access are being introduced. The £25 million redevelopment, funded partly through the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund, will create an adult learning hub for Blackburn College, a fine art space and a community venue. Historic features will be restored, while nearby King George’s Hall is also undergoing a separate £13 million restoration.

A free police-backed running event at Morecambe’s Salt Ayre Leisure Centre aimed to raise awareness of violence against women and girls and encourage the reporting of harassment. Organised by Morecambe Police and Track Nights as part of Lancashire Police’s #GetTheMessage campaign, the event included exercise, talks from police and NHS representatives, and distribution of safety packs. The campaign highlights survey findings that 93% of women in Lancashire had avoided areas they considered unsafe and 91% had crossed the street to avoid men. Officials stressed that public sexual harassment is a crime under the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act and urged people to report incidents through police or anonymous reporting services.

St Catherine's Hospice will host a free book fair at its Preston site on August 15 and 16 to raise funds for specialist care across Central Lancashire. Books will be sold at discounted prices, with the hospice café also open during the event. The charity supports people with life-shortening conditions and their loved ones, assisted more than 2,000 patients in the past year, and relies on raising over £5 million annually.

Thousands attended the Blackpool Airshow to watch displays by RAF Typhoons, the Red Devils parachute team, wingwalkers and vintage aircraft. While the event took place, coastguard teams responded to incidents including medical emergencies, drowning risks, a weever fish sting, missing children and people cut off by the tide. The most serious incident involved two eight-year-old children entering the water, one of whom became fully submerged. Coastguard officials credited coordinated action by emergency agencies and praised Blackpool Council Beach Patrol for its professionalism.

Two guided walks in Haslingden will trace routes associated with mill workers and the handloom weavers who took part in Lancashire's 1826 uprising. Organized by the Weavers Uprising Bicentennial Committee, the events will visit Grane Mill Engineering Museum and the former Calf Hey textile mill site, with one route designed to be wheelchair accessible. Grane Mill, whose textile production ended in 1978, will also open to visitors, while its volunteer team is seeking scrap timber to support ongoing conservation work.