Talking Shop
 

Some time ago I posted that Oswaldtwistle Players and Mid Pennine Arts were getting together to celebrate the local shops of Oswaldtwistle. Well, it's taken a little while but everything is in place now. We've got funding from Awards For All and this is what's happening.

From 6th July, I and a photographer will be visiting the shops in Oswaldtwistle to take pictures of them outside and inside their shops. We'll be asking lots of questions about how long the shop has been there and if they know any history about it etc.

This will form an exhibition which will be held at Oswaldtwistle Mills from 1st - 8th September. It will then be put into the Architruck (a big exhibition truck) and hopefully placed in a prominent place more centrally in Oswaldtwistle for a couple of days.

On Saturday 2nd September, Oswaldtwistle Players will be presenting the Flying Girlywhigs potted history of Oswaldtwistle. It will be fast, furious and very very funny. Time and venue to be confirmed.

There will also be a postcard pack produced which all shops who participate will get as a souvenir.

When all the other districts (this is also being done in Burnley, Rossendale, Pendle and along the Blackburn Road stretch of Accrington) have been done there will be a huge celebratory event and exhibition at Mid Pennine Arts (probably this time next year), there will also be a conference about the future for small independent shops and a coffee table book produced. In other words, it's all part of a very big project.

So, and this is probably the really interesting bit - how can you get involved?

Well, in conjunction with all this there is also a photography competition which anyone can enter. All you have to do is take a photograph of a shop either inside or out (you must have the shopkeepers permission) and ideally the shopkeeper will be on the photo although that's not essential.

You can load your pictures onto Accyweb and then vote in much the same way as other recent photo competitions. The winner will then be exhibited in the exhibition and will also receive a £50 voucher prize.

Click here to link to the gallery

I would like new pictures please so I realise it may take some time to co-ordinate. The gallery will be open to load photos until the end of July and then there will be one final week for voting. I'm really sorry but the photos must be of Hyndburn shops (sorry for all of you around the world) but anyone can vote for the winner.

I really hope you'll all get behind this project and support it. Local shops are dying out and we really need to promote them and help them.

Re: Talking Shop
 

Given that there are no shops left in Church, would it be possible to amend the rules a little bit? We could get various people photographed by their favourite traffic light - we've got lots of them in Church.

Re: Talking Shop
 

Perhaps you should do it on Church Street in accrington, theres a wide variety of kebab shops there! ;)... Ah once the heart of accrington

Re: Talking Shop
 

Gayle, I think that this is a very good idea, anything that creates an interest in small local shops is to applauded.
I fail to see why certain people only want to be negative.

Re: Talking Shop
 

Whilst I appreciate what you are trying to say, about how our outlying towns have lost their shops, there are still some shops in Church. What about the ones on Henry Street?

Re: Talking Shop
 

I'll be sending the attached leaflet to the shops on Union Road over the weekend. If anyone knows anyone who owns any of the shops can you encourage them to take an interest in it please?

Re: Talking Shop
 

I think the most fasinating shop (architecturally) is Adam's barbers, by the Tinker. Other than the fact that they do an excellent job on my bouffant, it's interesting to enter there by the side entrance with the half door. I'm sure the photographer could get an unusual shot of them hanging out the door/over the river.

Re: Talking Shop
 

It's a relatively new shop as well. Chris goes there too.

Does he only charge you half price? ;)

Re: Talking Shop
 

No. It's usually 50p, but I always give 'em a good tip.:)

Re: Talking Shop
 

Just to post... I think it's a great idea, to get to know the local shops better, my comment was more a dig at what accrington is turning in to, rather than any sort of dig at what you're doing in ossy :D

Re: Talking Shop
 

Is ASDA classed as a shop? people do go shopping in ASDA.

Re: Talking Shop
 

Yes asda is a shop. Asda in rawtenstall was featured in a eight page spread in the freepress at the end of last summer to mark the comming of the new asda, it was entitled the asda years. That was the edition featuring the space ship panoptican if I remember right.

Re: Talking Shop
 

There isn't an Asda in Oswaldtwistle though.

Re: Talking Shop
 

I know, but they asked so I answered. It seemed the polite thing to do gayle. What is that classed as were asda is, is it classed as accy propper.

Re: Talking Shop