Happy Lancashire Day!

TO: THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY AND COUNTY PALATINE OF LANCASTER

GREETINGS!


Know ye that this day, November 27th in the year of
our Lord Two Thousand and Nine, the 58th year of
the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,
Duke of Lancaster, is Lancashire Day.

Know ye also, and rejoice, that by virtue of Her
Majesty's County Palatine of Lancaster, the citizens
of the Hundreds of Lonsdale, North and South of
the Sands, Amounderness, Leyland, Blackburn,
Salford and West Derby are forever entitled to style
themselves Lancastrians.

Throughout the County Palatine, from the Furness
Fells to the River Mersey, from the Irish Sea to the
Pennines, this day shall ever mark the peoples' pleasure
in that excellent distinction - true Lancastrians, proud
of the Red Rose and loyal to our Sovereign Duke.


GOD BLESS LANCASHIRE AND

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN,

DUKE OF LANCASTER.



(Just slightly afraid that in my ultra-organisedness (it won't last) I may have written Merseyside on my Dad's Christmas card...)

Garden, autumn

Taken today.

Deeside, autumn

Approaching Lyne of Skene, looking towards Deeside.

Donside, late summer

Photos taken a while ago when I was out for a cycle. Looking towards Bennachie from the back of Kirkhill.

RTPI President on Aberdeen planners

From Aberdeen City Council website

The president of the UK Royal Town Planners Institute has praised Aberdeen City Council's planning department for the positive impact it has had on the city's developments.

Martin Willey was impressed by the quality and level of development, not least that reflected by the number of cranes in operation, which he witnessed when he visited Aberdeen this week.

Mr. Willey said: "Planning can and does make a real difference not only to the fabric of a city, but to the lives of those who live and work in it as well. I was impressed by the amount of high quality, well designed development I saw during my visit to Aberdeen, where it is clear that business is booming, even in these difficult times.

"From what I have seen and heard, Aberdeen's planners have a great track record of talking with people to engage them in the planning process and really listening to the public's views on how the city should be shaped for the future.

"Recent projects such as the newly-opened Aberdeen Sports Village demonstrate that kind of detailed engagement in action – and I'm glad that visit to the city has provided me with many examples to add to my collection of best practice from around the world. Well done Aberdeen!"

Among the Aberdeen developments Mr. Willey learned of during his time in the city are:

* Marischal College, which is bringing an iconic but long-neglected city building back into use, dealing with conservation issues associated with the redevelopment work;
* the award-winning Malmaison Hotel, which received recognition for its architectural design - finalised with input from Aberdeen planners;
* the Union Square shopping and leisure development, which has made a contribution towards the conservation-led improvement of the Green, as part of its planning conditions.

I would just like to say (in a hollow and sarcastic fashion) Ha.

With regard to the comment re Marischal College, Ha, double Ha and bollocks. I still don't understand how the City Council can be both Applicant and determining Authority for the planning applications. And I don't see how a facade job can be considered to be "dealing with the conservation issues". It is not 1995. Facadism should be long passé.

Lego