HW Hawkfest Transport

Fri Aug 1 14:36:15 EDT 2003

There have been several posts aboout transport to the festival site and
people seem to be getting a little confused!
I live in Lancashire, so I know the area.

The festival is in a fairly rural location but it is only a few miles from
Preston and Blackpool and very near the A6 which is quite a major road, so
it isn't exactle in the middle of nowhere.

For folks coming by car it's dead easy.
Exit the M6 motorway at junction 32, the M55.
Take the A6 slip road off the M55 almost immediately after joining and head
north following signs for Garstang.
Follow the A6 for about 5 miles.
Turn left off the A6 taking the A586 towards Fleetwood/Blackpool, this is
clearly signposted.
The festival site is about a mile or so along the A586, on the left, just
after Churchtown.
Use the link below for a map.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=348500&Y=442500&A=Y&Z=3

For public transport its a bit more tricky but not too bad.

There are regular buses that go fairly close to the site.
You have a choice, bus no. 40 or 41 from Preston goes to Morecambe and
stops just off the A6 at Catterall which is about a couple of mile from the
site, or if you want a shorter walk bus no. 42 from Blackpool, which again
is heading for Morecambe stops at Churchtown, I think this is approx. half
a mile from the site (see map link above).

Here's a bus timetable:

Service No                     42   40   41   42   40   41   42   40
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
 BLACKPOOL, Talbot Road Bus Stn..... .... .... 0858 .... .... 1008 ....
 POULTON,Hardhorn Crossroads    .... .... .... 0908 .... .... 1018 ....
 GT. ECCLESTON, White Bull      .... .... .... 0918 .... .... 1028 ....
 ST. MICHAELS, Grapes Hotel     .... .... .... 0923 .... .... 1033 ....
 CHURCHTOWN, Horns Inn          .... .... .... 0927 .... .... 1037 ....
 PRESTON, Bus Station           .... 0835 0855 .... 0935 0955 .... P35
 BROUGHTON, Post Office         .... 0850 0910 .... 0950 1010 .... P50
 BILSBORROW, Roebuck            .... 0857 0917 .... 0957 1017 .... P57
 CATTERALL Brockholes Arms      .... 0900 0920 .... 1000 1020 .... P00
 GARSTANG Park Hill Rd          .... 0908 0928 0938 1008 1028 1048 P08
 CABUS, Hamilton Arms           .... 0915 0935 0945 1015 1035 1055 P15
 GALGATE Crossroads             .... 0922 0942 0952 1022 1042 1102 P22
 LANCASTER University Underpass .... .... .... 0957 .... .... .... ....
 LANCASTER, University Gates    .... 0925 0945 0959 1025 1045 1105 P25
 LANCASTER Bus Station Stand 17 0925 0945 1005 1019 1045 1105 1125 P45
 MORECAMBE, Euston Road         0939 0959 1019 1033 1059 1119 1139 P59
 MORECAMBE Bus Station          0941 1001 1021 1035 1101 1121 1141 P01
 MORECAMBE, Battery             0946 1006 1026 1040 1106 1126 1146 P06
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

 Service No                     41   42   42   40   40   40   40   41
 Notes                                         Sch  H    Sch  Sch
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
 BLACKPOOL, Talbot Road Bus Stn..... P08  1408 .... .... .... .... ....
 POULTON,Hardhorn Crossroads    .... P18  1418 .... .... .... .... ....
 GT. ECCLESTON, White Bull      .... P28  1428 .... .... .... .... ....
 ST. MICHAELS, Grapes Hotel     .... P33  1433 .... .... .... .... ....
 CHURCHTOWN, Horns Inn          .... P37  1437 .... .... .... .... ....
 PRESTON, Bus Station           P55  .... .... 1435 1435 .... .... 1455
 BROUGHTON, Post Office         P10  .... .... 1450 1450 .... .... 1510
 BILSBORROW, Roebuck            P17  .... .... 1457 1457 .... .... 1517
 CATTERALL Brockholes Arms      P20  .... .... 1500 1500 .... .... 1520
 Garstang High School           .... .... .... .... .... 1510 1510 ....
 GARSTANG Park Hill Rd          P28  P48  1448 1508 1508 1518 1518 1528
 CABUS, Hamilton Arms           P35  P55  1455 .... 1515 1525 1525 1535
 GALGATE Crossroads             P42  P02  .... .... 1522 .... 1532 1542
 LANCASTER, University Gates    P45  P05  1502 .... 1525 .... 1535 1545
 LANCASTER Bus Station Stand 17 P05  P25  1525 .... 1545 .... 1555 1605
 MORECAMBE, Euston Road         P19  P39  1539 .... 1559 .... 1609 1619
 MORECAMBE Bus Station          P21  P41  1541 .... 1601 .... 1611 1621
 MORECAMBE, Battery             P26  P46  1546 .... 1606 .... 1616 1626
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

 Service No                     42   40   41   40   42   40   41   42
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
 BLACKPOOL, Talbot Road Bus Stn.1515 .... .... .... 1638 .... .... 1725
 POULTON,Hardhorn Crossroads    .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 1735
 POULTON, Teanlowe Centre       1525 .... .... .... 1648 .... .... ....
 GT. ECCLESTON, White Bull      1535 .... .... .... 1658 .... .... 1745
 ST. MICHAELS, Grapes Hotel     1540 .... .... .... 1703 .... .... 1750
 CHURCHTOWN, Horns Inn          1544 .... .... .... 1707 .... .... 1754
 PRESTON, Bus Station           .... 1535 1555 1635 .... 1655 1715 ....
 BROUGHTON, Post Office         .... 1550 1610 1655 .... 1715 1735 ....
 BILSBORROW, Roebuck            .... 1557 1617 1702 .... 1722 1742 ....
 CATTERALL Brockholes Arms      .... 1600 1620 1705 .... 1725 1745 ....
 GARSTANG Park Hill Rd          1555 1608 1628 1713 1718 1733 1753 1805
 CABUS, Hamilton Arms           1602 1615 1635 1720 1725 1740 1800 1812
 GALGATE Crossroads             1609 1622 1642 1727 1732 1747 1807 1819
 LANCASTER, University Gates    1612 1625 1645 1730 1735 1750 1810 1822
 LANCASTER Bus Station Stand 17 1632 1645 1705 1750 1755 1810 1830 1842
 MORECAMBE, Euston Road         1646 1659 1719 1804 1809 1824 1844 1854
 MORECAMBE Bus Station          1648 1701 1721 1806 1811 1826 1846 1856
 MORECAMBE, Battery             1653 1706 1726 1811 1816 1831 1849 1859

The P next to a number eg. P55 means 55 minutes past every hour.

Now getting to Preston/Blackpool. There are lots trains to Prston from just
about anywhere.
Preston is a major station on the West coast mainline from London to
Glasgow, which is why no trains northbound from Preston stop before
Lancaster, they're all "inter city" services that only stop at major towns.

There have been a lot of comments on the state of the British railways, and
generally speaking they are pretty bad. They suffered from years of under-
investment from the previous Tory Government and then got even worse with
the ludicrous decision to privatise the state owned British Rail a few
years ago, but this is no place for political debate!

On the positive side the Virgin train service from London Euston to Preston
is about as good as it gets, with usually fairly modern trains and I've
always found their staff to be very helpful (you can't miss em, they wear
bright red jackets).There are lots of direct services to Preston from
Euston and it should take 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
(Keith why are you going via Manchester? If you do miss your Preston
connection there don't panic as again there are lots of trains from
Manchester Picadilly station to Preston, about every 30 minutes, this
journey should take 45 mins to an hour)

Try www.thetrainline.co.uk for timetables and if you can book ahead of
travelling you can usually get tickets cheaper on-line.

Now for folks wanting to get the bus from Blackpool (shorter walk!) there
are lots and lots of trains between Preston and Blackpool at least every 30
mins. Be careful though and make sure you get on a train to Blackpool NORTH
station, you will not be happy if you end up at Blackpool South, it is a
completely different station and getting to the festival from there wont be
easy!

In Preston the bus station is a 10/15 minute walk from the railway station,
turn right out of the station and walk through the town centre, the bus
station is behind the Guild Hall (scene of many a Hawks gig!) and is
clearly signposted.
To get to the bus in Blackpool is even easier as it's literally across the
road (Talbot Road) from the railway station.

Some people mentioned getting a taxi from Preston to the site and that is
probably not a bad idea. I reckon the cost of such a trip will be about
£25 - £30, but a lot of the local taxi firms run large mini-bus type cabs
that seat 6 or 7. Here are a couple of local cab firms :
AAA taxis 01772 555666 / 555333 / 555444
Ribleton Taxis 01772 654545
But there are lots more.
For meating up for a taxi I would suggest the Railway pub just outside the
station, which ain't the best pub in the world but being an Irish bar does
a decent pint of Guinness.

Hope some of you find all this helpful.
If any of you are still confused mail me at ian at stirzi.fsnet.co.uk

Hope you all have a great time at the festival and in the Red Rose county
of Lancashire, the locals are generally friendly up here in the North and
keep fingers and everything else crossed for some good weather!

See you all there.

Ian