I notice that there are two new Broadgate blogs, the broadgateisgreat.blogspot.com and newcontinentalcountdown.blogspot.com

Broadgate residents really should get a prize for their overall blogginess - as these blogs are numbers 4 and 5, to my knowledge, in what is not that big an area. 

Others include, notably the award winning save-the-ribble.blogspot.com, and ribble-cycle-diaries.blogspot.com,  allotmentplots.blogspot.com.
(Anyone happen to know of any more? - please leave a comment below)

According to this post on save-the-ribble, Broadgate is great is set up by Riversider, among others, who helped set up Save the ribble.

Here's an extract from its mission statement: "Broadgate means everyone in Broadgate, no matter where you started out, no matter what your colour or creed, no matter whether you are young or old. Let's find ways to live together and make our area the best place to live in Preston."

I feel his views are probably echoed by a lot of people who live in the area (self included) who recognise that it is a wonderful place to live, and could be more wonderful with some imagination and effort.

And it's nice to see that the New Continental, arguably a prime pub location if there ever was one, being 10 minutes walk from town and right next to the River and the park, being scrubbed up again.

I've been waiting for someone to take it over and make it into something great for a while. So watch this space.

Well if you haven't been on our website lately you might not have heard - so I'll let you in with a clue - she's 84 and almost everybody has her picture in their wallet.
The talk is on what she'll wear and whether this will be her last visit to Lancashire? I'm betting it isn't, given the ripe old age her mother got to.
The rest of the talk is on how much media content we can gather in the 5 hour visit of her majesty.
Interviews, pictures, slideshows, live streaming, web chats are all on the cards so if you want to get a piece of the action but can't make it through the cordons that will be keeping you back - then get down to your nearest computer and check out the coverage on lep.co.uk and in the paper.

OK, enough of the shameless call to join us on the Royal bandwagon - here's what's been happening in the community.

The Carnival and Mela were both blessed with sunshine, and judging by the smiles it went down a treat.
We are also in the midst of summer fair season, they seem to be on every weekend at the moment, so you can basically wait on the weather to decide which one to go to.

Here's one I picked at random to give you a taste of the quirkiness of these events: Ferret Racing; Cow Pat Hurling, May Pole Dancing, School Choir Performance and Face Painting.

See the community calendar for more upcoming events.

The community calendar seems to be quite a success and that is thanks to your response - by sending in your events and taking up the challenge to input the events yourselves you have made the calendar work.
Despite a couple of hitches over the right time zone, fixed now, the calendar is, dare I say it, our most successful 'Your say' project to date.
I believe this is because it is the first time users/ readers can actively update and add content to the site without having to go through me.
So thanks for making it work and please don't hesitate to cotnact me shoudl you have a problem accessing or adding information to the calendar.
Other jobs I am currently working on now are a new your photos page to replace the existing format which is not really designed for photo viewing but for article reading. The new photos page will be easier and more fun to use and present the photos in a more aesthetically pleasing way - we hope.
If you have a group of photos (between 5 and 10) on a theme or topic you would like to share on the new photos page please send them in: leponline@googlemail.com
You can use this address for any large files: audio for Your music, Videos, for Your videos, and pictures for Your photos on  www.lep.co.uk/yoursay.aspx.
If you type: For Josie in the subject field and write a couple of paragraphs on what you are sending in, I will upload these to the relevant section.

Here is a snap shot of what the Community calendar looks like.
As usual, you can email josie.hill@lep.co.uk if you have any queries or suggestions for Community content in the Lancashire Evening Post and on www.lep.co.uk.

It's new for 2008, will go live this Friday, and is designed to make all our lives a lot easier.

The Online events calendar is something we've been working on for a while, to help you find events in your area, and make it easier to spread the word about your events.

Keeping the idea of 'community' at the heart of it all, the idea is to use the calendar for local, community based and charitable events and so on, and not the bigger commercial events that get a lot of promotion already.

You will be able to update your events by using a username and password, supplied by me, on receipt of your contact details:

• Name (and group/ club name)
• Telephone numner
• Email
• Address

to josie.hill@lep.co.uk.

I'll also send you instructions as to how to use the calendar and am available by phone to answer any queries you may have (01772 838104).

With tinsel, fur cones and baubles decorating every shop front, it's now got beyond the point of no-recognition.
Even if you're a Grinch, Christmas is coming whether you like it or not.

Personally I love Christmas but find it a tad overwhelming at the best of times. 
You see, for me it's about family and food and sharing a few days together trying to see each others best sides, dust off the old board games and drink too much wine.
While I love receiving gifts and giving them, each year it seems to get a little bit harder to come up with something that hasn't been given before.
And yet again I've fallen into that safe-easy-reliable-bought-it-before-gift-trap and bought three books already.

Perhaps I've got Christmas fever, and I need a Christmas leap year to find some inspiration.

What do you think? Are you someone who lives for Christmas, for who choosing christmas gifts is a source of joy and fun? Do you try to be as inventive as possible or do you stick to socks, scarves and books?
Have you ever made your own cards and gifts? Do you only make your own cards and gifts? Do you buy yours in the January sales, or on Christmas Eve, or somewhere inbetween. And what is it all about for you?

Here at the LEP we've just done an alternative guide to Christmas shopping, in association with UCLan SU - this is our third Student guide to Preston and we are in the market for ideas, and contributions: josie.hill@lep.co.uk

November and the chill factor has set in - making a mental note not to venture outside without gloves, as anyone who suffers from poor ciruclation knows, a gloveless hand will become a block of ice in   a few short minutes.

Down to business...

Your Christmas events have started to come flooding in with fetes, fairs, sales, pub and club nights happening all over the place.

Pick of the crop:

I rather fancy the Fair Trade Christmas fair this weekend in Longton. You get to taste Fair Trade wines and order a crate (in my case) for Christmas. Plus there is food, crafts, jewellery and much more to tempt people with a huge family (not unlike myself) and a Christmas shopping list as long as your arm.
It runs from 10am to 6.30pm on Friday 16 and 10am to 5.30pm on Saturday 17 at St Andrew’s Church Hall, Liverpool Road, Longton. Call Cath Greenlees on 01772 613500 for information.

For all Shayne Ward fans (X-factor winner 2005) out there, there's a chance to get closer to him than ever before at the not-quite-red-carpet-but-almost Red Rose Heroes night.
The event aims to honour Lancastrians who have made a real difference in their community or their field.
And for the first time in it's three year history, tickets are on sale!
It'll be a night for wearing you finest, so no jeans folks! And it's at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool on December 15.
Read more about it here. Or vote for your Red Rose Hero here.

In town I've got my eyes on the ice rink that'll be opening on November 24th in the Flag market.
But wait, there's more. They've really gone to town this year - with a BIG wheel - yipee, and lots of treats for foodies at the Farmer's Market alongside. (Personally, having grown up in the Torvill and Dean era, it's the ice rink that'll do it for me.)

By the way, I'm still looking for my music event of the season to add in, and attend ofcourse, so let me know if you have something that'll fit the bill.

Call me on 01772 838104, email josie.hill@lep.co.uk to get your events listed online and in print, send me your news, photos, videos, letters and more.

And if you're scratching your head and wondering why I want you to have your say, then visit our Your Say section online to see how the people of Preston, Chorley, Garstang, Leyland and beyond, have been doing just that for nearly a year!!!