THING OF THE WEEK

DIVING… If you have been sat patiently waiting for an outdoor diving centre complete with submerged explorable aircraft to come to market, your wait is over. Savills has been appointed by Hack Enterprises to sell Capernwray Diving Centre in Lancashire. 

The complex is described by the agent as a “well-established national diving centre set within Jackdaw Quarry”. It offers open water swimming with a large number of fish, as well as training platforms and a jetty with two piers for deep water entry. There are also numerous underwater attractions including a simulated cave and various(!) aircrafts.  

Richard Prestwich, director in leisure and trading at Savills, said: “We’re seeing a growing popularity of wild swimming, which is not only music to the ears of those already championing the dopamine rush of wild swimming, but also for landowners keen to find new ways of diversifying and providing social value.” A yearly membership to access the lake for swimming costs just £20. 

Credit: via planning docs

TESCO CLONE… Eden Project Morecambe could usher in an exciting new era for the town and, just a stone’s throw away from the site of the £100m attraction, another decidedly less interesting project is in the works. The Tesco Express store on Heysham Road is to be demolished to make way for… another Tesco Express. The phrase ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it’ comes to mind but the fact is that the site’s existing store is broken. The modular building has reached the end of its natural life and needs to be replaced. The project may seem small beer compared to the potentially game-changing Eden, but what’s the point in attracting thousands of visitors to your town if you can’t feed them meal deals?

Angela Rayner branded the beauty policy ‘ridiculous’. Credit: UKREiiF

BEAUTY STANDARDS… Does it matter if neighbourhoods are not attractive? Labour seems to think not. In its revised NPPF the party has removed all the references to “beautiful” development that the Tories added in last year. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner branded the beauty policy “ridiculous” and too subjective to be effective in a boost to the pebble-dashing industry. 

Could The Chase be heading to Manchester’s Printworks? Credit: PNW

THE CHASE… An intriguing licensing application has been submitted to Manchester City Council this week. A venue called The Chase wants to open at the Printworks and here at THING HQ we are hoping this means what we think it means: That the ITV quiz show is coming to Manchester in competitive socialising form. Hosted by Bradley Walsh, The Chase has been pitting contestants against a formidable panel of chasers in a battle of wits since 2009. It would not be the first time a much-loved TV show has been reimagined for the masses; think Crystal Maze and The Cube, which can also be found in Manchester. 

 

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DUCK, DUCK, SEAHORSE?… Amphibious tours of Liverpool are back after a decade, with a new company set to revive the former duck boat tourism model. But these won’t be duck boats. They’re seahorses – a newly designed amphibious vehicle with enhanced safety features to ensure the disasters of 2013 (when two duck boats sank) doesn’t happen again. We do think it’s an interesting choice to go with the seahorse name though – the animal is notorious for being a bad swimmer. But perhaps the fact that it’s famous for its monogamous nature bodes well for brand loyalty? Find out for yourself – Splash Tours Liverpool launches this month with tickets starting at £20.