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Raspberry tribute to Riverdance ferry
RASPBERRY sauce and Riverdance are both firmly on the menu at one Cleveleys ice- cream parlour as the owners work to raise cash for lifeboat crews.
Pat Monaghan from Terry's Ice Cream Parlour on North Promenade has seen customers rushing through her doors since the stricken ferry was stranded on the beach at Cleveleys in January.
With business booming however, the kind-hearted grandmother decided it was time to give something back to the crews who helped to prevent a tragedy the night the ferry ran aground.
Working with husband Terry, Mrs Monaghan has prepared a special display wall about the ferry in a bid to raise some funds.
Mrs Monaghan, 60, said: "Riverdance has really put Cleveleys on the map, normally at this time of year we would still be very quiet but we have had a great start to the year and it is Riverdance we have to thank for it.
Related links
See our Shipwreck online special
See The Riverdance webcam
See our Riverdance picture gallery - updated daily
"It is easy for people to forget that dreadful night when the ferry first arrived here however, it is incredible nobody was killed in those terrible conditions.
"I grew up in a fishing community in Scotland so I remember how frightening it was when the lifeboats were called out.
"It made me realise I wanted to do something to help raise money for the RNLI who rely on donations from the public."
When a friend of Mr and Mrs Monaghan's, Eric Thorpe, showed her the collection of photographs he had taken of the ferry, she came up with an idea.
She decided she would make a display documenting a photographic history of the stricken ship over the weeks she has been beached on our shores. Mrs Monaghan contacted the Fleetwood branch of the RNLI and got a collection box and even prepared leaflets documenting a brief history of the ship.
She said: "The display has been really popular, lots of people have been going to look at it and putting money in the box.
"We even had one lady who came in just because she'd heard about the display so we are really pleased with how it's going.
"People have come from all over the country to see Riverdance, we had one minibus of people who came all the way from Scotland just to see her for a few hours.
"We hope we can raise a good sum for the RNLI as so many local traders have made a profit because of Riverdance."
The display has certainly got the thumbs-up from customers.
Nina Shaw who was visiting the Parlour from Hambleton said: "I think it is a really nice idea to make a display as a way of raising money for the RNLI".
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Weather for Blackpool
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 30 mph
Wind direction: North west
