This page is a personal view of Fleetwood, and the places around and about that lie within the Borough of Wyre on the north-western quadrant of the Fylde plain.

The Mount is a man-made hill on Fleetwood Promenade which overlooks the mouth of the channel that is the nautical access to what used to be one of the major fishing ports in the UK. In the 1960s you could stand on the Mount, and just after high tide, watch a procession of ten or more large trawlers leaving port to fish in Icelandic waters. A similar number would have docked and landed their catch just before high tide. Add to this the smaller inshore boats, and the docks area was a very busy place. Loading and unloading, filleting and cleaning warehouses, ice manufacturing plants to supply fresh ice to keep the fish in good condition, and all the support industries that this entailed. British support for the European Common Fisheries Policy ended all that, and the docks became a wasteland.

In the last decade, agreement was reached between the local council and a property developer to turn the redundant docks area into a leisure shopping destination. Freeport is the result. It is proving extremely popular and successful. Discounted brand name goods, together with "seconds" and craft innovations, childrens play facilities, a marina, and some American and nautical theming, all contribute to the regeneration of the redundant dockland which, it is hoped, will stop the spiral of decline following the run down of the fishing industry, and lead the revitalisation of the whole town.

Rossall used to be the "posh" bit of Fleetwood, and lies on the outskirts of the town toward the seaside resort of Thornton. It is chiefly a residential area, and pretty quiet (and windswept!). It is probably best known for Rossall School, a (mostly) fee paying boarding and day school with a strong academic history. There is also a small hospital, and some half decent sea angling to be had from Rossall Point when codling and bass come round in autumn.

This is the last bit of Fleetwood before you hit green fields on the way to Thornton. The centre is not much more than a tram stop, but there are a couple of large holiday caravan sites, conveniently located for an evening (or indeed daytime) tram ride into either Fleetwood, Cleveleys or Blackpool. There is also a large Nautical College which at one time trained Fleetwood's mariners. Nowadays it has an enviable reputation for providing some of the best maritime survival training for offshore oil rig workers and divers. In the distance, you can just see the tower of the ICI pant. Once a major employer in the area, it now features highly automated processes.