Lancashire is one of the few northwestern counties of England, with a rich history of the Industrial Revolution (hence all the canals that would ship goods to London, back in the day). And endless cotton mills, making it previously a very wealthy area. The huge amount of people employed, is evident due to the rows of old terraced houses where people would live.
Like a street scene from Coronation Street, which is set in Manchester. David Neilson (who plays Roy Cropper) actually owns the shopping bag that is as famous as he is – his late mother took the bag to Loughborough market for years, and he now uses it to carry his scripts around.
Manchester’s Industrial Heritage
Manchester these days is more known for its nightlife and music, but it was known once as ‘the workshop of the world’, being the hub of the Industrial Revolution. Almost overnight, the textile mills grew this area into a prosperous place of cotton mills, canals and railways. In more recent years, it’s birthed music bands like The Smiths. M People and Take That.
Notable people from the area include folk singer Ewan MacColl (who wrote Dirty Old Town and was father to singer Kirsty MacColl), and two of the Man United players who died in the 1958 Munich air disaster (one passenger who survived was Bobby Charlton). Another local resident was Lesley Whittaker (who co-founded what later became the Green Party).
Another local was Letter from America’s Alistair Cooke, who presented on BBC Radio 4 for several decades. A tragedy after his death is that illegal gangs sold his bones to the medical industry (he died from bone cancer, so the tissue was not even healthy). And all this happened in a country that Alistair spent his life endearing us to.
Natural Beauty: Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a stunning ecosystem for birds and wildlife (oystercatchers, curlews, and redshanks live here).
Morecambe Bay can be treacherous (this is where the Chinese cockle pickers drowned a few years back, though that was more due to tides than quicksand). Learn how and why to avoid sinking mud.
Also in Lancashire are many popular seaside resorts. The most well-known is of course Blackpool, with its tower indeed inspired by Paris’ Eiffel Tower.
Although astronomers are aware that the Blackpool lights bring in substantial tourism income, they say that plans to create an an artificial ‘aurora borealis’ (northern lights) by way of a 1KW laser to shine in the sky, would not just blight the night sky, but ruin views across the county (and also for Merseyside, Cumbria, North Wales and even Isle of Man).
Recipe for a Vegan Lancashire Hotpot!
This vegan Lancashire hotpot (The Veg Space) is made with tinned lentils, mushrooms, Maris Piper spuds and ready-made vegan sausages. So good, people from Yorkshire may even try it! Some may turn their noses up at recreating classic dishes, but in a country of 60 million people, there is not enough land for everyone to eat free-range meat.
Keep this recipe away from pets due to unsafe ingredients (garlic, onion, mushrooms). Read more on keeping people & pets safe in the kitchen.
