Sunny Accrington

Not the most inspirational blip today. Have been out on a prospective project we might consider for funding some time in the future at Peel Park and Arden Hall in Accrington. Not on the best of form as I had an asthma 'do'in the early hours and lost 2hrs sleep or so. Just wanted to stay in bed and sleep this morning.

Typical former northern mill town. As far I know Accrington is famous for two things;

it's football club Accrington Stanley, the 1st club to leave the English football league in the 1960's now happily back in the fold even if they are in the bottom tier;

Accrington pals, tragic story of the futility and folly of war and the heroism of the original band of brothers. In 1916 Kitchener needed more cannon fodder on the Western front so he struck upon the idea of Pals battalions, men drawn from each town across Britain. The thinking was that fathers, sons and brothers and friends from towns would form fighting units that looked out for each other and had a sense of local pride. Accrington was the smallest town to raise a battalion. On the 1st day of the battle of the Somme 1916 of the 700 men of the battalion that went into action 585 became casualties with 285 killed and 350 wounded in half an hour. It was said that in Accrington not one family went unaffected from the lost of family member and soon after Kitchener disbanded the pals regiments. 90 odd years after the event it is faithfully remembered on 11Nov each year. Mike Harding folk musician wrote a moving song in tribute to the Pals that can be found on the 'Bombers Moon. album.