Lancashire Day

Today, Thanksgiving in America, is known as Lancashire Day. It commemorates the day in 1295 when Lancashire sent its first representatives to Parliament to attend what later became known as The Model Parliament. So I'm thankful to be from Lancashire which is akin to being alien down here in the South.

This is one view we return to and makes us smile. It was a leaving gift, 23 years ago, and reminds us of the many M62 trips we took across the Pennines. The town I grew up in, Heywood, has little known history apart from its mills, lots of them, and pubs, more in number than mills. In 1780 the firm of Peel, Yates & Co. built the town's first cotton factory. Sir Robert Peel's son achieved lasting fame by organising Britain's first Police Force. Another notable local was Roger Fenton, one of the pioneers of war photography.