I haven’t lived in Lancashire for more than thirty years, but my formative memories are as vivid as ever. Blackpool Illuminations and the Pleasure Beach; the Liverpool Garden Festival with its yellow submarine; long walks in Bluebell Woods; the disquieting witches of Pendle Hill.
I was born in Queen’s Park Hospital, christened at St Gabriel’s and went to the church’s school on Wilworth Crescent. My mum wasn’t from Lancashire but she grounded my early life in the area, and she loved to explore. Whalley and the Ribble Valley were favourites. We’d have the Houghton Weavers on in the car as we travelled around, and sometimes went to their concerts – I can still remember the words to Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs!
My mum and dad divorced when I was a baby, and mum and I lived in a semi-detached house on Rhodes Avenue in Blackburn. Behind us was a huge field with a small stream, and I spent hours playing there. Occasionally mum would hide notes in tree hollows from the fairies. She was head of Religious Education at Billinge High School, but when I was eight-years-old she got a new job in Norfolk, and we left Blackburn.
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Back from the brink?
There are signs hedgehog numbers might be recovering, and we can all do our bit to help them, says Alan Wright of Lancashire Wildlife Trust
Memories of a LANCASHIRE CHILDHOOD
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For a hundred years the Cenotaph has been the focal point for a nation’s grief, but few know its connection to Kirkby Lonsdale
A pawfect day out
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A LEGACY of LOVE
An unusual war memorial in Lancaster is a haven for wildlife and young people from the city
A Shopper's Paradise
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MELISSA BUGS OUT OVER TOXIC INSECT BITE!
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SERGIO OLIVA JR.: 2021 WILL BE MY YEAR
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Capsule With Asteroid Samples Arrives In Japan For Research
Japanese space agency officials were delighted by the return of a small capsule containing asteroid soil samples obtained by their Hayabusa2 spacecraft and were anxiously waiting to look inside after preparations are complete.
FORTY, SOMETHING
Tristan Rogers Hits A Major Milestone As GH’s Robert Scorpio.
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Down (Under) for the Cause
AUSTRALIA THE HARD WAY
The David Pyle Interview
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A Very Special Custom Martini Cadet
AUSTRALIA TO AMEND LAW MAKING FACEBOOK, GOOGLE PAY FOR NEWS
The author of proposed Australian laws to make Facebook and Google pay for journalism said Thursday his draft legislation will be altered to allay some of the digital giants’ concerns, but remain fundamentally unchanged.
VOTING DAY around the World
When it comes to elections in the United States, it’s pretty certain that most people will be voting on a Tuesday. The custom of voting on a Tuesday in November was established when many Americans were farmers. By November, the growing and harvesting seasons were over making it easier for farmers to leave their work and go vote.
One Child Fund
Indonesia Children’s Home