Newsletter
Below are a few extracts from the FORL Newsletter and the Annual magazine called The Lancastrian which are both sent by post to all members.
“Now Government plans to scrap England's 1000 year shires.”
So ran the headline in a national newspaper after David Miliband the Minister for Communities announced plans to scrap two tier local government in favour of unitary authorities. Since 1974 most of the so called “County Councils” have not been responsible for administering the traditional county areas in spite of, in many cases, being given the names of these traditional counties. In which case their abolition will not necessarily abolish our 1,000 year old shires. Some might argue that the abolition of the pseudo county councils that have existed since 1974 might in fact open the way for a wider recognition of the 39 traditional historic English counties.
FORL is not concerned with what pattern of local government exists today or may emerge in the future. Our sole concern as an organisation is the preservation and promotion of the true identity of Lancashire and all the other traditional counties, which have existed in most cases since before the Norman Conquest.
These traditional counties are an important part of our national geography and heritage. It was an act of vandalism to remove them from maps in 1974 and substitute ephemeral administrative areas and administrative counties, many of which have since been abolished. Today the geography of Britain in in a state of chaos with almost as many version of it as there are books and organisations. Currently there are three areas labelled as Lancashire. The smallest area is that administered by Lancashire county council (which is the only part of the county mapped as Lancashire), next in size is the ceremonial county which includes the administrative county plus Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. Then there is the Real County of Lancashire which is the one that should be shown on maps and whose boundaries should be marked by signs welcoming people to Lancashire. Just to confuse matters Lancashire County Council erected signs around the boundaries of its smallest area of Lancashire in 2004 to welcome people to Lancashire many miles after they had entered the county. This was done in spite of the fact that these signs excluded areas still policed by the Lancashire Constabulary, whilst at the same time including areas of Yorkshire. Can things get any more confusing than that?
As many readers will know, just before Lancashire Day a group called County Watch, which had removed misleading boundary signs in other counties, targeted Lancashire and took down the signs in the middle of the county that purported to welcome people to Lancashire. Whilst this was not an action that we would take, we have to admit that it proved to be very popular with people throughout Lancashire (the real county that is). After coverage of the removal of the signs on the BBC Look North West news programme, the BBC announced that it had received more telephone calls and e-mail messages in support of the action, almost 90%, than it had ever received about any news item before. Local newspapers which covered the story also reported that nine out of ten readers who wrote in, supported the action of County Watch. Which shows just how unpopular Lancashire county council’s signs are and the overwhelming desire that people have for the recognition of the true identity of Lancashire. In spite of all this, the signs have been replaced to once again insult and annoy all those Lancastrians who live outside the limited area of the county currently administered by the county council.
Central government is to blame for the fact that Lancashire County Council only administers part of the county and that only that part of the county is mapped as Lancashire. You can’t blame the council for that. However, the county council would attract more support from throughout Lancashire, if it was seen to promote the true identity of the County. It could start by mapping Lancashire as a whole in all its promotional literature with its administrative area marked in a different colour. The county council has produced leaflets promoting the County Palatine from time to time which has helped to promote what FORL is campaigning for, and which has been very welcome. It would also help if its boundary signs read “Welcome to Administrative Lancashire” rather than “Welcome to Lancashire”, because these signs are not on the boundary of Lancashire.
Now we call on Mr David Miliband to recognise the overwhelming support that there is for traditional counties, by legislating to restore them to maps with their boundaries being clearly marked by road signs, so that once more the geography of England is based on its 39 real counties. We don’t want another new and meaningless geography based on regions, city regions or more fake counties, we want our real geography back - a geography based on real counties.
Fingerposts, Road Signs and Milestones.
The November issue of ‘Heritage Today’, the magazine for members of English Heritage, featured a fascinating article about traditional traffic direction signs, or ‘finger posts’. English Heritage believes that they are a cherished feature of the English countryside, but alas many are threatened by neglect and decay. They have therefore joined forces with the Department for Transport, The Countryside Agency and the Campaign to Protect Rural England to call on local authorities to retain, repair and reintroduce these signs where appropriate.
The article quotes Philip Davies, English Heritage Planning and Development Director, as follows: “ Members of the public worried about the condition of a particular finger post should contact the local authority and speak to either the Conservation officer in the Planning department, or the Highways Engineer.
A Traffic Advisory Leaflet, downloaded from the Department of Transport webpage gives more details and some very interesting photographs. One shows a “Traditional cast iron fingerpost….: with “Cumberland C C “ written on the circle at the top but underneath is the legend “Traditional cast iron fingerposts reinforce local character: Cumbria.”. The most interesting however is a photograph of a Milestone which shows “Lancaster oversands 15 miles, Ulverston oversands 7 miles”,
This issue will be one of great interest to our FORL. I know of three milestones – which can often be given listed status – the aforementioned which is between Grange and Cark (although I am not certain exactly where); the Lancashire/Westmorland milestone as featured in the last newsletter; and there is a Lancashire/Yorkshire one heading east towards the Trough of Bowland.
If any of our members know of any other milestones, and particularly any fingerposts outside administrative Lancashire – I saw one near Blackrod, but it was at night so I cannot pinpoint it exactly – I should be delighted to hear from you. If you know of any signs that are in a state of disrepair please contact your local council. We have the opportunity to save some more of our Lancashire heritage, and this time we have the full support of the Government.
Martin Philips , 10 Mercer Ct, Claireville Close, Bootle, Lancashire, L20 7HN. 0151 933 3349
You can get a copy of the Traffic Advisory Leaflet Traditional Direction Signs from the Dept of Transport
Tel: 020 7944 2478
e-mail tal@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Book Review
The Ancient Crosses and Holy Wells of Lancashire
This work was originally compiled by Henry Taylor in 1906 in several volumes, each one covering one of Lancashire’s ancient Hundreds. The North West Catholic History Society is engaged in revising and up dating this work and has so far completed and published four volumes.
Vol I Lonsdale Hundred £6
Vol II Amounderness Hundred £5
Vol III Blackburn Hundred £8
Vol IV Salford Hundred £5
All are obtainable post-free from:
Mr BT Farrimond,
11 Tower Hill,
Ormskirk,
Lancashire,
L39 2EE.Tel; 01695 575038
email brianfarrimond@aol.com
Vol V West Derby Hundred will be published soon.
National Parks
In May the Countryside Agency published its plans to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. What concerns FORL is the plan to extend the Yorkshire Dales National Park into Lancashire. Now we do not object to National Parks but we do object to parts of Lancashire being classed as part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. If, without a name change, this plan is implemented it will increase the geographical confusion that has been the curse of this country since 1974.
We will follow developments carefully and do our best to protect the true identity of Lancashire. Please keep your eyes and ears open for further information that may be published by the Countryside Agency and make your feelings known. There is enough beautiful country side in Lancashire to create a “Lancashire National Park”.
We understand that there will be public consultations on the proposed boundary changes between March & May 2006 for the Lake District National Park and between May & July for the Yorkshire Dales National Park. How well publicised these will be remains to be seen.
An ABC of Lancashire
The committee are considering publishing an ABC of Lancashire as a promotional poster. This is being masterminded by member Martin Burke.
Lest we forget!
On 1st July 2006 visitors from Lancashire will stand in silence at Serre in Northern France at 7.30am exactly 90 years to the very minute when men of the Accrington Pals went over the top at the start of the Battle of the Somme. Within 24 hours there were 19,240 British dead and 35,493 wounded on the bloodiest day in the history of the British army. The visit is being organised by Steve Williams Chairman of Brindle Historical Society who can be contacted on 01254 854298.
Lancashire Tea
Lancashire Tea is now available in most supermarkets and in many other outlets.
A gradely brew produced in Lancashire!
Westmorland for ever
is the slogan of the Westmorland Gazette, but people from outside the area have no idea where Westmorland is because it is not shown on maps. Now moves are afoot to form a group to promote the identity of this lovely and important county.
New Fire Brigade Control Centre
It now seems that there is to be one control centre for all the fire brigades in North West England, to replace individual brigade centres. Is this the first move towards a North West Regional Fire Brigade? Will a North West Police Force then follow? Are we getting a North West Region by the back door?
It was announced that the new control centre will be at Warrington, Cheshire.
Oh no it won't! It will be in Warrington, Lancashire.
The traditional county boundary on the A59
Nigel Evans MP, Rowland Hailwood (Town Crier) and Matt Goode (bugler) at the unveiling ceremony on the true county boundary.
The picture above shows the stone boundary marker with metal nameplate that was unveiled by Nigel Evans MP for the Ribble Valley constituency on Saturday 23rd October 2004. Matt then played us a bit of “She’s a Lassie from Lancashire”. Mr Evans reminded those present that the traditional county boundaries still exist despite changes made to administrative areas since 1974. Just prior to the unveiling of this sign a similar sign marking the boundary of the “Historic West Riding of Yorkshire” was unveiled on the other side of the road. Both these signs - are adjacent to Smithies Brook which runs under the road at this point and is the boundary between Real Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.
The idea to mark the true boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire in the Ribble Valley area was the brain child of Geoff Hoyle the Chairman of Unite Craven. At a meeting in 1999 between representatives from the County Council, Unite Craven, FORL and the Yorkshire Ridings Society agreement had been reached for signs to be erected on four roads where they cross the true boundary, within the area administered by Lancashire County Council. At that time, the A59 was controlled by the Highways Agency and they refused permission for the signs to be erected on this road. On 1st April this year the A59 was handed over to the County Council who then gave permission for the signs to be erected.
Unite Craven raised the money to pay for the signs on the other three roads. FORL has paid for the Lancashire sign on the A59 whilst the Yorkshire Ridings Society has paid for the Yorkshire sign.
Thanks must go to Geoff Hoyle for seeing this project through.
Hybrid Rose by Paul Smith of Bolton, Lancashire.
Perhaps the most ridiculous change of all in 1974, was the bright idea of the Department of the Environment to sever sections of the West Riding of Yorkshire from the White Rose, and to put them into 'Lancashire' and 'Greater Manchester'.
The Lancashire/Yorkshire boundary has been the subject of many a joke east and west of the Pennines over the years, eg. "There are two good things to come out of Yorkshire - Yorkshire Pudding and the road to Lancashire."
Yorkshire and Lancashire people are old enemies and old friends. Both are more proud of their county than many who live in England's other 37 shires. Thus it is all the more galling for those Yorkshire folk who have been the victims of D.O.E. meddling and have been unceremoniously moved into another county.
The largest chunk of White Rose territory that now appears in the sphere of the Red Rose on maps, is the beautiful area around Bowland, containing Earby, Barnoldswick, Waddington and Rimington. The Yorkshire Ridings Society have long campaigned for the return of this area and its people, the most westerly part of Yorkshire, to the county. Further south, in the area of Saddleworth, another chunk of the West Riding disappeared into 'Greater Manchester'.
The Friends of Real Lancashire support the Yorkshire folk in their campaign to see the broad acres' return to their former glory. Constant pressure has already won the abolition of 'Cleveland' and 'Humberside'. Yorkshire now runs once more to the south bank of the river Tees, and Hull is back under the White Rose. The new East Riding Council does not correspond to the real East Riding boundaries, however, Both the West and North Ridings are still absent from the maps, whilst two other north westerly areas of the North Riding have been swallowed up by 'County Durham' and 'Cumbria'.
Yorkshire and Lancashire have been messed about with by the politicians for long enough. The White and Red Roses are quite distinct and a hybrid cannot be made of them, even by the Department of the Environment. Just as I am insulted if told that I am no longer a Lancastrian, Yorkshire people must feel just as grieved to be told that they are.
FORL is in touch with the Yorkshire Ridings Society, and the campaign groups 'Unite Craven' and 'Bowland Back to Yorkshire'. We are also pleased to have the active support of a number of Yorkshire people and organisations. (Editor's note)
An Absurd Decision
By J Lannaghan - Former Editor of the Westmorland Gazette.
We shouldn't really be too surprised that 'Cumbria County Council' has rejected a request for road signs marking the county boundaries of Lancashire North of the Sands, Westmorland and Cumberland. Formed in 1974, it has always had problems establishing an identity and, conscious of this failure, will resist any attempt to remind people of the 'real' counties to which they once belonged.
An indication of the council's insecurity was given by one of its Labour members who described the Friends of Real Lancashire's request for signs as an insult.
A bigger insult in my view, is to try to convince people that they now belong to a 'mongrel' county called Cumbria which, in reality, is nothing more than a local government administrative unit.
Westmorland still exists, so does Cumberland. They were not swept away in the reorganisation of local government in 1974 - and why signs cannot be put up to indicate where their ancient boundaries lie is beyond me. Similar signs don't seem to cause any problems in Yorkshire and to argue that in 'Cumbria' it would cause confusion to motorists and lead to a proliferation of signs, really is grasping at straws. In fact the old county boundary signs have more right to be there than signs which proclaim 'Cumbria' when it is not a county but a council whose boundaries happen to take in a number of historic counties. Really the old county signs should never have been taken down. People weren't as vigilant then as they should have been, lulled into a sense of false security by the governments insistence that local government reorganisation was not an attempt to redraw the county map of England. Cumbria County Council's decision not to allow the old signs to be restored gives the lie to this.
Good luck to The Friends in their efforts to get this absurd decision overturned.
Lancashire - Carved in stone
By Paul Smith of Bolton, Lancashire.
On a simple country bridge over a meandering stream is a carving in the stonework which says 'Downham - Lancashire'/ 'Rimington - Yorkshire'. There it stands agelessly set in stone - a marker of Real England, the impermeable dividing line between Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is unaffected by a subsequent political change to the boundary that, until a few years ago, I was oblivious of. I thought, that despite all the meddling of 1974, this Roses boundary would have been too sacred to touch. Drawn up as a result of war and respected for centuries, surely it should be beyond the power of bureaucrats to change it.
But no; you have to travel a good ten miles before you are greeted by a 'North Yorkshire' sign, after crossing the bridge. You travel through some beautiful country, close to old Yorkshire towns like Barnoldswick and Earby but all the time you are in an area administered by Lancashire County Council, even though it is part of the Real West Riding of Yorkshire.
That bridge between Downham and Rimington is one of my favourite places. It is a bastion of familiarity, you know exactly where you are when you pass over it. Back to a time when counties were counties - Yorkshire had three Ridings and Lancashire stretched from the Mersey to the Duddon. An unsullied time before the Whitehall idiot brigade decided that they wanted different lines drawn on the map of England.
Whatever you do, don't tell em. that that lovely secluded bridge exists, hidden from their best efforts to totally wipe out the fact that the map of England was ever different. You can just imagine that if they discovered that bridge, with its eternal message, that they would send someone from London to knock it down and build a new one in red brick. After all its only been there for a few hundred years - but what do things like that matter?
Our county is called Lancashire, not Cumbria,
Greater Manchester, Merseyside or part of Cheshire.