TWC Tours - Lancashire !

Having not told mum thus far that I was in the country and finding it ever harder to keep up the pretence that I was still in Vancouver, Miggy and I thought it best I head north to glorious Lancashire without further delay and difficulty in maintaining our roose !

Poor John had been enlisted some days before hand and was performing a stirling job in manipulating mums movements toward a surprise reunion over a pint in our local (The Greyhound where I worked for many years) despite her protestations that this week would be a perfect one to get away to Spain !!!

Oblivious to last, if not somewhat annoyed at her perceived manhandling by John, Mother Dear duly wandered through the doors of the pub to see not the usual array of Halton on Lune alco’s but yours truly and the Viking !



To say her face was a picture is an understatement ! Not knowing whether I was about to get a hug or a smack as she muttered my full name (a childhood marker that normally preceded a whack) in surprise I was gladly and happily wrapped up in a fabulous smile and hug !
Thanks all round to John for such cunning and patience in doing the dirty work manoeuvring mum for so long !

Basing ourselves at Glendale (home) for the next week or so our plan was undertake various missions to view the huge list of heritage sites the Viking had amassed on her list pre departure !


First things first though...... several pints in the pub of proper cask conditioned ale ! To say that Mum and John looked after us well would be the understatement of the century ! A greater array of morning fry ups, evening feasts and packed lunches I fear I will not see again unless camping at Glendale.

Our initial Lancashire mission could only truly begin with a tour of my home town castle and city, where we delighted in hearing how the fastest hanging court in England only stopped their butchery once they had run out of non consecrated ground with which to bury their dead in !


Ironically just as Lancaster ran out of ground to bury their dead convicted at the biannual assizes, England hit upon the plan of just transporting them to a new found land of depravity otherwise known as Australia !

What other trip to Lancashire would be complete of course without a little sporting action given its amazing ability to out perform every other county in the land ! Off we went therefore to watch the ‘Saints’ of St Helens (Lancashire) thump the ‘Wildcats’ of Wakefield Trinity (Yorkshire) at Knowsley Road !

Being a cultural exchange trip I was more than happy to expose the Viking to ‘Thwaites Lancaster Bomber’ which is by far the best beer in England !


Oh it was nice to be in the land of the Red Rose again !