Lancashire has Wings

 Lancashire is a big county anyway.  There’s Lancashire North of the Sands in the north and we’re rubbing shoulders with Cheshire in the south. Even if you live in the centre it can take you an hour to get to the extremities. Going from one corner to the one diagonally opposite may even feel like a day’s outing. Is it for that reason that our collection of literature, now housed at the University of Bolton, is the largest collection of regional literature in the UK? Of course, it makes finding a suitable venue for a meeting tricky. It must be the right shaped place, preferably have a good car park and be easily accessible by public transport and be a reasonable price. And even when we meet all of those criteria, someone will have a long journey.  For that reason we have a few meetings on Zoom as well. 

The LAA isn’t limited, though, to those who live in this region. It’s for everyone who has an interest in Lancashire and all things Lancastrian. We have members in Germany, Switzerland and Canada, and from many other parts of the UK. Just this week we have had two people enrol from California, so I’d like to welcome Michal Barrington and Eileen Inches, both of whom do have a connection to Lancashire. I’d also like to welcome Eva Rybicki, closer to me in Bury, and Andrew Collinson from Chorley. So we have locals as well. 

Yes we are there for writers who were born or who live and/or work in Lancashire, or who write about Lancashire, or in Lancashire dialect. But also for people who just enjoy reading such items or finding out more about the county. Speakers at our events have included a light house keeper, an organiser of paraplegic games and an expert on clogs. We have even had clog dancing illustrations as well as talks by local and member writers. And twice a year we enjoy Lancashire Hotpot. We celebrate Lancashire Day and toast the Duke of Lancaster aka the King.

Of course writing competitions are of great interest to many. They’re easier and cheaper to enter if you are a member.  

Do you know of anyone else who would like to join? Geography it seems shouldn’t be a problem and our scope is wide. Just show them this article and get in touch for an application form.

Gill James lancashireauthorsmembership@gmail.com

 

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