Tag: Lancashire

Categories
Memories Outdoor Pursuits Sport

Put a Pin on it

#socs #pin

Someone once told me – you never really leave the scouts

In a sense – i guess they were right.

Why? i hear you ask – because of some little things picked up along the way

back when i was a cub scout (yeah! i am that old) when we went on expeditions or on camps, we’d try and pick up a patch for our camp blankets – which kept us warm on cold nights and some of us turned into ponchos for night time around the camp

I collected plenty of these badges – and still have them in the house in a box – as a reminder of the places i’ve been

Yorkshire Dales, Edinburgh, Peak District, Lake District, Cheshire, Lancashire….

Manchester 2002 pin badge

But i guess fashions change….and around the time when Manchester hosted the Commonwealth Games, the cloth patches turned a little more smaller and a little more harder….and a little more metallic.

There were Pin badges with the Manchester logo on them , 18 Sports pins covering the various sports events, country pins and team pins for the staff

And after the games had finished, places of interest took up the mantle as well as other sporting events.

Turn the lock forward to 2012 – and i’m finding myself at Old Trafford and the Pins are back

Olympic Ambassadors pin ….Old Trafford manchester

Reminders of places visited, Events volunteeered at and things achieved

They even introduced them at the Imperial War Museum – for years of service

Categories
Food Poetry

Element

#WWP #Element

Food stuffs have funny names

They usually come from where they first were made

but in some cases – you can get away with it

Lancashire Hotpot can be made in Edinburgh

Yorkshire pudding can be served up in Cardiff

but Meat pie – needs Meat in its core.

Categories
Character Christmas Poetry

The Lancashire Elf

The Lancashire Elf

A Christmas Tale for readers of the Inkwell

Happy Christmas Everybody! Inky.

An Elf

Up there in Lapland,
where its Christmas all day
a strange kind of elf,
has decided to play

Santa’s perplexed, as he’s really quite tall
but the other elves round him are having a ball!
When reaching up high, they call for his aid,
and putting toys on high shelves, he’s made the grade

He’s good for woodturning and chopping down wood
and making new toys ? He’s really quite good.
foreman found him in th’forest – and he said he’s for hire
– he comes from a forest – called “Lanky – Shire”

The other elves love him, they think that he’s grand
as their big pal “lanky” gives everyone a hand
and its not just toymaking skills that he’s got
he’s cooking up dinner – he calls it “Hotpot”

And come Christmas eve when the elves they do pack,
“lanky” is there to fill Santa Claus’s sack
This great big elf, makes every kid smile
as he helps dear old Santa go the extra mile

Categories
Life Nature Outdoors Parks Roman wall

Wondering….

In response to the prompt

Amble

My Home town has plenty of green space to go at…

Two canals, a river network that runs up northern tributaries to Lancashire, and south towards Cheshire

These canals and rivers meet up near the old dock at Salford Quays, formerly “Manchester Docks”, I walk that way when I either head for the tram bound for Eccles or when i’m on duty at the Northern Branch of the Imperial War Museum

 

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Narrowboats at Castlefield’s Canal Basin – Part of the Canal Network

 

The Canal itself leads on through Manchester and other parts of the county.

The opportunities by the waterside have seen the waterways cleaned up and provide leisure for people all year round.  Narrow boats are a regular sight on the canal network, and moorings line the route all the way to the point where the Irwell and Mersey meet

 

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Roman Wall, at Castlefield, Manchester

Opposite the Canal Basin at Castlefield lie the Forum where open air events take place, The Museum of Science and Industry, with its Engines, Cars, and Aeroplanes and the Roman Wall, where the Roman Fort remains are in situ.

Iwm Waterside

 

 

Lowry
The Lowry in Salford – Topic of the poem “The Musical Place”

 

 

Categories
Poetry Sport

Cricket

Sunday 6th August 2017

Salford Via Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester

wicket.jpg

(a tale of a cricket match…by inky)

A summers day
a Pavilion tea
watching the locals
its 100 for 3

The bowler holds the ball
of cork in his hand
Field placement set –
his tactics all planned

And Batsman on Green
waits for ball to be bowled
part of this game
thats ages old

No test match stars here
there up the Manc Road
but crowd is excited
as action explodes

Bowler Takes run up
from village hall clock
Batsman Prepared
solid as a rock

Ball hits the ground,
and it bounces in the air
Batsman clips ball
to the boundary, square

And Wicketkeeper yells
as fielders in a fix
trying to stop the cork ball
scoring a six

But , Alas ball descends
to the boundary , flat
and the sound of the “Third Man”
who shouts out “OWZAT!!!”

Categories
Acrostic Memories Outdoor Pursuits Outdoors Poetry

Well worn Blanket

Salford 16th May 2017

Blanket

Back in Nineteen eighty two – i started taking this long woolly blanket to camp

Like many other scouts i stuck it at the end of my tents sleeping bag, and

As it got cold, i wrapped it round me to keep warm

Now, each camp i went to – i picked up a patch from the campsite – and these were

Kept on the woolly blanket…covering areas from Cumbria to Derbyshire – I

Even had a whole heap of locations such as

Torquay , paignton and brixham and these found a spare spot on my sleeping spot

Categories
Destinations Exploration Fun Travel

Blackpool

Blackpool, 11th April 2017

Tuesday saw me take a little trip up the motorway to Blackpool with my sister Anne Marie and my two nephews James and George

 

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Blackpool Tower

It wasn’t really seaside weather so, we visited the Tower circus and the Sea life centre instead….

The sea life centre was our first place we visited – and we all enjoyed the sharks, and the dolphins and Rays (as well as the fish)

 

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looking at the big fish!

 

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Jellyfish

 

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Mr Lobster

 

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Stingray

 

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Big Grumpy Fish

 

 

 

 

 

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My nephews with their Mummy (my little blister)

 

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The Circus Ring – Before the Show

There were lots of acrobats, and juggling and trapeze acts at this show, and plenty of clowning around…and lots of laughter.

We finished off the day with a picnic lunch by the tower.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Accidents Animals Birds Cats Fun Holidays Humour Treat

A Cat-astrophe

dropped ice cream cone

Plop

Blackpoolsketch.jpg

6th September 2016

The scene Blackpool promenade – a local fish and chip emporium

family of four – Mum,Dad and two boys eating , outside in the summer sun – what else but fish? – haddock and chips

the two lads are asked would they like an ice cream

they say yes – meanwhile in the distance a seagull is watching from a safe distance

One asks for Strawberry the other Vanilla – and the boys wait patiently for their ice creams to be delivered.

The Fish shops cat appears into the Blackpool sunshine,  purring away in the hope for some scraps of fish. She follows the waitress, from just a few paces away, as the seagull makes its move. The seagull swoops in – and is stopped by the cat – just as the waitress delivers the ice creams

Chaos ensues, as the cat and seagull rumble for goodies under poor waitresses feet. The Ice Creams land off target and an odd plate of leftovers lands on the floor

Cue the owner – avec sweeping brush and an assistant with two more ice creams – on the house – Cut to a Cat with the spoils and the Seagull with the scraps.

dropped ice cream cone
dropped ice cream cone

 

 

Categories
Food Treats

Puddings from my backyard

In response to the prompt Local Flavor

Salford, 26th June 2016

You mention the word pudding to me and i’ll ask you a basic question

Sweet or Savoury ?

You see, regular readers of this blog know I hail from that part of North West England known as Greater Manchester – or if you’re post Manchester County – I’m a Salford Lad from Lancashire.

Now the region I live in is the home to some fantastic traditional recipes, ranging from Lancashire Hotpot to Traditional Sunday Roast. But in addition to pies and pasties (which we adopted from our Cornish cousins) we also have Savory puddings

These are round suet pastry parcels which are filled (in the whole) with Steak and Kidney and then steamed in a water bath before being served up with vegetables of your choosing…Cut them open after cooking and the juices from the meat turn into a rich gravy. They go well with any vegetable – but nip to the local chippy and you’ll find them in the whole sold with chips.

steak-and-kidney-pudding

They go down nicely with a drop of HP Sauce.

Of course – we also have puddings in a sweet sense too. Sponge is my favourite (its a cake), again it can be steamed , but some people prefer their sponges oven baked – so whatever layer your sponge cake looks like comes out like the top layer is protected. Various fruits can go into a sponge cake, everything from Bananas to Apples, my particular favourite – Strawberry Jam particularly if its served with Vanilla Custard. A delicious Tea time treat.

regional favourites from the area ? There’s the regional variation on the tartlet, with jam and sponge covered in marzipan fondant in bakewell whilst up the road, in greater Manchester, the sponge goes and the jam is layered with custard and coconut.

And my favourite school dinner pudding when I was younger – Chocolate Sponge and Chocolate Custard.

Categories
Army IWM North Memorial Military Museums Photography Places Travel War

A Busman’s Holiday (with a Lancastrian Twist)

Bury , 22nd June 2016

Today I took my camera on the tram to Bury, and met up with fellow Imperial War Museum (North) volunteers at the regimental museum of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

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The Lancashire Fusiliers fought in battles all over the world during their time as a regiment in the United Kingdom, and this museum documented some of the stories as well as the history of the regiment.  The bronze globe reminded me of IWM North’s building – “the shattered globe” as the wire frame showed all the places where the regiment fought in conflict.

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During world war one , and the Gallipoli campaign,  Six Victoria Crosses were issued to men of the Lancashire fusiliers to honour the regiment for their bravery.  They’re known as the “Six VCs before breakfast”.  A painting depicting the scene is on display by this picture.

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For those who needed to know about the army and its structures – a helpful guide was on hand to show how the companies of men were formed.

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In addition to the Uniforms – several weapons were on display, such as the Rifles used by the men of the fusiliers.  In addition to our walk around, we were given an interesting talk by a member of the fusiliers who now works at the museum.

The Fusiliers are now part of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.  This museum honoured those who fought and served in the regiment.

There is a memorial garden in the grounds of the museum containing the local cenotaph, whilst research facilities are available to search through museum archives.

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Lancashire Fusiliers Arms