[jamesicus]

I have been gone from Burnley fifty six years now. Every time I come back for a visit I am always warmly welcomed by my surviving cousins, old school friends, former neighbors, et al. Unfortunately, I find their numbers shrinking alarmingly when I visit these days. I soon revert to my "Lanky" idioms, speech mannerisms and eating habits -- black puddings and tripe & trotters (what happened to the UCP?).

To me, the real heart of Lancashire warmth is to be found from Accrington and its surrounding area -- including Oswaldtwistle, Church, Rishton, etc. through the Burnley area -- including Hapton Valley, Rosegrove, Lowerhouse, Padiham, Haslingden, Nelson and Colne and over to Rawtenstall, Bacup and Todmorden (even though the latter is borderline White Rose country). That area coincidentally covers most of my teenage Lancashire League Cricket and Saturday night dancing venues.