Lancashire Day takes place on the 27th November every year. It is a celebration of Lancashire’s past, present and future and an opportunity to toast The Queen, The Duke of Lancaster.
All around the ‘real’ county of Lancashire, as opposed to the administrative county of Lancashire that was established in 1974 and has been tweaked several times since, the Lancashire Day Proclamation will sound out to remind all those who live within the real boundaries of Lancashire that they are entitled to call themselves true Lancastrians.
Lancashire Day celebrated by amateur radio operators
Many amateur radio stations throughout the county run special event stations to celebrate the day. In 2020, Lancashire Day falls on a Friday, so stations will be on the air from the 27th right through to the Sunday, 29th November.
You will hear amateur radio stations on the air from all over the county, including Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, Warrington, Southport, Oldham, Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, St Helens, Blackburn, Blackpool, Coniston, Hawkshead, Barrow in Furness and many more villages, towns and cities within the border of ‘real’ Lancashire that are administered by different councils. See the full list of places in Lancashire for further details.
Derek (G7LFC) can normally be found celebrating Lancashire Day with his club, the Quantum Technology Club, at a prominent location. However, due to Cornoavirus regulations, 2020 will see hime operating GB0LDO (Lancashire Day in Ormskirk) from his home QTH.
Why the confusion over Lancashire?
Many folk who are entitled to call themselves Lancastrians don’t believe they live in, or come from, Lancashire. Why?
The boundaries of ‘real’ Lancashire were formed back in the mists of time and in 1889 county councils were established as a form of local government around these historic borders.
The area that Lancashire County Council administered remained true to those historic boundaries right up until 1974. It was here that the confusion starts. The area that Lancashire County Council administered changed. So now there appeared two Lancashire boundaries; the real border that hadn’t changed, and the border of the area administered by the council that had. The council lost local control of what was to become Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cumbria, but gained control of some of Yorkshire, and lost control of some of Lancashire to Yorkshire and Cheshire county councils.
What a mess.
In 1986, just twelve years after their formation, the Merseyside and Greater Manchester Metropolitan Councils were abolished and were replaced by several unitary authorities like Sefton, Knowsley, Wigan and St Helens.
1998 saw Lancashire County Council lose control of more of Lancashire with Blackburn and Darwen, Blackpool, Halton and Warrington establishing their own unitary authorities.
As a result of all these changes many people think they live in Merseyside, or Greater Manchester – even though their basis for thinking this (the creation of the metropolitan councils in 1974) ceased to be a viable argument given that the councils were abolished more than thirty-four years ago.
However, rest assured – the real boundary of Lancashire never changed and all who live with its borders still have a right to claim themselves as true Lancastrians.