Jelly Babies, chloroform and Victory Vs – the perfect ingredients for a historic Lancashire Day

There'll be dialect poetry readings by Borderline Theatre Company, traditional Lancashire fare at the ACE Centre and the legendary Britannia Coconutters will be dancing in Lancashire clogs.

Councillor Jonathan Eyre, who leads the Council for tourism and leisure, announced:

"This will be our best Lancashire Day yet - and Nelson's celebrations are already renowned for being the biggest in the county.

"It'll be a day packed with free events and entertainment to celebrate our Lancashire heritage.

"The day will finish with the big finale of our Christmas lights switch on."

"It's a fantastic day to celebrate our Lancashire heritage," said Councillor Tony Beckett, the North West's Best Senior Town Crier.

He'll be starting the day off at 11am with a reading of the historic proclamation which he'll read on the hour, every hour up to 3pm.

He explained:

"Seven hundred years after the first elected representatives went to Westminster to join King Edward 1st's Model Parliament, we're still celebrating what it means to be a Lancastrian."

But in living memory, anyone who worked at the famous Victory V factory in Nelson, or Brook Street Mill, or any factory in Nelson is invited to Nelson Library.

That's because Lancashire County Council is running a special Remember When; Factory Life in Nelson reminiscence session.

There'll also be an exhibition including pictures of the Queen's visit to Walter Pollard's Ltd at Malvern Mill in 1955.

Fiona McIntyre at Nelson Library said:

"Nelson was the birthplace of jelly babies and Victory Vs as well as being central to the Lancashire weaving industry.

"It's hard to believe that Victory Vs used to contain chloroform, but they did.  In fact some people said they tasted better with that ingredient!

"We want people who worked for Victory V and other factories to come and have a brew and a chat about life in the Nelson mills.    

"It's an important part of our heritage," she stressed.

Local people and visitors can also explore their Lancashire family history in Nelson Library.

Councillor Nadeem Younis, who chairs Nelson Area Committee, said:

"I urge people from across the county to come and enjoy the day which also celebrates a new beginning for Nelson.

"For many, this will be their first chance to see the transformation we've made to Nelson town centre.

"This includes the unique 12 metre high Nelson Shuttle sculpture and Lancashire dialect poetry blocks, which honour our Lancashire weaving heritage.

"The town centre improvements include amazing new lighting.

"Key buildings like the clock tower light up in different colours at night and the Nelson Shuttle is illuminated from the inside."

For more information about Lancashire Day and the Nelson Christmas lights switch-on, or to get involved or have a stall - contact Vaughan Jones on (01282) 661962 or email vaughan.jones@pendle.gov.uk.

Timetable of entertainment for Lancashire Day

10.55am  Official launch by Councillor Nadeem Ahmed, Mayor
                                 of Pendle

11.00 - 3pm  Official proclamation by Nelson Town Crier,  
                                Councillor Tony Beckett on the hour

11.00 am onwards  Granny Turismo will make surprise appearances
                                 throughout the day

11am - 1.00 pm Explore your Lancashire Family History
                                drop in event at Nelson Library with support from
                                Pendle and Burnley Family History and Heraldry Society

11.10 am & 1.15pm Britannia Coconutters from Bacup

11.35 am  Colne & District Writers' Circle perform dialect poetry                                

11.45 Prize giving for dialect translator winners 

12.15 pm & 2.15pm Tom & Giz, acoustic band from Barnoldswick

1.00 pm & 2.30pm Tour of historic Nelson Town Hall
   (Book your place by contacting Fiona Standring
                                 on 01282 661636 fiona.standring@pendle.gov.uk
1.35 pm  Poetry readings by Borderline Theatre Company

2.00 - 4pm  Remember When; factory life in Nelson reminiscence
                                session at Nelson Library with free refreshments                                    
3.15 pm & 5.30pm Nelson Brass Band play traditional Christmas songs
                                 & carols

4.15 pm  Surprise band play modern Christmas songs

5.50pm  Countdown to the lights switch on by our Mayor,
                                 Councillor Nadeem Ahmed

6.00 pm  Christmas lights switch on & amazing new spin from
                                 Granny Turismo 

6.05 pm - 6.30 pm Nelson brass band

Please note:

Manchester/Leeds Road will remain open to traffic throughout the day