Friday 18 July 2014

A Place Where...


...Everyone Natters. That's what the 'Welcome to Lancashire: A Place Where Everyone Matters' sign, up on the West Pennine moors, has been altered to read. Yes, I laugh each time I drive past because it's just so true.

Being a full-time mum to a toddler means I'm usually out and about at playgroups or the swimming baths or park. Other days it's just me and Joe doing our thing. And whilst that's fun and I savour those times, it would be a bit dishonest to suggest that I don't enjoy adult conversation too. Taking on the persona of a children's TV presenter during daylight hours is both exhausting and slightly crazy-inducing.

Lucky for me then that Lancashire (and Rossendale, the valley in which we dwell) is full of natterers. Jay thinks it's funny. I like that people say hello when you pass them whilst out walking. Especially in that lovely broad accent. I talk a lot. So does Jay actually. The other week a little old lady stopped me in the supermarket to say how nice it was that I was constantly chatting to Joe as we did the shopping.

I wasn't even aware I was doing it. There's a continual monologue going on in my head anyway so it's not entirely surprising that it finds its way out of my mouth too.


Yesterday we went for a walk around Helmshore, the place where I grew up. Yes we could have got there on foot but I drove. It was hot and there are hills. Lots of hills.


The woods, the footpaths, the fields... all scenes of childhood games and adventures, pony rides and picnics. Then later on teenage trysts and illicit cider drinking.

Whilst out and about we got chatting to some nice people and passed the time talking about characters around the village past and present, and the usual things: do-you-remembers, who sold what house and all the rest of it.

Joe and I continued on our merry way, stopping to pick some raspberries then heading down to the park: Snig Hole, as it's known to locals. Snigs, apparently, are eels in ye olde Lancashire. The 'Hole' bit refers to the river where said snigs lived until they were caught and eaten by the eel-loving locals.

It was ridiculously hot. We ate a packed lunch and played on the swings, and I bumped into a few of the mums from playgroup. More stories and chatter were exchanged. And then a friendly girl with two small children introduced herself so we had a lengthy conversation too.


On the way back up yet another hill to where the car was parked, an old schoolfriend (and one time suitor - I think it lasted roughly a week) pulled up in his truck for a chat. He's a farmer and he was taking his lunch break from, erm, farming so we had a catch-up too. 


I do love all this talking, passing-on of information. I love the impromptu nature of it; of seeing people you know when you're out walking, and talking to friendly strangers too. The word 'stranger' often has creepy connotations but you know what I mean. Little conversations here and there often bring things to light: you always know someone mutually or both remember something from a long time ago.

Even the odd bit of gossip isn't a bad thing. Not the malicious type - just the 'Ooh, really?' sort. Like finding out all about the big feud between the baker and the butcher in our village. My mum thinks Edenfield (where we live) is annoying because everyone knows your business. I don't mind that. It's far preferable to the strange anonymity of those places where people don't speak to, or even acknowledge, their neighbours.


I've just become aware that this post is starting to ramble. You can type too much as well as talk to much, it seems.

Anyway... later in the evening we headed out to a meeting for Incredible Edible. We're hoping to extend the scheme to Edenfield and went along to find out more. It was the best kind of meeting. A beautiful balmy evening up on the edge of the moors, sitting around a wooden table in a farm yard. It just so happens that I more or less grew up on this farm - I kept my pony there and every evening and weekend I was to be found somewhere on their forty-odd acres. Going back was lovely. It's changed a lot but in a good way.


So we sat in the sun and talked and planned and Joe looked at the chickens and stables and played on a porch swing. It was lovely. And it wasn't as much a meeting as a big, well, natter.

Welcome to Lancashire.

Have a great weekend!


22 comments:

  1. How blissful. It sounds like you live in a really wonderful place. I hope you have a lovely summer. CJ xx

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  2. Oh how I love a natter too! You obviously have wonderful memories of childhood. Isn't it amazing that the lady you met thought to comment on your chatting to Joe. The most normal, natural thing you could imagine. I talk a lot too and always chatted to our little ones! They were and still are great talkers now. So many kids are handed some form of electronic plaything and largely ignored. Makes me a little sad. Anyway keep nattering and have a lovely weekend ... Bee xx

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  3. Such a joyful post Sarah. I've had comments about talking to my children too, I thought it was obvious you'd just chat to them about random stuff? Maybe not for everyone. I'm getting it back in spades as BigR now cannot say quiet and gives a running commentary on everything. Her inner monologue is shared fully! Have a lovely week. Xx

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  4. local chatter. sounds perfect xxx

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  5. It sounds wonderful!!! Our Valley is much the same, everyone loves a natter about everything and everyone and it does help you feel connected. We did a stint in a big city (Sydney) for 18 months and I can't tell you how strange it was to be on public transport or walking through the streets with not a single person even acknowledging your presence let alone a simple 'hello'. So nice for the Kids to be exposed to friendly strangers too and don't worry, I talk to Flynn like that too x

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  6. What a wonderful place to live. You sound really happy and content. Lovely post :)

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  7. What a lovely nattering post! I live in a village where "everyone knows your business" and I love it. Just a walk round to the post office means all sorts of lovely encounters.

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  8. How lovely to be in such a friendly place. A sense of community is so often lost these days.

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  9. Gorgeous photos - and no need to apologise for the desire for adult conversation. I think every mum knows what you're talking about (at least I do).

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  10. The nattering sounds lovely!! I always say hello to people as I walk past them and usually get ignored, occasionally I get a filthy look, but rarely an acknowledgement. I was bought up to say hello, good morning or whatever when you passed someone, but it seems that perhaps others don't do that around here. Your village sounds like a lovely place! xx p.s. I say I always say hello, not in the middle of town or in the supermarket just when I am out for a walk where I live!

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    1. I often wonder when to say hello and when it just looks plain odd but yes, when out walking is generally OK and not when going about your business in a busy place!

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  11. Just catching up with all your posts now I'm back from my little break. I have an uncle who lives in the Ramsbottom area, another in Bury ... all my Dad's family are from the area. Lovely part of the world. And yep, they're definitely a family of natterers ;)

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    1. My maternal grandparents lived in Bury for many years as there was a sizeable post-War Polish community...
      You get used to the whole chatting thing I think. You just have to accept that queues always take that bit longer because the time of day must be passed :)

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  12. Edenfield sounds like my kind of town. I always talked to my daughter all the time when she was little and did get some strange looks in the supermarket. Now she's not always around I occasionally talk to the dog instead...even more strange looks if anyone hears me.

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    1. I used to talk to the cat all the time. Back when I lived alone I think it was necessary - so did she as she always used to meow back!

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  13. I'm definitely with you on the needing adult conversation sometimes! I always felt a bit of wally chatting to Isla when she was little - soon got over that, and now I can't stop her chatting as we wander about the place. Love the altered sign too, and natter is such a good word. Hope you had a great weekend x

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    1. We did thank you - it was busy but in a good way. Lots of activities and walking...
      Talking to little ones is how they learn words and meanings - it's perfectly natural, isn't it?
      And 'natter' is so much nicer than 'chewing the fat' (not that I've ever used that term!)
      x

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  14. That's so lovely! One of the things I like about my corner of Leeds is the "small town" feel - people say hello, on the whole. And I've lived here a while now and some mornings I'll pop to the shops and just randomly bump into people in the library, Sainsburys, the park - it's friendly. I like that. Lancashire and Yorkshire aren't so different... x

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    1. We do like a chat up here, don't we?
      I think it's a wellbeing thing - to go out and have conversation with others. It's important and it brightens your day :)
      S x

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  15. Sounds (and looks) like a very good place to set up home. It's generally friendly round here, too. I've started running (get me!) with a friend who seems to know everyone (dogs and horses included) we pass which makes for slow progress (maybe not such a bad thing in my case).

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