I know the name of the person that sprayed “happy Xmas” on Lytham windmill. And also the name of the person that sprayed “Tim + Sharon” on the bowling green wall in Ashton Park, Preston.

Talking of Dickens, he stayed at the Bull & Royal on Church Street during the mill lockouts in the 1800s and used his experiences as the basis for “Hard Times”. The Bull & Royal is still trading.

And on the subject of pubs, the city’s Black Horse is the only pub in the UK with 3 public entrances on 3 different streets.

And talking of streets, there’s a row of red telephone boxes on market street is the longest continuous row of the old style kiosks in the country.

And also the name of the person that sprayed “Tim + Sharon” on the bowling green wall in Ashton Park, Preston.

it, err, wasn’t “Tim” by any chance was it 😉

Sticking with Dickens, the Cheeryble brothers in Nicholas Nickleby were based on the Grant Brothers in Ramsbottom, after he stayed at their home. It’s now a pub called the Grants Arms

Ghandi stayed in Darwen when he visited England.

We are only a Town but better known as Smack City.

We are a good 10 miles from Burnley (Thank F-ck)

Our Council Estates are the dumping ground for all of Blackburns Scum.

Blackburn keep trying to re-name us Blackburn South (No Fookin Chance)

We have our own Jubilee Tower on our very own Darwen moors which for some foooooookin reason TV reporters keep refering too as “The Moors Above Blackburn” Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Knobs.

Fortunately Darwen has no inbreds but unfortunately has plenty of Dickheads.

Darwen has a large inferiority complex, mainly aimed towards Blackburn and Burnley.

Where am I?

first king of england was crowned there
only natural hot springs in the country
home of mbuk

Winchester

Widest High Street in Europe.
JK Rowling was born here.
The Queen got stuck up the road near here.

Now for an obvious one!

The river only flows one way. 🙂

Bath. But the first King of England fact is wrong. Well, open to interpretation.

Rudeboy – be a good chap & go get your ladders of the church 😉

India Mill chimney in Darwen is based on the Campanille in Venice.
footstomper – you a Darrener too, then?

Corby doesn’t have a train station. I thought that was the biggest town without one???

Darwen Tower is actually thunderbird 3.

footstomper – nix that, I know who you are now! lol!

Looks like you’re right Tim, if the 2001 census is anything to go by.

Alright, I’ll replace that with….

The spinning Jenny was invented in Leigh.

Our most famous resident has just fathered a child by his nanny. His wife’s not too pleased as she had headphones on when he announced it was an open marriage (allegedly).

Elgin used to be on the coast and Lossiemouth was an island.

The moor where I live has been used as a hiding place for the remains of murdered children. And you can get some people proper angry by informing them correctly that it’s not in Yorkshire.

swingers capital of the country in the 70’s due to high influx of IT workers!

thanks IBM!

nothing happend since.

We’re riding on the moor where AndyP lives tonight. And we will ensure it remains in Lancashire

We have the world’s longest continuous parliment though those suffering under Gordon Brown may feel they have.

Snowslave…are you local?

Manchester. Home of Vimto.

Biggleswade is where the first proper bike was made………Apparently!

Vimto. Anagram of vomit.

Vimto. Anagram of vomit.

One of only 2 words in the English language which feature an invisible ‘P’ too. (Hamster being the other)

AndyP, local to Manchester

Edinburgh is home to the office of “the Association of Master Bakers”.

No joke.

As far as I know, Glasgow has the highest murder rate in Europe 🙁

Who says Vimpto?

Anyway, I used to live in the town where they filmed the League of Gentlemen. That documentary series popular a few years ago, widely mistaken for a comedy series.

It’s near Glossop in Derbyshire which had (at the time) the highest crime rate per head of population in the UK.

Who says Vimpto?

People who say it properly

Who says ‘Hampster’?

Proof, if ever it was needed, that 8.76 out of 10 facts are made up on the spot.

Sheffield, home of Basset’s Allsorts.

Top of the Pops was originally broadcast by Jimmy Savile from a deconsecrated church on Dickenson Road, Rusholme, Manchester.

Jimmy Savile was a racing cyclist in his day, having competed in 300 races (including the 1951 Tour of Britain).

Salford is an older city than Manchester, in spite of many people believing it is just another ‘burb of the great Manc sprawl.

Oldham, home of the tubular bandage

AndyP – you saying Saddleworth’s not in Yorkshire… oooh! fighting talk! 😀

Chesterfield is famous for it’s crooked spire, Jo Guest and not much else

It is important to distinguish two elements in the spire’s ‘crookedness’ : The inclination and the twist. It is unfortunate that most people use the word ‘crooked’ unhelpfully, combining the above two features.

The inclination (lean) is due to a number of factors: the use of unseasoned (green) timber, the absence of skilled craftsmen (Black Death) and the neglect of cross-bracing.

The spiral twist is considered to be by design.

That last sentence I’ve only just found out, despite having grown up there!

If Cardinal Wolesey hadn’t annoyed Henry VIII the new university would have been built in Ipswich not Cambridge.
At the turn of the 19/20 centuries at least 1 in 3 Ipswich males had been around both Capes (Horn and Good Hope).
It’s not as flat around here as people think as most of my local rides have 400m of ascent in them.

OK some more facts –

I was originally from Saddleworth, so…..

The Wrigleys family were from Saddleworth, one of their sons went to America to make his fortune and made Wrigleys chewing gum.

Platt Brothers in Oldham, were the manufacturers of Spinning machines. They sold the rights to make/sell their machines to a Mr Toyoda in Japan. He then formed the Toyota Motor Company from the proceeds.

Bernard Cribbins is from Oldham

Eric Sykes was from Oldham

Phil Larder, the former England Rubgy coach, used to be the PE teacher at Saddleworth School (when my older brother went there).

(OK I admit it they’re not obvious at all!)