Farming north of Preston

[Gillg]

Just have to put in a plug here after andrewalston's mention of the preparation of Lancashire cheese!  Born in Lancashire, but now living at the other end of the country, I buy it on the rare occasions that I see it, but of course the supermarket stuff, packed in plastic, is nothing like the real thing.  Delicious fresh or used in cooking.  You can buy the "creamy mild" variety or the "tasty", but both are quite subtle when compared with mousetrap Cheddar!

[KGarrad]

Just have to put in a plug here after andrewalston's mention of the preparation of Lancashire cheese!  Born in Lancashire, but now living at the other end of the country, I buy it on the rare occasions that I see it, but of course the supermarket stuff, packed in plastic, is nothing like the real thing.  Delicious fresh or used in cooking.  You can buy the "creamy mild" variety or the "tasty", but both are quite subtle when compared with mousetrap Cheddar!

For my birthday, in June, my daughters sent me 3 Lancashire cheeses from AD Shorrock of Goosenargh. Very tasty!

[schimmellover]

"My book is "Garstang and District: Historical selections" by John Askew, published 2012."

Searching online for this book, the only one that comes up is one by this author called 'Garstang: A Pictorial History'
Is this an alternative title, or a different book?

[andrewalston]

Yes, proper Lancashire cheese is a wonderful thing, unlike the supermarket block dairy product.

A stall on my local market sells Creamy, Crumbly, Mild, Tasty and Extra Tasty.

Depending on the time of year, there is also Goats' Milk, Sheep's Milk and Smoked. Yes, they may sound wildly different, and they are, but are all definitely Lancashire cheeses. Then we add in the blue varieties....

Some years ago I was working in Reading, and a cheese shop by the Thames was recommended. I visited one quiet afternoon, and picked up a few pounds' worth of various cheeses. It's the sort of place where you always try before you buy. I noticed that he only had one type of Lancashire. "It's quite a good one though, it's Mrs. Kirkham's". After tasting, I told him it was still a bit young for me. "It's all I can afford to stock. I'll tell you where you do get good Lancashire", he went on. "Lancaster Market" !

[Maiden Stone]

"My book is "Garstang and District: Historical selections" by John Askew, published 2012."

Searching online for this book, the only one that comes up is one by this author called 'Garstang: A Pictorial History'
Is this an alternative title, or a different book?

Different books. Descriptions of the books in Lancashire County Library online catalogue shows that "A Pictorial History" has 80 pages and was published 2009  and "Historical Selections" has 184 pages and was published 2012. "Historical Selections" is mainly text with some illustrations. "A Pictorial History" is pictures with captions.
Lancashire County Council library services
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/libraries
To search online catalogue select Digital library then Library catalogue. Can search by author, title, subject, word or phrase.
2 results for John Askew. Click on each title for a description. The detail page for "Garstang: a pictorial history" has a "More Like This" section at foot of page; recommendations are books about Garstang by Ron Greenall and Catherine Rothwell. Click on image of each book for details. Info page for the Rothwell book has "Northward" by Anthony Hewitson (my reply #7) in "More Like This" section. A search for Ron Greenall or Catherine Rothwell might find other local books in the catalogue.
A search for key words or phrases e.g. "Garstang" or "Farming in Lancashire" will find a list of possibly relevant items. A result for the phrase "Farming in Lancashire" is a booklist "Farming in Lancashire", full title "Farming in Lancashire: The history of farming in Lancashire: a select bibliography"
2 items related to farming history in the library catalogue which are area specific:
"Lancashire cheese-making" by Joseph Gornall published Garstang 1903. Gornall was a farmer from Cabus who taught cheese-making.
"The Farmer and the Hen: A Lancashire Love Story: The Poultry Industry in the Fylde 1845-1939" by John Grimaldston.
There are other items about farming in Lancashire in the library catalogue. Some are books, some journal articles, some are collections of miscellaneous items. If you're a library member you can save relevant items to your own booklist.

Garstang Historical Society
htttps://sites.google.com/site/garstanghistoricalsociety
There's a short booklist introduced as "our initial thoughts". A memoir of an 18thC joiner in "Book review" section is worth noting.
Garstang and District Heritage Society
www.garstangheritagesociety.org
Also on Facebook.

[guest189040]

If you see it, buy it, you will nor be disappointed.

https://butlerscheeses.co.uk/blue-cheese/blacksticks-blue

[sarah]

We visit a Small Holding /Nursery in the area that has stayed in the same family since 1860 and covers 22 acres. The family that run it still have diaries going back all this times that they share details of, showing really that things don't change so much. Lots of Veg grown in the area including the Pilling potatoes.

 

[Maiden Stone]

The family that run it still have diaries going back all this times that they share details of, showing really that things don't change so much.

Reminds me that the children of my farming family in upland Lancashire made rushlights at the start of the 20th century to save money on candles. It was a way for them to earn extra pocket-money. Eldest child, good at sums, worked out that the piece-rate paid by their mother wasn't worth his time and he'd rather do something else. Youngest ones soon got bored and played instead. Middle ones persevered, each earning their farthing(s). I was shown how to make them when I was a child (not for practical use) + plaited rush ropes and hay ropes.
 Rushes were used as animal bedding. Rush gathering was late summer or early autumn when rushes were tall and thick. Scythed and bound into bundles with plaited rush ropes. Loaded onto a cart or carried home by women and children on foot. 
"Rushlight: How the Country Poor Lit Their Homes" by Gertrude Jekyll, written 1904. On The Victorian Web. www.victorianweb.org/technology/domestic/1.html

[schimmellover]

That’s an interesting article - thank you for sharing. It makes you think how very dark it must have been and how much work went into the simplest things.