On Saturday 23rd March 2024, the Lancashire Authors’ Association took part in the 10th annual ‘What’s Your Story, Chorley?’ literary event, this time in the Chorley Theatre bar.

The LAA followed on from President Sid Calderbank’s ‘Lancashire Dialect Group’, where they invited audience members to read passages from ‘Cracks From A Cobbler’s Seat’, a book of humorous tales written and published in Chorley at Christmas 1887 and which ran through eight editions until 1925. Several copies are in the LAA collection, housed at the Peter Marsh Library at the University of Bolton.

After a thoroughly enthusiastic 45 minutes of dialect readings with a packed audience, the room quickly refilled again for the LAA’s session at noon, with some familiar faces and new faces, with a wide variety of ages including some children and groups of families.

Vice Chairman Olive Riley opened the session with an introduction to the LAA. Jeanette Greaves followed with a reading from her first novel, then soon had to rush out to prepare for her ‘Writing Flash Fiction’ writing workshop at Primrose Gardens. Jeanette’s third novel is due to be released soon. Tom Ungless was next with an emotionally charged performance of his story ‘Rose’, followed by David Lythgoe who read a selection of poems, some observational and some from his book ‘A Distillation of Hills’.

Mebs (Mahmood Ahmed) read a couple of extracts from his autobiographical book ‘PC Mebs – Finding Myself’, Cath Cole read from one of her many novels set in the local area and Peter Foster read a humorous dialect piece for us, finishing with laughter and approving applause from the audience.

Sid closed the session with some history on Major Halstead, a previous president of LAA, whose photograph stood at the front for all to see. He then, of course, recited some more dialect readings for good measure! The event was a joyful success, with several media photographers popping in during the session to take photographs and several people took the information leaflets and bookmarks that were laid out. Many thanks to all members who read their work or attended in support of the LAA.