NEVER let it be said that the people of East Lancashire aren’t a crafty lot.

When it comes to traditional skills, complex projects and mastering difficult arts, the files of the Lancashire Telegraph are packed with photographs of people enjoying themselves and turning out minor masterpieces.

Like Nelson baker Andrew Bowes, who used his skills as part of his job to create some spectacular bread for harvest festival made in the traditional way. The monster bakes displayed harvest symbols, including an illustration of the Bible story regarding the loaves and fishes.

One area of life in East Lancashire that has seen major changes over the years is for this involved in farming and agriculture.

At one time the annual shearing was a major event with scores of family farms and smallholders preparing fleeces for sale at the mart.

By 1989 the sight of a sheep-shearer in action was quite a rare one and – as with the photograph from our archives – often limited to public demonstrations of the craft.

Our photograph was taken in May 1989 at the Clitheroe Agricultural Show.

TV programmes such as the Great British Sewing Bee have led to a resurgence in interest in skills such as dress making and an increasing number of fashion-conscious teens are discovering their grandmothers did know what they were doing when they got out the pins for a spot of knitting.

As our photo from the mid-Eighties demonstrates, the complex art of lace making was enjoyed by many.

Using bobbins to construct complicated patterns, members of the Pendle Lace Group took part in the St Thomas Arts and Crafts Exhibition in Barrowford giving a demonstration to novices and also presenting examples of their finished work.

In our second photo Lynne Cockburn and Nora Duckworth demonstrate lace making at an open day at Four Lane Ends Adult Centre in Blackburn in May 1985.

And it’s not just lace that our talented creative types could work their magic on. Elizabeth Lucas from Mellor was renowned throughout the area in the mid-Eighties for her skill in making corn dollies.

Using a special kind of wheat, Maris Widgeon, which was grown in Burscough, Mrs Lucas constructed some amazingly complicated designs. Some took as little as half-an-hour to complete but others could take more than a day to make.

Finally from our trawl through the archives we have doll’s house-maker Malcolm Parkinson from Whalley, who proudly shows off the virtual mansion he completed in 1984.

If you have any old photographs showing creative skills send them to gill.johnson@nqnw.co.uk.