RESIDENTS and businesses in East Lancashire celebrated their roots on Lancashire Day yesterday.

Events across the towns and villages in Lancashire celebrated the heritage and history of every Lancastrian.

Wally Brookes, 62, landlord of the George Hotel, Blackburn Road, Darwen, was giving away free Lancashire Day ale, the Flying Shuttle, to anyone who had a Lancashire Day badge.

Despite coming from Yorkshire, Wally made a night to remember with a Lancashire pub quiz, sold traditional lancashire hotpot made with ale and decorated his pub with Lancashire Day banners, posters and themed beer mats.

He said: "We are hoping to do it next year and make it an annual event."

In Clitheroe and Nelson a town crier welcomed in Lancashire Day.

A large marquee selling Lancashire tea and regional foods could be found in Nelson town centre and the Haggate pub in Royton held a Lancashire Night.

Lancashire Day stems from 1295 when, on November 27, the first elected representatives from Lancashire were summoned by King Edward I to attend Parliament at Westminster.

This was later to be known as the Model Parliament and was the beginning of democracy in Britain.

Some 700 years later, on November 27, 1995, Peter Thurnham, the MP for Bolton NE, tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons calling on all local authorities to signpost the boundaries of Lancashire and other historic counties.