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My trip to Oswaldtwistle took place on a nippy day earlier this month. Wrapped up in my winter coat, scarf and gloves I headed out into the town which is affectionately known as Ossy, or Ossie. (Which is the correct spelling for this pet name?)
Anyway, I am quite familiar with the town as my fiance works in the Stanhill area so it wasn't too difficult to know where to go and who to talk to.
The town of Oswaldtwistle is based around Union Road, with most of the town's shops featuring along this route.
There are so many great shops in the town, many of them independent businesses. One little gem I found was Victoria Louise, a small and unobtrusive boutique on Union Road. First glance at this shop could not prepare you for what greets you once inside.
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The dresses and outfits are amazing, in a rainbow of colours and fabrics, from glamourous evening gowns and prom dresses to designer handbags and jewellry. It would be well worth your while visitng this treasure cove before any special night out!
There are plenty of pubs in Oswaldtwistle, with a total of eight on Union Road alone. Also, and rather unusually, there are about five hairdressers along the same stretch.
I couldn't discuss Oswaldtwistle with mentioning Oswaldtwistle Mills. Part of me imagined that businesses within the main town centre may have resented the Mills for concentrating trade away from them, however, most comments were positive and welcomed the tourism that the Mills generated.
There are so many interesting and unique places within the mill complex, including the Oswaldtwistle Heritage Society's model display of 'Old Ossy', which covers hundreds of years of history about Oswaldtwistle's development into the industrial era.
Along with this there are various businesses selling everything from clothes, shoes and underwear, to home furnishings, gifts and haberdashery.
My favourite bit though, is the Food Hall. The Crumbly Cheese Deli Shop always has a beautifully displayed range of cheeses, chutneys, pies and pickles. Their immediate neighbours, Ye Olde Sausage Shop, create some of the best sausages I have ever tasted, including my fella's favourite, the black pudding banger!
Unlike some towns in East Lancashire which are desperate for regeneration to bring flagging town centres back to life, Oswaldtwistle seem content to continue as it is.
The town offers a wide variety of trade, with plenty of eating establishments, unique shops, and even has its own theatre. Perhaps some premises need a bit of a facelift or a lick of paint, but it does not seem to have deterred people from enjoying this small but busy place.
Posted by: Paul Yates, Haslingden on 7:33pm Thu 20 Dec 07
I enjoyed the article as I grew up in Ossy and lived on Union Road for many years. You didn't mention its nickname of "Gobbinland" and all those true "Gobbiners" who were born "above the lamp". Perhaps other readers know the history and origins Gobbiners?
At one time when there were a lot more pubs on Union Road, the foolhardy would start at Church and try to have a pint in every pub along Union Road ending up at the Black Dog... in a coma.
I enjoyed the article as I grew up in Ossy and lived on Union Road for many years. You didn't mention its nickname of "Gobbinland" and all those true "Gobbiners" who were born "above the lamp". Perhaps other readers know the history and origins Gobbiners?
At one time when there were a lot more pubs on Union Road, the foolhardy would start at Church and try to have a pint in every pub along Union Road ending up at the Black Dog... in a coma.
Posted by: John Pendergrast, Vancouver Island B.C. Canada on 12:16am Fri 7 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Paul Yates[/bold] wrote:
I enjoyed the article as I grew up in Ossy and lived on Union Road for many years. You didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t mention its nickname of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Gobbinland\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and all those true \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Gobbiners\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" who were born \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"above the lamp\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". Perhaps other readers know the history and origins Gobbiners? At one time when there were a lot more pubs on Union Road, the foolhardy would start at Church and try to have a pint in every pub along Union Road ending up at the Black Dog... in a coma.[/quote] the story that I grew up with was that one had a thimble full of beer in the Black Dog,had two thimbles in the next pub, and continually doubled up at each pub. the bet was that you couldn't get to the Church intersection.
Paul Yates wrote:
I enjoyed the article as I grew up in Ossy and lived on Union Road for many years. You didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t mention its nickname of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Gobbinland\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and all those true \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Gobbiners\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" who were born \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"above the lamp\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". Perhaps other readers know the history and origins Gobbiners? At one time when there were a lot more pubs on Union Road, the foolhardy would start at Church and try to have a pint in every pub along Union Road ending up at the Black Dog... in a coma.
the story that I grew up with was that one had a thimble full of beer in the Black Dog,had two thimbles in the next pub, and continually doubled up at each pub. the bet was that you couldn't get to the Church intersection.
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