THE Red Rose county is preparing to celebrate annual Lancashire Day.

Everything from Eccles cakes to hot pot to black puddings will be celebrated on November 27, the anniversary of the event in 1295 when Edward I summoned the county's first elected representatives to a model parliament in Westminster.

Historical differences will be put aside for a day as the Saddleworth White Rose Society presents the Friends of Lancashire with half a Yorkshire lamb.

A proclamation celebrating the County Palatine of Lancaster, the county's official title, will be read out by the Friends at Asda, Rawtenstall, at Clitheroe market place.

A hot pot dinner will be held at the Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn.

Friends spokesman Chris Dawson said: "The celebration of Lancashire Day reminds people that despite various changes to administrative areas over the years, no legislation has ever affected the boundaries of the traditional geographical county of Lancashire. "There remains in the minds of some people the misconception that all that now remains of Lancashire is the limited area of the county still administered by the county council. The traditional Red Rose county is much larger than the current administrative county.

"Lancashire existed for many centuries before administrative counties were invented in 1888 and will still be here when the current administrative areas have been replaced." The day will recognise the traditional county boundaries including the now separate authorities of Blackburn with Darwen, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

Friends committee member Dave Russell, of Stacksteads, added: "It's our heritage; it's who we are. People in places like Blackburn are Lancastrians and they want to be known as Lancastrians.

Earlier this year official-looking road signs were put up on the former Lancashire-Yorkshire border at Foulridge, near Colne, by local campaigners.

The border was changed in 1974 during a local government shake-up. Since then increasingly permanent signs have sprouted on the old border, put up by Unite Craven campaigners who want West Craven returned from Pendle to Yorkshire.