Hi there folks just thought I'd put pen to paper and tell anyone that's interested a little about the place I live in.

The English Lake District (known as "The Lakes" by many in the UK) is an area in the North West of England covering around 1000sq miles, with about 850sq mile of that now forming The Lake District National Park. Of course as you would expect by the name there are several large bodies of water in the area but funnily enough only one is called a Lake (Bassenthwaite Lake) all the others are Waters (as in Wastwater England's smallest Lake) Meres (as in Windermere ) or Tarns.

Also here there are a series of mountains, known as "The Fells", some rising to over 3000ft (England's highest peak Scafell Pike is here too). Which makes climbing a popular sport for the energetic.

 Although it has always been an area of outstanding natural beauty I suppose the Lakes became "famous" when a group of poets, who became to be known as the "Lakes Poets" made their homes here in the 19th century (these included William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey). Many writers have drawn inspiration from the Lakes including the children's author Beatrix Potter. So along with a fair dash of culture and history, the scenery, the mountains and lakes it has become a very popular tourist area.

Much of the Lake District is contained in the County of Cumbria (formed in 1974 with the merger of the former counties of Cumberland and Westmorland and parts of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire) and that's the bit that I live in.

Cumberland as it was then had (and still has), on the Scottish border, Carlisle as its county town Carlisle was designated a city when Cumbria was formed) .The region was on the northern frontier of Roman occupation and was protected from the Scots & Picts by Hadrian's Wall (some say it should have been maintained up to today).

Threats of invasion in Cumberland are not restricted to Roman times either there are some American connections too. Captain John Paul Jones (father of the American Navy). Born John Paul in Scotland, (he added the name Jones to hide his identity from the British navy, which considered him a pirate), he twice carried the naval war into British waters and in 1778 Jones raided the port of Whitehaven,

Things are a little more peaceful now and as you would expect agriculture, especially sheep raising, is an important industry here. However in addition coal, iron ore, and gypsum were mined in vast quantities from rich seams particularly in the West of the County. Sadly though many of these mines have closed, and some of the thriving communities that surrounded them are in decline.

There are many local (and some think quirky) customs and festivals here for instance: -

Egremont "Crab Fair" held in September each year (since the 15 century) holds the world Gurrning championships (gurrnan through a braffin (grinning through a horse collar) where contestants hold their heads through a horse collar and pull faces (i.e. Gurrn) with the one judged to be the most grotesque winning. Gurning is thought to come from the faces pulled by people eating the crab apples (very sour apples) thrown to the poor in the streets, something done to this day.

Also the official World's Biggest Liar Competition is held here every year in the Wasdale Valley. This unusual distinction was first conferred on the area through the efforts of a Victorian publican - one Will Ritson, who apparently owned a foxhound/golden eagle crossbreed, which could leap over even the tallest dry stone walls. So, since the 1970s, the good people of Wasdale have honoured his memory by holding a lying competition. Entrants are allowed a minimum of two minutes and a maximum of five to demonstrate their economy with the truth. The use of Cumbrian dialect is permitted, although mechanical aids are not allowed and overseas competitors have to provide their own interpreters if necessary. Politicians and members of the legal profession are barred from entry.

Previous winners' tall tales include a geological account of the formation of the Lake District through the action of giant moles, and a story about the fish-farming of mermaids. One winner apparently went on quite an action-packed holiday with the Pope. The winner of the competition "may be publicly billed, advertised or referred to as The Biggest Liar in the World for as long as he or she holds the title.

And that bring me to one of the most fascinating things about Cumbria it actually has its own language, although some would argue its a dialect, but I'll leave you to decide that.

When you approach a man, he may greet you with "Wat fettle?", "Hoo do?" or "Hoo's thi fettle?" If he works with you, he's a marra. Friends are called mates.

There is no shortage of wonderful words to describe animals. Clegs are horseflies and midges, a jinnyspinner is a daddy longlegs, twitchbell an earwig, hedgehogs urchins and wuzzles or wizzles are weasels. Sheep (of course) had - and still have - complicated names. During the winter, the growing lambs are hogs or hoggets and stay so until the next spring when they become gimmers if female, or wedders if doctored. Twinters are two year old sheep and there are also yews (ewes), auld wedders and tups.

The old farmers still use old Cumbrian for counting sheep too: -

yan, tyan, tethera, methera, pimp, setheral, letheral, hovera, dovera, dick, yan-a-dick, tyan-a-dick, thethera-a-dick, methera-a-dick, bumfit, yan-a-bumfit,, tyan-a-bumfit, thethera-a-bumfit, methera-a-bumfit, giggot

I think I live in a great place, you can keep your city centres and high-rise buildings give me my 'fells' and 'lakes' any day complete with all its "quirks" and of course its own special language. Any road ifn thoo wans ta ave another crack about Cumbria let us know an I'll write yan (ifn I can be arrished).

Woolyback