A Warm Welcome

I won't lie to you.  I once thought Bolton was on the border with Scotland....

It's true, this was just one of many misguided beliefs I held about the North such as thinking Lancashire and Cumbria were essentially the same place and believing that the only international airports in England were in London... 

Please forgive me. I held these beliefs due to a condition I was suffering from at the time.  I condition commonly known as being a 'Southerner'.

To a 'Southerner', the North is a bewildering place full of cobbled streets, people who wear their pajamas during the day and leave their front doors unlocked when they are at home.

Fear not because I have been cured!

After a slightly odd, mongrel like existence which saw me grow up in Spain, go to school in Hampshire and spend time living in Yorkshire and London, my good wife decided it was time I settled down in her hometown of Bolton here in Lancashire (or Greater Manchester if you're that way inclined).

One sure fire way to cure a 'Southerner' is to make him live 'Up North'.  Living in Bolton is great. With the glamorous city of Manchester so close and the peaceful Ribble Valley almost on your doorstep, you get the best of both worlds.  There are so many cities close by and the beautiful countryside is always there when you need it.

My one quibble with Bolton is that when I moved here I just couldn't find a decent place to eat close to home. The centre of town is not what you'd call a food friendly place when it comes to eateries despite the annual Food Festival in the Summer.  I therefore found myself searching a bit further afield in the surrounding areas for places to get tasty grub, local markets and service with a smile...  and I was not disappointed.

Bolton is not the first place you'd choose to eat, however there are gems if you look hard enough! I'm on a mission to find the best places to eat around Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Manchester has an amazing and varied food scene but I also want to focus on what is out there in the wilderness of the Lancashire countryside.  Where are the places worth going out of your way for? And where are the best places to visit if you're a lover of food?

If you're lucky I may even blog about places on my adventures around the UK and beyond... I have lots of foody travels in store over the next 6 months.

I hope you enjoy,

Rgds,

Bez



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