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 I've
lived in the north of Lancashire for almost ten years. For
me the area between Bowland and the Bay is one of the most astonishingly
beautiful places in the world.
Now,
in a strange coincidence I've found a place which has become a home
from home and which shares the same name.
I first
visited Lancaster, Pennsylvania while visiting friends in nearby
Harrisburg. Since
them I've travelled right across the area and made many friends
among the local population.
Lancaster
is 200 miles from New York City and at the central point of a state
which includes Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The
area is separated from nearby York County by the mighty Susquehanna
River on its was to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. Lancaster
has adopted the Red Rose, you can guess what colour they cultivate
on the other side of the river.
Lancaster
city and county has a population of around half a million and is
one of the fastest growing areas in the USA. It's
the home of multi-national corporations, of industry and major shopping
malls, but they exist alongside one of the most important agricultural
areas in the entire nation.
Thousands
come to the area to visit villages like Bird in Hand and Intercourse
and to get a glimpse of the Amish and the Mennonites, the old religious
communities who shun modern trappings like the motor car and electricity.
The
full story of life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania can be found in two
special programmes on BBC Radio Lancashire, which can be heard again
via the links on the left hand side of this page. In
them I meet the former Burnley man selling English tea, I discover
how the rivalry between the red and white roses is still continuing
three thousand miles away and look at life among the Amish and Mennonite
religious orders.
Jean
Flint emailed in to add...
Thank
you for rekindling some lovely memories I have of visiting Lancaster
22 years ago with my late husband. I have e-mailed the web page
to my relatives in Philadelphia who took us to meet the lovely Amish
people.One of the photographs which we had taken was in front of
the sign stating we were in Intercourse needless to say at the time
we thought it was a great laugh. Kind Regards
Joseph
Rick emailed in to add...
Someone
sent me your story on Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I have been there many
times only because I live about 1 hours drive from there. It's surprising
how the countryside there is much like some parts of England with
its farm lands and open fields. I take visitors from England to see
it to let them know that America is not all sky scrapers. There are
many places in Pennsylvania with very British names, the county that
I live in is called Bucks County, there's a Bristol, Salford, I could
go on, the area was well settled with Brits including myself I have
been here 40 years from Manchester. Now, if they could only good tea.
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