I am indebted to numerous organisations and individuals for providing information, ideas and advice during the writing of this book. I am grateful in particular to the staff, publications and websites of the following: the Astley Green Colliery Museum; the Battlefields Trust; the Beatles Story; the Bolton, Bowland Pennine, Coniston, Kendal and Rossendale and Pendle mountain rescue teams; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Dry Stone Walling Association; English Heritage; the English Place-name Society; the Environment Agency; the Forestry Commission; the Friends of Real Lancashire; the International Slavery Museum; Lancashire County Council; Lancashire County Cricket Club; the Lake District National Park Authority; Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board; the Merseyside Maritime Museum; the Met Office; the Museum of Lancashire; the National Football Museum; the National Piers Society; the National Trust; Natural England; the Office for National Statistics; Ordnance Survey; the Ramblers Association; the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Visit England; Visit Lancashire; and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. I am also thankful for the help of the staff of Lancashire’s wonderful libraries, especially the Lancashire Record Office in Preston.
As ever I owe most to my wife, Ceri, for her endless support and love; and to our two Lancashire-born children, Beth and Sam, for helping in all sorts of ways.