Oldham Local Customs

Although Oldham has a long tradition of Carnivals, the current Annual Oldham Carnival started life around 1900 to create "welcomed respite from the tedium of everyday life". The carnival is held mid-to-late summer and aims to raise money for various charities. It often featured people of local importance, brass, jazz and military bands, a Carnival Queen, people in fancy dress, dancers and decorated floats. Local entertainers and celebrities were also asked to join.

The carnivals route began in the town centre, wound its way along King Street and ended with a party in Alexandra Park. The carnival fell out of favour and popularity in the late 1990's, but however was ressurected in 2006 and rebranded the Peoples Carnival.

1lb shin beef, cut into small pieces shortcrust pastry
1 large onion, cut up salt and pepper
2lb potatoes

Instructions
Simmer the beef, onion and seasoning in water for 1 and a half hours until tender. Strain, reserving the stock. Boil the potatoes, cut into chunks, add to the meat. Put into a pie dish, add a little stock, then cover with fairly thick shortcrust pastry and bake in a hot oven for 40 minutes. Use the remaining meat stock to make a gravy.

Often virulently green, undeniably squishy, a favourite accompaniment to your fish and chips: what exactly are mushy peas? And as peas, what relation do they bear to the non-mushy kind?

Well, the peas that become mushy begin life as dried marrowfat peas. Marrowfat peas are mature peas that have been allowed to dry out naturally in the field, rather than be harvested in their prime of youth like the garden pea. Their unusual name comes from the Japanese who introduced the maro pea 100 years ago, encouraging us to grow nice fat maros in the suitable English climate.

The dried marrowfat peas are soaked overnight in water and bicarbonate of soda. The bicarbonate breaks the peas down to give them that all-important mushiness. Next, they are boiled and then simmered for varying lengths of time. Some people recommend one to two hours, others a brisk 20 minutes. The trick to really good mushy peas. please note, is to leave the seasoning to the very end and then add a knob of butter. Enjoy!

Ingredients
900g/2lb best end and middle neck British lamb, sliced into chops
1 tbsp groundnut oil
butter
4 lamb's kidneys, skinned, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 onions, sliced into 1cm/½in wedges
1 tbsp plain flour
570ml/20fl oz freshly boiled water
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 fresh bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
900g/2lb potatoes, cut into 2cm slices
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
2. Trim the lamb of any excess fat and pat dry with paper towel.
3. Heat the oil and a small knob of butter in a large heavy-based frying pan until very hot. Add the lamb, two or three pieces at a time, and fry until brown, turning once. Once browned, put them in a wide 3.5-litre casserole. Brown the pieces of kidney.
4. Once the meat and kidney are in the casserole, add the onions to the pan. Fry over medium heat, adding a little more butter to the pan if necessary, for about ten minutes until browned at the edges.
5. Stir in the flour then gradually add the hot water and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until the flour and liquid are smoothly blended. Season with salt and pepper and bring to simmering point. Pour over the meat in the casserole.
6. Add the bay leaf and thyme, then arrange the potato slices on top in an overlapping pattern. Season the potatoes and dot the surface with a few dabs of butter.
7. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put in the oven. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Towards the end of cooking time, remove the lid and brush the potatoes with a little more butter. Then place under the grill to crisp up. Alternatively, remove the lid and increase the heat to 200C/400F/Gas 6 for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
8. Remove the bay leaf and thyme before serving.