Howfen Exhibition

Mayor of Westhoughton Councillor Sarita Chohan accompanied by Deputy Mayor Councillor Linda Maher writes:

What a wonderful afternoon celebrating Westhoughton’s rich local history!

It was a real pleasure and honour to attend the Westhoughton Local History Group’s exhibition at the Carnegie, accompanied by Deputy Mayor Councillor Linda Maher, and to unveil a few special surprises.

As Mayor and a proud resident of Westhoughton, I feel incredibly fortunate that our town has such a passionate group dedicated to preserving and sharing our heritage. Our history connects generations, tells the stories of those who came before us, and helps us appreciate how our town has developed over the years.

The exhibition features Margaret Curme’s research and book on Howfen Wakes, a fantastic children’s Howfen Wakes colouring book by Patricia, displays arranged by Po Ling, and the unveiling of the Howfen cow head in the gate.

There was also a spectacular giant meat and potato pastie from Carr’s, skilfully decorated with “Howfen Wakes” baked into the pastry! The proof was certainly in the tasting, and it was very well received by everyone. Whether it contained the original Howfen ingredients remains a mystery!

A huge thank you to the Westhoughton Local History Group for all their hard work, dedication and passion. It was a wonderful event, and I encourage everyone to visit and enjoy this fascinating display of Westhoughton’s history, located above the library until October.