Portal:North West England
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Two large conurbations, centred on the cities of Liverpool and Manchester, dominate the south of the region. The north of the region (that is, north Lancashire and Cumbria) is largely rural, but includes a number of towns such as Kendal and Blackpool. Greater Manchester is home to the third largest conurbation in England, after Greater London and West Midlands respectively. The combined population of Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire (which are largely rural) and the two metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, which are the counties that make up North West England, is 6,853,200 (2006 estimate).  Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn. Upstream and 8 miles (13 km) to the east is the town of Warrington, and downstream 16 miles (26 km) to the west is the city of Liverpool. Historically part of Lancashire, prior to the Industrial Revolution Widnes consisted of a small number of separate settlements on land which was mainly marsh or moorland. In 1847 the first chemical factory was established and the town rapidly became a major centre of the chemical industry. The demand for labour was met by the immigration of large numbers of workers from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and Wales. The town continues to be a major manufacturer of chemicals and there has been a degree of diversification of the town's industries. Widnes lies on the southern route of the Liverpool to Manchester railway line. The main roads passing through the town are the A557 in a north-south direction and the A562 which runs east-west. The Sankey Canal (now disused) terminates in an area of the town known as Spike Island.  Shaun Ryder (born 23 August 1962 in Little Hulton, near Salford) is an English singer and songwriter and an ex postman who became famous in the "Madchester" era band Happy Mondays. His lyrics in the band Happy Mondays, dismissed by some as drug induced gibberish, also received critical praise for their wit and musical fusion with the sound of the band. Ryder's struggle with drugs eventually led to the break up of the Mondays in 1992. The film 24 Hour Party People featured the (semi-fictional) story of Shaun Ryder's youth and the life of Happy Mondays whilst signed with Factory Records in the late eighties and early nineties.  Photo credit: Chowells 
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Lancashire: Other:
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