I MIGHT be in trouble for writing this month’s column.

Why? The War of the Roses that today still causes some sour relations between the two counties.

Us Yorkshire folks still haven’t forgiven the Lancastrians for winning.

In the sake of culinary pursuits, however, I will put this to one side, as I have a soft spot for a good eccles cake!

Sadly today the humble eccles cake seems to have disappeared from the shelves of one famous North West bakers’ and a few supermarkets, to such an extent that they can’t even be bought in their Mancunian hometown of Eccles.

They clearly have a bleak, flaky future.

Cake connoisseurs are outraged with this and say it’s another nail in the coffin for regional diversity in the British diet.

It’s a bit like going to Melton Mowbray and a butcher not selling pork pies or on the bus to Harrogate and finding Bettie’s have stopped selling Fat Rascals.

Just like the Yorkshire pudding, each Lancashire family once had its own recipe and for more than 200 years the eccles cake has been one of Britain’s best-loved national delicacies – I often wonder why we don’t have a national eccles cake day?

The name Eccles means church and was derivative of the Greek ‘’Eccesia’’ which means assembly, and each year a service was held to celebrate the church’s construction.

I assume that the town Eccles takes its name from the old church that it grew around.

This became known as the ‘’Eccles wakes’’ which was followed by a fair where food and drink was consumed in abundance, including the ever popular eccles cake.

But sadly not on Eccles town railway station after consumption by staff of a more alcoholic edition was blamed for a train crash.

All this good fun was stopped when Oliver Cromwell gained power and put a stop to the wakes and eating of eccles cakes due to pagan connections.

On the other hand, maybe it’s because he powers-that-be in London did not want their Northern subjects to have too much of a good thing!

The secret to good homemade eccles cakes is to soak the fruit and bake at a high temperature to produce steam within, which helps the puff pastry rise.

This makes it light and flaky, and best eaten with Wensleydale cheese this side of the border!