25 years ago – 1996
Eden
Two ambitious Eden projects have had differing fates in applications for National Lottery money.
Members of Langwathby Parish Council were celebrating after the Millennium Commission decided to take their £3 million bid to build a stone bridge across the River Eden a stage further.
However, there was not such good news for the Eden Valley Railway Society, whose application to reopen the rail line between Appleby and Stainmore was turned down.
Two Eden students have taken top honours in the design world. Both Trisha Hetherington and Wendy Smith are winners of the Royal society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce awards.
Wendy, aged 22, of Bolton Hall, Appleby, a third year student at Birmingham School of Jewellery, won a bursary award after designing a pair of brooches which can be worn fitted together or on their own.
Trisha, who is 23, is a former pupil of Ullswater and Penrith Queen Elizabeth Grammar Schools, in Penrith, and now a third year design student at the University of Northumbria. She won her award for designing an insulated food carrier for leisure walking.
Uldale
Cumbria’s first hearing dog, which has helped to change the life of her owner, makes her television debut next Sunday.
Connie, a four-year-old cross between a collie and a golden retriever, has been with Geoff and Jennifer Harmer at the Snooty Fox at Uldale, near Caldbeck, for around three years and has helped make a big difference to the life of Mrs. Harmer, who has suffered from deafness since childhood.
Now Connie is to feature on the BBC program See Hear, showing how she has helped Jennifer and Geoff build up their business.
Keswick
Allerdale Borough Council, which without any lawful authority backed a disastrous timeshare and leisure pool project at Keswick to the tune of £6 million, escaped the consequences of their own “abuse of power” in London’s Appeal Court.
The court’s decision that merchant bankers Credit Suisse were not entitled to their money back from the council was expected to send shockwaves through the City and greatly damage the credit rating of local authorities.
Keswick completed a trophy treble on Thursday when they lifted the Westmorland FA High Sheriff’s Cup.
The Walker Park men had already secured the Westmorland League championship and the Invitation Trophy, played at the beginning of the season.
The game, played on a hard Netherfield pitch, saw Keswick have the best of the chances overall and, with about 15 minutes to go, veteran Brian Loan drove the ball home to provide the icing on the cake in what has been an excellent season for the Walker Park men.
Penrith
More than 300 letters and cards of sympathy were received by the family of Gordon Scott, of Clifford Road, Penrith, whose death on Friday at the age of 49 aroused deep sympathy in the town and district.
He was a popular, friendly man and was held in high regard for his skill and conscientiousness as a joiner.
From the age of 15 he served his time as a joiner with Lowther Builders, remaining with them until 1970 when he became self-employed.
50 years ago – 1971
Appleby
Appleby Castle is on the market again.
The present owner, Mr. John Coney, would be willing to sell the ancient property – if he is able to get his asking price, reported to be about £125,000.
The Castle, which dates back to Norman times, has been the home of the Coney family for eight years.
Mr. Coney, a director of a number of companies and a former president of the Liverpool Cotton Association, bought Appleby Castle when the estates of the third Baron Hothfield were sold.
Penrith
The future of older property in the Townhead area has recently been discussed by the Health Committee of the Penrith Urban Council, according to minutes which will be considered at the Council’s annual meeting on Wednesday evening.
The committee are now recommending that the area bounded by Scotland Road, Foster Street and Harrison Street, and the Foster Street houses north of Harrison Steet up to and including New Buildings, should be included in the Council’s clearance and re-development plan for the next ten years.
Reduced membership and dairy bull insemination, and the fact that the French Charolais is now the most popular beef breed in the Penrith area – all reflecting the general farming trend away from dairying – were reported to the annual meeting of the Milk Marketing Board’s Penrith Artificial Insemination Centre at the Edenhall Hotel on Thursday.
Mr. Robert Todd, Long Meg, Langwathby, in his chairman’s report, said membership of the Centre of 377 to 7,768, a drop in keeping with the general trend away from dairying.
Alston
The stage of Alston Town Hall was transformed into the deck of a battleship for the production “Alston Ahoy” given by a crew of 50 children of the Fairhill Club on four nights last week.
The result of all their hard work in rehearsals delighted the audiences and Mr. N. Cowell, who produced the show and trained the children in some very well devised acts, deserves the highest praise.
Langwathby
The death occurred on Sunday morning of Mrs. Isabella Nicholson, wife of Mr. Roland Nicholson, Langwathby, a former landlord of the Museum Hotel, Castlegate, Penrith.
She was 79.
Mrs. Nicholson was a skilful needlewoman and lover of flowers. She is survived by her husband, a son and nine daughters.
100 years ago – 1921
Penrith
Preston North End, the First Division football club, has been making a tour of Cumberland and Westmorland clubs and Penrith was the first call, a record crowd of about 4,000 seeing Preston win 3-1.
Penrith, of course, were no match for such a powerful side, but Sykes, at centre-half, looked after Roberts, and Robinson held Jefferies in check, Bell and Little also played well and Mattinson upheld his reputation in goal.
Westmorland
A letter, together with plans, has been addressed to Westmorland County Council from Mr. G. Noble Fell, London, asking for approval for a scheme for a light railway from Keswick to Ambleside, via Grasmere, Dunmail Raise and Thirlmere.
Application for the approval has also been sent to the Parliamentary Committee of Cumberland County Council, which has asked for further particulars
