Looking back through the archives of the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald.
25 years ago — 1998
Penrith
Cumbrian Industrials have started work on the main building at the Hills of the North visitor centre at Slapestones, near Penrith, after landing the £6 million contract. The Penrith firm has been awarded the tender which is a major part of the overall £11m contract for the development. Developers of the site, Westmorland Motorway Services, have made it their policy to award contracts to local companies where economically and commercially viable.
The sinking of the Titanic has given a massive lift to charity, with the blockbuster movie’s continued success contributing to the raising of funds for a local good cause. During the six-week showing of the film at Penrith’s Alhambra Cinema, the Ladies’ Lifeboat Guild of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute collected a total of £519.14 for their funds.
The directors of the Penrith Building Society have pledged to maintain their fight against “carpetbaggers” who would like to force conversion to a bank in order to gain windfall profits from the shares which would be issued. At the society’s annual meeting, directors took steps to stop this happening by proposing a new rule on the number of society members needed to call a special general meeting — one of the steps required for conversion to a bank.
Patterdale
Patterdale farmer Andrea Taylforth struck a blow for equality and joined the ranks of Cumbria’s retained firefighters. Andrea is one of only seven women currently serving with the county brigade, which employs more than 700 firefighters. The 32-year-old mother of two farms at National Trust holding Beckstones, at Patterdale, with husband Robin. She lists stock car racing as among her hobbies and has enjoyed a fair degree of success at the local track at Bank Head, Orton.
Alston
Alston-based football player Tony Nelson is looking forward to the biggest game of his life, the final of the FA Vase, to be played at Wembley on 9th May. Tony will be playing for Northern League side Tow Law Town, who take on Devon team Tiverton. The 29-year-old midfielder joined Tow Law four years ago after a brief spell with Penrith.
Eden
Members of the public could be allowed to address Eden Council’s planning committee if the ideas of a councillor are adopted. Adam Spencer, leader of the Labour group, has put forward measures he thinks may help the public regain confidence in the planning process. One idea is for applicants and objectors to address the planning committee directly with their cases. This has been tried by other councils.
Murton
Tony Allinson, Murton, Appleby, has been judged for the second year running as the North West tanker driver of the year. Tony, aged 45, was one of 150 Coldstream tanker drivers nominated for the title by farmer members of the Express Milk Partnership in a nationwide competition. Tony joined Coldstream at Appleby as a tanker driver in 1980.
50 years ago — 1973
Penrith
Becoming a grandmother is nothing new to Mrs. May Lund, but on Friday things got a bit hectic, for Mrs. Lund, who lives in Arthur Street, Penrith, got two grandchildren in a day — one born to her daughter and the other to her daughter-in-law, at Penrith Hospital. First to arrive was a boy, for Mrs. Lund’s daughter, Mrs Jennifer Wheeler, and her husband Douglas, and they decided on the names Douglas Ian. Thirteen hours later, Mrs. Lorna Lund gave birth to a sister, Suzanne May, for her boys Andrew and Derrick.
Auld Lang Syne, played by licensee Mrs Elizabeth Mann on her piano will mark the permanent closure of one of Penrith’s oldest inns, the White Horse, in Friargate. The Urban Council recently bought the White Horse from Whitbread Ltd, the brewers, and eventually it will be demolished as part of a redevelopment scheme. For Mrs. Mann herself, it means retirement after almost 45 years as hostess of an inn believed to date back at least two centuries.
Appleby
In less than a week, an Appleby contractor has restored a weir across the River Eden which the Borough Council proposed to abandon. The ancient weir, which diverted the Eden into the mill stream at Bongate Mill, had been damaged by floods. Mr. Stuart Hogg, an Appleby walling contractor, gave his services for free and charged only for materials.
Orton
When Mrs. Lila Tingle left her Aldershot home for a cottage on Orton Scar lacking electricity and a water supply, she sat down and had a good weep. Now, after 43 years of carrying water in a bucket from a nearby spring, she is to get a water supply installed in her home, but she still intends to use the spring for all her drinking water! No mains supply can replace that cool, clear spring which has never dried up or been frozen over in all her time there.
100 years ago — 1923
Hesket-new-Market
A local youth attempting to reverse a car out of a garage ran into one of the supporting pillars of the Market Cross and the whole structure collapsed. The cross is a relic of the old-tie fairs and has been a favourite of village children. It is hoped that it will be restored.
Edenhall
Several people on the Inglewood to Great Salkeld road noticed a man of many summers ploughing in a field and marvelled at the sprightly way he handled the plough. He turned out to be Mr. James Atkinson, Birkenhead. Born at Edenhall, he served his apprenticeship as a joiner and joined the Liverpool Dock Board. Mr. Atkinson, now 82 and weighing 18 and a half stone, thought to try his hand at ploughing once more, with satisfactory results. But after several times round the field had to admit the horses were rather too fast for him.
