25 years ago – 1996
Eden
Job losses in Eden and the surrounding area seem inevitable as beef sales continue to fall because of the crisis over mad cow disease.
Local agricultural products suppliers are already felling the effects of the beef crisis, with a number reporting poor trade and cancelled orders.
Maurice Pigney, of H. Pigney and Son, Appleby, said: “It is going to affect us very badly.
“Machinery orders have been cancelled left, right and centre.”
County and district councillor John Moffat has been appointed Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean’s official spokesman on constituency matters.
The move follows the departure of constituency agent Greg Trew to Sir James Goldsmith’s Referendum Party.
Mr. Moffat said his role as Mr. Maclean’s spokesman would be divorced from his council activities.
“I still believe that local authorities should not be party politically governed,” he added.
Langwathby
A Millennium Commission decision on funding for a new bridge at Langwathby, costing £3.4 million, is expected by the end of April.
The parish council have submitted a glossy 30-page brochure to the commission is support of a bid for £1.7 million of funding – half the expected cost of the new structure.
Included in the submission is the design of the replacement bridge, prepared by Eleanor Egan, who comes from Langwathby and is in her final year as an architecture student at Edinburgh University.
Keswick
A plan to demonstrate a new graffiti-busting machine in Keswick ran into a snag – the town did not have any graffiti needing to be removed.
An idea to paint a large mural on the rear wall of the town’s youth club seemed the ideal solution, except that the club’s trustees were not told of the plan.
Youth club chairman Ron Munby was surprised to see the graffiti on the building, especially when neighbours complained.
Penrith
The right rules are in place to reduce the chances of any smell from the Wildriggs plant at Penrith, says Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean.
He was speaking after the latest meeting of the Wildriggs steering group at which Eden Council’s director of technical services, Steve Huddart, gave a presentation on developments and council actions over the last three months.
After the meeting, Mr. Maclean said: “It looks like Eden now have the right rules in place to reduce the chances of any smell, but if the company fail then they can be hit really hard indeed.”
A hard training session would probably have extended Penrith’s players more than Saturday’s trot out against deplorable visitors Moresby.
The referee ended the game 15 minutes early after Penrith’s 12th try which followed the sending off of a Moresby player for persistent foul play.
With Moresby down to thirteen men and the score at 83-0 there was no point continuing. Penrith’s try scorers were Robinson (3), McVey (2), Mallinson (2), Veitch, Dent, Shepherd, Hamilton and Taylor.
Ian Mallinson converted 10 and also kicked a penalty to take his personal match tally to 33 points and break the club record.
50 years ago – 1971
Appleby
When the destructive March flood of 1968 hit Appleby, it left the Jubilee footbridge over the Eden at Bongate contorted beyond repair – and on Thursday, three years later almost to the month, the Mayor, Alderman Donald Macdonald, officially opened the New Jubilee Bridge.
Spanning the quiet waters which flow from the mill weir and under the protective “wing” of the old Norman castle on the hill, the new £7,600 bridge links again the Bongate and Scattergate areas of the Borough.
Penrith
Penrith Urban Council are being recommended by the Planning Committee to approve proposals and plans for the erection of new public conveniences in Blue Bell Lane.
The plans, considered at a recent meeting of the committee, also make provision for a shop and two flats and the total estimated cost is £37,000.
A chapter in the educational history of Penrith ended on Tuesday with the closure of two schools, one over 300 years old and the other founded almost 140 years ago.
Robinson’s Infants School, Middlegate, and the National Church of England Infants’ School, Meeting House Lane, will not re-open after the Easter holiday when the pupils will move to a new school on the Scaws Estate.
The new Scaws Church of England School has cost, in round terms, £62,000 and it will have an initial intake of 180 children.
Brough
The people of Brough are concerned about the future of the ancient Market Cross, which once stood on the High Street on the A66 road through the village.
It is about ten years since the Cross was knocked down by a lorry and villagers feel that its restoration is long overdue. It was formerly kept by the County Council in a garage, but this has now been taken down and local people are worried in case the stonework is of the Cross is damaged by children.
Edenhall
Work on the erection of a new brick-built pavilion on Edenhall’s cricket ground will probably begin during the summer, it was reported at the annual meeting of Edenhall and Langwathby Cricket Club.
The President, Mr. J. C. Monkhouse, is handling arrangements for the project, which will cost between £3,000 and £3,500.
100 years ago – 1921
Brough
Following in his grandfather’s footsteps in Master Geoffrey Yare who, at the age of 14, has been appointed organist at Brough Church.
He succeeds Mr. S. A. Huck, organist for twelve years, and, before him, Geoffrey’s grandfather, Mr. Thomas Bowman, Church Brough, held the post for 35 years.
Penrith
The Vicar of St. Andrew’s Church, Penrith, made a grave statement at the annual church meeting regarding the stonework of the church.
He said that the outside stonework was crumbling in certain places and, if not checked in time, this would cause the whole structure to suffer architecturally.
