Looking back through the archives of The Keswick Reminder from around this week 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
20 years ago
Firefighters rescue shire horse
A fire appliance from Keswick and a major rescue unit had to dismantle part of a barn and use airbags to rescue an 11 year old pregnant shire horse which collapsed on a farm near Keswick.
Fire engines could not get over the narrow Ashness bridge, adding to the problems of the rescuers, and their equipment had to be ferried by farm vehicles to the scene of the drama at Ashness Farm.
Station Officer Mike McMinn said: “We were called out by the veterinary surgeon. The horse had been lying on one side so long it had got a lame leg and was unable to stand. There was no way we could raise it so we had to partly dismantle the barn.”
The firefighters managed to roll the horse over onto a bed of hay and in a three hour operation they used air bags to raise the horse and ease its circulation.
Station Officer McMinn said: “We do a lot of animal rescues, but they are usually in the open whereas this was in a confined space, well off the beaten track.”
Farmer Mark Cornthwaite gave a progress report earlier this week and said the horse, which weighs over a ton, is now eating and seemed to be recovering well from her ordeal. He said: “The vet said it was either a case of call the fire brigade or put her to sleep. The problem is that if a horse that size gets down it needs to get up again fairly quickly.”
Town centre officer
PC John Shaw will be taking up the new position of Keswick Town Centre Officer and says he expects to commence this position on 28 February. He will be involved in the policing of the town and will be responsible for matters in the town centre area.
PC Shaw says he lives within the town and his concerns are the same as those of many others — he would like to live and work in a crime free, pleasant and friendly town with a good quality of life.
PC Shaw says he will be hoping to improve the quality of service provided by the police to the town, with a number of initiatives being introduced during the coming months. These include looking at the snowball and ‘thumbs up’ schemes and the radio watch which he hopes to improve.
And he says: ”I feel that the most important thing will be a uniformed presence visible in and around the town on a regular basis — something which has been missing for several years. I will be around to liaise with members of the public, speak to people and become a familiar face and point of contact for everyone.”
30 years ago
Force crag
The future of Force Crag mine, at the head of the Coledale Valley near Braithwaite, forms part of a review of former working sites by the Lake District Planning Board.
The mine has produced primarily barytes, lead and zinc but in recent years it has been worked on a very limited scale. A report to the Planning Board says consideration may be given to tidying the site and removing unsightly buildings and plant.
The land is owned by The National Trust and the current mining lease, which was due to expire last year, has not yet been surrendered. Reports on the industrial archaeology value of the site have been submitted by the Trust’s archaeological advisor and the Mines of Lakeland Exploration Society.
The Planning Board is being recommended to approve an assessment of the site to form the basis for future action.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor, We wish to comment on a Keswick town councillor’s proposal to pledge £100,000 for a new theatre in Keswick.
We do not approve of any of Keswick’s prudent savings over many years being pledged towards the Benson & Forsyth design — the White Box. This design was rejected by the local and district councils and by the Lake District Special Planning Board, consent being granted only after Appeal to the Minister for the Environment.
Provided that the Cumbria Theatre Trust and the Century Theatre Ltd. joint committee can agree on a more acceptable design, which subsequently is approved by the L.D.S.P.B., then we suggest that the Keswick Town Council makes a pledge of a maximum of £50,000 on a matching basis (i.e. £1 for each £1 raised locally).
We suggest that a sum of £50,000 from the Town Council funds be allocated to fund a community centre which could cater for all the people of Keswick from the cradle to the grave, to be located on one of the school sites shortly to become available.
Keswick needs a new theatre but the town has other needs which, when funded, could benefit far more of the population. So please do not put all of our eggs in one basket.
G. E. and E. W. Curzon
Grizedale Close
Keswick
40 years ago
Nat West open Keswick cash dispenser
Mountaineer Doug Scott has his eyes fixed firmly on one of the world’s highest peaks.
Doug, who recently moved to a new home at Hesket Newmarket is planning to take off to the Himalayas in April to climb K.2. But on Thursday he had his feet firmly on the ground when he visited the National Westminster Bank in Keswick’s Market Square to open the bank’s new ‘through the wall” cash dispenser by making the first official withdrawal of money.
The Nat West, who now have a 24 hour, seven week service on cash, cheque book and statement ordering, for local customers, gave Doug a £25 donation. In turn he specified that the money should go to the Friends of the Century Theatre, to help with their plans to build a new theatre in Keswick.
Annual brewster sessions
Major increases in the number of proceedings for drunkenness and drinking and driving were reported at the annual Keswick brewster sessions on Friday.
Chief Superintendent David Howe said there had been 26 convictions for drunkenness, an increase of 22 compared with 1981. There Had been 25 proceedings for drinking and driving, which was an increase of 14. Ten people were proceeded against for buying or consuming alcohol when under age, an increase of five.
However Chief Supt. Howe pointed out that the 1981 drink driving figures for the division had been lower than usual and last year’s figures bore more relation to those presented in 1980.
And he said that in 1982, a number of cases of drunkenness were carried over from 1981.
There are now 121 licensed premises, one to every 191 inhabitants. Last year twenty-five licences were transferred and 121 extensions of hours granted. No licensees Were proceeded against.
The chairman of the Justices, Mr. E. C. Hicks, said they were disturbed by the drink driving increase of more than 100 per cent although the Justices bore in mind the qualification placed on the statistics by the police.
The clerk (Mr. C. J. Armstrong) said that concern had been expressed to some of the Bench about the Keswick Restaurant and he understood they would like to look at the premises before making a decision about renewing the licence. All other licences in the division were renewed on Friday.
50 years ago
Proposed Keswick Society
Following the correspondence in this paper about the development and appearance of Keswick, an open meeting has been arranged for Tuesday next at Lairthwaite Centre.
A new 37-minute colour film called “A Future for the Past” will be shown as a lead-in to further discussion. The film deals with examples of conservation and improvement in streets, traffic areas and large scale developments. It should provoke many ideas of direct relevance to Keswick and lend some encouragement to those who look for a greater interest in the town than is at present apparent.
Keswick’s Victory
On Tuesday night a team consisting of Harry Kelly, of the R.A.F.A., Mrs. Gladys Frost, of the Townswomen’s Guild, and Tony Nobbs, from Round Table, joined with Patrick Moore, the well-known astronomer and broadcaster of Apollo fame, in a contest against Ambleside. The team from “Owert” Raise” was led by the well-known humorous farmer introduced as ‘Edward Moult, Esq., potato and strawberry grower.’
The audience was warmed up by the BBC producer and, as he instructed, laughed uproariously no matter how poor the jokes.
Our team captain, Patrick Moore, admitted a trifle reluctantly that during the war as an RAF navigator he had lost his way and was to some extent responsible for dropping a load of bombs on a railway station just outside Barrow. (Rumour has it that this was why he took up Astronomy).
The introduction and preliminaries over, the show was underway with both teams scoring well. Indeed at the halfway stage it was still anybody’s game. Then the Ambleside team missed a set of questions putting Keswick into a slight lead which, to the credit of our team, was gradually increased despite determined assaults by Ambleside. The final score was Keswick 81, Ambleside 73, and both teams were loudly applauded by what was a very sporting and predominantly Ambleside crowd.
The show will be broadcast on April 18th at 8 p.m. on Radio 2. Break the habit of a lifetime and leave your television switched off for half-an-hour to enjoy the thrills of Keswick on ‘Steam Radio.’
In the meantime the Keswick team meet Scarborough in the next round. The recording session will be at Scarborough on the evening of March 13th, Free tickets will be available in Keswick for people wishing to support their team.
Well done Keswick and good luck in the next round.
The previous week: When plans were being drawn up for a new pencil factory in Keswick
