Looking back through the archives of The Keswick Reminder from around this week 20, 30 and 40 years ago.
20 years ago
Woman charged with nightclub spray offence
A woman is to appear before West Allerdale Magistrates today (Friday) charged with three offences arising from a gas spraying incident in a crowded Keswick night spot last weekend.
As a result of a pepper spray being let off in The Loft, six clubbers had to receive medical attention and two of them were taken to the Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital. It is understood that all are now recovering.
The prince returns
HRH The Prince of Wales returned to Borrowdale earlier this week to stay for two nights at Yew Tree Farm with Joe and Hazel Relph where he stayed on his visit last year after the Foot and Mouth outbreak. He arranged a return visit last year when Joe and Hazel Relph visited Highgrove Farm, on the Prince’s Gloucestershire estate.
This latest visit pleased a small group of visitors to the Borrowdale Valley when the Prince stopped for a chat with them. Ruth Beadman from Adelaide, Australia, and her friend Sue Goodman from Surrey were staying in a holiday cottage in Rosthwaite, only 100 yards from Yew Tree Farm. Several other visitors and local people chatted to the Prince including joiner Michael
Lewis who, two weeks ago, was visited in his home at Braithwaite by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott.
Susan Dowie, who runs the Royal Oak Hotel in Rosthwaite with her husband Neil, said: “He asked people if they were here on holiday. Some of my guests told him they were staying at the Royal Oak and the Prince asked if they had been out walking on the fells.”
John Prescott visit and the rail project
The recent visit of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to Keswick could perhaps help the revival of the Keswick to Penrith railway link.
The driving force behind the project, engineer Cedric Martindale, says: “Mr Prescott’s personal interest in developments in Keswick is seen as particularly helpful. Transport is a key part of his portfolio.”
During his visit Mr Prescott was particularly keen to find out about key issues in Keswick such as affordable housing and transport. Mr Martindale said both featured in the proposals drawn up by the partnership created to manage the Market Towns Initiative for Keswick. Mr Prescott promised he would be back to monitor progress being made and to study the effectiveness of Government programmes.
Mr Martindale says the detail nature of planning for railways means that conflicts and delays can arise because the aims of the different organisations do not match. CKP Railways plc, the company set up to try to bring about the re-opening of the rail link between the two Cumbrian towns, will be publishing a prospectus for a further Bonds scheme later this month. The last offer raised over £177,000 enabling the design work to be carried out.
30 years ago
Crackdown on hippies
Farmers and landowners are beginning to dread the approach of spring, says the Country Landowners Association.
“Our members are worried because the government has still not come up with legislation to deal effectively with the menace and nuisance caused by New Age travellers,” said Jolyon Dodgson, regional secretary of the CLA in the North West.
“Illegal camping, which brought so much misery to some parts of the countryside last year, can be tackled only by tougher and more effective legislation.
“The Tories had an election manifesto commitment to take action and made a further commitment at last year’s conference to introduce an effective package of measures, yet we are still waiting.
“Any repeat of the invasions and chaos which occurred last year will be intolerable and we are urging our members to make their views known to their local MPs.”
Window puzzle
Jeans, fleece and leather jackets worth a total £2,500 were stolen in a raid at the St. John’s Street shop of Wilson Bragg & Son during last Thursday night/early Friday morning.
But the proprietor, Peter Bragg, is baffled as to how an intruder managed to wriggle through a window only 12 inches by 9 inches.
He said: “It is scarcely possible to believe that anyone would be slim enough to get through such a small aperture. It makes you think that it must have been a child or an extremely thinly built older person.”
Marks indicated that the thieves may have tried the main door of the shop unsuccessfully before they broke in by jemmying open the little window at the rear of the premises. “They obviously just grabbed handfuls of clothing from inside the shop and then made their way out through the door,” said Mr. Bragg.
And he added: “When I look at the window I still can’t believe that anyone could get in that way, but obviously that is what happened.”
80 not out!
A Keswick man who still runs his grocery business celebrated his 80th birthday on Tuesday.
Mr Joe Leece first worked as an errand boy at the shop on the corner of Helvellyn Street and Leonard Street at the age of eleven. He has owned the business for a great many years, and must have the longest business record in one premises in this town.
Landmark to go
Keswick is to lose one of its best known landmarks – the large beech tree on the Keswick Motor Company forecourt in Lake Road.
The tree is cracked and rotting, a problem which was noted some years ago, and a recent inspection by a tree surgeon has revealed a worsening of the situation. It is now thought that the tree could be a hazard to the public if it was buffeted by storms.
Speaking for Keswick Motor Company, director Jim Armstrong said: “It is a landmark and it is a shame that it can’t be saved. It is a bonny tree and I will be sorry to see it go – even though we have had to sweep up tons of leaves every autumn!”
40 years ago
Support for a traffic ban in Keswick market place
Keswick Liberals, including the prospective County Council candidate Neil Blackshaw, carried out a survey in the town centre on Saturday which showed an overwhelming majority of the people who were questioned in favour of action to reduce the danger and inconvenience to pedestrians in Market Place. A minority were in favour of making the area permanently traffic-free but the majority, 66% of those questioned, favoured a scheme to ban traffic on Market Day.
The survey shows clearly that people feel that the town as a whole would benefit from a scheme which would allow the market to spread out, allow people and particularly children to wander in safety and give scope for modest landscape proposals such as seats and tree planting.
In view of the results of the “survey and of the support shown during the consultations on the Keswick Plan, Keswick Liberals feel that it is time for concerted effort to get a scheme organised.
Surveys have been done by the County Highways Department but it is clear that they are reluctant to act in view of the controversy.
A church organist retires
At Bassenthwaite the Church Organist has just retired – a small event in the big world, but a big one in the small world of Bassenthwaite.
For 56 years Millie Harper, now Mrs. Veitch, has officiated as organist, first at St. Bega’s Church and latterly at St. John’s Church. On the 31st December, 1982, she felt the time had come to call it a day and retire.
Millie was baptised in Bassenthwaite Church and at an early age joined the Church choir. In 1927, during the first year of the incumbency of the Rev. Walter Iliffe, she was appointed organist at St. Bega’s Church, and she served in this capacity until 1952 when she became organist and choir mistress at St. John’s Church. Beginning as a girl chorister, followed by 56 years as Church organist without a break, it is a wonderful record of service to Bassenthwaite Church. She has – served under five Vicars.
In the secular field, her musical talents have brought pleasure and uplift to two generations of Bassenthwaite folk. During the early days of radio and before the advent of television, when local concerts were popular events, she regularly appeared on the stage as accompanist on the piano and on dance nights when the services of a band could not be obtained Millie would produce her piano accordion and keep happy feet dancing through the night.
In the dark days of the 1939-45 war the number of concerts which she either organised or assisted in producing to raise money for soldiers’ comforts or war charities, are beyond recording.
Under her motherly eye at least two generations of young Bassenthwaite people have received their early tuition in playing the piano.
Millie may not be well known to new members of the parish but to the older members her devotion and dedication to music and to her community will always be remembered with affection and gratitude.
The previous week: A Quick Reminder: When a bomb was found on a Keswick farm
