Looking back through the archives of The Keswick Reminder from around this week 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
20 years ago
“Answers please” calls the town with no cash!
Keswick, the town that runs out of cash at busy Bank Holidays, is ready to put more pressure on the big banks to improve their ‘hole in the wall’ facilities.
The town was besieged by complaints earlier this year when tourists said they were unable to get money out of the bank cash machines in the town centre because they had run out. Now local Allerdale and Town Councillor Elizabeth Barraclough is demanding an answer from the banks as to why they failed to keep their machines topped up at Easter.
Her protest could lead to Keswick Town Council writing to the head offices of the banks pointing out that only one of them managed to refill the cash machine. “It’s simply not good enough. My impression is that they are too remote and don’t care that we are a busy tourist town,” said Miss Barraclough.
She said the problem of cash machines drying up had been evident for some time. At Easter visitors were unable to get cash from the machines after they ran out at lunch time on Saturday and were not refilled until the Tuesday.
She said: “The problem is that we don’t have a co-ordinated approach to tourism. Hotel and guest houses and traders work together, but the banks are not part of the organisation in Keswick. People don’t want to carry a lot of cash around and they rely on the hole in the wall machines to replenish their spending money.”
Lake level
A scheme to raise the level of Derwentwater could be revived following recent talks involving lake users, landowners and local authorities.
Three years ago Keswick Town Council agreed to try to bring interested parties round the table to address the problem of falling lake levels. A study undertaken by the Lake District National PPark Authority confirmed that the level was falling, due primarily to the erosion of the sill at the exit of Derwentwater near Portinscale. There were concerns that the dropping lake level could cause boats to ground and also impact on nature and wildlife around the shore of one of England’s most beautiful lakes.
Town Councillor David Etherden said an armouring scheme, together with a raising of the sill, was put on hold due to problems which arose in discussions with the manager of a local hotel, and the Derwentwater Marina being put up for sale.
He said that with the new management at the Derwentwater Hotel and new owners at the Marina, another attempt was now to be made to resolve the long running problem. Following recent talks involving lake users and the National Park and Above Derwent Parish Council, it was decided to seek advice from the consultants who undertook the initial study.
30 years ago
Three former schools on the market
Following the closure of Brigham, Crosthwaite and St. John’s First Schools at the end of the summer term, the buildings are being offered for sale by Lowther Scott-Harden of Cockermouth, the agents acting for the Diocese of Carlisle.
Planning applications have been submitted for the conversion of Crosthwaite and St. John’s schools into residential use. Brigham School, say the agents, has “considerable potential” as a hotel – depending on a decision by Lake District Planners expected in September. Miles MacInnes of Lowther Scott-Harden said it was an “unusual opportunity” to acquire property in the town ripe for development.
“We believe that local occupancy restrictions are unlikely to be imposed on the residential conversions,” he added.
There are plans for four homes on one site and two on the smaller area. Mr MacInnes said the Brigham site, on the main approach to the town from the east, has considerable potential as a hotel although it was equally suitable for other uses.
Leadership crisis for Keswick scouts
Parents of Keswick Scouts have been warned that, unless a new leader can be found within the next few weeks, the scout troop may have to be disbanded.
Keswick Group Scout Leader Andrew Jones said: “We have written a letter to parents outlining the situation, but so far there has not been a single response.”
He said the present leader, Lisa Donahue, is going to college and will not be able to continue as leader after this summer. And Mr. Jones warned that it will be much harder to start a troop again once it has had to close.
At present there are about a dozen Scouts but with nearly 50 youngsters in the Cubs there is potential for a large intake. The scout troop is for 11 to 15 year old boys, and Mr. Jones said: “We have been seriously looking for a leader for the past two or three months. A lot of local lads have been members of the Scout movement over the years and it would be a great loss if it had to fold up.”
40 years ago
Flooding
A third flooding experience in six years brought an angry response from a Keswick woman on Sunday.
Mrs. Anne Keen’s basement flat in Church Street was under several feet of water and silt after a half hour torrential thunderstorm.
She said: “It is heartbreaking. This is the third time in six years, but the Council doesn’t seem to care. I received a letter from them on the last occasion saying it wouldn’t happen again, but when I walked through my lounge there was water pouring in.”
Mrs. Keen and her husband, who run a guest house, claim the flooding problem all stems from work which was done about seven years ago on renewing Keswick’s sewerage system.
She said: “I am seriously thinking of refusing to pay my next rate bill. Let them come and arrest me, then everyone will know their attitude.”
Two adjoining homes in Church Street, both of which also have basements, were flooded on Sunday. Keswick Fire Brigade pumped out the water and Mrs. Keen said that some sewage had also been washed up. She had some guests staying overnight, but was unable to make dinner for them because of the damage and some of them had to be asked to leave the next morning.
“The damage last time was £3,500. I hate to think what it will be on this occasion,” said Mrs. Keen, adding that carpets, clothing, stereo and video equipment had been damaged.
Allerdale District Council
Residents of Threlkeld village have lost their fight for the right to be allowed to purchase season tickets for car parking in Keswick.
Although Threlkeld is part of Eden District Council’s area, residents have a greater affinity with Keswick, and Councillor George Hodgson pointed out to Allerdale’s General Purposes Committee that many Threlkeld people come into Keswick, which is four miles away, rather than shop in Penrith.
However Allerdale Council has decided that there are other parts of the district which could come into a similar category and season tickets should be for Allerdale residents only.
Stuart sets another record
Leading Keswick athlete Ken Stuart set a new record time in winning last Saturday’s nine mile Kinniside fell race. John Wild, the current national champion, gave Ken a close race until the last steep climb onto Dent Fell where he faded to leave Ken an untroubled return to the Cleator Moor sports field.
With this victory Ken has again tipped the scales in his favour to win the National Fell Running Championship, although with five races still to run nothing can yet be certain.
Jon Broxap, Billy Bland and Duncan Stuart finished third, sixth and ninth respectively to secure the team trophy for Keswick for the second year in succession. Pete Barron recorded twelfth place, enabling Keswick to gain a stronger position in their quest to be National Team Champions, a competition based on counting the first five runners from each club in the selected championship races.
50 years ago
Death of Mr. A. C. Steel
Many friends in Keswick learned with regret of the death, in Newcastle General Hospital on Wednesday, of Mr, Alfred Charles (“Alf ”) Steel, Crosthwaite Road, Keswick, the well-known Superintendent for many years of the Cumberland Motor Services Depot in Keswick. He was 66.
Mr. Steel, who retired in 1971, was a Londoner by birth and had been fifty years in the service of the Company, having joined C.M.S. at Whitehaven in 1920 and became Depot Superintendent at Keswick eight years later. His father, the late Mr. Daniel Steel, moved to West Cumberland to assist in the setting up of the first bus service in the area, and Mr. Steel himself had seen the industry develop to its present scope over the years.
During his years as Keswick’s Depot Superintendent Mr. Steel earned the respect and gratitude of local people and visitors who used the bus service. On his retirement a dinner was held in his honour, after which the General Manager of Cumberland Motors Services presented Mr. Steel with several gifts from colleagues at the Keswick Depot and at the Head Office.
Much sympathy is felt for his wife, formerly Miss Gabrielle Margaret Kelly, and his four children.
The interment takes place at Crosthwaite Church on Saturday following requiem mass at Our Lady and St. Charles Church.
Angler
While fishing in Derwentwater recently, 12-year-old Andrew Jordan, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Martin Jordan, Highfield Hotel, The Heads, noticed “that his dog had found something in the shallow water.
It turned out to be a plastic wallet containing money and when he took it home his father found that the wallet contained £54 in rather wet and slightly damaged notes. Mr. Jordan was able to find a name and address and as a result the owner of the wallet, Mr. D. S. Chapman of Bramley, near Rotherham, visited Keswick at the weekend to collect his property and thank Andrew with a £10 reward.
He had, in fact, lost the money while fishing from a boat two years ago and had looked for it a number of times since.
Letter to the Editor: All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go
Dear Sir, – Since the recent closure of the Top Cat Discotheque and the Rugby Club, where have the Younger Generation of Keswick to go ?
There is only one Club, and that charges ridiculous prices, but even then many people cannot get in it because they are either not 18 or cannot get there before it gets full, and the doors are closed.
You would think that the council, who seem to cater for so many holidaymakers by building big car parks, new roads, and allowing so many cafes to open, would be pleased to open a discotheque to attract the Younger people to Keswick.
But what do we do on a Saturday night when the Youth Club is closed? Do we stay at home and watch the television or do we walk the streets? Why should we have to travel out of Keswick for a night out? Can we ask the Councillors what they would do if the Labour Club, the Conservative Club, the Rugby Club and the R.A.F.A. Club closed — where would they go?
So I think that before the people of Keswick call us, and say we go in the pubs under age, they should ask themselves, what else is there to do?
Yours, etc, KESWICK YOUTH
(name and address supplied).
