Looking back through the archives of The Keswick Reminder from around this week 20, 30 and 40 years ago.
20 years ago
Apples’ flashing blade wins promotion for Keswick 1st XI
When he was a la’al lad, going through the junior ranks of Keswick Cricket Club, Andrew Appleby was highly rated as a batsman. But over the years his off spin bowling took over and the batting tended to take a back seat, reduced at best to the occasional late flourish and more often than not without a great deal of success. But on Saturday at Gillfoot Park, Egremont, “Apples” produced the most significant innings he has ever played. While it was brief, consisting of just two deliveries in the final over of the match and the final over of the season, its importance can never be under-estimated and his team’s reaction to it spoke volumes.
The situation was this. Keswick needed to win at Egremont to assure themselves of promotion to the Premier Division of the North Lancashire and Cumbria Cricket League. With their total on 185/5 and needing 195 to win, you would not have bet against Keswick winning the game and promotion. But then the jitters took over. Four wickets fell in the space of just three overs and with the final over of the match and the season to be bowled, the last pair were at the wicket with Apples joining Chris D’Leny who had already played a potentially match winning innings of great maturity on 27 not out. But that could have all been blown away and Keswick’s hopes of promotion and a journey to the top flight with it after a long and at times difficult season, had not Andrew Appleby produced his memorable knock.
Now Apples invariably attempts to hit to the legside boundary and has many times come unstuck in the process as he plays all round a straight one and is clean bowled or is rapped on the pads and given out LBW. His shot – for there is only one these days – is best described as a hit to leg. Apples often practises the said shot in the changing room or the immediate area of the pavilion before going out to bat. And woe betide anyone who comes within striking distance of his whirling blade. The Four Musketeers have nothing on this. Over the seasons the shot has come to be known as ‘The Twirl’ with Apples executing the practice stroke with great flourish.
Unfortunately, the reality once in the middle is not always as successful as that in the practice area.
And so Apples stood in his crease as the bowler ran in. The first ball crashed into his pads and the entire Egremont team went up for LBW, a decision which if given in the positive would have signalled the end of Keswick’s hopes and much sadness. The umpire. Brian Nixon answered in the negative.
Apples took guard again, his flashing blade at the ready and doubtless thinking to himself that it was now or never. The bowler ran in for the second time and Apples executed the perfect hit to leg, dispatching the ball with speed to the square leg boundary where it bounced just the once before disappearing over the rope into the long grass. Before the ball hit the boundary, “Apples” was up and running – his helmet had already been discarded and flung to one side, his bat following in an arc towards the scorers’ box. Apples, arms aloft and screaming in joy, set off on a wild, mazy run in the general direction of Bigrigg.
He never got there. His team mates caught up with him in the mid wicket area and he was toppled to the ground where a scrummage of celebration ensued. The joy and the relief knew no bounds. Apples the batsman had won the match with his innings of a lifetime, just two balls, one miss and one very decisive hit and Keswick were home and dry, promoted and ecstatic. Phew!
30 years ago
Mystery trail from Keswick to Finland
Police investigating the whereabouts of a “missing” holidaymaker followed a trail which led from Keswick to Finland.
The mystery began when a Borrowdale farmer reported finding a tent and rucksack on the fells above Rosthwaite. The last entry in a diary found with the possessions was made in August and prompted concern for the welfare of the owner, an Australian visitor.
Police were also following up a theory that the tent and equipment had been stolen and dumped where they were found.
However, yesterday Inspector David Watson of Keswick Police said a contact had been made with a friend of the missing man through information in the diary. He said: “It seems the items were stolen after he had been camping, but he did not report the matter to the police. Instead he left the area and has since been in Finland.”
Inspector Watson added: “People occasionally lose equipment such as rucksacks on the fells. If they don’t report it and the gear is subsequently found it can spark off fears that something untoward may have happened to the owner.
“In this case it did not lead to a search of the fells, but obviously that would have been the next step to consider. The whole incident could have been resolved if the stolen items had been reported in the first instance.”
40 years ago
Miss Betty Heslop
Hundreds of Keswick children who have attended St. John’s School during the past thirty years received their introduction to school life and education from their gentle and kind, though always firm, nursery teacher, Miss Betty Heslop.
Betty died in the Mary Hewetson Hospital on Friday after a long illness, but she will be remembered for many years by her former pupils. She was totally dedicated to her profession, loving the children she taught and always mindful and caring of the families from which they came.
She was born, and lived for most of her life, at Millbank Cottages, Stanger Street, and she was educated at Keswick School and at the Froebel Teacher Training College at Bedford. After training Betty returned to Keswick and taught for over thirty years at St. John’s School, and on her retirement some two years ago through ill health she was somewhat surprised, though very proud, that her dedication and care for the children brought so much appreciation.
Betty’s love for Keswick showed itself in a quiet but deep interest in many of the activities in the town, but her main interest outside school was classical music, She was a member of the Music Society, enjoying the concerts and lectures, as well as appreciating the music on radio and the recordings of promenade concerts.
She was also a keen member of the Old Keswickian Association, serving on the committee for a great many years and she attended the O.K. Service at Crosthwaite Church and the Re-union dinner held in School early in July.
Two years ago. Betty spent many months in the Mary Hewetson Hospital and she was always most appreciative of the care she received from the staff during this time. She returned to the home she had bought some time after the death of her mother, at 2 Glebe Close, Vicarage Hill to enjoy the last year of her life with the friendship and help of kind neighbours and many friends.
A regular attender at Crosthwaite Church, Betty was remembered at the service on Monday afternoon by a large congregation of friends, school friends, teaching colleagues and former pupils. The vicar, the Revd. Rodney Hughes, spoke of her great courage in her illness, which she had borne with cheerfulness.
Appreciation of the love and care Betty gave to the children she taught has been the inspiration of the following lines, written by a parent of two of her pupils:
Nursery teacher gentle, kind,
What legacy you leave behind.
For years for many day by day
You led first learning on life’s way.
Now gone from us that guide and staff,
Our lives shall be your epitaph.
Dance club romance
Romance has blossomed twice in recent years on the dance floor at Keswick, and on Saturday members of the Old Time Dance Club turned out in force for the wedding of members Alex Davidson and Marie Walker.
The last time it was Frank and Vera Thompson who met at the dance club and married. Alex and Marie also came together through their shared interest in the old time dance music of band leaders like Harry Davidson, Sidney Thompson and Jimmy Shand.
Saturday’s marriage ceremony was conducted by the Rev. John Carr, who is also a member of the Old Time Dance Club, and the couple, both of whom have been living in flats in Keswick, will be moving into Alex’s flat at St. Kentigern Close.
The celebrations did not end with Saturday’s ceremony, for on September 26th the marriage will be marked by a celebration American Supper Dance in Threlkeld Village Hall, Profits from a big raffle will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Cumbria, for which Mr. Davidson has been a devoted helper since his first wife died from the disease.
50 years ago
Lakeland Litter Warning
Britain’s lovely Lake District National Park, one of the country’s favourite tourist and holiday areas, is being badly polluted by litter louts. And the problem is getting worse.
The warning comes from Keep Britain Tidy Group’s North West Director, John Pontin, who comments on the Lakeland litter menace in the latest edition of “Tidy Times”, official newspaper of Keep Britain Tidy.
“Perhaps the most depressing sight in one of Britain’s most beautiful areas is the proliferation of empty tin cans, crisp bags and empty food containers which are to be found along the lakeside at Bowness.
“This problem is in no way exclusive to the Lake District, but signs are that the situation is growing worse.”
Lake District National Park wardens, with some voluntary help, were trying to stem the tide, he said, but more positive action was needed in the future to deal with ‘thoughtless littering of the Lakes.
“From Keep Britain Tidy’s point of view, I feel there is a need for a continuing programme to extend our service in this area of the North West, in association with the new local authority and the Lake District National Park Planning Board.
“Litter is the kind of environmental problem that everyone can help to avoid, but more adequate resources must be made available so that the cleansing services can do a more effective job.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s North West office recently joined forces with Lake District wardens to mount an anti-litter publicity drive in the area.
Quick work
We hear many criticisms of our postal service, but a story heard this week shows that, far from being slow, the post can be extremely speedy.
A Keswick lady wishing to enter her crochet work for a national proficiency certificate, posted the work at 3 o’clock last Wednesday. She received notification that she had gained her certificate by the first post the following morning!
