A Quick Reminder: Looking back through the archives of The Keswick Reminder from around this week 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
20 years ago
Jewellery shop raid
Two men in their early 20s, clad in full face balaclavas, entered Derwent Jewellers, on Lake Road in Keswick at about 11-45 am on Tuesday and threatened assistants before smashing their way into a window display.
The “Little and Large” robbers – one man was reported to be over 6fy tall and his fellow robber around the 5ft mark – made off with a haul of several thousands pounds worth of jewellery, but missed a £27,000 ring in the same window display. The pair drove off in a Peugeot car, registration number G407WHP.
However, Police have found the getaway car used in the raid. The car, a green Peugeot 205, was spotted abandoned in Manor Park, just a few streets away from the scene of the robbery.
Detective Inspector Capstick said: “We have some positive lines of inquiry. The police were on the scene within about two minutes of the robbery after staff pressed the panic button. We also had calls from members of the public. The thieves made good their escape in the car which was parked near the Lake Road Vaults pub while they went into the shop with crowbars. Although nobody was hurt, it was a terrifying experience for the four members of staff in Derwent Jewellers.”
Decline in numbers of primary age children
A big drop in the number of primary age children in Keswick has prompted talks about a possible merger of two of the town’s schools.
Keswick Town Council has been told that there is a “significant decline” and statistics do not show a predicted increase in the foreseeable future.
The schools budget is mainly based on the numbers of children and income is likely to suffer a related decline. Despite measures being taken to curtail spending, there are limits to the extent to which this can be done without affecting the welfare of the children which, said Pauline Soulsby, a governor of Trinity CE School, was the overriding concern.
The possibility of amalgamating Trinity and its sister infants school, St Kentigern’s, is now part of a consultation procedure to get the views of all who have a stake in the schools – staff, parents, children and the community.
30 years ago
Victorian evening
Last Sunday evening Dame Judi Dench and her husband, Michael Williams, returned to Keswick to present a Victorian Evening at the Tithebarn, Old Windebrowe, together with John Moffat. All the actors gave their services free of charge.
The event attracted a capacity audience and raised over £2,000 for the new theatre project.
This is the second occasion Dame Judi and Michael have given performances in Keswick for the new theatre, and they have been made patrons of the Cumbria Theatre Trust in recognition of their support.
There are renewed hopes for the success of the campaign for a new theatre, following the decision of the Secretary of State for the Environment to agree to Allerdale Council’s request to lease the existing lakeside site in Keswick to the new theatre project.
The land will be leased to the Cumbria Theatre Trust on a 125 year lease at an annual peppercorn ground rent. Vicky Robinson, joint chairman of Cumbria Theatre Trust, told the audience that the securing of the lease at such advantageous terms was “a historic achievement” and a major milestone in the progress towards a new theatre for Keswick.
The final curtain fell on the Blue Box theatre at the end of the 1993 season in October but the news of the securing of the lease leads to renewed hope for just one more season at the lakeside before building commences on a new theatre.
Sports award
Major Phil Davidson’s lifelong association with Rugby Union has been honoured with an award from the Sports Council. He is one of seventeen people in the Northern Region to receive Sports Council ‘Service to Sport’ awards for their role in sporting activities as diverse as sea angling, trampolining, orienteering and rugby.
Mr. Davidon first played for the Keswick Rugby Union Club in 1924, when he came to live in the town – he was born and brought up at Plumpton near Penrith. He was a member of the Keswick team which won the Cumberland Cup for the first time in the 1935-36 season.
In addition to being a player and captain of the first XV, he was President of Keswick RUFC for several years, and the club’s Greta Park ground was renamed Davidson Park a few years ago to mark his service to the club.
A retired architect, Mr. Davidson also had a long association with Keswick Sports and at one time he played cricket for the Keswick club. And back in the 1930s he was one of the pacers on Bob Graham’s famous round of 32 Lakeland summits in 24 hours.
40 years ago
Newlands Schoolroom
Since Newlands School closed in 1967, the schoolroom has been virtually unused, but now that a fund has been started to pay for renovation and re-decoration, the room, which is linked to the valley church, is to become a base for county scouting activities.
An agreement has been reached with the Scouting movement in Cumbria over the future use of the 18th century schoolroom by parties of young people spending adventure week-ends in one of Lakeland’s most beautiful valleys.
In fact the church and schoolroom are on one of the main highways into the Newlands fells and the vast number of visitors who pass by is reflected by the signatures in the visitors book which has to be renewed every two years. During the winter only a handful of valley folk attend the church, but numbers increase considerably during the holiday season and the advent of the scouts could mean even larger congregations.
The Vicar, the Revd. reg Harper, said that work on the schoolroom would be carried out in the New Year. “I understand that we are high on the Youth Opportunities Programme list of priorities and although much depends on the weather I hope work will start before Easter. If they make good progress it could be done by next summer,” he said. “The building has not been used properly since 1967 and we hope very much that this will be a good new use for the schoolroom. Basically we need to make it good in terms of proofing against the damp and re-decoration and gradually additional furnishing could be provided.
Editorial
Christmas got off to a good start in Keswick on Saturday morning when Father Christmas drove round the town, his brightly decorated “sleigh” drawn, not by reindeer, but by two horses. This was a special treat for children and shoppers.
The shopkeepers have certainly made an extra effort with their Christmas window displays and decorations this year. The Market Square looks especially seasonal with its two beautifully illuminated trees and star – full marks to Allerdale for this. And visitors to the town from Penrith Road are receiving their customary cheerful welcome from the tree and decorations in the garden of Mr. Robert Dewhurst’s salon.
The Chamber of Trade’s wish to attract more people to Keswick to shop has received good support all round, and the response from the town’s traders is excellent.
50 years ago
Keswick Station
The Lake District Planning Board has agreed to negotiate with British Rail for Keswick station which, in the Board’s opinion, is a most important site not only for Keswick but for the Lake District as a whole.
The Board is also considering the purchase of the Achille Ratti Climbing Clubhouse on Dunmail Raise, at present on the market to offers over £18,000.
A report before the Board suggested that the site of Keswick Railway Station should be available for residential use; holiday accommodation including hotels, hostel and accommodation for conference use or for recreational use. The report stated the site would be adequate for all the immediate industrial needs of the town but industry on its own would not make the best use of an attractive site near the town centre and industry on part of the site would be likely to conflict with other uses as well as prejudicing the satisfactory development of the whole area.
By-Pass
It was announced this week that work on the Keswick By-Pass would commence shortly, and would take about three years to complete at an estimated cost of £4 million.
Conrad Hunte
The former opening batsman of the West Indian cricket team, Conrad Hunte, was the preacher at morning service at Crosthwaite Church last Sunday. Mr. Hunte, who is at present working in this country to further the cause of good race relations, has been staying in the district, and he was also guest speaker at last Thursday’s luncheon of the Rotary Club.
