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
Proposed merger of Trinity and St Kentigern’s schools
The fall in pupil numbers has brought about discussions on the possible merger of Keswick’s two primary schools — Trinity Junior school and St Kentigern’s Infants school.
Following the production of a consultative document by Cumbria County Council education department, and preliminary talks with governors and members of staff, there will be a public consultation meeting next Wednesday, 10th March, at Trinity School hall between 7pm and 8-30pm. Interested parties will be encouraged to express their opinions to a panel of county councillors and local education officers.
Parents of the children attending the schools have been informed in a letter from Canon Brian Smith, Chairman of the Governors of the schools, who points out that the number of children on roll has fallen during the past six years. This, he says, has prompted the governors of both schools to consider whether this would be an appropriate time to amalgamate.
Both the Department for Education and Science, and Cumbria Local Education Authority are in favour of ‘all through’ single primary schools for the provision of primary education as this provides better continuity of education, more financial efficiency and greater organisational and educational flexibility.
Borrowdale School appointment
Mrs. Helen Richardson, who is at present headteacher of a successful church school in Shropshire, has been appointed headteacher of Borrowdale School by the governors, to succeed Mr Malcolm Miller, who is retiring at the end of the summer term.
One of the Borrowdale School governors says: “Mrs Richardson is highly regarded by the LEA of Shropshire, and gives demonstration lessons in other schools.” And she adds: “Mrs Richardson will be relocating to her family home in Thirlmere when she takes up her new post in September.”
30 years ago
Railway station plans
Lakeland Plastics of Windermere plan to breathe fresh life into the former railway station at Keswick.
In their application to the Planning Board for consent for change of use of the old station to form a retail outlet with restaurant and care, they pledge their proposals will retain the major part of the character of the building.
Lakeland Plastics is a local business, established for some thirty years, whose Windermere property is also on a former British Rail site. The firm deals in both retail and mail order outlets.
The Managing Director, Sam Rayner, said: ‘We would like to open in the north of the county and see this property as ideal for conversion. It has been empty for some time and we feel we have a proposal which would enhance the property.”
He added: “We think our application at Keswick is in keeping with the property and we want our plans to be in keeping with the conservation situation.”
Mr. Rayner said they were not speculators or a firm that has been around only a short time. ‘“We are a local family business seeking to expand and feel our use of the site will not create any conflict,” he stressed.
At present Lakeland Plastics have retail outlets in York, Chester, Stratford, Cardiff, Guildford and Tunbridge Wells in addition to their Windermere store which also has a restaurant attached.
Mr. Rayner said their business is kitchenware and they specialise in something more unique than basic utensils – “the sort of products you can’t always easily find in the High Street”.
Court under review
Two of Cumbria’s smaller magistrates’ courts, Millom and Alston, are to be closed and now the future of three more – Keswick, Wigton and Appleby is being reviewed.
Keswick court sits every Friday and it is also used for inquests and tribunals. A decision to close the court would mean that local cases would be transferred to Penrith of Workington and the court building would revert to the police.
Mr. Chris Armstrong, the clerk to the Keswick Bench, said the Magistrates’ Court committee was reviewing the facilities at the various court buildings. Some courts are being considered from the point of view of the level of service they offer the public and usage. Part of the review is to see whether the building can be improved for waiting and interviewing facilities.
40 years ago
Editorial
The removal of the “Rock of Names” from the side of Thirlmere and the declared intention of its re-siting at Dove Cottage in Grasmere does seem to have been done in a somewhat high-handed manner. Apparently, the St. John’s, Castlerigg and Wythburn Parish Council were not at any time consulted, and the residents of Thirlmere are rightly indignant that discussions were not held with their elected representatives. It would seem that the North West Water Authority, who own the land, gave permission for the rock to be removed for restoration and cleaning; they also allowed a BBC crew to film the removal for a documentary. Of course, everyone knows the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere will take great care of the Rock of Names, but it is an indisputable fact that the names were carved by Wordsworth, members of his family, and Coleridge at Thirlmere, their meeting point half-way between Keswick and Grasmere. They did not carve their names at Grasmere. And it would seem there is no valid reason for the rock to be removed permanently from Thirlmere.
It is most disturbing that this could have been done without permission or consultation.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor, – This Saturday sees the sad closure of J. & J. Grahams’ Market Square store which must be amongst the oldest established businesses in Keswick. The reasons for this shop’s closure are not unique to J. & J. Graham. Since 1971 over 47,000 independent grocers throughout the country have “shut up shop” and if anyone cares to do a quick calculation they will see that for every day since 1971 ten independent grocery shops have closed. I have no evidence to show that this trend is slowing down, in fact as “Price Wars” develop between the major supermarket groups there is every likelihood that the pace of small grocery shop closures will increase.
The point I would like to make is that if shoppers want to lose the personal service that shops like Grahams had to offer and be tied to the hours that supermarkets decide to open, then they should continue to shop there; if however they do not wish to see the demise of Keswick’s independent grocers they should support them. At the moment in Keswick a further two grocery shops are up for sale. I wonder how long it will be before there are none left at all!
Yours faithfully,
Alan Dunn
Open All Hours
St. John’s Street
Keswick
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor, – I would like to say that I am in whole-hearted agreement with the two letters published in last week’s ‘Reminder’ re: the coal site. I think it is scandalous that a man w3ho has worked up a good business and provided willing and efficient service should be deprived of his livelihood, and for what? So that some grandiose scheme for a ‘Leisure Centre’ may be carried out. This may be suitable for a large modern resort but is emphatically out of place and as the planners are so fond of saying, “detrimental to the visual amenities” in this unique corner of England.
As a schoolgirl I came every holiday to this area and, rain or fine, camped and walked its paths and fells, and after 15-20 miles a day fell into bed at night happy and sleepy and needed no Leisure Centre to entertain me. Those in authority are rapidly turning Keswick into a miniature Blackpool instead of developing its natural assets and providing a unique centre for those who wish to observe and enjoy nature in peace. As a result, Keswick is becoming overcrowded and rowdy and the wrong types are being encouraged, while those who love the district – and there are many – are gradually being driven away.
If the coal site is not a place of beauty, it is, at least, a necessity and with a little judicious planting of trees could be partially disguised.
If the authorities insist on evicting Mr. Taylor they should, before doing so, find him another site in Keswick less visible and financially aid his removal. If there is no better site, then he should be allowed to stay indefinitely.
Yours faithfully,
Sheila M. M. Brook
Barn Cottage
Stair
Keswick
50 years ago
Manhunt after bank robbery
A major manhunt involving large numbers of police, some of them with arms available, and dogs, was sparked off on Wednesday lunchtime when a man thought to be armed with a pistol walked into the Trustee Savings Bank on the corner of Derwent Close and Main Street and got away with £700 in cash.
In the bank at the time were the manageress, Miss Joan Tyson, Victoria Street, who was upstairs and Mrs. Christine Harper, Sunscales Avenue, Cockermouth, who was behind the counter. The man was later described by Mrs. Harper as wearing a red pom-pom hat and with a yellow scarf over the lower part of his face and she told the police that she handed over the money after the man pointed a gun at her. He ordered her to get down behind the counter and then left and though Mrs. Harper had summoned the police within seconds the man had disappeared.
Later in the afternoon a car was found abandoned near Mosser and the search switched to the Cockermouth area. It subsequently moved to Maryport during the night but yesterday, after a car stolen at Maryport had been found abandoned at Aspatria, the police operations were concentrated in that area. Road blocks had been set up throughout the county on Wednesday and were continued at places, including Keswick, on Thursday morning.
