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
Borrowdale C.E. School – retirement of Mr Malcolm Miller
Several events marked the end of ten happy and productive years for Malcolm Miller, retiring Headteacher of Borrowdale School.
On 10th July “Travelling Light” had past and present pupils, parents, staff and friends dancing all evening at a Ceilidh held in Rosthwaite Institute. And on Friday, 16th July, St Andrew’s Church was full for the end of term Thanksgiving Service. The children were in fine voice, singing favourite hymns, and the recorder group performed beautifully. There was a presentation of Bibles to the four leavers – Lewis Cooke, Emily Dowson, Ben Fidrmuc and Ellen Hindmarch.
Various children then read from a Book of Memories which they had compiled for Mr Miller, and on behalf of the Parochial Church Council Mr Sam Hicks presented Mr Miller with slate bookends, made by the late Chris Bland, and a cheque.
The Chairman of Governors, Mr Alan Leyland, thanked Mr Miller for all had done for Borrowdale children in raising the standard of education, coping with the multitude of changes thrust upon him regularly, and the mountain of paperwork, making life easier for the governors by his efficiency. He then presented Mr Miller with a superb telescope and tripod from the governors, staff, pupils and parents, wishing him a long and happy retirement.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Now that I am retiring, may I, through the columns of your newspaper, express my thanks to the community of Keswick for their overwhelming support of the school during my tenure as Headteacher at Trinity School. I include in that statement all those who have served as staff in a whole variety of capacities, governors and other individuals who have helped in a voluntary capacity, and businesses and charitable organisations who have put themselves out to support their local school. I wish to include all the pupils and parents over the years, for they also have contributed to what the school has become.
When I first came to Keswick as Headteacher, I was looking on it as a 5 to 7 year post, before I moved on to something else. The fact that I stayed 17 years says a lot about the town. It has been a privilege to serve a community that looks after its own, and I count myself fortunate to have been selected for the task. I hope now that everyone will support the new school to be formed next year, by the amalgamation of Trinity and St Kentigern’s Schools, in the same way. Change is not always welcomed, but on this occasion, the move to change came from the community, rather than being externally driven. The change will bring together all primary children within the town, and give primary education a single focus, and better continuity. I wish the new school every success.
I have been particularly humbled in this last year, not just by the sympathy I have received during my illness, but by the generosity of everyone in understanding the reasons for my retirement. Thanks to all those who wrote or sent cards, your messages of support have moved me deeply.
Mick Guy
Keswick
30 years ago
Allerdale stands firm
Allerdale Borough Council is to fight for unitary status in the proposed shake-up of Local Government in Cumbria.
The Council is challenging draft proposals from the Local Government Commission which would see the introduction of two remote North/South unitary authorities of pairing of the six districts. The Council is refusing to entertain a merger with Copeland Borough Council and is now backing a second option of ‘status quo’.
The Leader of Allerdale Council, Jim Musgrave, said: “Unitary Allerdale is the only solution acceptable to this Council. The Commission’s option to force a pairing between Allerdale and Copeland — two distinctly different and separate communities — is deplorable.”
Bridge ‘unsafe’ claim
The former railway bridge over the River Greta at Penrith Road is still unsafe, a local town councillor claims.
The bridge is the one which was featured in a television reconstruction of a rescue drama in 1991. A BBC film crew was in Keswick a couple of weeks ago to film a reconstruction of the rescue by local painter and decorator Eric Mattinson of a nine year old boy for the 999 series.
This is known as the ‘Thunderbirds’ rescue as Mr. Mattinson, who crawled through the bridge superstructure to reach Gareth Hunter who had fallen through and landed on a supporting bar high above the river, cheered up the boy by telling him the international rescue TV puppets were on their way. Mr. Mattinson and ambulance man Martin Hardman received Royal Humane Society awards for their bravery in the rescue.
Town Councillor Mrs. Sheila Hawkrigg has pointed out that local children use the old railway line as a footpath to school, and she alleges the bridge is still unsafe. “Nothing has been done to make it safe for children. There is an open invitation for children to climb up, which is what happened in the incident to be shown on the 999 programme,” she said. “The position has not altered since the original accident and it could recur.”
40 years ago
Charity soccer match
The Royal Oak Hotel’s soccer team lost to First Division Sheffield Wednesday 25-1 on Sunday afternoon in the match they had arranged to benefit the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. But they scored full points for their efforts in bringing the first top class football team to Keswick in a great many years and for providing an opportunity for local people, particularly the youngsters, to see this often-maligned game at its very best.
The skills of the First Division players were matched by the enthusiasm of the local team (which included one local printer among the chefs, waiters and assistant managers!), while the band of cheerleaders, dressed in the Royal Oak team’s colours, tirelessly spurred on the efforts of their team. They even helped to create the Royal Oak’s only goal — by handcuffing the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper to his posts!
The Royal Oak Manager, Mr. George Vousek entertained the Sheffield team at the hotel overnight, and all the players and helpers joined together in a social event at the hotel that evening.
In spite of the rather disappointing support they hope to have raised almost £500 for the charity.
Local company makes a splash
The Keswick-based Cumberland Pencil Company has certainly made a splash with its new range of Derwent Watercolour Pencils. Sales are booming, say the company, and this versatile new artist’s medium, together with another new development for the creative market, has already resulted in an extra twenty jobs at the factory.
The watercolour pencil seems to have captured the imagination of the media as well, and it was recently featured on BBC Radio’s World Service and on the region’s own Radio Cumbria. The pencils also made an appearance on Border TV’s ‘Lookaround’ programme when artist Bill Toop was seen, demonstrating the pencils in the Cumberland Pencil Museum. Bill is one of the country’s leading and most highly respected watercolourists and he is so enthusiastic about the new pencils that he happily travelled to Keswick from his home in Wiltshire to be filmed by Border TV. According to Bill the Derwent Watercolour Pencil is “ far, far better than anything else available, there’s simply no comparison” – a view that is naturally shared by the Cumberland Pencil Company.
50 years ago
Letter to the Editor
Dear Sir,—Last week a “ Council Official” told a local gentleman (shall we call him “Tommy”?), who has helped to keep the cars parking on the waste ground at Bell Close in some sort of order, that he would have to leave. “Tommy” has been of great assistance to certain shopkeepers, preventing obstruction to access to warehouses, one business, three shops and at least two private garages. He also tried to organise the parking so that people didn’t find their cars trapped by others when they returned.
I feel that it is a shame a harmless person who lost his workshop and birdhouse in the Bell Close development, should be stopped by petty bureaucracy from occupying his time in helping others. What dreadful crime did he commit?
Yours sincerely,
Tony Rathbone
28 Stanger Street
Keswick
Mr. Joseph Thwaite
A former Keswickian who emigrated to Australia sixty-four years ago has returned for a holiday — his first visit after all these years to the town where he was born and spent his childhood.
Mr. Joseph Thwaite was born at Brigham Farm in 1892, the second of thirteen children of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Thwaite, and after living for some years at Wythop Mill the family moved back to Keswick to the Mill House on Penrith Road. Mr. Thwaite and his father both worked as porters at Keswick Station, and in 1910 the family decided to emigrate to Australia, leaving behind at Blencathra Sanatorium one son, Tom, who followed them after eighteen months.
Mr. Thwaite, who now lives in Queensland, is staying with one of his sons at No. 18, Southey Street, and would like anyone who remembers him to contact him there.
Athletics
Keswick Athletic Club’s top track runner lan Kellie and fell running’s greatest endurance competitor Joss Naylor, fought out a keen battle on intermediate ground last Saturday.
Kellie was behind Naylor on the final descent of the 8-miles Kinniside fell race, at Cleator Moor Sports, but he burst past the Wasdale farmer on the flat run in to the finish.
Kellie finished second in the race in a time of 69mins. 36secs. and Naylor was third in 69mins. 54secs., but neither could trouble the winner, Dave Halsteads of Blackburn Harriers, who came home in 68mins. 43secs.
Other Keswick A.C. positions in the race were: 8th, Peter Trainor (75mins. 14secs.), 11th, Ken Cartmell (77mins. 30secs.), 16th, Paul Spencer Ellis (78mins. 49secs.) and 25th, David Sutcliffe (104mins. 55secs.).
