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
Keswick to Penrith railway
The Department of Transport has formally approved the first stage of the Environmental Impact Assessment submitted for the new Keswick to Penrith railway line. The report was compiled by Corus Rail Consultancy and involved other specialists.
The Department of Transport sought opinions on the report from a number of other public bodies before confirming its position and the approval is seen by Cumbrian rail campaigner Cedric Martindale as a major step forward in the process of establishing the line as “a model for a new generation of community railways.”
In accepting this work, the Department has asked that CKP Railways plc continue to consult with English Nature to ensure that all relevant ecological issues are covered, and to pay particular attention to road traffic issues around the proposed stations.
The Scoping Report was submitted in April of this year after consulting a number of statutory bodies including local authorities and conservation bodies. Comments were also sought from a number of other organisations representing local interests, to ensure that the development of the project is understood by as many people as possible. In total some 60 organisations were approached.
Mr Martindale said: “The relatively fast response from the Government, without placing any specific demands or restrictions on CKP, is seen as a major success. Everybody involved sees this as recognition of the professionalism of the team and the thoroughness of the work already done.”
A number of detailed studies will be needed to fill the gaps in available information about the environment along the route.
A programme has already been drawn up to carry out road traffic monitoring this summer, to identify the peak loadings on the road system around the line. Relieving road congestion and parking problems is one of the major aims of the reinstated railway.
The Penrith-Keswick rail link closed nearly 30 years ago. The company set up to fight for its reinstatement say that it can be a modern railway and train service “designed to meet future local and regional needs.”
Shop signs controversy
Keswick Town Councillors are calling for urgent talks with the Lake District National Park Authority in an attempt to control the “garish” shop signs springing up in the town.
They also plan to speak to other towns, such as Chester, which has successfully managed to control businesses from putting up signs which are out of keeping with the area.
A local resident wrote to the council giving his views on what he described as “appalling examples of shop front signage”. Mr Austin Coote wrote: “The Outdoor World sign is perhaps the most unsightly example of commercial shop frontage to have appeared in the town since the painting of the ice cream parlour in the market place. It is garish, obtrusive and totally out of keeping with the sort of town centre appearance most locals and visitors would expect and want to see in the town.
“The Fat Face sign, although not quite as offensive, still offends the eye and is out of keeping with the image I am sure Keswick wants to project. I find it incredible that neither planning regulations nor status as a conservation area can protect the town from this kind of poor taste.”
Councillor Roger Purkis said: “It seems there is no legislation to control this issue. It is looking more and more like Blackpool with the garish fascia. We should write to the shops in question explaining what we would like to see and asking for their cooperation.”
30 years ago
The way to celebrate
There are many ways to celebrate one’s birthday, but a popular retired teacher has, for many years, chosen to celebrate her birthdays on the summit of Great Gable.
And this tradition was maintained last week to celebrate Marianne Godfrey’s 80th birthday!
Mrs. Godfrey will always be remembered by the hundreds of young children taught by her, particularly those who benefited from her teaching at St. John’s School and, later, at Crosthwaite First School in Keswick. Enthusiasm was always one of her attributes, and she applied it to her teaching and to every part of her life, and this is still evident although she admits to taking things a little slower on her mountain walks these days!
Last week, accompanied by a group of friends from the former Keswick Mountaineering Club, Marianne celebrated her birthday on Great Gable and they all enjoyed a glass of wine and some birthday cake.
This is the way she has chosen to celebrate her birthday since she retired as a teacher, and her enthusiasm for walking the hills and mountains continues. Already this year she has been up Blencathra, Helvellyn and Skiddaw in addition to Gable and several of the lower fells. She says she likes to go up those special four every year, taking this more slowly nowadays which also allows her to take in the view.
Perhaps this may be her last birthday party on Great Gable, but Mrs. Godfrey says she will be quite happy as long as she can walk on Catbells or Latrigg, enjoying the birds and the flowers.
Bowling champions
Keswick’s Fitz Park Bowling Club has produced the winners of the County ‘Fours’ competition. The team of Peter Towers (senior), Robin Phillips, David Ramsdale and Peter Towers (junior) defeated the Workington team, skipped by England international Stuart Airey, in a cliff-hanging final played on the Dalston green.
Peter Towers has now completed a full set of county titles, having previously held the singles, pairs and triples championships. His team of four now go forward to Worthing for the “Wimbledon” of the Bowling World, the national championships, and the defeated team from Workington have also qualified for this event.
40 years ago
Keswick golf pro-am a success
Keswick Golf Club’s first big pro-am tournament received the seal of approval from Viscount Whitelaw on Wednesday.
Viscount Whitelaw, a past captain of the R. and A. and a respectable 12 handicapper, took part in the event and later presented the prizes in the clubhouse at Threlkeld Hall. He said he had come along in recognition of the courage of the committee of the Keswick club, who have one of Britain’s newest and most scenic courses, both in keeping going in difficult financial times and also in holding such an ambitious tournament.
Nearly forty professionals from Cumbria, North Lancs, the North East and south of Scotland took part in the event along with the amateurs. One player had travelled all the way from Adelaide in Australia, while a well-known face in one of the north east squads was actor Tim Healey, one of the stars of the T.V. series “Auf Wiedersehen Pet.”
Tournament winner Ian Clark from Ponteland went round in a two under par score of 69 to take the £250 top prize. A sparkling 3, 3, 3, 4 finish enabled him to beat Harry Thomson (Newcastle) by a single shot.
The local trio of Dr. Mike Turnbull, Billy Bland and David Loan narrowly missed taking the top amateur team prize while Ernest Clark of Braithwaite earned a £50 bonus when his net 64 proved to be the best amateur net total.
Friends face the final curtain
A meeting will be held on Sunday to consider the disbanding of the Friends of Keswick’s Century Theatre, following a six year fight for a new theatre in the town.
However this does not mean the end of the battle, for a new organisation will take over the task in the hope of injecting fresh dynamism to the cause.
The chairman of the Friends, Mr. Alan Hankinson, this week wrote to members explaining the purpose of the extraordinary general meeting, which takes place in the Century Theatre at 2-00 p.m. on Sunday. He said that, after six years of life, the Friends were still a long way from any chance of adequate funds to build a new theatre. The idea was to dissolve and make way for a new body to take over the task. This new group will include some members of the Friends’ committee, some members of the Century Theatre Council of Management and a number of influential and well-connected people from outside.
It is vital that the new body should have charity status; but the Charity Commissioners will not give that status when there are two bodies in existence with the same objectives. “If the cause is to go ahead, the Friends must disband to enable the new body to get charity status,” said the chairman. The committee feel this is the best and perhaps the only way forward.
Fell running
A blistering performance by new British Fell Running champion Ken Stuart earned him a new record in Sunday’s three mile Latrigg Race at Keswick and it also provided handsome compensation for a rare defeat in the seventeen mile Borrowdale Race the previous day at the hands of local specialist Billy Bland.
However it was a memorable weekend for Stuart and his Keswick Athletic Club colleagues. Stuart’s second place at Borrowdale clinched the Fell Runners’ Association national title for the second successive season and her win in the ladies’ race enabled Pauline Howarth to wrap up the Ladies’ Fell Runner of the Year championship.
Keswick made it a unique treble when winning the team event at Borrowdale for this ensured the club had won the British team title.
Keswick Town Council: Post office petition
A petition containing more than 500 signatures pleading the case for the retention of the Ratcliffe Place sub post office has been forwarded to the Head Postmaster for the area.
M.P. Dale Campbell Savours told the Council he had written to the Postmaster asking him to take into account the very strong feelings being expressed in favour of retention before a firm decision was arrived at.
The Town Council are supporting any moves to prevent closure of the office and they decided to ask if they could send a representative to a meeting of the Postal and telephone Advisory Council in Carlisle later this month.
50 years ago
Robert Southey 1774-1843
In commemoration of the bicentenary of Robert Southey’s birth on the 12th August, 1774, the following events have been arranged:
In the Fitz Park Museum, Keswick, an exhibition of the manuscripts of many of his poems, letters, etc., and many items from his life at Greta Hall, Keswick (from 1803—1843) is being held from the 12th August—31st October, 1974.
Under the auspices of the Fitz Park Trustees a booklet has been compiled, including a short history of Southey’s life, a catalogue of the exhibition, and full reprints of “The Story of the Three Bears” and “The Cataract of Lodore.” This booklet will be on sale in the Fitz Park Museum, Keswick, price 20p.
At the Keswick library, in Heads Road, the Librarian has arranged a display of photographs etc., connected with Southey’s life, and a number of early editions of his works.
In the Library also, is a selection of poems, essays, etc., written by Keswick school children to commemorate the bi-centenary. As space permits, all the essays and poems will be available for inspection.
On Monday evening actor Richard Wordsworth, a descendant of Southey’s friend and fellow Lake Poet, William Wordsworth, will be reading extracts from Southey’s writings and selected poems in Crosthwaite Church. This reading is under the auspices of the Wordsworth-Rydal Mount Trust.
