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
Head teacher appointed for new primary school
The Temporary Governing Body of the new Church of England Aided primary school, to be formed from the amalgamation of St. Kentigern’s and Trinity Schools, held a meeting on Tuesday 3st August to appoint the Head for the new school. The Governors are very pleased to be able to announce that Mrs Sara Miller, currently the Head of St. Kentigern’s School, has been appointed as the Head designate for the new school. This decision was unanimous and Mrs Miller has the full confidence of the Governors, as she prepares the schools for the amalgamation on 1st April 2005.
Mrs Miller came to Keswick in 1990 to become the Head of Crosthwaite School. After its closure and the opening of St Kentigern’s Nursery and Infant School in 1993, she was appointed as the Deputy Head at St. Kentigern’s. In 1996, she was appointed to the Headship of St. Kentigern’s and, under her leadership, the school has achieved excellent SATs results and very good OFSTED Inspection results.
30 years ago
Rain stops play
Keswick Cricket Club must be getting used to the “Rain stopped play” notice, having had two revival Keswick Sports events and a couple of Fun Days affected by the weather, to say nothing of several key cricket matches each season. Rain is the penalty paid by most sports clubs in the Lake District for the privilege of being based amongst the lakes and mountains.
On Tuesday, rain again stopped play – of the cricket match scheduled to follow the official opening of the new £85,000 Sports Pavilion in Fitz Park. But the spirits of the Cricket Club officials and their guests were not dampened as they gathered in the Pavilion to watch Paul Nixon of Leicestershire perform the opening ceremony.
Cumbrian-born Paul has just been selected for the England ‘A’ team winter tour of India and had brought with him another Leicestershire cricketer, fast bowler Alan Mullally. Together with professional cricketers from the North Lancashire and Northern Leagues, they were to play in the match on Tuesday afternoon, but officials of Keswick Cricket Club decided at midday to call off the match.
Instead, Keswick’s cricket statistician Edgar Appleby gave a witty talk which included many references to Paul’s career , ending with the hope that he will graduate to the full England test team in the near future.
The secretary of the Sport in the Park committee which helped raise the money to finance the new pavilion, and Captain of Keswick Cricket Club’s 1st XI, Keith Richardson, welcomed the former players and officials attending the ceremony, including Alan Jenner, who captained Keswick Cricket Club in 1951 when they won the Cumberland Senior League title.
Televised service from Crosthwaite
Last Sunday morning ITV’s televised service came from Crosthwaite Church, which had been beautifully decorated with flowers by Mrs. Hazel Boyle and her helpers.
The singing by the choir and the congregation was impressive and included one new hymn with words by Philip Gaudin set to music by Andrew Seivewright “May my life be given freely”. Brenda Grisdale sang the first verse of this hymn as a solo.
40 years ago
‘Highway’ — on Sunday
Sir Harry Secombe comes to Cumbria with guests Dame Anna Neagle and Ken Dodd for the first in a new series of ‘ Highway.’ This is the first time Border Television has contributed to the popular Sunday night religious series.
The programme, which can be seen on Sunday at 6-40 p.m., was recorded in the Lake District at the time of the Keswick Convention.
Film was also shot at the Calvert Trust, the activity centre for the disabled near Keswick, and at Carlisle Castle, where Sir Harry sings, and tells of the background to the song “Loch Lomond.”
Ken Dodd sings a ballad on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake, and Dame Anna reads an extract from William Wordsworth’s poem — ‘loving and liking’ while sitting — in Wordsworth’s own chair at Mirehouse, the country house near Bassenthwaite.
Sixty years as a minister
This Sunday, the Revd. Silvester Davies will celebrate sixty years’ service as a minister at morning service at the Tithebarn Street Methodist Church. And in November it will be seventy years since he took his first service.
Mr. Davies trained at Edinburgh University and the Yorkshire United Independent College in Bradford, and in addition to his many years in Keswick he served for nineteen years as chaplain to St. George’s Mental Hospital in Stafford.
Mr. Davies looks back on sixty years with the words: “More important than preaching has been the chance to help individuals.”
RAF Falcons at Wings Appeal fete
The Keswick Branch of the R.A.F.A. are always among the top Wings Appeal charity money makers in the country and their annual fete is one of the year’s principal fund raisers.
On Sunday there was a special attraction in Crow Park when the crack R.A.F. parachute display team the Falcons dropped in from a Hercules transport plane to provide a fitting finale for the event.
In recent years, the fete has been held on Derwent Island, but this year it was decided to have a change of venue.
The Falcons normally jump from heights of up to 12,000 ft. in free fall, but on Sunday they were restricted to a display from just over 2,000 ft because of low cloud. However they put on a perfect stack pull demonstration before landing in formation on the lakeshore to the delight of the 250 spectators.
The team, who took the salute from the MAyor, Mr. Eric Impey, are the R.A.F’s top parachutists. All of them are instructors from Brize Norton and they are in demand to give their exhibition all over the world.
For one young spectator, fifteen year old Michael Thompson from Cockermouth, it was a memorable occasion. Michael is confined to a wheelchair as a result of a serious accident, and his cousin Sergeant Andy Stalker from Ulverston was one of the Falcons who dropped in on Sunday. Andy immediately went across to where Michael was sitting to present him an autographed photo of the team in mid-air action.
The Falcons were praised by joint local Wings Appeal organiser Mrs. Avril Hodgson who said: “They provided a fitting finish to the afternoon’s programme.”
New school year begins
Children returned to school on Tuesday to begin a new academic year. At Keswick School there are 805 pupils on roll, 160 of these being boarders. There are 140 new children in Form 1 and of these 26 are boarders.
The Headmaster, Mr. Howard Allen, announced the appointment of several new, experienced members of staff. Full time appointments include Mrs. R. Longmire who will teach Home Economics, Mrs. N. Atherton (Modern Languages), Miss D. Boardman who will also teach modern languages, Miss O. Gardias (Geography) and Mr. W. Starkey, whose subjects are Craft, Design and Technology.
Joining the part-time staff this term is an Old Keswickian Mrs. Jean Green who will teach music. Other part-time appointments are Mrs. M. Bunch, Mathematics, and Mrs. S. Beattie who joins the English Department.
Following the retirement of Deputy Head Miss Nancy Chew, the Governors have appointed Dr. J. Davis to the post of Deputy Head with responsibility for curriculum, planning and the time table.
50 years ago
Walker Park
This month marks the Golden Jubilee of the opening of Walker Park football ground which was given to the town by Mr. Walker, Lord of the Manor, at a nominal fee of 1/- per year.
The opening match, arranged by Mr. G. W. Dent (chairman), was between a Keswick XI and Manchester United and was played before a crowd of 3,500. Approximately 500 people were seated on the grandstand which was bought by Mr. George Birkett (boatman) for £500 from the munitions factory at Gretna and presented to Keswick Football Club. Admission to the ground was 6d and an extra 6d. was charged for a grandstand seat. The gateman was Mr. Edwin Armstrong. The playing area was ploughed and seeded by Messrs. Derry Birkett and Tom Pritt, and was surrounded by a privet hedge maintained by Mr. Tommy Peet.
Members of the Keswick XI included Messrs. Billy Shaw, Boyd Mayson, Noel Ivison (Keswick), Fred Mills (Threlkeld), and Rowlands, Nicholson, Appleton, Tunstall (West Cumberland) and Billy Borrowdale who played for Workington Reds.
The game resulted in a win for Manchester United by 4 goals to 2, the goal-scorers being Mutch, and Jack Mew (the goalkeeper) with a penalty which rebounded off Billy Shaw (Keswick’s goalkeeper) and then placed in the net by Mew. Keswick’s goals were scored by Billy Borrowdale.
The linesmen were Tommy Peet and Bob Welsh who were paid 5/- for their services.
Manchester United players and officials were entertained to a meal at Charlie Mayson’s, Lake Road, after the match.
Mr. J. B. Wivell was President of the Keswick Club, with Mr. G. W. Dent (chairman), L. Davies (secretary), J. Raven (treasurer), and among the committee were Messrs. Walter Walker, Tommy Peet and Derry Birkett.
Fifty years is a long time to remember but for this information we are grateful to Mr. Colin MacRae, and to Messrs. W. Shaw, D. Birkett and T. Peet, who still follow the fortunes of Keswick A.F.C. with just as much interest as they did half-a-century ago.
