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
Theatre’s trustees committed to plans
Cumbria Theatre Trust, — the charity which operates Theatre by the Lake, has reaffirmed its commitment to proposals for an extension to the existing theatre building. At a meeting on Saturday, the Trustees acknowledged that any proposal involving change in Keswick was likely to arouse strong feelings locally. However, they believe that further enhancement of Theatre by the Lake’s role as a not-for-profit cultural and educational facility would ultimately be of real benefit locally.
Trustees are emphasising that their proposals, far from leading to the loss of the Tea Gardens, would actually be aimed at retaining and enhancing the essential qualities of the site — a public café amenity with an outside seating area for the enjoyment of customers.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, The Blue Box Theatre did a great service to Keswick; it was much loved and is still thought about with affection. It was unique and in its travelling days a great engineering design, without a doubt Keswick would not have a new theatre without it. Although it was much loved, we have to admit it had its limitations; I did voluntary work there and also performed on stage. It was an ice box at the start and finish of the season and an oven during the summer. It had no inside toilets and no access for wheelchairs or disabled customers, in fact wheelchairs were not admitted because each entrance had several steps, and the wheelchairs were considered a hazard by the fire officer (disabled discrimination).
In last week’s letter Mr Spencer says that it played to capacity audiences; it did in its last season when people knew they were going to lose it. Is this what has happened to the Tea Gardens? You have to admit the Tea Gardens buildings need drastic improvement if only to make it accessible to all. Theatre by the Lake café does not discriminate against anyone, or what they wear, evening dress to muddy boots it welcomes them all. As for our four legged friends, they are welcome to wait in the foyer while their owners visit the café or they can sit with them at the outside tables.
We have a beautiful town here and an opportunity to make some stunning improvements for locals and visitors. Theatre by the Lake was originally intended to be a seasonal venue like the much loved Blue Box but demand made it a year round asset.
Barbara Carter
Keswick
Dear Editor, We were appalled by the illustration of the proposed extension to the Theatre in last week’s Keswick Reminder. We were opposed to being built in the first place on this site on the grounds that it was too big a development for what was a sensitive and picturesque approach to the lake. That was even before we discovered that it would be the height of a five story building! There was, too, always the possibility that the Theatre Company would find it was still not big enough. Now it is proposed that it should sprawl for another 100 yards towards the lake.
If the state of the Tea Gardens leaves much to be desired in terms of toilet facilities, handicapped access and general dilapidation, this is due to the neglect of its present owners, Allerdale Borough Council. They have drawn rent from the café for many years without maintaining the property.
We believe that the Theatre should concentrate on theatrical matters and not be building itself an empire. Allerdale Borough Council should renovate the Tea Gardens and arrange a new economic base.
Sally Evans and Michael Evans
Keswick
30 years ago
Thirlmere centenary celebration
Thirlmere has supplied well over 5000 million tonnes of water to Manchester and towns on the route of the aqueduct since it became ‘Manchester’s reservoir’ one hundred years ago.
To celebrate this great feat of Victorian engineering, North West Water and Manchester City Council are holding joint events at Thirlmere and Manchester.
A plaque is to be unveiled at Thirlmere by NWW’s Operations Director, Harry Croft, in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Sheila Smith, and other invited dignitaries on the morning of Thursday 13th October, the day of the hundredth anniversary.
This will be followed by an inspection of a convoy of vintage vehicles, led by a 1970s water tanker containing a special supply of Thirlmere water. The Convoy will follow as closely as possible the route of the aqueduct to Manchester, where it will be welcomed in Albert Square by the Lord Mayor and representatives of North West Water.
Albert Square, the site of Manchester’s first supply of water from Thirlmere, will be alive with street entertainment from the Forecourt 5 + 2 jazz band and from the theatre groups the Fairly Famous Family and Artisani.
A celebration in music by Manchester’s world-famous Halle Orchestra provides the finishing touch when they perform a special gala concert in the city’s Free Trade Hall on the evening.
40 years ago
Return to Arnhem
The newscasts last week gave extensive coverage of the ceremonies in Holland held to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem, where Allied troops suffered so many casualties in their attempt to take the Rhine bridges.
The Arnhem Veterans Association and the Lest We Forget Foundation in Holland arranged for some two thousand Arnhem veterans, some with their wives or other relatives, to go to Holland and join in the ceremonies. All were given hospitality with Dutch families and Mr. Wilf Pridmore of Portinscale, who went to Arnhem for a week with his wife, Majorie, and his youngest son, Paul, says the hospitality they received was overwhelming.
“Our hosts were extremely kind, and they couldn’t do enough for us,” he says.
The opening ceremony was held in Arnhem Church, which had been badly bombed during the battle, and there was a choir of seventy voices to lead the singing.
Perhaps the most moving event was the Service of Remembrance on Sunday, which took place at Oosterbeek cemetery where 1,475 Allied soldiers are buried. During this service, which was attended by the Prince of Wales, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her husband, Prince Bernhardt, 1,475 Dutch children laid bunches of flowers on the graves.
That evening a concert was given by Vera Lynn, the “Forces Sweetheart,” in the grounds of the hotel which had been the 1st Airborne Division’s H.Q. This is now a museum and among the thousands of photographs on view there are two given by Wilf on his visit ten years ago. These photographs show Wilf and several other members of the 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment, who formed part of the 1st Airborne Division.
All the veterans who went to Holland were presented with a medallion and a plan of the dropping zone, and they returned last Tuesday with the knowledge that the people of Holland, and of the Arnhem area in particular, certainly will never forget the great sacrifice made by the airborne troops forty years ago.
Top of the world!
Keswick’s Ken Stuart, this year’s Fell Runner of the Year, won the world invitation race at Zogno near Milan at the weekend.
Ken and his Keswick A.C. team mate, Jon Broxap, were two of the six-man England team to take part in the special invitation six mile fell race on Sunday. Jon came a very credible 17th, and, in winning, Ken beat into second and third places the two top Italian fell runners.
In fact the Italian who took second place was the man who beat Ken earlier this year in the Snowdon race, so this was an added achievement for Ken.
50 years ago
Arnhem 1944
Mr. Wilf Pridmore of Portinscale has been to the thirtieth anniversary ceremonies of the Battle of Arnhem, 1944, and he has been given a commemoration medal by a former member of the Dutch Resistance.
The medal, one of only ten in existence, has on the face the words “Battle of Arnhem, September 1944,” with the coat of arms of the towns of Arnhem and Oosterbeck and Pegasus on.
The reverse side of the medal shows the paratroops over the church and bridge of Arnhem, with the words:
When can their glory fade?
On the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder’d,
Honour the charge they made!
With arms of the 1st Paratroop Division and the Polish Paratroop Brigade.
Mr. Pridmore, a qualified paratrooper, served with the 1st Border Regiment Glider Troops, and this was his first trip back to Arnhem in thirty years.
Swing bridge
The future of the old suspension bridge over the Greta at Keswick has been cast deeper into doubt by the attitude of the Cumbria Highway Authority.
The bridge has been closed since an inspection showed serious structural deterioration which made it unsafe, but the Town Council has claimed that its usefulness to the public warrants its renovation and re-opening.
However, Cumbria highways director Mr. J. A. Davison has now told the Council that, while appreciating their feeling, he must reiterate that the repairs would prove very expensive and in his opinion it would be difficult to justify the financial outlay.
Mr. Davison is now awaiting the views of Allerdale District Council on the future of the bridge.
Speed limit
A bye-law now being drafted by the Lake District Special Planning Board will limit the speed of power boats on Derwentwater to a maximum of 10 m.p.h.
The Board has been under pressure from Keswick Town Council to introduce regulations, and in August the Council endorsed the recommendation of a special meeting, called to discuss lake safety, that the use of power boats (excluding the launches) be prohibited. The Council has already prohibited the launching of such craft from its Derwentwater caravan and camping sites and asked the National Trust to erect notices enforcing a similar rule on their property.
At the special meeting, the view was expressed that the major source of danger on the lake was the increased use of powered craft.
Keswick Town Clerk, Mr. Tom Nicholson, told the Council on Monday that the Board has approved the making of a bye-law limiting speed on the lake to 10 m.p.h., that this is being drafted and when approved in its final form will be forwarded to the Home Office, for confirmation.
