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
Huntsman will not flout law
Huntsman of the Blencathra Foxhounds Barry Todhunter has said he is not prepared to continue hunting and defy the law if it is banned by Parliament, although he added that the fight to save hunting was not over yet and he would keep on fighting to the bitter end.
There is likely to be a legal challenge to the Parliament Act by the Countryside Alliance which would be implemented after the ban takes effect. Any ban on hunting would certainly have an impact on the life of Mr Todhunter, who is a well known and respected local figure and has been doing his job since 1971. He said hunting had been a way of life and not just a job for him, and his family and the hounds are his first consideration — he added that he would have to try and find a job.
Some hounds, Mr Todhunter said, might be able to go back to the people who reared them, but he added that the hounds are bred to hunt.
30 years ago
Phillip’s day to remember
On Wednesday November 9th, a ten year old Keswick boy spent the day of his dreams — at Highbury in London, home of his favourite football team, Arsenal.
Phillip Graham is a member of the ‘Junior Gunners’ club and he had been chosen as Arsenal’s mascot for the Coca Cola Cup third round replay against Oldham Athletic. He and the ball boys and ball girls wore outfits supplied by Nike, and before the game began Phillip met Tony Adams, captain of Arsenal, and Oldham’s captain Nicky Henry, the referee Gerald Ashby of Worcester, and the linesmen R. Coxhead and B. Knight.
Phillip’s favourite player is Paul Merson, and before the match he was photographed with Paul and with the captains and officials.
An Arsenal official told Phillip’s parents, Phillip and Bernadette Graham who accompanied their son to the match, that he was the first member of the Junior Gunners Club from north of Manchester to be chosen as mascot.
Phillip is a pupil of Trinity C E Junior School in Keswick and he has two younger brothers, Michael and Ryan.
40 years ago
Keswick band are “top of the pops”
Four young Keswick musicians have leapt to the top of the local album sales charts and, in so doing, overtaken established giants of the industry such as Wham, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Meat Loaf.
But the Keswick band, Subtle Issue, aren’t content to leave it there. They hope that their original material will catch the attention of some of the country’s leading record producers and put them on the road to fame and fortune. Already tapes have gone to one of the top record companies and if their Keswick sales are any yardstick, Subtle Issue should soon be reaching a far wider audience.
The members of the band are nineteen year old Mark O’Brien — stage name Osprey, because he used to work as a fish farmer — and twenty-one year olds Kirk Way, Stuart Forsyth and Tony Wilkinson.
Stuart joined the band last summer, but the others have been working together for about two years. They perform their own lyrics and music and Mark said: “Our material is totally different. If you record the stuff that’s around today you become just one of thousands of bands doing the same thing.”
The group spent two eight hour days recording at the Linden Studios near Shap, which have gained quite a reputation in recent years for their work in the music field.
Mark said: “It would take the average band about a week to record three songs, but we came out after two days with what we wanted.”
The tapes were ready at the end of October and Mark said that when they went on sale at the Brooks Music Centre in Keswick they “sold like wildfire”. In fact the first batch were quickly sold out and more had to be ordered to cope with the demand from Subtle Issue’s keen local following.
It could be the band’s individuality which eventually gets them noticed outside West Cumbria. “We don’t copy anyone or try to sound like other bands,” said Mark.
Subtle Issue are popular performers in local pubs and they are currently waiting to fix up gigs at Carlisle and Lancaster University. Their biggest breakthrough came last week-end when Brooks music shop compiled their charts of best selling albums and Subtle Issue were top — the first time a local group has had such an achievement — despite the competition from all the big internationally known groups.
However there could be even better things in the offing from Subtle Issue for Mark said: “We are currently working on a new album and this will top our current one no problem.”
Ethiopia Appeal Debate
The Council’s Finance Committee decided, after a lively debate, not to send a donation towards the Allerdale Council chairman’s Ethiopia famine relief fund.
Mr. George Hodgson, the committee chairman, said that whilst he was a supporter of the cause, Keswick people had given generously through existing outlets. And as Allerdale were to send £15,000 to the British Red Cross from their contingency fund he felt it would be wrong to ask Keswick ratepayers to pay twice.
Mr. Sean Crawford asked the Town Council to consider sending a £500 donation to the appeal. There was, he said, a strong case for them to support the appeal financially. Having looked at the general fund reserve of about £23,000, Mr. Crawford said he felt they could afford a £500 donation.
Mrs. Laraine Morrison thought there was enough going from the area to Ethiopia. “What about the countries which are in dire straits and getting nothing?” she asked. “Don’t let us forget there are millions of starving people all over the world who are put on the back shelf.
Mr. Herbert Craghill wondered if people were doing any favours by sending food when what was required was education on proper farming methods to grow food to solve the long term problems.
Mr. Chris Burns said: “The help needed at the moment is feeding the hungry and it is help that has to be given now. We know fine well that the people of Keswick give generously to every appeal that is ever asked of them. This must be one of the best towns in the north of England for raising money for charities.”
And he continued: “I know that nearly every person in Keswick has dipped into their pocket for this appeal and it won’t be pennies, it will be pounds.”
There was no seconder to Mr. Crawford’s proposition for a payment of £500, but the council did decide to encourage people and organisations in Keswick to give as generously as they felt able. The council will act as a collecting point for money for the Allerdale appeal.
Parade turn-out “deplorable”
Keswick Town Council’s Finance and General Purpose Committee chairman Mr. George Hodgson on Thursday lashed out at some colleagues for what he termed the “deplorable” attendance at the town’s Remembrance Day parade. And at the same meeting there was also criticism from the Mayor, Mr. Eric Impey, about the lack of attendance by members at recent functions.
Speaking about the Remembrance parade Mr. Hodgson said it was the one occasion in the year when they could pay tribute to those who had given their lives. He knew there were genuine reasons for absence in some cases. But he added: “We should remember out outside duties in addition to our council duties.”
50 years ago
“Our Gracie”
Three enterprising Keswick boys, on the recent educational cruise in the Mediterranean, met Capri’s most famous resident, Gracie Fields.
John Stephenson, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Stephenson, Michael Creighton, son of Mr. and John Creighton, and Malcolm Newton, son of Mrs. J. Newton, The Headlands, read in their tour programme that Miss Fields lived on Capri, and when they arrived on the island they made enquiries at a hotel and were directed to a villa not far from the hotel.
At the swimming pool in the gardens of the villa they met one of “Our Gracie’s” secretaries who, on learning that the boys were from the north of England and that they were keen to meet her employer, went into the house and returned with Miss Fields. The boys spent half an hour with her, talking and taking photographs.
