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
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Whilst enjoying a walk along the shore of Derwentwater on a gloriously sunny day with magnificent views to the snow-capped tells, the serene peace of the beautiful surroundings was rudely shattered by the loud noise of the recently acquired ferry making its way down the far side of the lake (I shudder to imagine what it is like close to!)
The existing ferries were an asset to Keswick, silent and unobtrusive, part of the scene, but this noisy monstrosity is an unwanted intrusion into the idyllic peace and quiet of Derwentwater on a winter’s day.
Understand this boat was brought from London, where no doubt its racket was not noticed among the general noise and bustle of the capital’s traffic along the roads near the Thames, but it is totally out of place here.
I appeal to the Derwentwater Launch Company to send the wretched thing back from whence it came, and to use the existing boats. We can do without having our peaceful walks ruined by this unwanted addition to the fleet.
J G Hall
Helvellyn Street
Keswick
30 years ago
Keswick railway station
Allerdale Borough Council’s Development committee gave the go-ahead for a shop and restaurant at Keswick’s former railway station at their meeting on Monday.
This decision has been greeted by Sam Rayner, managing director of Lakeland Plastics, as a vote of confidence although he said he realised his firm must wait for approval from the full council before going ahead with the plans.
He said his firm, which intends spending up to £250,000 on renovating and enclosing the canopy above the old platform to form part of the shop, is hoping to start as quickly as possible after full permission is received. “Our aim is to start as quickly as we can after the stop start nature of things over the past months,” he said.
The development committee voted for the shop package in spite of pleas for the lease from Keswick Artshare who wish to establish a community art centre at the former station, and Principal Hotels, who own the nearby Keswick Hotel, and who proposed either extra bedrooms or a conference facility on the site.
40 years ago
Lakes rescue pioneer dies
Colonel Horace “Rusty” Westmorland, formerly of Threlkeld, one of the most remarkable Lake District personalities of the century, has died aged 98.
Colonel Westmorland, who was responsible for the setting up of a Keswick Mountain Rescue Team in 1947, first climbed a fell at the age of four, and he retained his sense of adventure and love of the great outdoors right into his nineties.
Latterly Colonel Westmorland had been resident in an elderly people’s home at Newbiggin on Lune, but he had remained active to a very advanced age and indeed when he was 85 he climbed Pillar Rock in Ennerdale to celebrate his first climb of the rock 70 years before.
Colonel Westmorland’s love of fell walking was almost born in him because his father enjoyed the mountains and he once said he was virtually brought up walking along Striding Edge. Though Colonel Westmorland shared his father’s interest in mountain climbing, and indeed climbed with people like Godfrey Solley and the Abraham brothers of Keswick, both in the Lake District and in Europe, he was not so enthusiastic about the family tannery business in Penrith.
When his father died the business was sold and, at 23 years of age, Colonel Westmorland looked for fresh horizons. These he found after emigrating to Canada where he had a letter of introduction from Solley to the head of the Alpine Club of Canada.
His first job was as a chain man with a party which trekked 200 miles into the bush to do a survey of 253 square miles around a 30 mile long lake. It was on this expedition that he learnt a great deal about pack horses. He subsequently took charge of a plane tabling survey on Vancouver Island and his flair for drawing mountain contours eventually led him to the task nearest to his heart, climbing the snow-capped Rockies with the main surveying party.
During this period he qualified for a commission with the equivalent of a ‘Territorial Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders of Canada and when in the middle of a survey news arrived of the outbreak of war, he rode out to the nearest telegraph office and went to join his regiment. He stayed on as a regular soldier until being invalided out in 1915. Later he joined the Royal Canadian Regiment as Transport Officer where his experience of handling horses proved invaluable.
His mountaineering knowledge was put to use by the army in training troops in mountain warfare and he was on his way to organise a Mountain Welfare School when an old illness struck and he was invalided out. Soon afterwards, he was offered a post at Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy where he was chairman of the committee responsible for winter sports at a rest camp for allied troops.
He returned to Keswick in 1945 and it was back in his native Cumberland that, after a particularly exhausting night rescue of the climber Wilfrid Noyce, he turned his thoughts to the formation of an organised rescue service.
In 1947 he wrote a letter to the “Reminder” and got thirty-six volunteers. They were originally known as the Borrowdale Mountain Rescue Team and a photograph of members on an early exercise on Great Gable showed Colonel Westmorland with some of the team including George and Dick Fisher, D. Robinson, J. Barber, F. Barnes, T. Davison, N. Lusby, Conrad Sauer, Mrs. Sauer, D. Graham, V. Vevers, T. Bolton and S. Thompson.
When representatives of all the teams in the Lake District got together some years afterwards they appointed Colonel Westmorland chairman of their search panel.
Mr. Mike Nixon, present day leader of the Keswick Rescue Team, said Colonel Westmorland was “the father of mountain rescue in the Lake District,” and he added: “He was the last link with the old time tigers. He climbed with people who are now legends.”
Decision on Rock of Names – but is it the last word?
Parish Councillors have made up their minds about where Thirlmere’s famous Rock of Names should be sited in future, but that may not be the end of the controversy.
St. John’s, Castlerigg and Wythburn Councillors have agreed that the rock, which was removed from its site near Thirlmere earlier this year for renovation, should remain at Dove Cottage, Grasmere.
This decision was made despite a site meeting the day before the Council meeting at which a deputation from the Parish Council met North West Water Authority representatives to discuss the possible siting of the tablet. They agreed that if it was accepted by the Trustees of Dove Cottage, the tablet would be returned to Thirlmere and placed on.land known as Thorny Intake, on open fell opposite the Straining Well.
This was accepted in principle by the N.W.W.A. for the Parish Council to put to the Trustees of Wordsworth Cottage for their views. However a three page letter by Windermere hotelier Mr. Michael Berry, who sponsored the original removal of the rock. He felt that he had done what was best for all concerned and said he would fight tooth and nail for the rock to remain at Dove Cottage.
After further discussion on Thursday, it was proposed by Mr. Dick Tangye and seconded by Mr. Alison Gaskell that the tablet remain at Dove Cottage. The clerk Mr. Des Oliver, said there being no counter proposition this motion was carried.
However the Council’s vice chairman the Revd. Geoffrey Darrel, advised that some parishioners would resent the decision and may take action to return the rock to Thirlmere.
Mr. Oliver said later that he understood there were some local residents who thought the rock should remain at Thirlmere. He said “They may decide to take their own action. They could call a meeting and decide what they want to do, but the Parish Council has made its decision.”
Top soccer man backs Keswick’s leisure need
International soccer personality Sir Matt Busby is part of the consortium interested in a large scale development plan for Keswick railway station site.
Sir Matt, former Manager of Manchester United and now president of the club, visited Keswick on Tuesday in his capacity as a Director of one of the companies which is interested in re-developing the station site.
Sir Matt later confirmed that he had revisited the site along with financial advisors. His Board is currently liaising closely with the Lake District Special Planning Board, the site owners, and is hoping to finalise proposals acceptable to them.
In a statement to the “Reminder” Sir Matt said: “Our consortium is extremely enthusiastic about the site and we believe that with the co-operation of all concerned, the Keswick Leisure Pool can soon become a reality.”
50 years ago
Curtains?
It could be curtains for the Century Theatre in Keswick if the mobile company cannot find a new permanent site to stage their plays.
They have asked Allerdale. District Council to grant them the continued use of part of the Lakeside car park for their summer seasons in the town, but questions of environmental health as well as of planning have been raised.
Now Allerdale’s departments are seeking a meeting with the Lake District Special Planning Board to discuss a new and better permanent site — so far without success.
“We must stress the urgency of an early meeting because the Theatre cannot plan their next season with this hanging over their heads,” said Mr. Stephen Hogarth, chairman of the Council’s planning sub-committee, at Tuesday’s meeting.
