A Quick Reminder: Looking back through the archives of The Keswick Reminder from around this week 20, 30 and 50 years ago
20 years ago
Well-known shoefitter retires
The owner of one of Keswick’s best known shops retired on Saturday after sixty years in the shoe trade, but don’t think for one minute that Dennis Pattinson will be short of things to do!
Dennis, who was made a member of the Society of Shoefitters in 1973 and is the only remaining one in Cumbria, will have plenty to fill his time as he is still a keen sportsman and enjoys keeping himself fit at the gym, and even has a personal trainer to help him with his exercise regime.
However, his fitness could, in some part, be due to an extra job he took on in his early days in the shoe industry. Although his career in the business really started in his teens, when he worked at weekends for the old-established Cockermouth family shoe shop of Riddiards (the oldest retailers in the UK), he and his wife Barbara – who he married in 1953 after she was evacuated to the town from Yarmouth – opened their own shoe shop in Workington which, he says, was flooded out in the first week. So, while they cleaned up and restocked, Dennis took out a milk round, and spent hours sprinting up and down driveways delivering milk at all hours, on top of setting up the new shoe shop.
Mr Pattinson was born and brought up in Cockermouth, attending Fairfield and then the Grammar School, prior to starting work at Millers factory in the town in 1946 as a clicker, cutting leather. Together with his wife, they opened the Millers factory in Egremont and, in 1946, they moved to Leicester for nine years to broaden his knowledge of footwear, after a brief spell in the army.
In 1961 the couple opened their first shop in Workington, moving to bigger premises in Pow Street three years later. Subsequently Dennis and Barbara opened shoe shops in both Whitehaven and Cockermouth, but in the 1980s they disposed of the other shops to concentrate on their business in Keswick’s Main Street.
Dennis Pattinson built his reputation on providing quality goods and personal service, maintaining that: “It’s the easiest thing in the world to sell rubbish, but I believe you have got to give value for money. I have met a lot of nice people and had many loyal customers.”
Mr Pattinson, who lives in Workington – his wife Barbara died some years ago – said he had decided to retire to give himself more time for his outside interests which include golf – he is a past captain of Workington Golf Club – walking and keeping fit at gym, and he is a past president of Keswick Rotary Club, in 1998; he was introduced by the late Herbert Craghilll, a popular Keswick businessman and ex-rugby player.
Summing up his life, Dennis said: “People might say I have been lucky. Well I was lucky to marry the woman I did and have the daughter I’ve got but, as for business, it’s been a case of working seven days a week to make it successful, if that’s what they call luck.”
Bidding for fresh air
Cumbria Tourist’ Board’s bottled Lakeland Air is proving to be an unexpected hit on the Internet auction site eBay, attracting 29 bids earlier this week with someone prepared to pay nearly £60 for a bottle — this beats the price even Del Boy and Rodney were asking for their famous Peckham Spring Water in an episode from Only Fools and Horses.
The fresh air is being bottled by one of the National Park Authority’s Fell Top Assessors Pete Collins, who shares the task of scaling 3116ft of Helvellyn every day with another Assessor to check weather conditions for walkers for Weatherline. The bottled air is being sold by Cumbria Tourist Board to encourage more people from London and Britain’s other polluted cities to visit the Lake District in 2005.
Eric Robson, the presenter of Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time and Chairman of Cumbria Tourist Board, said: “We think a few hearty intakes of Lakeland Air, fresh from the fell tops, will particularly appeal to the over stressed people who live and work in Britain’s polluted and congested cities. Our message is that they can escape for a break to the Lake District to enjoy the fresh air at source and be inspired by the breathtaking views of lakes and mountains.”
However the Lakeland Air has got competition – a bottle of Manchester Smog Air was put onto eBay at the weekend!
Bingo win for Keswick lady
A 71 year old grandmother from Keswick scooped a prize of more than £101,000 playing bingo last Thursday.
The winner, who asked not to be named, was the latest National Game winner at the Alhambra club in Penrith. She said: “I was so shocked when the news came through that I had won. My family are really thrilled with the win and very pleased for me. For the moment I have no idea what I will do with the winnings.
30 years ago
Keswick School’s ‘historic moment’
The Trustees of the Keswick School Charity, and the Governors of the School, have voted for the single site project to go ahead, subject to the receipt of appropriate specialist advice on their own financial plans for funding their share of the costs.
This, says Headmaster Howard Allen, is a historic moment in the development of Keswick School.
The Secretary of State, on November 14th, wrote to the Chairman of the Governors and the Director of Education, giving approval for the single site scheme to go ahead. The cost of the building programme will be £4,181,488, of which the Governors’ share will be £3,282,712. The Governors will receive a grant of 80% from the Department for Education for their part of the expenditure, but this still represents a major financial commitment for the Trustees and Governors.
However, the Trustees and the Governors are optimistic that building will begin in January with a completion date set for August 1996.
Mr. Allen says it has been a “long uphill struggle” to complete the reorganisation of secondary education in Keswick. He said: “The community of Keswick is fortunate to have this opportunity at last.”
‘A good bet’
Cumbria’s National Hunt racing hero Jonjo O’Neill came to Keswick on Monday to officially open Lakeland Racing, the new premises of local bookmaker David Lawson.
David has relocated his betting shop from upstairs premises in the Oddfellows Yard to new surroundings which were previously a gift shop in St. John’s Street. It has brought the new image of betting shops to Keswick, made possible by changes in government legislation which have made betting shops more customer friendly and open to the public.
Sporting paintings by Workington artist Kevin Nutter, including one of Jonjo himself riding Dawn Run after a famous victory at Cheltenham, are displayed in the front window of the new shop. David Lawson said: “We are trying to get away from the image of betting shops as smoke filled dens. Customers need greater comfort although we still have to respect their privacy.”
50 years ago
Retirement
The retirement of the headmistress, Miss E. T. Aldred, coincided this week with the closure of St. John’s Girls’ School. Keswick. The school will be absorbed into the new Trinity School, which opens after the Christmas holidays, but the premises will continue to be used for educational purposes as they are being taken over by the St. John’s Infants’ School.
Miss Aldred has already been the subject of a presentation by the top class of children, before they moved at the end of the summer term. But on Wednesday it was the turn of parents and friends to pay their tribute to her after fifteen years’ service as headmistress.
The Vicar of St. John’s, the Rev. V. M. Spencer Ellis, presided at the presentation of a cheque by Mrs. Edith Hodgson, widow of a former school manager Mr. Norman Hodgson and herself holder of a long connection with the school.
Miss D. S. Smith, headmistress of the Infants’ School, also spoke in appreciation of Miss Aldred’s services to the school and her friendship.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Sir, The Centre of Keswick should be developed artistically according to the Town Council, who recently held a special meeting with the Lake District Planning Board and the Cumbria County Council Planning Department to discuss joint proposals.
I sincerely hope that some consideration or indeed priority will be given to the obvious Centre Piece — the Moot Hall Clock — the importance of which was reflected recently by the kind gesture of an anonymous gentleman, which surely indicates recommendations for further discussions dealing with the necessary technical adjustments or repairs, to return the clock to its former glory of striking the hours!
This historical “Old Timer” was stripped down, cleaned and reassembled in 1945 by the experienced hands of the late Mr. Douglas (Market Square) and recent slides of Mr. J. Corrie show the wooden cog wheels and inner workings to be in good condition. I assure the Council that no further problems would arise with regard to a rota of volunteers for the duties of re-winding the clock.
If the cost of repairs and maintenance should prove prohibitive, I am sure that help would be forthcoming from some of our excellent organisations. This Family Weekly, for many years from the early 1930s, published articles regularly from the late Tom Wilson, under the pen name of ‘T Pup Chap,’ the enthusiastic leader of the P.U.P.s organisation, who were involved in any progressive movement. His sense of humour, and cartoons depicting local characters and general way of life in the town, was indeed remarkable. This concern for the elderly was always in evidence, and perhaps inspired the now established “Old Folks Do”.
The following literary gem, extracted from the P.U.P.s annual of 1932, gives the:clock a voice which speaks for itself.
Ah’ve gitten auld, ah’s oot o’ date,
Ah knaw ah’ve hed mi day,
Ah’ve dun mi best, you can’t due mair,
For years ah’ve hed mi say,
Ah feel seah feckless stuck up here,
Yer’ve gitten aw alike,
Yer want to knaw what’s time o’ day
Afoor its time ta strike.
Wid two good hands way doon’t Main Street
When t’minutes yan cud tell
Ah’d watch frae here as’t hoors com
Ah’d strike them oot on’t bell.
Next time yer pass leuk up at me,
Ah knaw yer’ll nivver scold,
If yer due yer best to wark for’t toon—
Yer’ll be happy when yer auld.
F. Mills
12 St. Kentigern Close
Keswick
Derwentwater Boat Club
The Derwentwater Boat Club, at Portinscale, could be out of business if a total ban on power boats on the lake is implemented by the Lake District Planning Board. That is the view of the proprietors, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Thompson, who have decided to launch protests about the proposed measures. Letters are being sent to the English Tourist Board, Lake District Planning Board, Department of the Environment, Northern Sports Council and Monopolies Commission.
Mr. Thompson said this week that he did not think the Derwentwater Launch Company could be exempted from the ban on the grounds that it provided a public service as it only ran during the tourist season.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson say the proposals have been made without any consultation and have called upon Planning Board representatives to meet boat owners. Mr. Thompson said the ban would mean the Boat Club could no longer operate a rescue service.
Without a rescue boat it would not be possible to continue sailing.
The question of a total ban on power boats was raised at last week’s Planning Board meeting when, Mr. Graham Watson, Bradford, was reported as saying that if the lake attracted a large number of craft its character could change. Another member, Mr. M. Munro of Workington, claimed the lake could attract people “like bees round a honey pot” if it was available to power craft. Originally a 10 m.p.h. speed limit was being considered for Derwentwater but now the total ban is under review.
Representatives of the Derwentwater Ski-club met Keswick Town Council on Monday night to discuss water safety on the lake. Afterwards an official of the club said she felt they had impressed the Council with their responsible attitude towards recreational use of Derwentwater and safety aspects.
The ski-club will join protests if a ban on power boats comes into force because it would effectively mean their closure.
- Unfortunately the edition of the Keswick Reminder from December 21, 1984 is missing from the archive.
