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
Mortar shell discovered
A member of staff of the King’s Head Hotel at Thirlspot spotted what they thought was a mortar shell at the rear of the building on Monday and, after the police were notified, a bomb disposal team attended the incident as a precautionary measure in case the shell contained high explosives.
Although the shell was found to be in a stable state, the immediate area at the rear of the hotel was cordoned off as a safety measure but residents and staff did not have to be evacuated. A police spokesman said the safety precautions had to be put in place in case the shell contained explosives however, it was removed later that evening.
Anonymous rescuers
Two passing canoeists and a fisherman turned rescuers when they helped drag three canoeists from Derwentwater after their boat capsized on Monday.
A police spokesman said the three heroes, who all wished to remain anonymous, went to assist the struggling canoeists when the incident happened near Kettlewell in Borrowdale. The canoeists, visitors from Cheshire, who became stuck under the water when their canoe overturned, were taken to Keswick Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital for a check up where they were found to be unhurt apart from suffering from the cold after being in the water.
Keswick School boy plays for England
Fifteen-year-old Robert Miller of Aspatria, who is a member of Keswick School’s under 17 squad which reached the last 32 of the Daily Mail national Schools Cup competition, was a member of the England under 17 team which played the Italian under 17 team at St Albans, Hertfordshire last Saturday.
A former member of Keswick School, Brian Gibson, who now lives at ST Albans, went to watch the match and phoned the Editor of the Keswick Reminder afterwards and said Robert played as stand-off in the second half of the match and had a very good game.
Robert has been attending regular coaching sessions at Newcastle Falcons junior academy and he has been described by the Head of Physical Education at Keswick School, Mr Tim Bunting, as a “talented and dedicated rugby player who works hard and receives good support from his parents.”
30 years ago
From Laura Ashley to the sawmill
Lisa Beaty had her first job at the Old Sawmill, Mirehouse with Mrs. Jean Hotton. Now, ten years later, she has returned to run the business herself.
A Bassenthwaite girl, Lisa trained at Workington College and gained a BTec in catering and hotel management. She went on to work for Gardner Merchant tackling anything from serving lunch to directors to helping to serve two thousand hungry people in thirty minutes at British Aerospace, Preston.
For the last five and a half years Lisa has been running the catering operation at the Laura Ashley Mail Order Department in Powys. In addition she established her own outside catering business in Wales, so running her own show is not a new experience.
She is excited to be back in her home area and taking on a business where she gained her interest in catering. She said: “I expect all kinds of visitors here – families visiting Mirehouse and its playgrounds, people walking in Dodd Wood and long distance walkers going to the top of Skiddaw and beyond. But I must say also that we hope some people will come here mainly to have a first class lunch of tea.”
40 year ago
Keswick’s oldest established grocery business changes hands
One of Keswick’s oldest-established grocery businesses has changed hands with the retirement last weekend of Mr. Feddon Metcalf, Helvellyn Street. Mr. Metcalf had been in the same shop for forty-one years almost exactly to the day, but he and his wife Rene have now moved to Annan to live nearer to their daughter Ann and her family.
The shop in Helvellyn Street has been taken over by Walter and Dorothy Budby who intend to carry on the grocery business.
It was natural that Mr. Metcalf should go into the grocery trade for this father Robert was born in a grocery shop in Workington as was his grandfather before him. In 1898 Mr. Metcalf’s father was sent to Cockermouth to serve his time for two years and subsequently he came to Keswick to work for Mr. Jack Allinson.
Later he opened premises in Main Street and three of his sons, Feddon, Thompson and Cyril, followed the family tradition of going into the grocery trade. The fourth, Claude, trained as a chiropodist and later returned to practice in Keswick where he served the town faithfully for many years as a Town and District Councillor.
It was in 1933 that the top shop in Helvellyn Street opened. Messrs. Thompson and Cyril Metcalf managed it until the war came. Up to that time Feddon had been with his father in the bottom shop.
Feddon was invalided out of the Army in 1944 and went straight to the Helvellyn Street shop which he continued to run until his retirement last Saturday. He decided to retire in December following a period of ill health, but he told the “Reminder” that after a lifetime working in the grocery business he would not have had things any other way. He said: “It has been a pleasure serving a nice set of people.”
Running a family business in the side streets is bound to bring a shopkeeper into close personal contact with his customers and Mr. Metcalf said: “There has always been a very good community in that part of Keswick.”
During his years in business in Keswick, Mr. Metcalf has witnessed the demise of many of the traditional family shops. He said: “I think the message to the public is either use them or lose them. Where people use them they keep them.”
One-millionth Wainwright book
Lake District author A. Wainwright belongs to that small circle of writers whose every work is a best seller. In fact, the millionth Wainwright book will be sold during the coming months.
The first of A. Wainwright’s unique pictorial guides to the Lakeland Fells was published by The Westmorland Gazette in 1955. Since then they have been snapped up as soon as they appear and are now established as the fellwalker’s bible, an essential purchase for many visitors to the Lake District.
Progress towards the millionth book has been carefully monitored and the publisher has a special plan to be able to identify it. Strict secrecy will be maintained about which bookshop acquires the millionth copy, and only after investigation of that particular retailer’s stock will the search begin to locate the purchaser.
To mark the sale, The Westmorland Gazette has had specially manufactured a limited edition of silver-plated table mats and coasters reproducing six Wainwright subjects. The No. 1 set has been reserved and will be presented to the buyer of the millionth copy by Mr. Wainwright. The lucky buyer will also be offered a week’s holiday for two people in a leading Lake District Hotel.
50 years ago
Concert
The annual concert organised by Keswick School Parents’ Association was held in the Rawnsley Hall on Saturday evening, and was followed by a buffet supper in the Dining Hall. Proceeds of the evening have been put towards the new cine projector which the Parents’ Association has ordered for the School.
The concert, given by members of the School, was of exceptionally high standard with solo performances by Claire Lyall, Gillian Grisdale, Alison Grant, Dawn Nicholson, Rosemarie Jenkinson and Matthew Curtis (piano); Ruth Carefoot (violin), Anne Seneviratne (flute), Nicholas Gilboy (violin) and Alison Smith (clarinet). Karen Miller and Rona Houston sang solos, and Claire Lyall and Jolyon Jackson were the soloists with the choir in an extract from “The Mikado”. The soloists were all sympathetically and skilfully accompanied by Mr. R. Prime, the Director of Music.
The evening was a special occasion for a former pupil who, almost fifty years ago, had been a member of the School’s first orchestra — Roland Mustchin. The present-day orchestra, trained and conducted by him, gave the audience great pleasure with their music, opening the concert with three well-known items all arranged for school orchestras by their conductor.
The concert closed with Ronald Mustchin conducting the orchestra and choir in two choruses from Bach’s “Peasant Cantata” and his own beautiful setting of the School Psalm, “I will lift up mine eyes unto. the hills.”
The Headmaster, Mr. J. E. Thompson, presented Mr. Mustchin with a gift from the pupils and thanked him for bringing musical skill and appreciation to so many children during his years as the area’s Peripatetic Instrumental Teacher.
