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
St John’s say goodbye
The very large congregation attending last Sunday morning’s Parish Eucharist was a fitting tribute to the service to the parish and to the town given by the Vicar, Canon Brian Smith, and his wife Chris, during the past ten years.
During this time Canon Brian has worked tirelessly to improve the structure of the building – the damp in the tower and in parts of the roof have disappeared, the West porch, which opens on to the terrace overlooking Derwentwater and the Derwent Fells, has been converted into a kitchen which doubles as the Sunday School room during the Sunday morning service.
Importantly for the people of Keswick, the church clock has been repaired, quite a major task, and now those living in the town can hear the clock strike during the day – but not at night, as it has been ‘fixed’ to stop striking during the hours of night!
When he came to Keswick Brian promised to stay five years; he has served the parish, and the town for the past ten years, and he was later made Rural Dean of Derwent. He has also been Priest-in-charge of Bridekirk parish near Cockermouth.
Perhaps the best tribute to his work at Keswick was the award of ‘Friendliest Church in England’ earlier this year – a tribute of which everyone was very proud.
At the close of last Sunday’s service the Churchwardens, David Leighton and Liz Hale, presented a substantial cheque to Brian and Chris together with a canteen of cutlery.
A miracle fish!
During the floods in January six goldfish were swept from a garden pond at the home of Joyce Walker, who runs Pets Lifeline. Joyce kept looking in the small streams in the hope of finding the missing fish but seven weeks went by without success, and she was beginning to give up hope of finding any of them.
But then, as she looked over a bridge into a stream, she spotted a goldfish which she recognised from its distinctive colouring – a pink colour with a gold tail and a gold spot on its body. Joyce ran back home and returned with her Wellingtons, a fishing net and bucket, and after several attempts she netted the fish.
This fish had been a favourite with her granddaughter, Samantha Quail, who is delighted to have it back. Now Joyce is looking for a black and gold fish which her grandson Joseph had chosen which she hopes to find as Joseph has recently broken his leg while playing rugby.
Keswick runner is new Chelsea medic
Keswick Athletic Club fell runner Dr Bryan English has landed his dream job as team medic for Jose Mourinho’s mighty Chelsea Football Club. The former doctor for UK Athletics, Bryan, who has been a Chelsea fan all his life, has exchanged looking after Olympic athletes for his footballing heroes every week.
Following the controversial departure of his predecessor Dr Neil Frazer, Bryan English, who was born and brought up in Workington, will be working with Chelsea, the Premiership champions elect, until the end of this season – taking over at the end of February, Bryan’s first game in the dugout was Chelsea’s away win at Everton.
Bryan is a specialist in sports medicine and has been running his own clinic in Sheffield. As
Chief Medical Officer for UK Athletics, he was a key member of the British backroom team at two Olympic Games.
Bryan follows in his father Bob’s footsteps as a member of Keswick Athletic Club and a long distance running award is made annually in Bob’s memory since he was killed in 1981 while competing in the Ennerdale Race – he was one of eight runners who went missing in bad weather conditions.
“I used to run for the Dark Peak club, but decided to join Keswick because of my late father’s connections and because my heart is still very much in the area,” said Bryan.
30 years ago
Pencil mill fire
A serious fire at the Rexel Cumberland Pencil Company’s factory was averted by the prompt action of a vigilant worker on Saturday morning.
An employee of the company arrived shortly before 5-30 on Sunday morning to open up the premises and discovered that a vat containing 45 gallons of wax had overheated and caught fire. He raised the alarm and three fire engines – two from Keswick and one from Cockermouth spent three hours dealing with the fire.
Keswick fire brigade station officer, Chris Burns, said the fire caused extensive damage to the ground floor area. He added it was fortunate that the worker who opens up the factory was there to spot what had happened, otherwise there would have been a much more serious fire.
Vigil outside court
The sight of anti-nuclear protestors with banners is an unusual one for Keswick, but earlier this week two dozen people – including members of the Keswick Cumbrians for Peace group – kept a vigil outside the court in Bank Street prior to hearings each day of cases relating to an incident at the Sellafield nuclear plant in West Cumbria last summer.
In June about 150 people blockaded roads leading to the plant. Traffic hold-ups were caused and a number of people were arrested. They have been appearing in court to deny wilful obstruction of the road.
All the people taking part in the Keswick vigil are part of the shut Sellafield direct action group who joined together following the government’s decision to give the Thorp reprocessing plant the go ahead last year.
Centenary sculpture
The original plan by the national trust to have a sculpture in Crow Park, by the shore of Derwentwater, in Keswick has now been dropped, and consideration is being given to having a sculpture to commemorate the Trust’s centenary on one of two sites in Borrowdale.
The Borrowdale annual parish meeting was told by Steve Chattle, Cumbria Arts Officer, that one of the sites is near the lead working at Brandlehow and the other is on Broomhill Point on the eastern shore of the lake.
40 years ago
Landmark
There was a licensing landmark at Keswick on Friday when Mr. Joe Pattinson handed over the reins of the King’s Head Hotel, Thirlspot, after thirty years in the trade, twenty being spent at the King’s Head.
Mr. Pattinson handed on the licence to his son Brian who has been managing the hotel. Brian, an ex-pupil of Keswick School, had been a partner in the hotel for twenty years and is a past chairman of the Keswick and District Licensed Victuallers Association.
His father has been one of the best known personalities in the local licensing trade and, when the transfer took place before Keswick Justices, the chairman. Mr. W. A. Relph commented that it was indeed a “milestone.” For thirty years Mr. Pattinson senior had operated in the trade without a blemish on his record and the Justices took the unusual step of wishing him all the best in his retirement.
Unfortunately Joe was unable to attend Friday’s hand over as he was confined to quarters having broken some ribs.
Keswick popsters go on record
Keswick top pop group Subtle Issue will be taping their first record at the Linden Sounds studios in Shap on Wednesday. The local youngsters are hoping that one of the major record companies will take notice and distribute the disc. Otherwise they may take the plunge themselves and pay for at least 1,000 copies.
This Sunday Subtle Issue are unveiling their latest songs, which are to go on the record, at a special concert in the Century Theatre at the Lakeside.
Since the success of their tape album, which rose to be top seller in the local music shops, they have been busy penning new material.
Leader Mark “Osprey” O’Brien said that a video of the group had been sent to the television programme “The Tube”. They had subsequently received an encouraging letter from the programme’s producer who said they were on a waiting list for an appearance although he stressed there were many other groups also in line.
New singer Dave Richards, who has also been composing some new songs, has joined the existing band members Mark, Tony Wilkinson and Kirk Way.
No tourist clutter at stone circle say National Trust
The National Trust will strongly resist any attempts to turn Keswick’s ancient Castlerigg Stone Circle into a tourist trap.
Regional Director Mr. Lawrence Harwood yesterday told the “Reminder” that the regional committee were “far from happy” at the prospect of any disturbance to the soil of Castlerigg.
The committee discussed a proposal by English Heritage that they should carry out a partial survey and excavation of the site followed by post-excavation work leading to the installation of “interpretive” material for the benefit of visitors to the monument.
It was decided that survey work of a geophysical nature could be done in the interests of trying to find out more about the significance of the stones, but that there were many ways of surveying and researching which could be undertaken without disturbing the site.
Even if the survey led to suggestions for excavation, Mr. Harwood pointed out this need not necessarily take place at Castlerigg. “This is an important monument and people love it for its undisturbed qualities,” he said. “The National Trust would resist hook, line and sinker any proposal to increase what is on the site over and above the sort of information we give at the moment.
“We don’t want to see any clutter on that marvellous site. We believe that the mystery is part of its special appeal and charm.”
Fear that the site would end up with “signboards, instruction huts, teashops and public lavatories” were expressed by a columnist in the Daily Telegraph last week when discussing a report by the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,— A headline in the current issue of “ The Lake District Herald” states: “Stonehenge of Cumbria to be Excavated,” and informs us that this work could start soon on our Castlerigg Stone Circle. Dr. Steven Johnson, an inspector of Ancient Monuments for English Heritage, is awaiting permission from the National Trust who “have been unable to come to a decision as to whether we should excavate”. Perhaps an expression of local opinion might assist them.
As locals We can claim no more proprietary right than anyone else to our famous national monument, but we should be prepared to act as first line of defence against its desecration. Others have bigger ancient monuments, but there can be none that is more superbly sited, or which hits the visitor more powerfully with its atmosphere. This year, as every year, there will be many who will visit it for the first and only time in their lives. Are they to see it in its true and original glory or as a spectacle akin to an open cast mining operation?
Just over a century ago part of the site was excavated and little of interest was found. If the purpose of the monument was ceremonial it is unlikely that a bigger excavation would yield more now. If the purpose was sepulchral a few stone coffins might be found, and there could be evidence of whether or not the dead had been cremated. Such knowledge may be sufficient to satisfy the curiosity of inquisitive archaeologists, but surely it falls far short of justifying the threatened desecration.
It will not have passed the notice of artists, photographers and others, that from some aspects the Circle can be viewed in isolation from any other works of man, except for very distant stone walls, so we are able to see it as it was built with only mountains in the background. We are told that English Heritage might install graphics to help tourists to understand the history of the site. Would these be among the stones, thus completely spoiling the picture?
For some of us perhaps the most attractive feature of the monument is its mystery, which we find more interesting than precise knowledge. Might it not be better to let our local treasure keep its secret so that we may continue to go there at any hour and in any season to do our own speculating?
Donald Watson
Chestnut Hill,
Keswick
50 years ago
Miss E. E. Mitchison
At an informal meeting last Thursday evening, Miss E. E. Mitchison, matron of the Mary Hewetson Hospital, received a gift of a fireside chair and matching footstool from her colleagues and the hospital staff on her retirement.
Mrs. Helen Fox, chairman of the Friends of the Mary Hewetson Hospital, presented Miss Mitchison with a cheque comprising donations received from individual members of the Friends committee, colleagues from Carlisle, remaining members of the former House Committee, and some former patients.
Hospital patients presented her with a crystal vase on Friday at a separate ceremony.
Miss Mitchison has been a respected and well-liked matron, and her friends will be pleased to know that she is not leaving Keswick on her retirement but will remain at her home in Crosthwaite Gardens.
Miss Mitchison returned to Keswick sixteen years ago, in June 1959, from Glasgow Royal Infirmary where she had been Home Sister and, previously, sister-in-charge of the Orthopaedic unit. She was born in Cumbria and is a former pupil of Keswick School.
Mrs. Betty Scoon, wife of well-known Keswickian Mr. Ron Scoon, and matron of Blencathra Hospital until its closure last month, took over as matron of the Mary Hewetson Hospital on April 1st.
