Looking back through the archives of The Keswick Reminder from around this week 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
20 years ago
Historic plaque found
A historic plaque stolen from a Cumbrian fellside church over 18 months ago has turned up – 400 miles away at an auction saleroom in Sussex. The wooden carved plaque, bearing the coat of arms of George III and dating back to the early 1800s, was taken from above the door of St John’s in the Vale Church near Keswick in January, 2002.
The Vicar, Revd. Bryan Rothwell, said: “We did not think we would see it again. It was a pleasant surprise to find that it had turned up at a saleroom in Sussex and the police brought it round earlier this week to be identified.”
Mr Rothwell added: “We had been thinking about replacement. I don’t know quite how it was spotted. It may have been someone from the auction house or a prospective buyer wanting verification. Clearly someone had seen it in the catalogue where its price was estimated at between £1,600 and £1,800.”
The plaque is carved wood, painted and gilded, and Mr Rothwell said that as far as anyone connected with the church knew it was unique.
No-one knows whether it was made specifically for the church or moved from another building at some time in its history. He said: “The police must have kept it on their database and, when someone checked it out, they realised it was the same item that had been stolen some time ago from the church.”
St John’s in the Vale Church will have to wait a while longer to get their plaque back because it is being retained by the police as evidence for the time being. “It will be returned at some point. It is quite safe,” said the Vicar.
The plaque disappeared at a time when police were investigating a number of thefts from church buildings in the Keswick area and west Cumbria. A spokesman said: “It is nice to get something back because you don’t always expect to see this sort of property again.”
The police are in the process of arranging to interview a local person in connection with items put into the auction.
Keswick to Penrith Railway concerns
Cedric Martindale has issued a mini-update on the Keswick to Penrith Railway proposals. He says: “Impact on the environment is the focus of work by CKP Railways plc at the moment.
“Using the recently completed engineering design for the new railway, specialists will assess the effects on landscape, noise, wildlife, water, archaeology, traffic etc and find ways of making the railway benefit the area in every possible way.
“Cumbrian based and nationally renowned specialists are being brought in to complete these studies. The first phase of this work will be completed this summer, involving consultation with about 20 statutory organisations including local authorities and conservation bodies. The results will be made available for public comment before submission to national Government for final approval.
“But there could be bad news: An immediate concern is the development of the new Industrial Park at Flusco. Plans have been submitted to Eden District Council to extend the roads on the site, cutting through the trackbed in a way which could make it difficult for the railway to cross the site later.
“CKP Railways plc has made representations to Eden District Council and learned that the plans may go to the Planning Committee as early as August 14th. The developers have publicly expressed interest in the reopening of the railway, but their current proposals could compromise this.
“The design of the industrial park must not create obstacles for the railway. The two must be considered together, not separately. With careful consideration the two schemes can be complementary. Without proper consideration, creation of new jobs near Penrith could make railway reconstruction difficult, unnecessarily expensive or impossible, leaving Keswick cut off forever.”
30 years ago
No yellow lines for Southey Street
The ruling Labour group in the county council was defeated on Thursday morning on the issue of double yellow lines in Southey Street.
The highways committee was discussing proposals for Keswick’s traffic plan which, in the main, received approval. But the Labour group’s proposal for double yellow lines in Southey Street was defeated when the Liberal Democrat members joined the Conservative councillors to produce 12 votes to nine against that proposal.
The scheme favoured by the Conservative and Liberal Democrats will cost £15,000 and involves the narrowing of the pavement on the east side of the street (the side opposite the Methodist Church).
Keswick & St. John’s Councillor Stuart Askew told The Reminder after the meeting that this option would prevent guest house businesses being penalised.
Keswick Town Council – swimming lessons
Town Councillor Chris Burns described it as “a great shame” that school children are being bussed to Cockermouth Swimming Pool when there is the Leisure Pool here in Keswick — “an excellent local facility”. The Mayor, Councillor Sean Crawford, agreed and said he couldn’t think of anything better than the Leisure Pool as a learning pool for children.
County Councillor Stuart Askew, who attended last week ’s meeting of the Town Council, said school swimming provision in Keswick was a “hot” issue at the moment. He felt there was a misconception that funding for swimming itself was being withdrawn, but the matter at stake was the funding of transport to and from the Cockermouth pool.
Mr. Askew said that, due to financial pressures, the County Council has had to reduce the budget provided for school swimming by about one third. This meant no provision in the swimming budget for transport, but the Neighbourhood Services budget could provide a source of subsidy towards the transport cost which is in excess of £100 per week.
40 years ago
Keswick A.F.C. six-a-side football competition
Keswick Football Club held their annual six-a-side football competition on Sunday at Greta Park.
Seventeen senior teams entered for the Derwent Club Trophy and last year’s winners, Lodore “A’ who have won the trophy for the past four years, were beaten in the second round by King’s Head who went on to play Lake Road Vaults ‘A’ in the final. The final was equally matched with good entertaining football, Lake Road Vaults proving that little bit more skilful with a superb volley goal from Simon Grisdale who was the driving force behind their 1-0 win.
This year the Keswick Club ran a Ladies competition which proved to be a “hit” with the crowds. There were only four teams entered but the ladies showed some classy foot work and enthusiasm. Overall winners were the Rexel Cumberland team who beat Keswick Rejects on penalties and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and hopeful next year more teams will enter to make it a worthwhile annual event.
The President of the Derwent Club, Mr. Ashley Noon, presented the prizes to the winners and runners-up in both competitions and he was thanked by the Club Chairman, John Houlder.
Maryport youths in lake rescue
The efforts of a boys’ club leader and a teenager in averting a drowning tragedy on Derwentwater in the early hours of Monday, were praised by Keswick Police.
A party from Maryport Boys Club were staying the night at Isthmus Cottage on the shores of Derwentwater and watching a late night horror movie when the alarm was raised.
Party leader Mr. Ronald Smith (20) of Ennerdale Road, Maryport, dashed into the icy waters of the lake to pull out an exhausted swimmer, and 17-year-old Mark Brown, of Grasslot, got into a canoe and paddled out to Derwent Island where he and Mr. Smith found another youth lying naked and unconscious.
They helped make the youth more comfortable until extra help arrived in the shape of Keswick Launch Company staff and police.
Henry Meads (20) a lift engineer from Gateshead, had set out to swim in the lake with 19-year-old blacksmith Stephen Ash from Hebburn, Tyne and Wear. Both swam out to Derwent Island where Meads collapsed and became unconscious. Ash swam back to shore to raise the alarm, but in the meantime another youth, 19-year-old Stephen Bent; a bricklayer, also of Hebburn, realised something was wrong, dived into the lake and headed for the island.
He got into difficulties and started calling for help and Keswick Police Inspector Harry Winter said: “Mr. Smith acted very promptly, wading out 25 yards into the lake to pull Mr. Bent out of the water.”
A launch crewed by Mr. George Hodgson and Mr. John Bailiff ferried Mr. Mead to the shore where another member of the launch company staff, Mr. Graham Winter, and police officers helped to transfer him ashore. He was taken to Keswick Hospital, but Inspector Winter said that by the following day all the North East youths had recovered from their ordeal and gone home.
“There’s no doubt the Maryport boys played an important part in averting a worse situation. What they did reflects very creditably on themselves and their boys’ club and I will be drawing attention to the fact in my report,” said Inspector Winter.
50 years ago
Miss Nellie Bennett
Miss Nellie Bennett of The Larches, Seldom Seen, Thornthwaite, who died on Tuesday, 24th July, will be sorely missed by her many friends and by literally hundreds of people in South India where she worked as an evangelist and leader of Bible Women for nearly forty years. She went out under the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society and when it was amalgamated with the Church Missionary Society she carried on beyond the age of retirement caring for an older missionary friend and colleague.
Her deep devotion to her Lord and her self-sacrificing life of service has been an inspiration to all who knew her, and with it all — a quiet humbleness of heart and life.
Sympathy goes to her sister with whom she lived since her retirement.
The previous week: When a Keswick guest house owner was heartbroken by third flooding incident in six years
