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
Award for local paramedic
A former local farmer who retrained as a paramedic has been honoured this week for his bravery after helping to talk a man carrying a knife out of taking his own life.
Phil Harrison was presented with the Technician of the Year award by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mr James Cropper, at this week’s Cumbria Ambulance Service presentations held at the Keswick Country House Hotel for his part in preventing the man committing suicide.
Now in his second week as a paramedic, Phil decided to retrain as a technician in the ambulance service after foot and mouth wiped out his parents’ flock on their farm at Castlerigg on the outskirts of Keswick.
Champion dog retires
Blencathra hound Truman retired on a high at the established Threlkeld Sheepdog Trials held on Wednesday at the Recreation Field and Bridge End Ground in the village.
Seven year old Truman, bred by Blencathra house Scafell out the Cumberland bitch Safety, was due to be retired last year after reaching the veteran stage. However, the champion hound went on to cap his successful show career by taking the open championship in the hands of Diane Todhunter, daughter of Barry, the local pack’s huntsman. Truman was reserve at the recent Lowther Horse Show and Trials, having won there last year.
Diane, who has walked Truman since he was a pup, explained that she had decided to give it one more go at the Blencathra Show. After his winning double she declared that her champion hound really was retiring from the show scene this time.
30 years ago
Mountain rescue H.Q. developments
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team’s long quest for a site for their new headquarters — described by an official as “the most arduous mountain the Team has ever had to climb” — may be nearly over.
The Team chairman, Mick Guy, revealed this week that a planning application has been prepared for a headquarters building on the Lakeside Car Park, following talks between the Rescue Team, local Councillors and an officer of the Lake District Planning Board.
The matter is to be discussed at a meeting of Allerdale Borough Council next week.
A suggestion that the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team may be allowed to lease ten car parking spaces (out of a total 282) at the Lakeside Car Park, subject to a successful planning application, is expected to receive a favourable response at this meeting. A previous application for a Team HQ on that car park was turned down in 1992 but the Lake District Planning Board officer has suggested that amended plans might be viewed sympathetically.
The Keswick Rescue Team is one of the busiest in the country. They were called out over 80 times last year, and they need to replace their cramped headquarters on the Central Car Park with more spacious and up to date accommodation. Mr. Guy stresses that the preferred site for a new headquarters would be at the Borrowdale end of the town as most of their call outs are to incidents in Borrowdale.
When a site is finally given permission — and so far, no less than 34 have been considered by the Team! — an Appeal for £180,000 will be launched.
40 years ago
Phil takes the wheel — sixty years on
It is sixty years since well-known Keswick personality Major Phil Davidson took his first driving lessons in a brand new bullnosed Morris Cowley motor car.
Little did he think back in 1925 that he would be planning to take the wheel of the same car again in 1984, but on Monday that unique dream will be fulfilled.
The car originally belonged to Sir Percy Hope, whom Major Davidson was in partnership as an architect for many years. It later came into the ownership of the Jackson brothers of Fornside, St. John’s in the Vale, remembered by the older generation of Keswickians for their very popular 1930s dance band.
One of the brothers, Mr. John Jackson now of Bram Crag, is the present owner of the car and he recently contacted Keswick Agricultural Show secretary Mr. Wilfrid Relph to see if he would be interested in having the car on display at next Monday’s show. Mr. Relph was pleased to accept, and then it emerged that a past president of the Agricultural Society, Major Davidson, had learnt to drive on the self same car.
After it left Sir Percy’s hands it was converted into a grass mowing machine. Mr. Relph said that he hoped Major Davidson would be able to take the wheel again on Monday and do a lap of honour of the field in the car. He said: “Both the car and Phil are still in fine fettle.”
Threlkeld Sheepdog Trials
Threlkeld’s traditional dog day attracted one of the biggest attendances for many years on Wednesday when it found a new home at Bridge End Ground.
The sheepdog trials and foxhound show has moved venues several times in latter years, and has not always enjoyed the sort of summery weather which graced Wednesday’s show. In the past few years the event has moved from the Recreation Field to Threlkeld Hall and-back, and on Wednesday it was held on a field loaned by noted sheepdog handler George Hutton.
In the open classes for fell foxhounds, the championship wént to Melbreak Dimple, a home bred bitch which has run just one season. Dimple, got with a Blencathra hound, is walked by Mr. Joe Bell of Cockermouth. Wednesday’s success was Dimple’s third championship of the season. She won at Cockermouth and took the Hawkshead championship the day before coming to Threlkeld.
In the Blencathra Hunt puppy show, the championship went to Sadie, a pure fell bred hound by the well-known dog Glider out of Singwell. Sadie, who has won several prizes already this year, was walked by Mrs. Mary Martin of Portinscale.
The best walked hound was Madelin, walked by Martin Relph of Littletown Farm, Newlands, and the best walked unentered hound was Trinket, walked by Mr. Robert Todhunter of Hesket new Market, father of the pack’s whip Barry.
50 years ago
Suspension Bridge
The fate of the little suspension bridge from Penrith Road to the old Station Road over the River Greta is in the balance, as, by only five votes to four, the Town Council have decided to ask Allerdale to restore it.
The bridge was built many years ago by the Urban Council, but has been closed for some months as one of the main cables is broken, some deck timbers need renewing, and the towers are corroded at the base.
Some councillors considered that the cost of repairing the bridge, whose main function was originally to provide easier access to the Railway Station from Penrith Road, was out of proportion to its present usefulness, but it was decided by the narrow majority to ask Allerdale District Council, who are now responsible, to make the necessary repairs.
Keswick footballer
Stephen Litt, 20-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Litt of Latrigg Close, was a member of Luton’s football team for its first game in the First Division last Saturday. Luton, promoted to the First Division at the end of last season, lost to Liverpool.
Stephen, who was educated at Brigham and Lairthwaite Schools, played at centre half for Luton.
Helicopter
On Sunday afternoon several local farmers repeated last year’s successful experiment to spray bracken by helicopter, and after arriving in the Keswick area from Grasmere the helicopter began by spraying thirty acres of bracken on Skiddaw for Messrs. William and Sam Brownrigg of Millbeck Hall. It then moved to Ashness Farm (Mr. C. Relph) before finishing its afternoon’s work at Watendlath.
