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
Town poll
On Thursday Keswick residents will be given the opportunity to have their say on the future of the Tea Gardens site close to Derwentwater. The long awaited Town Poll is being held, with three polling stations in operation between the hours of 4 pm and 9 pm, at Trinity School, Southey Street Methodist Church Hall and the Friends Meeting House, Elliott Park.
Voters do not require a registration card; but they should simply turn up at the polling station and supply their name and address to the presiding officer who will tick their names off the register of electors.
The question that is being posed on the election document is: “It is proposed to extend the Theatre by the Lake resulting in the loss of a historical local amenity, namely the Tea Gardens. Are you in favour of this proposal?” Voters will simply be asked to say “‘yes” or “no” to the question.
The poll is being conducted by Allerdale Borough Council, having been the subject of a request from members of the public at the annual Town Assembly earlier in the year.
Letter to the Editor – Keswick Tea Gardens and foreshore
I watch with interest the lively debate about the future of the Tea Gardens and foreshore.
It is disappointing to me that little, if any, mention is made of one of the worst aspects of the present situation – namely, vehicles parking on the shingle by the boat landings. I have observed a full size coach, two mini buses, fourteen cars and two motorbikes on one occasion.
Whatever is decided for the future of the area, any improvement will be largely negated if this is not dealt with effectively and completely.
Michael Jackson
Keswick
Down – but definitely not out
A planning decision by Eden Council last week may push up the cost of re-opening the Keswick to Penrith railway line but campaigners have pledged to continue the fight to restore the line which closed more than 30 years ago.
Eden Council planners voted to accept plans, submitted by Inglewood Properties Ltd for the North Lakes Industrial Park, for access roads on an industrial estate at Flusco near Penrith, to clear the way for development which is expected to provide employment. The proposal carried by the committee, by 8 votes to 4, was an application for access roads, access to a sub-station and provision of a biological treatment plant at the industrial park. Also at Thursday’s meeting doubts were expressed about the viability of the railway scheme which could cost in the region of £60 million and carry 200,000 passengers a year.
However, rail enthusiasts say that the loss of the key planning battle will not mark the end of the line for the railway plans, even though the decision to breach the former track bed will add “several million pounds” to redeveloping the railway. A report which went before the meeting said the re-opening of the line would have significant environmental and economic benefits for the area by reducing road traffic and providing public transport facilities for visitors.
Eden planning officer Malcolm Johnson said the Council had taken the advice of independent consultants who told them the re-opening plans were already behind schedule and they were concerned that the railway was unlikely to be a viable proposition. He said the report concluded that Inglewood Properties’ application should be approved and the land not blighted any further from development.
30 years ago
Rescue HQ ‘special case’ talks
Lake District planners will be told at their meeting next week that Keswick Mountain Rescue Team’s application for a new headquarters base on the Lakeside Car Park is suited to ‘exceptional permission.’
Board members are being recommended to make a site visit before a final decision is taken on the application for a rescue base and associated works.
This is the 34th site to be considered by the Team in their quest for a site for a new headquarters building to replace their cramped building on the Central car park. The proposed site is owned by Allerdale Borough Council and is at the opposite end of the car park from the Century Theatre. It was the first site to be discussed by the Team with the planners. At the time it was not favoured by the Board, but a report now says it is clear there are no other suitable sites available.
Diamond wedding
Two Keswick residents celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary on Monday with a lunch party for members of their family and close friends at the Borrowdale Gates Hotel on Sunday and offering an ‘open house’ at their home in Manor Park on Monday to their many friends in Keswick.
Jack and Elsie Addison were married in St. John’s Church Keswick by the Revd. Charles Lewin on 26 September 1934 — the day the “Queen Mary’ was launched on the Clyde.
Jack is originally from Maryport; Elsie was born and brought up in Keswick. She is a daughter of the late George Bawden who for many years ran a grocery business in what is now the Lakeland shop in Lake Road. After leaving Keswick School she trained as a teacher in Whitelands and Maria Grey colleges in London and, when she met Jack, she was teaching in a school outside Maryport.
At the time of their marriage, Jack was a serving police officer in Bumley and he and Elsie spent the first twelve years of married life in Burnley. In 1946 they joined Elsie’s sister and her husband, Betty and Douglas Page, to run the Castlerigg Manor Hotel in Keswick (now a Roman Catholic holiday centre).
After leaving Castlerigg Manor in 1965, Jack worked for a number of years in the Keswick publicity office, finally retiring in 1982. In the late 1940s Elsie was an early member of the Keswick WRVS and later became a founder member of the Keswick Branch of the British Heart Foundation, of which she was chairman for many years.
Mr. and Mrs. Addison have lived and worked in the Keswick community for nearly fifty years of their married life and are much respected citizens of the town. They still support many of their long-time interests in the town and have received a great many tokens of good wishes on their Diamond Wedding anniversary.
40 years ago
Horse driving
Keswick horse driving enthusiast Mr. John Davison experienced the thrill of competing in Windsor Great Park on Sunday.
John, who is a regular competitor at the Cumbrian shows, qualified to take part in the first ever Saunders Watney trophy event, a competition named in honour of the late president of the British Driving Society.
He travelled the marathon journey to Windsor with his part bred Dales pony Low Briery Sam to drive in Sunday’s concours d’elegance. Although they were not among the winners, it was exciting just to have qualified for such a spectacular event in such a marvellous setting. John qualified for Windsor as a result of winning at Skelton Show earlier in the year. There were about forty-five other qualifiers who had come through from shows up and down the country.
It was a boost for the West Lakes Driving Club, of which John is a leading member, and fitting that it should take place during his year as chairman.
Top Scouting awards at Keswick
Four Keswick Scouts have won the Chief Scout’s Award, the highest training award possible.
The boys, who are members of the scout section for 11-15 year olds, have trained for the award over the past four years putting into practice many skills and activities including mountaineering, canoeing, expeditions, camping, voluntary service and leadership roles.
The winners of the award are Andrew Morris, Mark Daniels, Peter Wilson and Kevin Humphreys.
Gold Arrows, the highest training award in the cub scout section for 8-11 year olds, have been presented to three Keswick cubs, Stuart Hindmarch, Ben Wilson and Timothy Newton.
Thank badges, in recognition of years of devoted service to the Scout and Guide Centre Management Committee, have been awarded by the Keswick Scout Council to Mr. and Mrs. C. Norton and Mrs. Maureen Creighton.
50 years ago
Letter to the Editor – the A66
Dear Sir, — Does your correspondent Mr. Brannan mean to be taken seriously when he says that the hideous roadworks carried out in the name of “improvements” are not only beneficial to the business interests of West Cumberland but have the additional advantage of opening up a “wonderful vista” of Bassenthwaite?
There are already many of these without the clumsy efforts of the local authority, and if this extraordinary point of view is to be made an excuse for such exploits, we may soon expect to have a tunnel through Skiddaw as part of a fast road to Carlisle, which will have the additional benefit of giving the residents of that city a good view of Derwentwater, which they have for so long been denied.
Certainly there has been much delay in creating this disastrous road, which will forever be a blot on the escutcheon of Geoffrey Rippon and anyone else who has contributed to forcing it through, but had there been a little less industrial greed involved, a road could have been taken north of Skiddaw years ago without opposition, which would indeed have saved the taxpayer millions of pounds and also saved a hideous scar across the face of the Lake District.
It is saddening when one sees the many necessary and genuine road improvements carried out with such skill and taste in beautiful country in other parts of England, to contrast these with the lamentable lack of any appreciation or understanding shown by the Cumberland County Council in so many instances – Threlkeld being a typical example – and if a member of that Council really thinks that the A66 blends “naturally” with the scenery, it explains a lot!
Of course anyone with an eye for the countryside would be delighted if the present economic situation means modification of the monstrous plans so admired by Mr. Brannan. Any good news is most welcome nowadays.
J. M. Rayner
Keswick
