Archive

  • Fighting back

    There is a saying in commerce that new businesses do not make any money until their third year, reports Ellis Butcher. Such is the hope of Dales Anglers, which had to contend with two unprecedented setbacks in its first two years, neither of which could

  • Sport: Weekend fixtures

    KENDAL Town's footballers host Lincoln United in Division 1 of the UniBond League on Saturday (3pm kick-off) and then travel to Spennymoor United on Tuesday evening (7.30pm). KENDAL Rugby Union Club are without a First XV fixture this weekend, leaving

  • Global travelling Mint Cake

    A BATTERED-LOOKING bar of Kendal Mint Cake has travelled the world on expeditions in the rucksack of a keen walker over the past decade, reports Mike Addison. The cosmopolitan piece of confectionary was bought by Mike Webb, of Epsom, Surrey, back in 1992

  • Midwife extends invite to Africans

    A MIDWIFE who took two years out to pass on her skills to trainee Kenyan nurses is hoping to return the favour and bring a party from the African country to Kendal. Cath Holland, 52, spent two years as a midwifery tutor in a remote part of North West

  • Blind artist graduates

    MICHAEL Hartley, registered blind since 1986, hopes his achievements will encourage other visually-impaired people that life does not stop because of sight problems, reports Emma Chesworth. Mr Hartley, a trustee with the South Lakeland Voluntary Society

  • Waiting for the osprey

    BIRD-LOVERS are eagerly awaiting the return of the pair of ospreys which successfully nested and reared a chick in the Lake District last year. After a winter spent in West Africa, the fish-eating birds of prey - the first wild ospreys to breed in England

  • Queen of Folk by Karen Barden

    Jacqui McDonald is an unknown face riding the streets in an electronic buggy, writes Karen Barden. Since she moved to Staveley a few months ago, the MS sufferer has barely caused a ripple in the quiet village. Yet this is the woman dubbed queen of folk

  • Shrimps pay the penalty

    A LAST minute penalty dealt a bitter blow to Morecambe's FA Trophy chances, leaving them behind as they travel to Stevenage for next week's second leg. Morecambe had performed creditably in the second half to claw their way back into the game, but, in

  • Fell Racing: Fine run from Symonds

    THERE were top-ten placings for two South Lakeland athletes in Saturday's four-and-a-half mile Pendle Fell Race which attracted 233 runners, writes Mike Addison. Kendal's Joe Symonds continues to mature within the sport and was a creditable sixth, and

  • Football: Power without glory

    A GOAL from North Ferriby's Rob Dewhurst five minutes from time gave the home side the points on Saturday and increased the pressure on Peter Smith's men at the bottom of the Unibond First Division. Final score was N Ferriby Utd 2- Kendal Town 1. With

  • Football: Set-piece showpiece

    TIME-served experience overcame youthful endeavour as Corinthians FC struck twice in the space of two minutes to take a firm grip on the Westmorland Car Sales Senior Cup at Parkside on Tuesday evening, writes Richard Daniels. Fielding a side with only

  • Last minute kick keeps leaders' slot

    A PENALTY goal in the last minute gave Cumbria League leaders Windermere the win in a cliff-hanging finish at Dawes Meadow. Final score was Windermere24, Upper Eden 23. In a way it was a cruel end for an Upper Eden side which had given Windermere their

  • Rugby: Race on for Newbury

    A FIXTURE mix-up with the Rugby Football Union has left Kendal changing plans hurriedly as they bring forward their final fixture - at home against Newbury - to this Saturday instead of playing in a week's time as planned. The Newbury curtain-closer was

  • In the pen by Elaine Hill

    A TESTING double gather sheep dog trial was organised on Sunday by Stuart Walton, of Kendal. Set in the scenic Winster valley conditions were ideal. Spectators had a panoramic view of the downhill course and the day was still with beautiful sunshine.

  • Showground set to grow

    WESTMORLAND Agricultural Society is to extend the showground at Crooklands by 29 acres and one cottage. The society has also submitted plans to double the number of parking spaces by adding to the hard standing opposite its Lane Farm headquarters. Speaking

  • Farmers 'unbowed'

    CUMBRIA'S farming comm-unities remain unbowed by the devastation wrought on them by foot-and-mouth, according to new research. Academics from Newcastle University's Centre for Rural Economy said they were surprised to find that "almost all" affected farmers

  • CheckOut local grocery guide

    What's in the shops with the empahsis, where possible, on locally produced, seasonal and speciality foods. Howbarrow organic farm, Cartmel: Bags of new season organic mixed salad........£1.25 per 125g bag. Dales butchers, Kirkby Lonsdale: Meat Excellence

  • PrizeTime: Taste a winner

    This Sunday thousands of runners will be attempting to achieve their personal best while raising thousands for charity in the London Marathon. Amongst the many colourful characters running in this year's marathon will be Mr Jelly Belly, and for a good

  • Lancaster first to register gay couples

    LANCASTER City Council could become one of the first in the country to set up a 'civil partnership register' for gay and unmarried couples. The idea, which is being pioneered in London, is intended to ensure that couples who are not married will eventually

  • Drug money on a roll

    LOCAL skateboarders are hoping money seized from convicted drug dealers will be heading to Lancaster to fund a skate park. A bid has been put in by the council to win money from the Government's 'Recovered Asset Fund,' which is made up of goods and money

  • Blind Date looks for love in the Lakes

    MILLIONS of people will be feasting their eyes on the Lake District this weekend as a Blind Date duo divulge details of their romantic break away to the nation, reports Nadia Jefferson-Brown. Following in the footsteps of A-list celebrities, a couple

  • Bloom concert

    PLANS are being made to create "a mass of colour" in Kirkby Lonsdale with the support of a fund-raising concert this weekend. K Shoes Male Voice Choir and Kirkby Lonsdale's The Mewses are teaming up to perform at the town's St Mary's Church tomorrow (

  • Charity cycle

    A GROUP of Railtrack signallers is going off the rails this weekend for a sponsored cycle ride. The task is to cycle the entire length of the Settle to Carlisle line on neighbouring roads to raise funds for a nursery in Shap and the National Society for

  • Garbage to burn

    AN industrial-scale incinerator or a super-sized composting plant could be built in Cumbria in a bid to put a lid on the growing problem of waste in the region, reports Beth Broomby. The proposals have been drafted by waste management consultants Faber

  • Campaign to save Shire Hall

    CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Appleby's historic Shire Hall have received the backing of Penrith and The Border MP David Maclean. As previously reported in The Westmorland Gazette, Cumbria County Council is considering selling the property as it "has deteriorated

  • Buses rethink

    Bus company Stagecoach has responded positively to soon-to-be-introduced changes to traffic flows around Kendal - despite not being in total agreement with what is proposed, reports Mike Addison. With the first phase of the town's traffic management scheme

  • Threat of PO closures

    MOVES to restructure the Post Office in a bid to curb falling profits could see the closure of branches in South Lakeland and Furness towns. Letters went out this week to all sub-postmasters in urban branches - in towns of more than 10,000 residents,

  • K Village site development worries residents

    AN AMBITIOUS plan to demolish Kendal's K Village and rebuild it on the same site has been welcomed by Kirkland traders but sparked fears of traffic problems and a loss of views among neighbours. The £35 million scheme to treble shopping space at the popular

  • GPs asked to keep A&E open

    FAMILY doctors who run their own out-of-hours co-operative are being asked to help keep Kendal hospital's emergency and minor accident unit open overnight, reports health correspondent Michaela Robinson-Tate. However, providing adequate accommodation

  • Cash to fight crime

    CRIME-FIGHTING partnerships in South Lakeland, Eden and Furness will receive £61,357 from the Home Office in 2002/03 through the Safer Communities Initiative (SCI) to cut crime. The money will be used to target police activity, including special operations

  • World orienteering championship hopes

    SEVEN pupils from Ulverston Victoria High School flew to Portugal this week to take part in the World Orienteering Championships. It is the fourth time pupils from the school on Springfield Road have competed in the championships, which are held every

  • Housing protest

    RESIDENTS living behind Ulverston hospital, where a 22-home development is planned, are campaigning to get the scheme rejected. On Monday's meeting of Ulverston Town Council, five residents from The Gill and Union Lane spoke out about their objections

  • New regeneration initiative

    AN URBAN regeneration company is to be formed to spearhead initiatives to boost the economies of Furness and West Cumbria. The county council-backed company will seek to reverse the industrial decline and job losses which the areas have suffered over

  • First in line

    DEVELOPMENT agency Furness Enterprise is the first choice for companies seeking business support in the area, according to an independent survey. Around 40 per cent of firms questioned in the survey had used Furness Enterprise in the past 12 months, while

  • Ulverston shows respect for Queen Mother

    THE community of Ulverston came to a standstill on Tuesday morning to mourn the death of the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. More than 50 people gathered around the Market Cross in Market Street for a short service led by Rural Dean and St Mary's Hospice

  • Traffic changes progress

    Work on improving traffic flows around town has been focusing on the bus station this week, preparing it for a time when buses will enter from the southern side and exit towards Sandes Avenue. Early next week, work begins at the junction of Stricklandgate

  • Pool funding turn around

    DIPPING into a different account has enabled South Lakeland District Council to make a U-turn on funding for a new swimming pool at Grange-over-Sands. The £120,000 grant is party of a £1.5million spending package that has been backed by the council's

  • Torchlight saved

    KENDAL'S Torchlight Procession has been saved after town councillors threw organisers of the September spectacular an 11th hour financial lifeline, reports Mike Addison. Serious doubts about the long-term future of the 22-year-old event emerged last month

  • Pupils come to aid of Indian children

    SIGHTS of poverty-stricken children from the slums of Madras with bleeding feet catapulted primary school pupils into a sandal-buying exercise. Year Three youngsters from Kendal's Ghyllside School were studying village life in India, when they came across

  • Toilet closures protest

    TOWN councillors have stepped up the fight to keep a number of public toilets open across the region. Kendal town councillors are to reconsider at a future meeting whether it should take on some of the responsibility of running public conveniences following

  • Optimism over multiplex

    THE City Council is optimistic that the multiplex cinema in the centre of Lancaster will go ahead even if Warner decide to pull out. Construction work has finished on the Warner Village site on Church Street, which has planning permission for six screens

  • One year in jail for vigilante

    A MORECAMBE man took the law into his own hands, with the aim of teaching a lesson to someone he suspected of theft. The victim, Darren Robson, was attacked on the street, but could not remember much, apart from being hit and waking up in hospital. He

  • Westmorland Gazette Comment

    Taking council cash handouts for granted THE vagaries of local government finance are enough to confuse the most knowledgeable among us - including those who represent or work for the council. It certainly seems strange that South Lakeland District Council

  • Flag disgrace

    A MISSING flag on a post in Windermere, which could not mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, triggered a protest. "We have a flag mast in the library grounds and no flag. I think it is a disgrace," said Windermere parish councillor Arthur

  • Crag safety

    STAFF from Rock and Run mountain specialists in Ambleside will be spending tomorrow at the foot of Raven Crag, playing their part in maintaining safe access to the popular Langdale crag. Andy Hyslop, owner of Rock and Run, was introduced to the National

  • Arcade can grow

    REVISED proposals for an extension to the amusement arcade at the Aquarius on Glebe Road, Bowness, have been given the go-ahead by Lake District planners. Last June, planning permission was refused for a conservatory-style extension to the front of the

  • A taste of success

    A number of South Lakeland businesses enjoyed success at a recent meet the buyer event. Giftware and food firms were given the chance to show off their wares to retail outlets based along Hadrian's Wall. The event, organised as part of a programme to

  • Playing tomorrow

    A FIXTURE alteration mix-up has forced Kendal to hurriedly bring forward their final National League fixture - at home against Newbury - to tomorrow (Saturday), a week ahead of schedule. This weekend was due to be kept blank for the Powergen Cup final

  • Schools get involved in Jubilee

    HUNDREDS of boxed and inscribed medals are to be given to Kendal's primary and junior school children as part of the town's Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. Kendal town councillors have agreed to spend £2,500 on 2,000 medals which will be presented

  • Strange objects in the sky

    STRANGE objects have been spotted in the skies over South Lakeland. Robin St Clair was writing at the window of his home on Milnthorpe Road, Kendal, last Sunday morning at around 1.28am when he glanced out and witnessed what he described as a " spectacular

  • Sailing: Flotsam lands gamble

    SAILING: The 2002 racing season began on Sunday with the first race in the Flying Fifteen Spring Trophy. In non-stop sunshine and cloudless blue skies, with a light southerly breeze taking over from the cold easterlies of previous days, the fleet sailed

  • Footballl: What a waste

    KENDAL Town boss Peter Smith was in a state of disbelief after watching his side spurn a pile of goals when losing 3-0 to Rossendale United on Wednesday, but the damage has been limited by defeats for a couple of their fellow strugglers. Smith said: "

  • Orienteering: Festival triumph

    ORIENTEERS travelled to the Forest of Dean over the Easter weekend for the Jan Kjellstrom festival and Vicky Brocklebank of Lakeland Orienteering won a trophy. Although only fifth on the first day, Vicky had an excellent run on the second day to put her

  • Fightback thwarted

    INJURY-hit Kirkby fielded a makeshift side against Oldham in a North Lancs/Cumbria match on Saturday and made a bold fightback that they could not quite sustain. Final score was Oldham 27 - Kirkby Lonsdale 15. A James Mallaband penalty put Kirkby ahead

  • Budget plea to Chancellor

    THE NFU is calling on Chancellor Gordon Brown to fork out for farmers in next week's budget. The main thrust of the NFU's submission to the Treasury centres on getting a commitment from the Government not to heap additional costs on the farming industry

  • Over The Gate by Jeff Swift

    STILL the word falling from the lips of politicians at the head of the DEFRA is "change." Apart from mutterings about being more efficient, none of them, even at this late stage, have specified exactly what sort of change the government is seeking from

  • Plastic success

    MORE than 1,000 tonnes of farm waste plastic has now been removed from Cumbria farms by the county's farm plastic recycling scheme. March saw 271 tonnes collected when the scheme resumed after foot-and-mouth disease put paid to collections last year.

  • Suckler search

    THE search is on to find the leading suckler herd in Cumbria and Northumberland. All herds which use a registered Charolais bull as the herd's terminal sire are invited to enter the Border Charolais Club's suckler herd of the year competition. Entries

  • Guide through financial maze

    LLOYDS TSB bank has updated its guide to help farmers tap into Government funding streams. "Your Guide to Farm and Rural Grants" sets out in practical terms the range of support initiatives available to farmers in the UK. Geoff Hall, agricultural manager

  • Euro delegates listen

    A 40-person strong delegation from the European Parliament is set to sweep across the region in a bid to hear fresh voices in the foot-and-mouth debate. The delegation, set up as part of a nation-wide enquiry into the outbreak, will fly into Newcastle

  • Future is in organic

    FEW families would relish the opportunity of taking on a farm in the current climate with agriculture facing an uncertain future as the Government ponders the recommendations of the Curry report, writes Farming Reporter Justin Hawkins. But Martin and

  • From Our Files

    25 Years Ago April 8, 1977 ATHENA noctura, the owl from Athens, had come a long way over the years to perch on the wall near Selside. In fact, little owls are so abundant in the neighbourhood of Athens that 'owls to Athens' was synonymous with 'coals

  • Hunting protest

    MEMBERS of all Lakeland fell packs, the Countryside Alliance, farmers and country sport enthusiasts are gathering outside the DEFRA office in Carlisle tomorrow to deliver a letter addressed to rural affairs minister Alun Michael protesting about his plans

  • Stalwarts back out of elections

    Three long-standing district councillors with nearly half-a-century's service between them are bowing out this year to make way for some new faces. Labour stalwart Jim Blamire of Kendal's Underley ward joins former Kendal mayor John Studholme (Lib Dem

  • Toilet closures meet with protest

    TOWN councillors have stepped up the fight to keep a number of public toilets open across the region. Kendal town councillors are to reconsider at a future meeting whether it should take on some of the responsibility of running public conveniences following

  • Skull remains a mystery

    THE history of a skull discovered last summer on a South Lakeland beach still remains shrouded in mystery following the findings of a coroner's inquest. The partial skull was discovered by a man walking his dog at Kent Estuary, Sandside, on August 29

  • Dead dogs probe

    TESTS are being carried out on samples taken from four pet dogs which died at Millthrop, near Sedbergh. Cumbria Police spokesman Mike Smith confirmed this week that an officer from Defra had sent samples away for further examination to see if an agricultural

  • Queen Mother remembered

    Shoppers stood in silence and scores of businesses and stores closed on Tuesday as a last mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Kendal's usually-busy town centre was noticeably quieter and, although traffic continued to flow, as the town

  • Rapid recycling

    MOVES to boost recycling in South Lakeland made a flying start this week as council workers collected more than five tonnes of waste paper in one day. Ulverston was the first town to see the introduction of South Lakeland District Council's new "blue

  • Housing plan curbs parking

    Lake District planners have deferred controversial proposals to use part of a town centre car park to build affordable houses for local people. Plans by South Lakeland District Council and Two Castles Housing Association to create four low-cost flats

  • Millenium cairn wins approval

    A FATHER and son who built a dry stone cairn to celebrate the Millennium without realising they needed planning permission are "over the moon" that planners have supported their handiwork, reports Rachel Kitchen. Electrician and self-taught dry stone

  • 76 jobs go at Shoe Factory

    FACTORY workers were left stunned yesterday when it was announced 76 people were to be made redundant from K Shoes in Kendal, reports Ellis Butcher. The 266-strong workforce had scented job cuts in the air but few had guessed how sizeable the losses would

  • Crunch time for turbines

    A six-year planning wrangle over a cluster of 40-metre high wind turbines at Ireleth-in-Furness remains unresolved. Barrow Borough Council's planning committee is now to seek advice from the Government-appointed planning inspector who originally considered

  • Wind farm opponents fight on

    Opponents to a proposed wind farm on fell land near Coniston Water are this week rallying support to challenge a fresh planning application. As the Gazette went to press yesterday (Thursday), Lowick Parish Council and the Campaign against Wind Turbines

  • Heritage move

    SIR John Barrow's Cottage was due to be taken over by Ulverston Heritage Centre today (Friday). The centre is launching a fund-raising campaign to return the interior of the cottage at Dragley Beck, in Ulverston, to the way it looked when the explorer

  • In shore rescue funding plans

    A COMMUNITY-BASED group carrying out a feasibility study into setting up an inshore rescue service for Furness following a double drowning is to receive help from Ulverston Town Council to get financial backing. The group was formed last month after the

  • Get involved in mega boot sale

    HOUSE-PROUD people in the Furness area who have just finished their annual spring cleaning can get rid of their unwanted items this weekend. On Sunday, the Broughton Community 2002 group is staging its final monthly market in the Victory Hall in the town

  • Still waiting...

    EMPLOYEES at Kendal's Georgian Goodacre Ltd, which went into administration last November, were still waiting to learn the fate of the factory as interested parties finalised their bids this week. Insolvency practitioners Begbies Traynor had hoped to

  • A decade of decline at Ks..

    THIS week's job losses are only the most recent in more than a decade of decline in fortune for K shoes workers. The rot set in 1990 when the firm reported a 30 per cent slump in profits. In 1990, 1,300 workers were put on short time working and, in 1991

  • Midwife returns the favour

    A MIDWIFE who took two years out to pass on her skills to trainee Kenyan nurses is hoping to return the favour and bring a party from the African country to Kendal. Cath Holland, 52, spent two years as a midwifery tutor in a remote part of North West

  • Society may fold

    A SOCIETY in Arnside, which seeks to protect the environment of the village, may have to fold if a secretary cannot be found to help run the organisation. The Arnside Village Society has been operating since 1986, and was formed so that members could

  • Sands guide crosses digital timeline

    MORE familiar with tide times, Queen's Guide to Morecambe Bay Sands Cedric Robinson confronted a digital timeline when he opened a new exhibition at Cartmel Gatehouse Heritage Centre. Arriving in a horse-drawn carriage with his wife, Olive, and both dressed

  • Nursery plans disappear

    PLANS to open a new infant nursery in Kendal this month have collapsed after a local businesswoman's negotiations for premises fell through, reports Jennie Dennett. Frances Roberts says mums have been left in the lurch after the owners leasing the Shap

  • Donation to heart unit

    EQUIPMENT totalling £9,000 was presented to the Coronary Care Unit at Royal Lancaster Infirmary by Heart Concern, the local heart support group, this week. Heart Concern are a group based in the Lancaster and Morecambe area who offer support to people

  • The Way I See It by Dennis Aris

    "I SUPPOSE its because I am getting old and have time on my hands to study things in depth, but the small print in advertisments, in magazines and on television, really annoys me," said a Windermere reader who sent me an e-mail. "I regularly receive office

  • Blind Date duo find love in the Lakes

    MILLIONS of people will be feasting their eyes on the Lake District this weekend as a Blind Date duo divulge details of their romantic break away to the nation, reports Nadia Jefferson-Brown. Following in the footsteps of A-list celebrities, a couple

  • Golden celebration...

    TWO hundred years to the day since William Wordsworth and his sister saw the original 'host of golden daffodils' beside Ullswater, the Wordsworth Trust is to host a bicentenary celebration. Writing in her journal for 1802 of a walk she and her brother

  • Local horse makes his mark!

    LOCALLY-trained racehorse Kingsmark made a name for himself as one for the future after finishing just shy of third place in the Martell Grand National, at Aintree. The nine-year-old gelding finished fourth behind Bindaree, What's Up Boys and Blowing

  • Regeneration bid takes off

    AN URBAN regeneration company is to be formed to spearhead initiatives to boost the economies of Furness and West Cumbria. The county council-backed company will seek to reverse the industrial decline and job losses which the areas have suffered over

  • A step back

    COMMUTING to work was a bit speedier in the days when Abe Graham began his first job at Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Newby Bridge, writes Helen Long. The 14-year-old Abe, who had just left Finsthwaite School in 1938, opened his front door and walked to the

  • World orienteering championship hopes

    SEVEN pupils from Ulverston Victoria High School flew to Portugal this week to take part in the World Orienteering Championships. It is the fourth time pupils from the school on Springfield Road have competed in the championships, which are held every

  • Excellence award winner

    TRACEY Davis, 29, from Windermere, has pocketed £200 prizemoney after winning the south area heat of a category in the Excellence in Cumbria Awards. Tracey, who is one of four area winners of the adult progress award, now goes forward to the county final