25 Years Ago

April 14, 1978

A MEETING, which would be open to the public, may be held soon to discuss plans which include building a new multi-million pound hospital at Kendal.

Mr K.W. Ball, secretary of South East Cumbria Community Health Council, has suggested that the council should meet members of Cumbria Area Health Authority to discuss the hospital scheme.

The council views the hospital as a long-term rather than a short-term solution to the area's health service problems and wants first of all to see urgent improvements made to the existing hospital services.

A committee of the council is to draft a reply to the Area Health Authority, which is now approaching various bodies for comments about the options available for future hospital developments in South Cumbria which have been suggested in two reports.

The reply will be considered at the next meeting of the council.

50 Years Ago

April 18, 1953

THE public shelter in the Market House building, which has been provided by the rural council, has proved of considerable benefit to travellers and shoppers, especially during inclement weather. The alterations have greatly improved the appearance of the vicinity, and have been commented upon favourably by many people.

100 Years Ago

April 18, 1903

I HEAR a good story of three men and a motor car which invaded this district on Sunday. They had come from the south and were making for Windermere by way of the Cartmel valley. All right-minded folk were comfortably settled in church at morning service, so there was really no harm in providence letting loose at that moment a two-edged squall, which in a few minutes filled the valley with driving snow and lowering vapour, darkening alike the heavens above and the earth beneath. Not a glimpse of blue sky was left, not a ray of the genial sun. It snowed as if it would snow for hours.

The party in the motor car pulled up under the lee of a large barn. They were evidently not used to the vehicle, nor to touring; and decidedly they were not used to this kind of weather. They had not a wrap or rug between them. They were attired like flowers that bloom in the spring, in raiment light and exquisite. They disembarked, imprecating the most dreadful torments upon people who send false weather forecasts to the newspapers.

Hearing the uproar you know the snorting palpitation with which a motor car comes to a stop a serene old man came out of a cottage on the opposite side of the road and asked what was the matter. "Matter!" replied the pilot of the party," "look at this;" and he raised his hands to the hurrying snow and the impending clouds. "We do not intend to go on in a blank, blank blizzard. We want to stow our car in this stable, and to get in somewhere ourselves out of this infernal weather." "Oh," said the old man, "Well, that ain't a stable, and this ain't a blizzard. It's only a shower, and the glass is going up. I don't know, sir, where you can get in either. In the summer I provides ginger beer at my cottage for gentlemen; but it ain't the summer yet, you see, and I'm sorry I can't find room for you. Happen they might let you in at the church yon, if you could get that far; or it is three miles and a half to Newby Bridge." Thus the native, as usual, gave the invader as good as he brought. Besides, he was in the right; it was only a shower. In five minutes the squall, the three men and their motor were all gone, leaving nothing behind but a stink.

150 Years Ago

April 16, 1853

MR Pearson-Clark, of Satterhow, Sawrey, had a very excellent hive of bees stolen, on the night of either Saturday or Sunday last. The bees were busy at work on Saturday, but on Monday not a trace of them was left behind, hive boards and every apparatus belonging were gone, and without any clue to the depredators. At irregular intervals in this neighbourhood, bee stealing takes place to some extent; but the individual that used to bear all the blame has been some time dead, and it would seem there are bee stealers alive yet. The police of the district are on the alert.

April 17, 2003 11:00