Archive

  • Starring role for local actress

    ACTRESS Emma Cleasby is poised to cause a stir with her chilling debut movie role in which she copes with seven-feet tall werewolves, a cast made up entirely of men, and a shocking climax. The former Kirkby Lonsdale schoolgirl plays Megan in hotly-tipped

  • Sandgate appeal reaches it target

    YOUNGSTERS can finally look forward to the playground of their dreams after the Family and Friends of Sandgate School reached their ambitious play appeal target. The Kendal special school will soon be able to wave goodbye to its crumbling tarmac playground

  • Scarecrow festival

    VILLAGERS are making the final preparations for one of the highlights of the year in the Lune Valley, reports Greg Morgan. The Wray Scarecrow Festival concludes this weekend with the Wray Fair on Bank Holiday Monday, May 6. Over the past decade this quaint

  • Trekking in Nepal in aid of disadvantaged youngsters

    FROM our aeroplane window, flying in over Kathmandu, we were treated to our first glimpse of the mighty mountains that surround Nepal's sprawling capital city. A day later and we were embarking on our journey into the Himalayan foothills, which seemed

  • Down - the bitter blow

    RELEGATION from the UniBond League became a reality in the wake of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Osset, but officials say the campaign to build on the fighting spirit shown in the past few weeks has already started. Key to that spirit was the appointment of

  • Football: Premier link broken

    FROM its beginnings as a factory football team around 1920 Netherfield went on to become one of the leading lights in the North West semi-professional game and played its part in the formation and later expansion on the Northern Premier, now UniBond,

  • Cricket: Sharp end for Kendal batsman

    KENDAL's bowlers did a sterling job but the batsmen - Kevin Howarth the sole exception - failed to live up to expectations as they suffered a 12-run defeat at Blackpool on Saturday. Blackpool professional, the fast bowler Marcus Sharp, was rubbing his

  • Cricket: 'Duts' cuts mustard for Netherfield

    "WELL done 'Duts'," was the sentiment to a faithful servant from the faithful few who braved April's chill end to watch Netherfield's Simon Dutton hit an unbeaten 109 on the opening day of the Bay Northern League season. The wicketkeeper/batsman had made

  • Growing optimism

    APART from the gallons of pink disinfectant swilling around, the shiny new look to the recently repainted metalwork of the pens and the smooth, sanded wood of the seats and rails around the ring, Kendal Auction Mart shows little sign of the trauma of

  • Still open for business

    SIR, South Cumbria Community Health Council is still very much in existence (The Way I See It, April 12). Recently, members have discussed matters concerning the car parking at Westmorland General Hospital, Kendal, and the A&E Review at WGH. Members

  • Politicians in stocks is on e remedy

    SIR, Jean Ewing and Tony Rothwell should have directed the reasonable anger of K Shoes workers at its proper target, Clarks International, rather than slighting Russell Armer and local artist Jo Casey, who combined to celebrate Kendal's heritage in a

  • Fill the empty shops first

    Sir, The residents of Lound Road have already been advised that under the Traffic Management Plan for Kendal, traffic will probably increase by around 40 per cent of present usage. The volume of traffic from an outlet the size of the proposed K Village

  • Book launch at Langwathby station

    Small businesses in the Settle to Carlisle corridor have been invited to attend the publication of a new brochure which takes place at the Brief Encounter restaurant at Langwathby station. As part of the foot-and-mouth recovery programme to encourage

  • Help repair footpaths

    REPAIRING footpaths, mending fences and cutting back bracken are some of the projects being undertaken this summer by British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. On May 7, 8 and 9, volunteers are needed to help install a deer-proof fence around coppiced

  • Elections make little change in power balance

    IT IS business as usual for South Lakeland District Council after yesterday's local elections failed to rock the council's political balance. The Liberal Democrats now hold 21 seats, the same total they had at the beginning of the council's last term

  • First aid fund for recovery

    RURAL communities hit by foot-and-mouth are to receive a £500,000 "first aid fund" in a bid to kick-start the regeneration process. The sum is a slice of £1.5 million set aside by Cumbria County Council to help fund the Government-endorsed Rural Action

  • World record competition for electric boats on horizon

    A BID to try to capture the world speed record for electric boats can go ahead on Coniston Water after members of the Lake District National Park Authority's implementation committee agreed in principle. Team Lightning Strike! is to make the attempt on

  • Rheged plan success

    THE Rheged centre near Penrith has won a court case quashing a planning inspector's decision. Bosses at the tourist attraction had applied for mixed use development but were turned down by Eden District Council. They appealed but the appeal was dismissed

  • One mile of canal re-opens

    A ONE-MILE stretch of the Lancaster Canal has been made navigable for the first time since the 1960s bringing completion of a major project to link Kendal with the nation's inland waterways a step closer. Despite relentless drizzle at Tuesday' s opening

  • F&M inquiry starts Tuesday

    KENDAL will host the first hearing of Cumbria County Council's independent inquiry into foot-and-mouth disease in the county. The four-day session begins at the county council offices in Stricklandgate, at 10am next Tuesday, May 7, where witnesses will

  • Abduction bid witnesses plea

    POLICE are investigating the attempted abduction of an 11-year-old boy in High Bentham. They are hunting a man who stopped his car on Goodenber Road and asked the boy for directions at around 9.20pm on Saturday. Police said the driver then asked the boy

  • Leaders pressure K Shoes to rethink layoffs

    PRESSURE is being applied to K Shoes in Kendal and parent company Clarks with meetings taking place this week and next, following last month's announcement of 76 job losses. On Tuesday, Kendal factory manager Peter Smith faced representatives of Cumbria's

  • Royal court call

    ULVERSTON'S indoor tennis centre is to get the royal seal of approval when the Duchess of Gloucester arrives to officially open the facility on May 14. The Duchess is due to meet the centre's staff and players who have benefited from practising at the

  • Town is flying the flag

    Preparations are being made in Ulverston for this year's flag festival - which looks set to be bigger and better than last year. During the last two weeks, workshops have been held at St Mary's Catholic School, Croftlands Junior and Infant Schools in

  • Wind farm plan off Walney unveiled

    PLANS for a £100 million wind farm four-and-a-half miles off Walney have been unveiled in Barrow, writes Furness Reporter Zoe Casson. Warwick Energy is planning to build a cluster of 30 wind turbines off the coast of Walney in 2004, which could create

  • Council dips into pool funds

    Grange Town Council officially handed over a promised £12,000 this week towards the town's state-of-the-art swimming pool and leisure complex. Outgoing mayor Coun Michael Fieldhouse said it gave him great pleasure to pass on the money, much of which comes

  • Councillors evaluate K Village proposals

    KENDAL town councillors were given their first taste of how Kendal's K Village could look if plans for a multi-million pound overhaul are approved. Developers behind the ambitious £35 million proposal to rebuild the centre attended the town council meeting

  • Drivers need to change habits

    DRIVERS have been urged to break their old habits and wise up to the new traffic system if they want to blitz queues and cut journey times in Kendal, reports Beth Broomby. This week saw phase one of the town's controversial new traffic system go live

  • Weed plea

    A PLEA has been made for weed killer not to be used again on grass verges on housing estates in South Lakeland. Kendal town councillor Joanna Clarke asked for a letter to be written to the district council asking it not to use weed killer again, as it

  • Better beaches in the south

    SWIMMERS planning a dip in the sea should ignore Morecambe and head for neighbouring Blackpool. That's the advice from a new guide published by the Marine Conservation Society. But environmental health chiefs claim that official standards measured by

  • The Way I See It by Dennis Aris

    I WAS a bit puzzled by the picture of the old Grange swimming pool in last week's Gazette. I distinctly remember that one of the main reasons South Lakeland District Council gave for closing it down 10 years ago was that the pool leaked so badly that

  • Protest campaign launched

    A POWERBOAT owner has launched an expensive campaign opposing the impending speed ban on Windermere in a fresh bid to keep the issue high on the agenda. Tony Kemp, an advertising agency operations director, has had 800,000 leaflets and 12,500 posters

  • Deer cull outcry

    THE National Trust has been forced to change its deer culling policy following outrage from a group of Grasmere residents who saw two red deer stags slaughtered by a stalker just metres from their homes.

  • Electric boat speed record challenge

    A BID to try to capture the world speed record for electric boats can go ahead on Coniston Water after members of the Lake District National Park Authority's implementation committee agreed in principle. Team Lightning Strike! is to make the attempt on

  • Regatta Elizabethan style

    AN ELIZABETHAN 'Regatta' takes place in Ravenstonedale on Bank Holiday Monday organised by the village Yacht Club - with the highlight being a street galleon race starting from the King's Head at around 2pm. More than 30 businesses have agreed to sponsor

  • Hotel chain wins two trophies

    A Lake District hotel chain swept the board at the Excellence in Cumbria Awards, winning two trophies and securing two runners-up prizes. English Lakes Hotels walked off with the new media innovation award, for businesses making excellent use of the Internet

  • Excellence awards for local businesses

    South Lakeland and Furness entrants claimed many of the top prizes in the latest Excellence in Cumbria Awards, presented by TUC general secretary John Monks at the Rheged Visitor Centre, Penrith, on Friday night. Four out of the six business awards went

  • £50,000 hand-out for school Jubilee celebrations

    SCHOOLS across the county will celebrate The Queen's Golden Jubilee with a £50,000 hand-out from Cumbria County Council. Plans to spend the money on commemorative mugs, medals coins or stamps for primary school aged pupils were rejected in order to allow

  • Jubilee briefs

    CHILDREN in North Lancashire are being urged to get creative and enter two competitions launched to help celebrate The Queen's Golden Jubilee. Organised by Lancaster City Council, the contests are open to four-seven, eight-11 and 11-14 years old. Children

  • World bronze in orienteering

    THE GIRLS' junior orienteering team from Ulverston competing in the World Orienteering Championships in Portugal returned home with a team bronze medal. The five girls from Ulverston Victoria High School competed against ten teams in a classic and sprint

  • Jubilee medals for Judo squad

    KENDAL Judo Club juniors won 11 medals at the Burnley Age-Banded Open Champion-ships - a Golden Jubilee event. Steven Rogan outclassed his opponents for the gold medal in the Under 20 -60 kilo section. At the same age band his brother Philip was narrowly

  • Town sunk by late strike

    Ossett Town 1- Kendal Town 0. THE ODDS were firmly stacked against Kendal Town ahead of their away trip to Ossett Town at the weekend. Not only had they to beat the promotion chasers, but they also had to rely on Matlock Town taking care of fellow strugglers

  • Helpers wanted for Barbon Hillclimb

    AFTER an enforced absence from the calendar for 24 months, Barbon Speed Hillclimb is back in business on May 11. Last year, foot-and-mouth disease prompted motorsports clubs to impose a countywide ban on all events and this included the two hill climbs

  • Cricket: Pacy start from Little is crucial

    KENDAL CC progressed in the Play-Cricket.com National Clubs Knockout competition on faster scoring-rate after rain curtailed play against Wythenshawe in Greater Manchester on Sunday. Opener Simon Little was the mainstay of Kendal's innings, hitting 74

  • Rugby: 'mere set for play-off bid

    WINDERMERE have claimed the play-off place for promotion out of the Cumbria League but their 19-13 defeat by Upper Eden on Saturday cost them home advantage by a percentage point. Vickers Sports, who trounced Ambleside 61-0 on Saturday, are confirmed

  • From Our Files

    25 Years Ago-April 29, 1977 THE BBC's Today team have chosen the Lake District for the first of a new style of morning programmes to be broadcast from different venues around the country. The Lake District programme is to go out on Radio 4 on Monday,

  • Over the Gate by Jeff Swift

    THE backbone of British agriculture is dairy farming, of that I am in no doubt and readers of this column may remember it was in the early days that I nailed my colours to the mast. If milk production is profitable then other sectors slot into place.

  • Packed ring-side as mart re-opens

    BROUGHTON Auction Mart finally re-opened its doors after 14 months to a packed ringside last Thursday for its Spring Sale of Store Cattle. The Auction Mart pens were filled to capacity with an entry of over 380 cattle, and buyers from all over the North

  • Fishnet tights and clogs

    CLOG dancers performed as never before in fishnet tights and tailcoats during the 25th birthday celebration of the Westmorland Step and Garland Dancers. Helen Birkett, the only member for the whole 25 years, welcomed more than 100 members past and present

  • Join new NW arts board

    Arts minded big-hitters are needed to help form a new influential arts body in the North West. North West Arts Board has made a plea for major figures in the arts, local government, business and other sectors in Cumbria to come forward to help make up

  • PrizeTime: Win a way to relax

    As the pace of modern life increases more and more people are looking to alternative remedies as a way to relax. Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, aromatherapy and a plethora of other such practices have become everyday activities for a vast number of people

  • CheckOut - this weekend's grocery guide

    What's in the shops with the emphasis, where possible, on locally-produced, seasonal and speciality foods. Kendal Foodhall: Organic pumpkin puree use in pies, as a side vegetable with savoury dishes, or in soups...................£2.75 per 500g jar. Hutchinsons

  • Town weddings

    CIVIL weddings could soon be taking place at Lancaster Town Hall, after the city council applied for a licence to host marriage ceremonies. The Edwardian building, which boasts a marble staircase, imposing Council Chamber and a grand Banqueting Suite,

  • Better beaches in the south

    SWIMMERS planning a dip in the sea should ignore Morecambe and head for neighbouring Blackpool. That's the advice from a new guide published by the Marine Conservation Society. But environmental health chiefs claim that official standards measured by

  • Barrow election results leave crucial decision

    CRUCIAL mayoral elections on May 13 will decide which party takes control of Barrow Borough council after local elections delivered a stalemate. Just one Labour gain in Parkside from the Conservatives saw the party reach a total of 19 seats at Thursday's

  • Local actress hits big times

    ACTRESS Emma Cleasby is poised to cause a stir with her chilling debut movie role in which she copes with seven-feet tall werewolves, a cast made up entirely of men, and a shocking climax. The former Kirkby Lonsdale schoolgirl plays Megan in hotly-tipped

  • Police appeal to minorities

    Minority groups in South Lakeland and Furness have been urged to report incidents to the police and not remain hidden victims of crime. Supt Colin Mather, responsible for policing South Lakeland and Furness, believes there is an "extra layer of criminal

  • Scarecrow Festival

    VILLAGERS are making the final preparations for one of the highlights of the year in the Lune Valley, reports Greg Morgan. The Wray Scarecrow Festival concludes this weekend with the Wray Fair on Bank Holiday Monday, May 6. Over the past decade this quaint

  • Castle to be historic setting

    APPLEBY Castle will be the historic setting for Golden Jubilee celebrations on Monday, June 3. Plans drawn up so far include children's games, storytelling, magicians, maypole dancing, Morris dancers, market stalls, WI cream teas, a drinks tent, tug of

  • No pipe dream

    PERSUADING the public to believe in a "pipe dream" was never going to be plain sailing, but the woman at the helm of the Lancaster Canal marketing campaign is ready for the challenge. The newly-appointed British Waterways marketing manager for the Lancaster

  • Mart development plans trhown out

    PLANS to redevelop a disused building next to an engineering company have been thrown out after warnings that noise complaints could threaten jobs. Modlar Ltd had proposed to demolish premises at the former auction mart site at Ulverston's Lightburn Road

  • New school head

    ORTON CE Primary School has recruited a new head teacher to lead the village school from September. The existing head, Jennifer Hodgkinson, retires in July and governors have appointed Rosemary Spence to take her place. Mrs Spence will leave her job as

  • Stag cull protests force rethink

    THE National Trust has been forced to change its deer culling policy following outrage from a group of Grasmere residents who saw two red deer stags slaughtered by a stalker just metres from their homes. Residents who live in High Fieldside and The Croft

  • Mast in forest

    PLANS by mobile phone giant Vodafone Ltd to build a 12-metre tele-communications mast with equipment cabin within Dandra Garth Forestry's commercial larch plantation at Garsdale East were approved by Yorkshire Dales planners. In a report, the national

  • K Village plans protested

    RESIDENTS have hit out at plans to turn Kendal's K Village in to a multi-million pound shopping outlet. The ambitious scheme, put forward by the Edinburgh-based Guinea Group, would see the shopping space demolished and completely rebuilt to accommodate

  • Speed ban protest campaign launched

    A POWERBOAT owner has launched an expensive campaign opposing the impending speed ban on Windermere in a fresh bid to keep the issue high on the agenda. Tony Kemp, an advertising agency operations director, has had 800,000 leaflets and 12,500 posters

  • Ulverston adds another festival to its list

    ULVERSTON is to add another festival to its lengthy list next year as South Cumbria Playwrights have been awarded a National Lottery grant of £22,500 to stage a four-day literary festival. It will be staged in February 2003 and will be a culmination of

  • Bay deaths inquest date

    A DATE has been set for the inquest for the father and son from Dalton-in-Furness who drowned off Bardsea after becoming disorientated in thick fog in January. Stewart Rushton, 51, and his son, Adam, nine, of Cemetery Hill, had been on Bardsea beach on

  • Town mayor has 'time of her life'

    THE mayor of Ulverston, who is due to hand over her chains later this month, described her year in office as being one of the best times of her life. At the annual meeting of Ulverston Town Council, mayor Coun Margaret Hornby praised many local organisations

  • Annual meeting

    THE Lonsdale with Westmorland Federation of Townswomen's Guild is holding its annual meeting in the Coronation Hall, in Ulverston, on Tuesday, May 28, at 7pm.

  • Election results leave crucial decision

    CRUCIAL mayoral elections on May 13 will decide which party takes control of Barrow Borough council after local elections delivered a stalemate. Just one Labour gain in Parkside from the Conservatives saw the party reach a total of 19 seats at Thursday's

  • Twin town

    CARNFORTH could soon have a twin town, after councillors decided to set up a sub-committee to look into the possibility of developing European links. Clerk to the town council John Pratt said following a letter from Sailly sur la Lys, a French town near

  • Deer cull exposes Trust to scrutiny

    Deer cull exposes Trust to scrutiny THE public cull of deer on National Trust-owned farmland in Grasmere not only shook people who witnessed the shooting, it is also likely to lead to a shake-up of the organisation's policy on such activities. Certainly

  • Wallet theft

    A VISITOR to the Lake District having a meal at Miller's Restaurant, in Crescent Road, Windermere, has reported having his wallet stolen on Wednesday night. Sgt Keith Healey, of South Cumbria police, said the man, from Preston, reported it contained £100

  • Election results no surprise

    IT IS business as usual for South Lakeland District Council after yesterday's local elections failed to rock the council's political balance. The Liberal Democrats now hold 21 seats, the same total they had at the beginning of the council's last term

  • Electric boat speed record on Coniston

    A BID to try to capture the world speed record for electric boats can go ahead on Coniston Water after members of the Lake District National Park Authority's implementation committee agreed in principle. Team Lightning Strike! is to make the attempt on

  • Ultimate Lakes cycling challenge

    KEEN cyclists will be getting into the saddle on Bank Holiday Monday to complete a gruelling ride in the Lake District to raise money for charity. Starting at the tourist information centre car park in Coniston, between 90 and 100 people will be taking

  • Hovercraft racing championships

    THREE days of thrilling high-speed action is promised when a venue in North Lancashire stages a national hovercraft racing championship. Up to 60 hovercraft capable of travelling up to 80mph across land and water, are expected to compete in the contest

  • Sport: Upcoming fixtures

    CRICKET is in full swing for the Bank Holiday. Kendal CC have their first home game in the Bay Northern League when hosts to Leyland at Shap Road on Saturday (1pm) while Netherfield go to Preston. ON MONDAY, it's Netherfield's turn to entertain when Darwen

  • Success hat trick

    NICOLA Draper completed a notable hat-trick of successes by scooping one of the top prizes in the Excellence in Cumbria Awards. The 18-year-old from Kendal said she was really surprised to win the career breakthrough award, presented to an outstanding