News from schools around South Lakeland has always played a large part in the columns of The Westmorland Gazette.

SHAKESPEARE: Pupils from Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, who were due to travel to America for a Shakespearian festival in 1994

SHAKESPEARE: Pupils from Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, who were due to travel to America for a Shakespearian festival in 1994

In 1994, the newspaper reported that pupils from Queen Elizabeth School at Kirkby Lonsdale were setting off for America to compete in a Shakespearian festival in Washington.

It was the school’s third trip to the American Secondary School Festival.

The 15 third to sixth formers were taking a special gift to a sister school in the city - Sidwell Friends School. “We will be taking a copy of part of the Quaker Tapestry, which is to be housed in Kendal, to present to the school as a gift from the Friends in Kendal and Sedbergh,” said teacher Katie Doyle.

The QES drama students would spend several days rehearsing the opening of King Lear before competing on stage in a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

PROJECT: Pupils from Lindale-in-Cartmel Primary School with general manager of Rayrigg Rover (Kendal) Patrick Brennand in 1991, after they won a competition set by the garage to design an environmentally-friendly car for the future

PROJECT: Pupils from Lindale-in-Cartmel Primary School with general manager of Rayrigg Rover (Kendal) Patrick Brennand in 1991, after they won a competition set by the garage to design an environmentally-friendly car for the future

Saying ‘Happy Birthday’ and eating some birthday fruit was the custom at Levens C of E School, which had won an award for promoting good health, reported The Westmorland Gazette in 1993.

The school celebrated pupils’ birthdays by giving fruit to the children.

Sweets and crisps were banned and, together with a summer fitness programme, it added up to an award-winning programme.

The award was given by the Northern Regional Health Authority and presented by its Look after your Heart officer Judy Loggie to the school in February that year.

Head teacher Alan James said: “The health plan is part of the school’s aims and philosophy.

"The governors and parents have been very supportive.”

SCHOOL: Pupils of Levens Primary School called on Carol and Mal Smyth, at the Central Stores, Levens, in 1994, to say a big thank you to the couple, who had raised £60 towards a tape recorder for the school by organising a raffle in their

SCHOOL: Pupils of Levens Primary School called on Carol and Mal Smyth, at the Central Stores, Levens, in 1994, to say a big thank you to the couple, who had raised £60 towards a tape recorder for the school by organising a raffle in their

In 1990, twenty young pupils from Levens Primary School visited travel agents AT Mays in Kendal as part of their holiday project.

The fourth year junior pupils spent an hour talking to staff and asking questions to give them first-hand experience of planning and booking holidays.

As part of their project, which involved geography, art, English, maths and drama, the children would plan journeys, cost their holidays and make all the other necessary arrangements, as well as examining the countries of their holiday destination in detail.