QUEEN Katherine School dinner lady Mabel Ellis retired in 1986 and was presented with a cake commemorating her 20 years’ service in Kendal’s school canteens.

Mrs Ellis, of Fellside, started her long association with school meals at Stramongate Primary School before moving on to Castle Street, then the old grammar school and finally Queen Katherine after Longlands was closed.

PUPIL: Pictured at the speech day at Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, in 1988 are head girl Hayley Williamson; chair of governors Dr Brian Wilson; guest of honour David Webb and Mrs Webb; head Philip Castle; and head boy Nicholas Bettridge

PUPIL: Pictured at the speech day at Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, in 1988 are head girl Hayley Williamson; chair of governors Dr Brian Wilson; guest of honour David Webb and Mrs Webb; head Philip Castle; and head boy Nicholas Bettridge

MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Michael Jopling visited Kirkbie Kendal School in June 1987.

He was shown around the two sites, in Burton Road and Thorny Hills, by headmaster John Lomax.

New links between art and industry were forged in Kendal in 1989.

International engineering firm Furmanite, whose headquarters were at Shap Road, Kendal, had agreed to supply the materials for a printing project to Queen Katherine School.

The school, which stood next door to the company, won the firm’s interest with an exhibition of art work using Furmanite’s work as a theme.

MP: Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Michael Jopling chats to 13-year-old pupil David Rigg during his visit to Kirkbie Kendal School in 1987. With them are chair of governors Brian Ellis (left), head John Lomax and head of Lower School Enid Holmes

MP: Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Michael Jopling chats to 13-year-old pupil David Rigg during his visit to Kirkbie Kendal School in 1987. With them are chair of governors Brian Ellis (left), head John Lomax and head of Lower School Enid Holmes

Alan Forsyth, OBE, chair of Furmanite, went to the school to meet the sixth form pupils involved with the work and their art teacher Ian Burke.

“It is unusual for the art department to do this. We actually produced the art work as a kind of springboard for the students to see what the firm did,” said Mr Burke.

“We wanted to show what we could offer and they seem very pleased.

"They have now asked us to produce prints of similar types of pictures.

EXHIBIT: John Lewis, co-ordinator of a Queen Katherine School exhibition of work in Kendal Town Hall in 1987, discussing details of one of the fine ceramic items on display in the art department section. Visitors included the Mayor and Mayoress of

EXHIBIT: John Lewis, co-ordinator of a Queen Katherine School exhibition of work in Kendal Town Hall in 1987, discussing details of one of the fine ceramic items on display in the art department section. Visitors included the Mayor and Mayoress of

“So far this is the best art work they have done and I think it is something to do with the outside stimulus.

"We just took the art lesson out of the classroom and into the real world.”

Mr Forsyth said: “We would like to set this exhibition up for our international visitors to see.

"We are taking this as the beginning of a long-term design project.”