Caldbeck & District Organisations’ ‘Potted Histories’

Introduction On 1st October 2011, the Caldbeck & District Local History Society held a ‘Grand Local Heritage Exhibition’ in the Parish Hall, Caldbeck. All local organisations, societies and small businesses were invited to take part and they were asked to set up a stall displaying their heritage in any way they chose. The participants ‘set up shop’ during the morning and there was free public entry to the exhibition from early afternoon. Refreshments were complimentary, too. All the costs of the day were borne by the History Society but thanks are due to the Allerdale Neighbourhood Watch which in 2008 made a grant of £500 towards the Society’s publication Memories of Lakeland and any heritage activity which might follow on from this. Twenty nine organisations took part in the Exhibition, which attracted an extremely good attendance and was much appreciated by the participants as well as those attending. Each organisation was asked to produce a short ‘potted history’ of their body, if possible on the day but otherwise as soon afterwards as possible: these were then to be posted on the Caldbeck Village website. In order not to impose too much of a burden on those preparing the histories, they were told that any format/length from bullet points to a few paragraphs or pages would be welcome. A short history of the History Society itself appears elsewhere on the website CALDBECK ART GROUP The Caldbeck Art Group has been in existence for over 20 years. In a very small way it began in the 1980's, when a few students attending evening art classes run by the artist, Andy Mortimer, decided to meet weekly on a Thursday morning to continue their painting together. Painting Iessons were held in Liz and Harry Boydell's house, and in Priests MilI, which had been lovingly restored from its dereliction by Coryn Clarke. At that time there would not have been more than about 8 members. Amongst these early members was Ursula Banister, who lived in Hesket Newmarket; and it was she who took the lead and did most of the hard work in setting up the Art Group as it is today. For a time we worked in the Chapel in Hesket, Iater using Caldbeck Parish HalI as our permanent venue. (Now whenever we are unable to meet in Caldbeck we are allowed to use the Chapel in Hesket, for which we are most grateful) Another founder member was Ralph Wilkinson and many of our first posters were designed by him. Sadly, both Ralph and Ursula are no longer with us. Over the years the group has had the benefit of visits from a number of artists, mainly to take workshops, including Ann Carter (now Cosgriff), Ian Reid, Geoff Masters, Irene Sanderson, Tessa Kennedy, |une Barnes, Sue Llewellyn, Phitip Macleod-Coupe, Simon Bull, Jacqui Cowan, Val Montgomery and Diane Rushworth.

CALDBECK BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB

It was resolved on December 2nd, 1905 a club known as 'Caldbeck and District Bowling Club' be

formed, the green to be in a garth at Upton where the Parish Hall now stands.

By August 17th, 1906 the Green known as the 'John Peel Bowling Green' was completed all

work done voluntary and was to be officially opened by The Right Honourable J. W. Lowther,

Speaker of the House of Commons, unfortunately his car broke down and he was unable to

attend, the official opening being carried out by Mr E. Banks of High Moor, Wigton assisted by

the Rev.W.F.Simpson, W.H.Ivinson, W.H.Greenup and Dr T.M.Glenn. (Balance Sheet for the

opening ceremony was £11. 7.6d).

For six or seven years the Bowling Club was a great success but owing to uncertainty of tenure

it was decided to make a new bowling green.

By October 25th, 1912 permission was granted by Lord Leconfield, Lord of the Manor, to make

the green on the Old Clay Dubs site at Barony Court, (Ratten Row) the present site where the

first Bower was built.

The Green was closed during the war years 1916-1918 opened again in 1919 with a

membership of 55. By 1923 support was flagging and with disagreement amongst members

and so many other organisations in the village the club was wound up. A further Meeting was

called when it was agreed the Club be re-started and by 1926 it was strong in membership.

During the second world war the club carried on with only a few members however after the war

things started to return to normal, interest and membership staged a recovery with tournaments

being very popular.

In 1972 the club almost suffered the same troubles as in 1923 and was almost wound up

however every effort was made to keep the club going and from then on has gone from strength

to strength. A new Bower was built in 1980, opened on May 17th, 1981 this being extended in

1988 and again extended in 1995 providing changing rooms and disability toilets etc.

The club celebrated its centenary in 2006 and we trust it will thrive into the considerable future,

new members, young, aged or older are always welcome.

A full history of Caldbeck Bowling Club by the late Joe Strong is available from the club.

Caldbeck Commoners What is a Common ? An area of land on which one or more persons have the right to take or use some portion of that which another man’s soil naturally produces Who owns a Common ? The other man. It used to be the Lord of the Manor by grant of the King who owned the Manor. Caldbeck Common now belongs to 3 owners - the main part belongs to the Lake District National Park Authority (who acquired it from the late Lord Egremont’s estate in lieu of death duties it is said). Carrock Fell area belongs to Dalemain Estates. And the County Council own the pond area in Caldbeck which is part of the Common. What type of Common Rights are there? On Caldbeck Common rights of pasturage and rights of turbary. On other Commons rights of pannage, piscary, estovers, and rights of common in the soil are sometimes held . When did Common Rights begin ? Time immemorial but the Statute of Merton 1235 first recognised the rights of commoners to graze the unfenced land within a Lord’s manor By whom are the rights held on Caldbeck Common ?

Rights on the Common are generally held “appurtenant” to each farm. A few rights are held “in gross” or unattached to land. Is there a record of the rights held on the Common ? Yes. After 900 years of the rights been unrecorded but recognised, The Commons Registration Act 1965 required all Common rights to be registered – and if they were not so registered by 1970 they were lost. By whom are the registers maintained? The registers are maintained by the Cumbria County Council. Caldbeck Common is no. CL20. The register also defines the boundaries of the Common by a plan. The Commons Act 2006 now prohibits the severance of rights from the land to which they are attached on the register. There are registered rights to graze about 24000 sheep. Many of the rights can be converted to rights to graze cattle – 4 sheep rights = 1 cow. Some people have the right to graze horses and ponies – 8 sheep to 1 horse. A few have the right to put hens on the common. One person, for instance has the right to turn out 10 cattle 50 sheep, 2 horses, 30 hens, 12 ducks, 20 geese, 12 turkeys and 1 pig. The County Council Commons Register is definitive of the rights held. How big is the Common? The last measurement is 3918 hectares = 9682 acres. In 2002, after foot and mouth, the grazing commoners (there are about 70 people who own rights of whom about 35 farmers graze) entered into Agreements with DEFRA and Natural England to reduce the actual grazing numbers to a maximum of 5440 sheep. The present Agreements expire in 2013 and negotiations are to start soon on a new 10 year agreement. The main High Fell part of the Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Fauld Brow area is not. The purpose of the Agreements is to put the Common into better environmental condition and encourage, for instance, heather regeneration, and bird life. The fell sheep (swaledales usually) are heafed or hefted - they know where their home is on the common. Every grazing farmer has a different heaf. The heafs remain unrecorded on the Commons Register. But Natural England have required them to be recorded under the Agreements. How is the Common managed ? Before 1970 there was a Commoners management committee called the Caldbeck and Uldale Commons Committee, but no minutes or records are known to exist before 1970 when commons registration neared completion. In 1970 Caldbeck commoners split from Uldale as the 2 commons were registered separately. Caldbeck formed the Caldbeck Commoners Committee (chairman Henry Ridley) and David Ward their second secretary drafted a constitution which was approved by the Secretary of State under the Commons Act 1908. That enabled commoners to remove entire animals turned out on the common. In 2002 a new constitution incorporating that of the Caldbeck Commoners committee was drafted to enable the commoners to enter the environmental agreements (the present WES and ESA) and the group is now officially called the Caldbeck Commoners Association. The Association manages the commoners grazing.

To manage the other activities on the common once or twice a year the Caldbeck and Uldale Executive Committee meets – the owners with commoners representatives and other interested persons such as Natural England staff. They organise and sanction other activities on the Common (hound trailing for instance). The Caldbeck Commoners Association members meet 2 or 3 times a year, and additionally as required, to discuss grazing issues. Their chairman is Ken Pears of Fellside Farm. Their treasurer is William Cowx. What rights do the public have to walk on, drive on, or paraglide, or organise events on the Common? Until 2000 the public had no rights save to walk on public footpaths on the Common. Now they have right of access on foot anywhere on the Common under the “Crow” Act 2000, but driving any vehicle (including motor bikes) on a common is prohibited by law, as well as paragliding etc. , and any other event, such as a hound trail, is a trespass if carried out without permission of the owners. Fencing, or putting up a building, or surfacing any Common land is unlawful unless with the consent of the Secretary of State. Caldbeck car park is part of the common and it is not known if it has a Secretary of State consent. The matter may need research if the owners tried to charge parking fees! Sheep are in their rights grazing there.

CALDBECK PLAYERS and HOW IT BEGAN

In the August of 1946 Flec Stanger and family came to live in Caldbeck, he to take up the

headship of Upton School.

At that time the Church, Football Club, Bowling Club, W.I. and Men’s Club were the main

sources of social life. There were also two further education classes, namely Woodwork and

Drama, which were run for one night a week for six weeks either side of Christmas. In 1948-49

the Drama class folded up and at the same time the Men’s Club got notice to quit their

premises. (Now Joe Strong’s shop). So the hunt was on for a new clubroom and also ideas to

raise money.

Chatting over this problem one evening we wondered if we could possibly put on a three-act

play for two nights. Of course it was going to cost money – about £30, which if the show was a

flop we, ourselves, couldn’t afford to lose. Harrison Ivinson said if we went ahead with the play

he would help to bail us out if it ran at a loss.

With his blessing “The Farmer’s Wife” was put on in the spring of 1950 for two nights. The show

was a great success with people being turned away, so we put it on the following Saturday.

Again it was a sell out.

That night we asked anyone interested in forming a Drama Group to come to a meeting. At that

meeting those appointed were:

President: Mr.Ivinson

Secretary: Jim Whitaker

Treasurer: Arthur Foster

Producer: Flec Stanger

The selection committee appointed was Francis Asbridge, Mabel Barker, Hugh Rigby, Flec

Stanger.

After 16 productions we (Flec and Sally) decided to bow out and concentrate on our move to

Upton House.

We had many highs and a few lows in those years but great memories. Sally Stanger

Since those early days Caldbeck Players has gone from strength to strength and puts on two

productions a year almost every year.

Website: www.caldbeckplayers.co.uk

Caldbeck & District Women’s Institute (History – to 2011 – by Mina Barker)

June 1920 The first general meeting was held in the Rectory Garden to form a Caldbeck & District Women’s Institute – a non-sectarian, non-political movement. A good many members were enrolled and Mrs Hornby, the Rectory, was voted in as President. The first meetings were held in the Infants School, sitting at the desks with oil lamp lighting. The W.I. became more and more an indispensable part of the rural district and the membership quickly increased to 100 plus. Subscription was 2/- and stayed like that for 23 years, increasing to 2/6d in 1943. April 1921 Mr Henry Lamb demonstrated chicken boning. Dressmaking classes started and so it continued through the years, old crafts and new skills gained. A sit-down co-operative supper was one of the features of each meeting. 1929 The first Old Folks Party was held. 1939-45 The W.I.’s sterling work during the war years is well documented in ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ by Mary James in the Caldbeck & District Society’s publication, ‘Memories of Lakeland’. 1969 Caldbeck & District celebrated their Golden Jubilee with a two-day exhibition in the Parish Hall, called ‘OLD AND NEW’; one feature was a 50 yr.old Cumbrian kitchen with members in period costume, plus displays of members’ work and a recipe book. 1970 The County Exhibition held at Moota was a red letter day for Caldbeck. They won the coveted Lady Mabel Howard Rose Bowl for the co-operative class on the theme ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ and were 3rd in the competition for the RAF Rose Bowl, class – 3 handmade articles. 1974 ‘Tomorrow’s Heirlooms’ held in Carlisle City Hall opened by the Duchess of Kent was another red letter day for Caldbeck. The Lady Mabel Trophy was presented for the most points gained to the President, who received it on behalf of Caldbeck W.I. Seventeen items were selected for inclusion in a national exhibition in London the following spring. Two of these items were Caldbeck entries (a stuffed toy clown and a corn dolly maypole), the only W.I. to have two items selected.

1975 The national ‘Tomorrow’s Heirlooms Exhibition’ was held the following spring at the Commonwealth Institute in London, opened by the Queen Mother. Caldbeck’s President was invited and attended the Press Briefing and Private View. 1977 Caldbeck won the ‘Helen Fox Trophy’ for the most points gained in the Sewing Class at the Cumberland Show. 1980 Caldbeck W.I. celebrated their 60th birthday. This was the start of the golden years for Caldbeck W.I. During the following the following 15 years they won many 1st prizes at events for crafts, sewing, cookery and art in the individual and co-operative classes including the Helen Fox and RAF Rose Bowls. Mrs Helen Fox was heard to remark “Caldbeck is too clever by half!” 1985 More than 100 teams entered in the Cumberland W.I. Darts Championship. Caldbeck won the trophy and twice more in following years – quite an achievement against strong opposition. 2011 Today, Caldbeck & District W.I. is thriving, with many interests and activities to choose

from, and although the membership is down to 25 (and the subscription is £30.50), the W.I. hosts the Over 65s Christmas Party enjoyed each year by over 100 senior citizens, when they are treated to a meal, gifts and a ‘catch up chat’.

The W.I. have also hosted a Children’s Christmas Party for many years. Although we are few in number our meetings are always friendly and fun!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CALDBECK CRICKET CLUB

The club was originally known as Millhouse Cricket Club and was formed circa 1951. The team played in a field belonging to Mr Tweddell, Haltcliffe Bridge. The pavilion was a tin shed in a wood which is still visible today.

In the late 1960’s early 1970’s the club moved to play at Lime House School where they became known as Hawksdale Cricket Club. They stayed there until approx 1978 when they leased the present field at Townend, from Mr & Mrs K Watson and became known as Caldbeck Cricket Club.

They purchased the old wooden hut from the tennis courts to use as changing rooms; this was placed in the corner beside Priest Mill. Players changed in here then walked over the road to play in the field behind Grapes Barn. This field was used until the present field was completed.

The ground where the pavilion and car park is now, was separate land to the pitch and outfield, this was bought from Mrs N Pattinson in 1980.

A decision was made by members to improve the pitch and build the new pavilion on its present site. This was to prove a major contract for which a lot of money was to be found. To start the monies rolling in Life Memberships of £50 were offered to club members of which about a dozen were taken up. Every weekend a party of members (Brian Steadman, Mike Pattinson, George Bainbridge, Harry Turner & Alan Tyson) would go around farms in the area collecting used plastic fertiliser bags which were then stored in a stone building which stood where the notice board and cattle grid are today. These were then collected by a firm from Newcastle who paid so much for every 1000 bags.

Once this money was raised, plus some grant money, the buying of materials to build the clubhouse started.

The roof slates came from a disused building at Disington Foundry. It was a very high building so a plan was needed.

A large metal slide about 3 foot wide and 20 feet long was made, this stood in the back of a six wheeler tipper lorry. The guys on the roof would lift the slates then slide them down into the back of the lorry to be caught and stacked up against the headboard.

The facing stone for the gable end, the fire place and the bar came from demolishing the shed which had stored the fertiliser bags.

The wooden boards for the original dance floor were bought from a recycling firm in Slayley near Newcastle. These had to be replaced in 2006 following the club house being flooded.

The hand basins in the toilets came from H.M.S Ark Royal via Mountelm scrap yard.

A large earth scraper was hired and about 18inch’s were taken from the top half of the field and moved to the bottom of the field to level it up.

The first game on the new pitch was played on August 10th 1985 against Patterdale.

Over the years the club has increased the number of cricket teams who represent Caldbeck, now having two teams in the Eden Valley League which play on a weekend, two teams in the Carlisle & District mid week league on an evening, one team in the recently formed Village League on an evening. An Under 11’s, 13’s and 15’s junior teams. Caldbeck also host friendly

matches throughout the cricket season and have welcomed a number of touring teams throughout the years.

In recent years there has been a charity fun day which has seen various cricketing competitions, which began in 2000 with a ladies tournament where ladies teams from throughout the county came to Caldbeck. This has now evolved into the ‘8’s competition where we see over 100 different players of various ability enjoying the game of cricket, this takes place during August.

The club also has a great social side which is enjoyed by members young and old. The club is represented in the John Peel Darts League and the Castle Sowerby Pool League. Previously it had a football team who played in the Penrith Sunday Morning Football League. There was also a ‘Cricket Club’ team in the 5 a side football tournament which was held on a Sunday morning in the tennis courts.

With the wonders of modern technology a lot of the score sheets for the club have been loaded on to the clubs website which can be found @ www.caldbeck.play-cricket.com

We would like to thank all those who have supported the club over the years and continue to do so now. It is a credit to all those who have ever spent time and effort keeping this part of our village community alive.

Above: Caldbeck Cricket Club, 2012.

John Peel Shelter and Fair Trade in Caldbeck

1934 Origin of the scheme to build a bus shelter in memory of John Peel. 1939 Shelter built by Cumberland and Westmorland Association. 1951 Shelter repaired, repainted and handed over to Parish Council.

GAP IN THE RECORD – CAN ANYONE HELP? The Building fell into disuse

1985 Building cleared and cleaned for stalls for Christian Aid Week 1985/6 Betty Brame, Hannah Reid and Kate Whiteford held a weekly stall in the Church selling Traidcraft and Tearcraft goods. 1986 Third World Shop opened Easter – Christmas manned by volunteers. . 1986-2005 The shop traded and additional events were held to raise money for Oxfam a total of £250,000 has been raised over 25 years. During these years Betty Brame toured the county giving talks on Traidcraft/Tearcraft to MUs and WIs 1988 First Fairtrade label launched in Holland, then Fairtrade Mark in UK 1994 First Fairtrade certified chocolate, coffee and tea launched. 2001 First Fairtrade town – Garstang 2005 Betty Brame “retired” and the running of the shop was taken over by a group of volunteers. The shop continues to trade Easter –Christmas.

2007. 25th April Fairtrade Fashion Show in Caldbeck Village Hall. 2nd July Caldbeck Parish Council formally minuted support for Fairtrade October - formation of Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Fairtrade Steering Group. Fairtrade meals, craft fairs and Fairtrade Breakfasts held.

2008 The name of the shop altered to The Fair World Shop

February 2008: Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket awarded Fairtrade Status

followed by a Fairtrade Wine Tasting in November, visit of Ethiopian Coffee Farmers who sell into Fairtrade and a variety of other events.

Fellview Primary School

The first school in Caldbeck dates back to 1647 when the sum of £103 was raised by some of the inhabitants of the village to pay for the teaching of their children in a building in the corner of the Churchyard. After this building fell into disrepair, the building opposite the present school and the Chapel on Ratten Row were both used as schools. In 1851, John Jennings commissioned, at a cost of £300, the building of a National School on the present site which is now used as our school hall and kitchen. This was called Caldbeck Upton School. It comprised one large room with separate entrances for the boys and girls. An extra classroom was added in 1882 and the porches in 1899. A weekly fee was paid to contribute towards the education costs until this was abolished in 1892. Pupils were taught by teachers and pupil teachers. An additional Infant School operated from 1875 to 1906 in the building which most recently was used as the police station and has now reverted to a private dwelling. In 1988, Caldbeck Upton School and Howbeck School at Hesket New Market were amalgamated and the name changed to Fellview School. An extension of three classrooms, staff room, cloakrooms, storage areas and large entrance hall/library was built and, subsequently, additional rooms have been added over the years, culminating in the erection of a purpose built nursery in 2010 to accommodate pre school children. Caldbeck Area Film Society (CAFS) – a brief history 2001-2011 Ten years ago, Ron Brame, a local resident, felt that there was something missing in the Caldbeck area. The nearest cinemas were 12 -20 miles away and they only seemed to show the popular blockbusters. How could a regular programme of accessible, affordable films – the unusual, the foreign and the old classics – be organised? Ron Brame decided to take on the challenge and start a film society. The Committee A committee was formed, consisting of Ron Brame, Chris Hannam, Poppy and Stephen Hollins-Gibson, Beryl Hibbs, David Townsend and Peter Krebs. They decided that the obvious venue was Caldbeck Parish Hall, as it still is 10 years later. Poppy and Stephen are the only original CAFS members still on the committee in 2011. So Caldbeck Area Film Society – CAFS – began. The committee aimed to show a film a month from September through to June and a children’s film at Christmas. It was to be a membership society for film licensing reasons and films would be hired. CAFS also became an affiliated member of the BFFS (British Federation of Film Societies).

The main problem was obtaining the equipment for which an estimated £5000 would be needed. Fortunately, Peter Krebs compiled a bid for a £5000 grant from Awards for All, which was part of the National Lottery fund for newly constituted organisations. CAFS received £4750 to get started. Opening night On the opening night , 8 Sep 2001, an audience of over 100 people assembled to watch Chariots of Fire. The film was introduced by Eric Wallace, a local film-maker. All did not go well though. The film was projected onto a wall as there was no screen at this point and the sound was muffled and indistinct. The next two films had equally poor sound and audience numbers were dwindling. Something had to be done. The acoustics The Parish Hall was not designed as a cinema and this created problems. The Committee commissioned an engineer from Helmdale Acoustics of Oxenholme to try to improve the sound quality of the hall. One immediate improvement was the purchase of thick wool serge drapes, the cost of which was covered by Lottery money and fitted by CAFS members themselves, which saved over £1000 at the time. The sound engineer designed acoustic resonators to reduce reverberation and these were made by Peter Carroll, a local, retired joiner. Later on, an induction loop was installed which improved the sound for those with hearing aids. In the current season, films have been shown with sub-titles to help those with any hearing impairment. Extra equipment In October 2003, a proper 12ft x12ft screen with a motorised drop was bought from Harkness Hall. Money was once more saved by a cooperative effort with Fellside School and the Local History Society, who contributed funds in exchange for use of the equipment. The screen was mounted and the electrical work carried out by Trevor Studholm. Publicity Roy Knowles joined the committee in the spring of 2002. He started producing colourful and witty posters for each film and these were displayed on notice boards throughout all the local parishes. The events were also reported in most of the local parish magazines. When the village website went online, CAFS events were included in the diary. A reciprocal membership arrangement with the Keswick Film Club means that CAFS gets publicity on their website too. Latterly, CAFS’ programme has even been mentioned in the Cumberland News. Film programmes CAFS has always aimed for variety. The committee chose the films for the first two seasons. Then they asked other local societies to suggest films in the hopes of increasing audiences. This had the opposite effect, producing a record small audience at one point. Audiences were asked to submit lists of films they would like to see but this resulted in two or three large lists and nothing from anyone else. An audience feedback form was introduced for each film, so that some insight was gained into what pleased audiences and what didn’t. So the committee tries to produce a varied programme, which is neither too bland nor too challenging. Colin Firth said he was puzzled by the huge success of The King’s Speech - it had no young people, no sex, no violence, no car chases and no vampires in it. Guess what – it gave us the largest audience for ages with universal approval in Sep 2011! Special events Over the years, supper + film evenings have been very successful and CAFS currently tries to have these twice a year. The caterers have included the Scouts, the WI, Margaret Brough, Ann

Parry and various other local caterers. The committee plus helpers also do the catering and try to provide food themed to the film. There have been French, South American, USA, North African, Mexican cuisines, a Fairtrade meal, plus fish & chips or bangers and mash on the menu. All the events are sociable occasions with an opportunity to talk to other film fans over food or simply coffee and biscuits at the end of a film. None of the events would happen without hard work from the CAFS committee and willing helpers. After all, you can’t beat watching a film on a large screen as part of an audience. TN Sep 2011

Caldbeck Area First Responders 2003 to 2011

• In the summer of 2003 Roy and Susan Knowles went to an open garden in Watermillock, which was a fund-raising event for the local First Responders. They had never heard of First Responders so made enquiries. It was an obviously good idea, so Roy made enquiries at Caldbeck Surgery and elsewhere to see if it had ever been tried here. It had not, and the surgery supported it, so he decided to try and get one started.

• The service is co-ordinated by Cumbria Ambulance Service, so that was the first place to contact. With their help, and with the support of Dr Phil Spencer and Dr Jim Cox, we held our first public meeting on 20 November 2003 to inform people and sign up our first volunteers. Eight people signed up on that first night.

• We needed funds for equipment – defibrillators were about £1800 at the time, and we needed at least three – and we needed training. Training was provided by the Ambulance Service, so we concentrated on raising money and recruiting additional volunteers. Both proved easier than we had feared. The support from the local community was very strong, and many people made spontaneous donations towards getting started. We also held fund-raising events, such as open gardens, and obtained money from funding organisations including the British Heart Foundation, Caldbeck Surgery Fund, the Neighbourhood Forum, and the Hadfield Trust.

• Whilst the volunteers were being trained there was much scurrying around in the background, especially by those who had volunteered for non-responder roles. This included fund-raising, writing a constitution, registering with the Charity Commission, purchasing equipment, manufacturing steel boxes to house the equipment, obtaining and testing pagers, producing maps and directions to all properties in the area, opening bank accounts, and the many other admin tasks that can so easily slow things down.

• We eventually went live as a fully trained, assessed and equipped team of twenty four volunteers in August 2004. We then waited for seven weeks for our first call-out, which was in the early hours of the morning to a man with chest pains.

• Since then we have been called out many times and the team has coped magnificently in situations which we have no right to ask ordinary citizens to deal with. Along the way we have been trained in further aspects of life support and first aid, and have obtained additional essential equipment, including oxygen and pulse oximeters, which help give relief and reassurance to many of the casualties we deal with.

• Our present team leader Philippa Groves has become the HEARTSTART coordinator for North Cumbria. Five team members have become HEARTSTART instructors and in the last few years have delivered basic life support sessions to well over 1,000 people in the area.

• Our team has recently started to provide familiarisation sessions with the defibrillator with the intention of introducing public access defibrillators into the area. The first one will be installed at Caldbeck Parish Hall by the end of October, taking Caldbeck one step closer to being one of the first 'CARDIAC SMART' villages in North Cumbria.

• That we are still going, still keen and still solvent is a great tribute to the whole team, including those unsung heroes – the non-responder members who form the management committee – and to the support of the whole community for what we do.

Caldbeck & District Gardening Club

Our club was formed in 2004 and has a membership of fifty.

Meetings are normally held in Millhouse Village Hall on the second Wednesday in the month,

from September through to May, starting time 7.30pm.

Members have had the opportunity to learn how to make willow sculptures, stone troughs and

Christmas door wreaths, as well as propagating grasses.

The majority of the meetings are open to all, with an admission fee of £2.50 for non-members.

We also have outings and workshops during the summer months.

Our programmes have included a wide range of topics relating to all aspects of gardening.

We have a wealth of expertise and knowledge in our membership, four of whom have already given talks on various subjects. Hesket New Market Agricultural Society

From the information to hand:

The 3rd Show was held in 1880. It is thought that the Show did not run every year in the early

years.

The first show was confined to sheep

The second show extended to horses and shorthorns

The third show included implements and Galloway cattle

The Show has had various locations around Hesket New Market:-Bridge Holme by the

Caldew(1911), Lane Croft Field, Hesket Hall, Hog field, Hudscales for 14 years and Throstle

Hall 2000 to current date 2011.

The minutes books pre 1945 were destroyed at a meeting in 1945. ”Permission to destroy was

given”

In 1965 catalogues were two shillings and sixpence, today 2011, £2.

Admission in 1967 was 60p today 2011,£5

Show was cancelled in 2001 and no livestock present in 2007 due to foot and mouth disease.

The show did not take place in 2009 due to a very wet month prior to the event

J. STRONG & SON, CLOGMAKER At one time there were several clog makers in the area, four in Caldbeck and two in Hesket Newmarket but with the closure of the mines and mills and

changes in farming practices the clog makers shops gradually declined. Joe Strong wanted to be a joiner but was unable to do this so went to work for Penrith Co-op where he watched an old clog maker called Fred Shepherd and learnt the trade. In 1947 he set up shop in Caldbeck, then in 1970 moved into the then disused woollen blanket mill also in Caldbeck where his son Will still works today. Joe retired in 1983 ten years after Will had joined him in the business. Finding good leather of quality and thickness is more difficult today and the most popular style of clog is the Derby which laces around the ankle and has a ‘commando' sole; also the Gibson, which is styled like a shoe for casual wear. Some of Will's best customers are clog dancers who come from all parts of the country. Orders come with an outline of the customer's feet which is enough information to make a pak of clogs. To visit J. STRONG & SON, CLOGMAKER is to go back in time, to a more relaxed and peaceful age. The smell of wood and leather, boxes and boxes of who knows what, the shoe last, leather apron, tapping of hammer, all from a bygone age but still thriving in Caldbeck.

Caldbeck and District Local History Society The Society came into being on 30th November, 1985, when nine people from Hesket Newmarket and Caldbeck met together ‘to promote and explain the domestic, industrial and social history of the Caldbeck area’. Monthly events (usually a talk by a Cumbrian local historian) are held in Caldbeck Parish Hall. Visitors are welcome. Since its formation, the Society has been assembling an archive of material relating to the area and its people. It has produced an index of the Caldbeck Parish Magazines from 1911-1980, which supplies a quick and clear access to a comprehensive record of village life over almost a century. In 1995 a small booklet was published entitled ‘Caldbeck Characters’ in which seven members contributed tales of ten local people who lived from 1777 - 1974. The following year, in 1996, ‘Monumental Inscriptions in the Church and Churchyard of St. Kentigern's, Caldbeck, Cumbria’ was published, which has been of immense value to all who are interested in Caldbeck Church and churchyard and in the history of a Cumbrian fells community, as well as to members of families from various parts of the world who have wished to trace their ancestors. The Society took part in the Cumbria County Council’s ‘Spirit of Cumbria’ project to mark the Millenium in 2000, when a number of older people in the area were interviewed (on tape) by a member of the Society. Excerpts of these were then included in an exhibition that toured Cumbria. Some years later they were included in the Society's publication in 2008 of ‘Memories of Lakeland’. The following year, 2011, ‘A Walk Around Caldbeck in 1901’ was published – comprising a written account on the first day of the 20th century of his walk around Caldbeck by local historian Richard Greenup.

Included in the programme over the years have been various exhibitions such as one on old photographs of the area and its people, two more on quilts and rag rugs, and an outdoors one on sheep shearing. On 1st October 2011 the Society held a ‘Grand Local Heritage Exhibition’, when over 30 organisations in Caldbeck and district came together in the Parish Hall to show and share their histories with the large number of people who came along to see what it was all about. It's not all work and no play, as there have been a number of highly enjoyable outings and walkabouts all over the county and further afield.

Caldbeck Methodist Chapel

John and Charles Wesley, jointly founded Methodism after a re-awakening of their faith in 1738. Initially they both preached but after a few years Charles concentrated on his hymn writing. John who rode around the country on his horse covering over 8,000 miles each year, came and preached in Caldbeck in 1767 outside the pub. The Chapel itself was built, with the help of money gathered from the community, in 1832. The original poster advertises that three services were held on opening dayWednesday 5th December 1832 at 10.00 am, 2.00 pm and 6.30 pm. A schoolroom was added to the chapel and opened on Wednesday 9th September 1964 when Mrs Thoburnwas the official opener and the service at 7.15 pm was conducted by the Rev. Burnett Binnington from Edinburgh. Caldbeck Chapel is part of the Wigton Methodist Circuit which comprises 6 chapels with approx. 160 members.

The Mothers' Union The Mothers' Union is an international Christian organisation founded in 1876 by Mary Sumner, the wife of the Rector of Old Alresford, as a union of mothers supporting each other and encouraging Christian family life. Mary Sumner believed that good parenting was more than just providing for the physical needs of children and that the primary responsibility was to raise children in the love of God. Today, the Mothers' Union's range and depth of work far exceeds Mary Sumner's original vision of a circle of prayer upholding family life. It now has 4 million members in 83 countries with 300 paid workers drawn from their own communities around the world. Prayer continues to be at the heart of the members, who in the Wave Of Prayer maintain a constant chain of intercession across global membership. Members continue to promote family life through parenting groups, marriage support, and advocating for family supportive policies, whilst at the same time upholding families affected by poverty, homelessness, imprisonment, relationship breakdowns, and prison sentences. Advocating for women at the Commission on the Status of women at the United Nations, international debt relief and The End of Child Poverty Coalition all highlight the concern that members continue to feel for disadvantaged families. The literacy programme attracted the biggest grant to a charity from Comic Relief and has transformed the lives of thousands of women (and men) in Malawi, Burundi, and the Sudan, and has worked across tribal divisions bringing social togetherness, creating self-supporting groups, as well as empowering individuals

to take responsibility in their own homes and communities. The Bailey Report was commissioned by the government on the Commercialisation of Childhood. Caldbeck branch was formed in 1900 and records show that Mary Sumner visited Carlisle for a large gathering of members in 1913 - I wonder if we were represented there? Today, we in Carlisle Diocese support our local churches and care for one another. We help with: a crèche at Haverigg prison; ‘Gowns of Love’ for premature babies; toiletries (‘Muffins’) for emergency admissions to hospital; holidays or special outings through ‘The Away from it all scheme for needy families’; parenting groups and help at contact centres; supporting/running toddlers and play groups; and a ‘l to 5’ baptism scheme. The MU today continues to give Christian support to families world wide through prayer, giving and projects. The Caldbeck branch of the MU meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 2 pm in the Methodist Church. All our meetings are open and we are always delighted to welcome visitors. See below for more! Keep scrolling down!

Northern Fells Group – the early years

The Northern Fells Group began its life as the Northern Fells Rural Project – part of HRH The

Prince of Wales’ Rural Revival Initiative. The Prince of Wales launched the project in Caldbeck

on 4 November 1999 – the first royal visit to Caldbeck since King John stayed in the Hospice in

Friar Row on 20 June 1216.

The project, for anyone who needed it in the seven parishes of Boltons, Ireby and Uldale,

Westward, Caldbeck, Sebergham, Castle Sowerby and Mungrisdale, confirmed that rural

communities are deceptive. Scratching the surface of an attractive rural area reveals a

significant number of isolated, often stoical, individuals of all ages, including those who are

infirm or caring for others, who do not have access to services now considered to be ‘normal’ in

the UK.

By comparing the needs of the population against the services available, dedicated volunteers

and paid employees indentified gaps in service provision and worked together to fill them.

The first services, funded (as now) by a mixture of private and public organisations but mostly

delivered by volunteers, were:

• a community minibus service driven by volunteer drivers,

• ‘Lend-a-Hand’ volunteers providing help and support for disabled, sick, frail or isolated

people and to relieve carers,

• a Benefits Awareness service to enable people to receive benefits to which they were

entitled, and

• activities for young people.

Following the successful pilot project, the Northern Fells Group – a community owned, limited

company, registered as a charity – was established in 2002. It has continued to provide and

develop services, including introducing ‘Village Agents’ to reach out to more members of the

community.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PARISH COUNCILS with thanks to Wikipedia and other sources!

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of

local government below districts and counties. It is an administrative parish, as opposed to an

ecclesiastical parish.

Ancient origins

The division into ancient parishes was linked to the manorial system, with parishes and manors

often sharing the same boundaries. Initially the manor was the principal unit of local

administration and justice in the early rural economy. Eventually the church replaced the manor

court as the rural administrative centre and levied a local tax on produce known as a tithe.

The Highways Act 1555 made parishes responsible for the upkeep of roads. Every adult

inhabitant of the parish was obliged to work four days a year on the roads, providing their own

tools, carts and horses; the work was overseen by an unpaid local appointee, the Surveyor of

Highways.

The poor were looked after by the monasteries, until their dissolution. In 1572, magistrates were

given power to ‘survey the poor’ and impose taxes for their relief. This system was made more

formal by the Poor Law Act 1601, which made parishes responsible for administering the Poor

Law; overseers were appointed to charge a rate to support the poor of the parish. The 19th

century saw an increase in the responsibility of parishes, although the Poor Law powers were

transferred to Poor Law Unions in 1834. The Public Health Act 1872 grouped parishes into

Rural Sanitary Districts, based on the Poor Law Unions; these subsequently formed the basis

for Rural Districts (Caldbeck Parish was in Wigton Rural District).

The parish authorities were known as vestries and consisted of all the inhabitants of the parish.

As the population was growing it became increasingly difficult to convene meetings as an open

vestry. In some, mostly built up, areas the select vestry took over responsibility from the

community at large. This innovation improved efficiency, but allowed governance by a self-

perpetuating elite. The administration of the parish system relied on the monopoly of the English

church. As religious membership became more fractured, such as through the revival of

Methodism, the legitimacy of the parish vestry came into question and the perceived inefficiency

and corruption inherent in the system became a source for concern. Because of this scepticism,

during early the 19th century the parish progressively lost its powers to ad-hoc boards and other

organisations, such as the loss of responsibility for poor relief through the Poor Law

Amendment Act 1834. The replacement boards were each able to levy their own rate in the

parish. The church rate ceased to be levied in many areas and was abolished in 1868.

Civil and Ecclesiastical Split

The ancient parishes diverged into two distinct units during the 19th century. The Poor Law

Amendment Act 1866 declared all areas that levied a separate rate become civil parishes as

well. The parishes for church use continued unchanged as ecclesiastical parishes (the current

Parochial Church Councils, as for St Kentigern’s Church, Caldbeck).

Reform

Civil parishes in their modern sense were established afresh in 1894, by the Local Government

Act 1894. The Act abolished vestries, and established elected parish councils in all rural civil

parishes with more than 300 electors. These were grouped into rural districts. Boundaries were

altered to avoid parishes being split between counties. Caldbeck’s last Vestry meeting was in

1893 and its first Parish Council meeting was in 1894.

Boundaries of Caldbeck Civil Parish

Caldbeck was in Wigton Rural District. The civil parish of Caldbeck in 1894 also included

Mosedale and Swineside, although the township of Mosedale had been included in the Penrith

Registration District rather than Wigton for poor law purposes since 1837. Mungrisdale was in

Greystoke parish. Subsequently Mosedale became a separate civil parish and then in 1934

became part of the present civil parish of Mungrisdale.

The Caldbeck parish boundary walk held every 21 years (the next walk being due in 2016) has

traditionally followed the old boundary from Wiley Gill along the whole length of the Caldew by

Swineside and Mosedale to Waters Meeting near Hesket Newmarket where it is joined by the

Cald Beck rather than the present boundary which leaves the Caldew above Swineside and

skirts below the summits of Knott and High Pike and then descends from the summit of Carrock

Fell to rejoin the Caldew near Linewath.

In 1974 the Local Government Act 1972 retained civil parishes in rural areas and small urban

areas, but abolished them in larger urban areas.

Powers and Functions

Typical activities undertaken by parish or town councils include (Caldbeck Parish Council’s

activities are in bold type):

• The provision and upkeep of certain local facilities such as allotments, bus shelters,

parks, playgrounds, public seats, public toilets, public clocks, street lights, village or town halls,

and various leisure and recreation facilities.

• Maintenance of footpaths, cemeteries (the Parish Council provides a grant towards the

upkeep of St Kentigern’s Churchyard) and village greens (in Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket

the Greens are actually part of the Commons and are regulated by Commons legislation. They

are owned by Cumbria County Council and the Lake District National Park Authority

respectively and are managed by the Parish Council).

• Since 1997 parish councils have had new powers to provide community transport (such

as a minibus – Caldbeck Parish Council and its neighbouring parishes support the Northern

Fells Group community minibus), crime prevention measures (such as CCTV) and to contribute

money towards traffic calming schemes.

• Parish councils act as a channel of local opinion to larger local government bodies, and

as such have the right to be consulted on any planning decisions affecting the parish.

• Giving of grants to local voluntary organisations, and sponsoring public events, including

entering Britain in Bloom.

The role played by parish councils varies. Smaller parish councils have only limited resources

and generally play only a minor role, while some larger parish councils have a role similar to

that of a small district council. Parish councils receive funding by levying a “precept” on the

council tax paid by the residents of the parish.

Councillors and Elections

Parish councils are run by volunteer councillors who are elected to serve for four years and are

not paid. The Responsible Financial Officer and Clerk is paid (for 8 hours a week in Caldbeck

Parish).

Below is a list of Caldbeck Parish Council's historical records that are held in the County Record Office, Carlisle. The following records were delivered to the Assistant County Archivist by the Parish Clerk at the time on August 18th 1989: 1. Overseer of the Poorhouse Accounts, 1773-1795, 1795- 1813, 1813-1831, 1831- 1849, 1849 - 1872. 2. Register of Parish Apprentices, July 1796 - Feb 1834. 3. Wayguardians Assessment and Accounts, 1823 - 1827. 4. Rating Assessment, l826 - 1836 5. Valuation of the Parish, 1839 6. Overseers Receipts and Payments books, 1838 - 1847, 1848 - 1868 7. Collectors Monthly Statements, 1868 - 1975 8. Minutes of Vestry meetings, 1868 - 1894 9. Minutes of Parish Meetings and Annual Parish Meetings, 1894 - 1981 10. Receipts and payments by Parish Council, 1898 - 1922 I L Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Water Supply, 1896 - 1902 12. Valuation of the Parish,1922 13. Annual Financial Statements - Parish Council, 1928 - 1977 14. Annual Receipts and Payments - Parish Council, 1967 - 1976 1 5. Minutes of Parish Council meetings, 13/l2/1894 – 16/8/1935, 18/10/1935 - 15/11/1977, 3/1/1978 - 2l /10/1985, 9/12/1985 – 9/8/1993, 13/ 9/1993 – 4/3/2002. CALDBECK PARISH HALL The village was generously offered a piece of land for a new public hall in 1926 by Sir Norval Helme. The site in Upton was formally the old bowling green. The land was part of his wife Mary's estate that she inherited from her farther Thomas Wilson of Upton House Caldbeck. The hall was to be held in trust for the Caldbeck parish and the surrounding area. T W Ridley chaired the committee to undertake the task of funding and building the new Parish Hall. The hall was opened in 1928 with a big social event that raised £231 towards the construction; the hall cost £1685-18s and was payed for by donations fundraising and a loan. The hall committee also organised the" John Peel centenary" day to celebrate the local huntsman, which raised over £300 for the hall. The John Peel day became an annual event through the thirties and helped to pay off the loan that the committee had taken out. An extension was added in 1951 that provided an extra supper room and a small kitchen this was used by the primary school children for their lunch. A new floor and heating system were added to the main hall In 1988 new toilets were fitted at the front of the hall again a big fund rising effort was under taken and the toilets were fitted at a cost of £6976.

To make the hall fit for the 21st centaury a lottery grant was obtained in the year 2000, along with fund raising and donations a major renovation took place costing £200,000. All the area at the back of the hall was taken down and new meeting rooms, a kitchen and store rooms were added and improvements to all parts of the hall. Thanks to all the user groups that have supported the hall over its 83 years.

Scouting in Caldbeck

• Scouting was started in 1907 by Robert Baden Powell and quickly spread across the world.

• It began modestly in Caldbeck Parish Hall on 2nd November 1964 with the start of a Wolf Cub Pack for boys aged 8 – 10 years.

• By the 90’s a Beaver Colony had joined the now Cub Scout Pack and for a short while there was a Scout Troop.

• With Leaders in short supply the Scout Troop was the first to fold and in later years the Beaver Colony. The Cub Pack carried on through thick and thin, for many years having only one Leader and a helper.

• We are now a co-educational movement welcoming both boys and girls to our ranks and are again running a Beaver Colony and more recently a Scout Troop along side the Cub Pack with 3 appointed Leaders, supportive parents and a few, young helpers.

• We meet in the Parish Hall on Thursday evenings with the Beaver Colony (young people 6 – 8 years) from 5.00pm – 6.00pm and the Cub Scout Pack(young people 8-10/11 years) and Scout Troop (young people 10/11 – 14 years) from 6.00pm – 7.30pm. We do not have a waiting list and everyone is welcome.

Caldbeck & HesketNewmarket Sheepdog Trials The first meeting was held on the 15th May 1951, when a handful of local people got together to see if there would be any interest in trying to hold a sheepdog trials and a hound trail in the village. It seemed that there were plenty of interested helpers, so another meeting quickly followed on the 17th of May, and at that meeting the members agreed that they should be called The Caldbeck & Hesket New Market Sheepdog Trials. The following people were elected: President, Miss Jennings; Chairman, Mr. H. Ridley; Secretary/treasurer, Mr. W. James. The committee was as follows, J. Lancaster, W. Dixon, R, Grainger, R, Hunter, A, Brownrigg, T. Pearson, J. Nicholson, J. Jardine, R. Hodgson, J. Cartmell, £. Coulthard, R. Teasdale, R. Todhunter, E.W. Johnston, H. Mallinson, J. Crawford, H. Strong, J. Scott, C. Borrowdale, M. Watson, J. Benn, & M. Hird. This committee worked hard to try and get funds together to put on their frst trial, which was to be on the 23rd August 1951 but, unfortunately, due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease it had to be cancelled. Not to be put off with this, they all agreed to carry on and raise more funds, holding dances and farmyard whist drives, all going in to the bank towards next years trials. But then again in 1952 the trials had to be cancelled at short notice; the minutes book doesn't give a reason why. Not to be beaten they continued to raise funds and finally on the 27th August 1953 with £45-11-10 in the bank they held their first Sheepdog Trials and Hound Trails followed by a dance in Caldbeck Parish Hall. This year (2011) the committee were please to mark their 60th year of Caldbeck & H-N-M Sheepdog Trials and marked the occasion at this year trials with special rosettes, and what a year to celebrate as Cumbria was hosting the World Sheepdog Trials and we had the cream of the crop attending. We had not only members from the English team running but competitors

running from other countries, some as far away as New Zealand, so what a way to celebrate our 60th year! We couldn't have asked for better and the sun shone all day as well. So thank you all for your support over the years and let’s hope Caldbeck & H-N-M Sheepdog Trials continue to hold their annual trials in the village for many more years to come.

St Kentigern’s Church. A Short History This church is one of eight in the Diocese of Carlisle dedicated to St Kentigern, or as he was affectionately called, St Mungo, which means "dear friend". On his journey from Scotland to Wales in the year 553 AD he 'preached among the mountains to many who were given to idolatry and were ignorant of the divine law'. The churches that bear his name mark the traditional course of his preaching. From here, he went to Castle Sowerby, along to Mungrisdale (which retains his name) and from there to Crosthwaite at Keswick. On the left of the old packhorse bridge at the west end of Caldbeck churchyard is St Mungo's Well, the traditional site where he baptised his converts. There may well have been a place of worship on this spot from very early times, but the first stone church we know about was built here by the Normans about 1118 AD in connection with a hospice for distressed travellers which originally stood on the site of the Old Rectory, next to the Church. The only part of this original Norman church that can still be seen is the thick piece of wall behind the choir seats on the north side of the chancel and, although the chancel was extended in the following century, this 870 year-old wall still stands with its small, low 'leper window' and typical Early English lancet windows.

The arch that is now over the entrance to the porch, with its beak ornamentation, was originally the old chancel arch and so is also well over 800 years old. Some time around 1400 the north aisle of the nave was built, the south aisle having been built earlier, but the exact time and sequence of this building is debatable. Three bays were added to the nave at the west end later. About 1520 the then Rector, John de Whilpdale, who has an inscription above the east window on the outside, rebuilt the east wall of the chancel, adding the chancel vestry. He was also the one who removed the Norman chancel arch, making part of it the arch of the new porch which he was building, and erecting

in its place the present chancel arch. The tower was built in 1727 as an inscription nearby records. At the beginning of the 19th century, lamentable damage was done to the church by the removal of the clerestory windows, the church being under one continuous roof with a ceiling inside. Happily, the roof was restored to its original shape and the clerestory windows replaced in 1933. Before leaving the church, visitors should notice the splendid example of a medieval tombstone standing in the chancel. It was erected to Thomas de Bray who lived at Kirkby Thore about 1250. It is also unusual to have the Nicene Creed, rather than the Apostles' Creed, inscribed on the church wall.

Good examples of modern glass may be seen in the east windows of the aisles. On the north aisle our patron St Kentigern and St Cuthbert are portrayed; on the south aisle a window, completed for the millennium in an original style, depicts local flowers and landscape surrounding the characters of Cuthbert and Mary.

Walking up the churchyard path towards the south, you will see on your right the resting place of the famous huntsman John Peel and on the left the base of the old Churchyard Cross.

Caldbeck Surgery

1948 July NHS founded

1949 March Dr Quinn of Hesket Newmarket dies; practice disperses. 1949 August Dr Michael Cox arrives. No house! No surgery! No equipment! Initial surgery in Midtown Farm bedroom. 1949 December Surgery at Elm Cottage 1951 Surgery at ‘The Grapes’ 1953 Surgery at the Barn 1956 Dr Bob Johnston joins the practice 1965 Dr Johnston leaves 1965-9 Various partners 1969 Dr Sandy Mackenzie joins the practice 1980 Dr Jim Cox joins the practice 1983 Dr Michael Cox retires 1987 New surgery opens in Friar Row

And the rest is history!

THE WHELPO RUGMAKERS The History In 1981 Diana Greenwood, living at Whelpo, wrote a letter in St. Kentigern's Parish Magazine, Caldbeck requesting anyone who was interested in reviving the old craft of rag rugmaking to get in touch, Three people did (Ursula Banister, Margaret Ashbridge and Peggy Maynard) and that was how the Whelpo Rugmakers' group was formed. Diana had read an article in the craft magazine "Golden Hands" about hookie rugs made by Denis Barker of Lanercost and had been interested enough to visit him and his wife. They were a very enthusiastic couple and he was kind enough to make Diana a frame, a hook and a prodder. He and his wife also paid the group a visit at Whelpo to demonstrate their work. Later, we were introduced to Jennifer Steinbugler, who was making some beautiful hookie rugs and selling them in her craft shop in Brampton. She said she was following in the steps of Winifred Nicholson, the well known artist, who loved these rugs and who had a group of people in the

Brampton area making rugs that Winifred had designed. We did put on an exhibition of Jennifer's rugs in the Parish Hall, when she gave a talk on the subject. As time progressed our numbers increased, altough membership of the group fluctuated, because we had people coming from as far afield as Carlisle, Appleby, Mungrisdale, Keswick and the Ullswater area, who stayed long enough to feel confident about their work before returning to work on their own or to start another group. In the main, our group has remained at a steady six or seven in number. Over the years we have had exhibitions in various places, including The Gossipgate Gallery in Alston, The Sark Gallery at Hethersgill, Upfront Gallery at Hutton-in-the-Forest, a number of agricultural shows in Cumbria and at Priest’s Mill, Caldbeck. Sadly, we have lost two of our members, Ursula and Peggy, as they died some years ago, but they will always be remembered for their enthusiasm and ability in all sorts of activities as well as in rugmaking.

THE WOOL CLIP The Wool Clip is a Cumbria-based co-operative of sheep farmers, spinners, dyers, knitters, feltmakers, weavers and other wool workers. It was set up in 2001 with an aim of increasing the use and value of British wool and now runs a thriving shop, also called The Wool Clip, as well as being the driving force behind Woolfest. Six of the original 11 members are still active in The Wool Clip – Mary Bell, Chris Crofts, Pam Hall, Jan Hicks, Ruth Strong and Marion Woolcott – and one of them remembers its beginnings. “A few of us first met through a farming Women’s Project in 1999 and we began to explore realistic ways for us to work together as a shared business. Eventually our ideas settled into a plan to create an outlet for people like us, enabling us all to market our skills and products to a wider audience than we could alone. " Kate Braithwaite, now the Rural Programme Director of the Carnegie UK Trust, was one of The Wool Clip’s first and most enthusiastic supporters: "Wool Clip began as a glint in the eye of some very remarkable women in Cumbria, who had the vision to see that there was a latent interest in high quality textiles using indigenous wool. The Trust actually gave the group a small grant to help the co-op get set up from the well-named ‘fiery spirits’ fund. They have never looked back !" The Wool Clip is technically known as an Industrial and Provident Society and each member not only sells her own designs and woollen products in the shop but also commits time to spending time in the shop each month and sharing in the running of the business. "We've all got different things to contribute”, says Ruth Strong. "Our work is very varied and we try to maintain that spectrum of crafts and skills across the group but we are also all very different people with our own approaches and attitudes. That can make things hard to manage in some ways but is also the co-operative’s strength, I think " The Wool Clip is currently l6 strong and has an age range of over 50 years. 2001 began with the business being placed as runners up in two categories of the Cumbria Social Enterprise

Partnership awards and the early months of the year have been as successful as ever in terms of new product ideas and sales growth. "We've been part of a growing trend in our first ten years - increasing interest in using wool in new ways, younger people generating energy and enthusiasm for traditional crafts and even greater pressure on British wool producers," says Jan Hicks. "Our original aim to add value to local wool is still at the heart of what we do and that won't change. I hope we'll continue to take opportunities as they arise and move into new areas - we are showing that a women's co-operative can rule the world - a small bit of it, at least.” Milestones 2001 September sees the opening of The Wool CIip in just half of a small unit at the Priest’s Mill in Caldbeck. 2OO2 Already the co-operative has grown to 14 members and the shop takes over the other half of its unit. 2005 The first Woolfest takes place in Cockermouth. This is now established as an international event and the original British festival of wool, attracting visitors and stallholders from across the UK and beyond. 2009 The Wool Clip wins the North West Women in Business Social Enterprise Award in January and moves into a new (and bigger) shop across the courtyard, still in the Priest's Mill. Caldbeck Young Farmer's Club The Caldbeck Young Farmer's Club (YFC) was started in 1943 on the instigation of Mr T. W. Ridley, Wood Hall. He got a few local farmers together to hold the first meeting. The County Organiser was there to give guidance and together with a good number of young people it was decided to go ahead. A club Ieader and an advisory committee were appointed. Tommy Little was chosen as Chairman, Laura Ridley was appointed the secretary and Ester Ashbridge the treasurer. It was decided to invite Mr Musgrave, Tarn bank an experienced member of the Greysouthern Club to come to help the young members with the YFC system of judging, the standard being A.B.X.Y. as the identifying method. Because the "County Rally" as it was then called was coming up, one or two other venues to practice judging was organised, then the team to represent Caldbeck were chosen, Tommy Little, Laura Ridley and Jimmy Brough represented the club. They had to judge 4 Shorthorn cows in milk, 4 samples of 'Yielder' seed oats and 4 Clydesdale horses. lt was held at Newton Rigg and at the end of the day Caldbeck came away triumphant having won the

stockjudging trophy. It was wartime and many restrictions were in place so the mode of transport to most YFC events was bikes. From the beginning they set the standard and continued success of the club was assured. Through the years Caldbeck Young Farmers have fulfilled the trust and faith of those early founders upholding throughout the Club motto "Good Farmers, Good Countrymen and Good Citizens."