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Caravan Servicing and Maintenance

Caravans For Sale

When was your caravan last serviced? We are often told by caravan owners that they do not service their caravan very often as they have not taken it very far. Please don’t make this mistake - you can end up with damp in a caravan even if it has never moved and repairs can be very expensive. A major part of our service is a thorough damp inspection. We will also carry out a thorough test and inspection of your gas and electrical appliances. You are sleeping on top of and around these appliances so do not take chances - let us give you the peace of mind in knowing that your caravan has been serviced by professionals. At Whitesyke caravans we offer either a full service, a chassis service or a habitation check at a very competitive rate. We can also provide you with spare parts including leisure batteries starting at only £65 for a 85Ah.

See website for currently available stock

£7,495 £6,250 £3,495 £6,995

LUNAR LEXON 640 HYMER 470 UK 2006 COACHMAN PASTICHE 460 2 BERTH BAILEY SENATOR ARIZONA 20062005, Fixed island bed,

cheapest in the countryWith motor mover, one owner,

cheapest in the country2000, with end bathroom,

in lovely conditionLarge end bathroom with

walk in shower

It hit me last month when the TV was flooded with advertising for Father’s Day - 90’s dance music compilations (which I wanted) and electric shavers (which I thought were reasonably priced) that I’m getting on a bit. I’ve noticed little things creeping in... Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still have no idea what time it is. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least ‘a bit’ tired. I never know when it will strike, but there is often a moment at work when I know for sure that I am not going to do anything productive for the rest of the day, and I pondered this the other day... I know my shirts and underwear gets dirty, but Trousers? Trousers never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. And women... I know I’m not going to understand women. I’ll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax, pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root, and still be afraid of a spider.

Congratulations to Debbie Beattie, Parklands Village, who has won a meal for 4 at Waltons Bar at The Crown Hotel, and well done to our intrepid explorers Abigail and Millie who found South Bear, and Frances who found the North Bear.

Front Cover picture courtesy of Jesse Knibbs [nature_boy33@hotmail.co.uk] DESIGNED & PRODUCED BY: Michaela Corrie Design [m.corrie@virginmedia.com] PRINTED BY: H&H Reeds Printers, Penrith, Cumbria

Please mention The Village Link when responding to adverts 3

EDITOR’S NOTENAME Mick McFarlane MAritAl stAtus Married to lynn with daughter Georgia and a new addition, Bailey, an 11-week old Cocker-Poo Puppy liVEs Branthwaite, near Cockermouth JOB Owner, ConserVclean

My motto in life Carpe Diem - ‘Seize the day’. Don’t waste your life regretting the things that you have done, only regret the things that you should have done, but didn’t.

The person I admire most: Thomas More, the Patron Saint of politicians. Somebody who stuck his neck out, liter-ally, for what he believed to be right, instead of just looking after his own interests.

My life would be a lot easier if Diesel was free!

My simple solution Don’t worry about issues,

especially those over which you have no control. Worry never makes anything better and most of the time the issues about which people worry never come to pass

My favourite film The Battle of Britain; always has been since I was five years old.

I am most proud of Well, like any dad, achievements of my daughter.

The things I like most about my job are the flexibility of owning my own business, which means I am able to achieve a work/family balance. Also, meeting lots of differ-ent people and “having the crack” with them. Lynn is sure that if I did not talk so much I would be home two hours earlier each day.

My hobbies Now that I am too old to play Rugby League any more I took up Scuba Diving and Skiing to continue the adrenalin rush. Also, while I am doing my job, people often think I am talking to myself. In fact, I am plugged into my i-pod learning languages as I work. Please feel free to start up a conversation if you see me doing this. Lynn thinks I am most fluent in Double Dutch.

my lifeWe love to know what makes our local business people tick....

ANDREW CORRIE Editor

Published by local people for local people and supporting local business - each issue is delivered free into 10,000 different homes and businesses!

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September/October 2013 issue is Friday 16th August

From Top: The Battle of Britain is Mick’s favourite film and Scuba Diving is a favourite hobby

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Whatever born and bred Cumbrians may think, the pace of life is definitely and

gloriously slower here. People have time for each other. If I stopped and spoke to a complete stranger when I lived in London he’d have thought I was planning to mug him. One day the tubes weren’t running and I started chatting to a lady at a bus stop. She looked at me as if I was mad and moved away slightly.

Craw Hall in Brampton got even slower recently when it was closed for about 5 weeks, which was absolute bliss. My two-year old could zoom into the town centre on his bal-ance bike, me racing to keep up, without having to keep hopping on and off the pavement to avoid oncoming pedestrians or piles of dog poo (I guess with workmen around any defiling dog owners were too conscious of being spotted to leave their dogs’ contamination lying). I could also turn out of Ash Lea without fear of pulling out in front of someone coming too fast towards me, unseen around the bend. Personally, I’m calling for the road either to be kept shut to vehicles or made one-way for traf-fic going towards Castle Carrock. Anyone want to sign my petition? Drivers going too fast is one of my

bugbears. The crime rate may be lower in Cumbria than almost anywhere else in the UK but my husband and I live in dread of

our children’s lives being cut short due to the lunatic overtaking we see, and newspaper reports of accidents, often with a young person injured or killed, seem far too frequent. As a converted boyracer I am of course completely

justified in being on my high horse about such things….

And parking?! Perhaps people don’t bother to learn to park up here? What especially irritates me are the people

who are too lazy to walk the ex-tra couple of yards to the take-away. There was a car parked at the corner of Union Lane and Front Street yesterday. There’s quite often a queue of cars there in one direction or the other anyway, let alone when some idiot parks there. I’m sure it was only because someone had gone into the chippy.

Of course the other big excite-ment in our rural lives (which in fact are anything but dull – Londoners you know nothing!) was when a helicopter circled low over Brampton then landed in the park. Sadly it was because there had been an accident at the junction just by Colin Moore. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it had been caused by people parking there, making visibility

– and pulling out - tricky.

Freelance writer Sarah Briggs writes for The Mirror, Top Sante, Cumbria Magazine, Somerset Life, Essentially Midirs and Running Free amongst many others. She is a regular interviewee on Radio Cumbria and is currently writing three books. If you want to tell her any local stories, then she can quite often be found in her favourite café – Off the Wall in Brampton – or you can catch her manning the Hallsford stall at Brampton Farmers’ market. And of course you can always contact her on sarah@village-link.co.uk

VILLAGE LIFE SARAH BRIGGS

One day the tubes weren’t running and I started chatting to a lady at a bus stop. She looked at me as if I was mad

and moved away slightly.

6 Ring 01228 562904 to advertise or email: sales@village-link.co.uk

by CAROL WESTMORLAND

www.pilates-cumbria.co.uk

health and fitness

Everyone has the opportunity to better their frontages. First impressions count.

They stick - forever.

So where do we begin. I can tell you. It’s your front door. Yes that’s right your front door. This may appear a little random. I am a health columnist after all, but stay with me on this. At some point today you may find yourself lingering by someone’s front door. Take a closer look. Is the knocker shiny, does the paintwork need tidied up? What colour is it? Whilst you ponder, you are building an impression, and this before the door has even opened. Very ‘Through the keyhole’.

If your knocker is not shiny and interesting – ours is a bumblebee – then this needs to be addressed. The paint chipped and in need of a touch up, ditto. You can see where this is going. Our entire life should be carefully managed. Outward appear-ances do count. It is all an exercise in public perception. Before you scream “I haven’t got time” and I can hear you even here in Cumrew. You have. Everyone has time...it is how they choose to spend it. Standards must be kept and again I can hear you question, “why”. Isn’t this shallow and superficial? Well yes and no.

If you take pride in your outwardly impressions then others will form a positive opinion of you. You will attract like-minded souls.

The most beauti-ful front door ever seen in these parts has appeared. How timely. It conjures up summer itself and is absolutely stunning. It is bright and shiny with a beautiful central door knob. I dare you not to be inspired. No need to elaborate any further. Perhaps I can tell you it is sunshine yellow. You will know when you see it. It’s on your doorstep.

Happy holidays.

Tel: 01768 896733 • Classes: Creighton Rugby Club, Parklands, Carlisle Mon & Wed-5.30pm, Castle Carrock Village Hall, Tues & Thurs 9am. NEW: Cumwhitton class 7pm every Monday!

the sector has had a phenomenal decade but it is not sustainable. I am treading carefully investing in GEM funds because of this, and last month moved neutral from overweight stance”. M & G’s Matthew Vaight, manager of the Global Emerging Markets fund, has moved underweight consumer staples as he said the sector is a crowded trade. “The emerging consumer is a great story, but what is debatable is whether, from a valuation perspective, there is enough value to invest in these defensive names.

Where next for the cautious investor? Against all odds, equities and other risk assets gained strength over the first quarter of the year, energised by an unprecedented period for central bank activity. Suggestions that a great rotation out of stocks into bonds is occurring have been somewhat exagger-ated, as we continue to see inflows into both these asset classes. Our outlook in the short term is neither overly bullish nor are we too bearish – the second quarter is likely to be a period of flat or modest strength for risk as-sets. Monetary policy has played a big part in the rally in markets, but there may be fewer fresh initiatives in the coming period. In our view, central bank policies will probably have less influence on the markets in the latter half of the year. Given this backdrop, prop-erty appears to be an increasingly attractive asset class, particularly if a period of market consolidation is ahead of us. Property can be an alternative to high yield bonds, offering a similar yield but with fewer valuation con-cerns. Additionally, property could also act as a ‘stepping stone’ asset for investors who are looking to rotate out of bonds, but are not yet comfortable investing on equities.

The UK market is still “nowhere near” the inflated levels seen in the build up to the financial crisis, accord-ing to Old Mutual Investors head

of equities, Ashton Bradbury in Investment Adviser (April 29th). Instead, he has predicted growth of between 5-6% this year as markets continue to improve. He insisted that, in spite of the rally in the past six months, valuations were not close to the “significant premium” seen particularly in the mid-cap area of the UK market prior to the crisis. “The penny is just beginning to drop with investors.

Bond bubble fears are now a common theme, but more recently the high yield sector has come under the spotlight following high returns in 2012. Ben Pakenham, European high yield portfolio manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, notes in Investment Adviser (April 29th) “As is the case for much of the fixed income universe, both sovereign and corporate names, it is certainly true that investors thirst for income has pushed up the prices of so-called junk bonds. Benchmark returns last year ranged between 25-30% so a pause for breath, at the very least, would be welcome”. Melanie Mitchell, co-fund manager of Kames High Yield Bond fund, points out, “There are many ways to look at valuations in high yield. So the answer to whether there is a bubble depends on how you’re looking at it (valuations) and which parts you’re look-ing at (quality). Obviously you need to get adequately compensated for the risk you’re taking when holding any high yield bond, but those risks are not just about default they are also about liquidity or lack thereof”.

Gary Potter, co-head of multi-manager at F & C Investments, said in Investment Week (April 29th) that managers seem to be placing too much faith in the EM consumer story. “the valuation entry point does not look attractive,

by DARREN TURNBULL CFP, DMS, MCIBS

Certified Financial Planner

Tel: 01228 597986www.financialconcepts.co.uk

Update on current investments

7

Garden FeatureLife and the odd gardening tip from garden editor Jason Hindmoor

Village Link - your FREE Community Magazine

This week my Mother in Law bought me a

card that read ‘Fat Lazy Pig’. This wasn’t for any particular occasion; she just saw it and thought of me. This got me thinking that the modern man is a much maligned creature. When I think of all the thankless duties we men are responsible for I’m amazed and we perform all these jobs with the minimum of fuss week after week only asking for a special chair that we can call our own in the living room and custody of the remote control. I’ve started to compile a list for my Mother in Law that clearly shows the immense workload that I have. So far I’ve got ‘Fam-ily security and safety’ - this includes responding at a moment’s notice to any noises in the middle of the night. This tends to be when I wake myself up by snoring and then go downstairs to inves-tigate what the noise is. ‘Waste Disposal’ - I have to put the bins out which isn’t as simple as it sounds because if there is a Bank Holiday you need a team of Harvard graduates to work out the next collection date. I don’t mind most of the recycling but I don’t like the glass recycling bin. For some reason I keep feeling the need to apologise for the amount of bottles that end up in there. I’ve taken to leaving post it notes attached to the glass recycling bin explaining that we had 4 people over on Saturday and none of them were driving and that I like to bathe in beer as it’s good for the skin. Anyway next is ‘Car Main-tenance’ - this includes explaining to the wife that car tyres are not solid and do oc-casionally need air in them. Also that the windscreen washer needs to be filled up if you expect anything to come out of the jets. I did have ‘Load-ing the Dishwasher’ on my list until my wife kindly explain that we haven’t had a dish-washer since 1998. I don’t know what I’ve been loading since then but it does explain why I can never find a clean cup. Entertainment - this normally involves being held to blame if there is nothing to watch on the TV and expected to provide a witty Romcom at a moment’s notice and then sit through it, feigning interest and not sleep-ing. I also seem to be increasing-ly responsible for things that I’ve

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I don’t know what I’ve been loading since then but it does explain

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done or said in my wife’s dreams. I don’t know what category that comes under so I’ve put it under entertainment. Household Maintenance - I’ve recently been rebuild-ing one of my wife’s wardrobes which fell over through the night and pinned us to the bed. This was due to my wife not being able to decide between her summer and winter wardrobe. Trying to store both sets of clothes in the same wardrobe was asking for trouble. We would have still have been trapped in the

bed now if John hadn’t arrived to pick me up for work and heard our cries for help. That’s all I can fit in the column this issue. So my list is to be continued…….

The question that I get asked more often than any other is what is the best lawnmower? It’s a difficult question to answer because lawnmowers are like cars and it’s often a matter of personal taste and horses for courses. Most of the bigger Hayters and Honda’s are excellent but my vote goes to the French made Etesia mowers. Preferably one with a Honda or Kawasaki engine. These things are serious money but they’ll cut and collect wet grass like no other mower and with regular maintenance they are capable of literally thousands of hard commercial hours of work. I also hear good things about the bigger Viking/Stihl mowers which are also very popular with the commercial opera-tors. Often good well maintained quality second hand mowers such as the ones previously mentioned represent better value than a new cheap DIY store special. Buy a cheap new mower and chances are it will clog up with damp grass, start when it feels like it and have a seriously short life span. You have been warned.

Mouth-watering inspiration from food editor Jane Ferguson

They say that opposites attract and after 33 years of marriage I can honestly say that this statement has some truth in it. Not wanting

to sound too royal, but ‘my husband and I’ are different in so many ways. Don’t get me wrong, there are many things we both enjoy, such as scouring auction houses, eating out, going to the theatre, but that is about it. Whereas I am ‘a people person’, my husband would be quite happy living in the middle of nowhere tinkering with his motor bike. As for music don’t get me started, we are poles apart. Anyone who knows my husband Ian, will know how meticulous he is when it comes to most things. Me? Not so much. For example, when we are preparing for a wedding, we have to take everything with us, which takes some doing I can tell you. If it was left up to me, things would be piled up high and I am sure there would be breakages along the way. Ian, on the other hand, has it down to a fine art. Everything has a place, and if it hasn’t, then he will make a box that fits it exactly, and I mean exactly! At the end of the evening, everything is counted and verified, which at the end of a 20 hour shift used to drive me insane, but I have come to accept that he is not going to change so just go along with it. So rather than being op-posite, I think it is more that we complement each other, which sounds much nicer. Anyhow back to food. I came across a recipe

the other day which I used to make when my children where younger and they loved it The name is great too - ‘Savoury Mince Beano’. - Fry 1 chopped onion and 4 rash-ers of chopped bacon in 1 tablespoon oil for about 2 mins. Add 1lb minced beef and stir until browned. Stir in ½ pint beef stock, 1 tsp mixed herbs, dash Worcester sauce, salt and pepper to taste and cook for 35 mins. In the meantime cook 3oz macaroni as per

packet instructions. Blend tsp cornflour with 1 tbsp sherry and add this to the beef mixture. Stir until thickened. Finally add the cooked macaroni

and 15oz tin baked beans, cook until heated through and serve. This is a real child pleaser and a great mid-week meal.

Everything has a place, and if it hasn’t, then he

will make a box that fits it exactly!

The Rules of Cricket (As explained to the wife).You have two sides: one is in and one is out. Each man that’s in the side that’s in goes out and when he’s out he comes in and the next man goes in until he’s out.

When they are all out, the side that’s out comes in and the side that’s been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When both sides have been in and out including the ‘not outs’ that’s then end of the game. Simples.

A Scotsman, an Englishman and an Irishman want to get into the Olympics,

but they haven’t got tickets. The Scotsman picks up a manhole cover,

tucks it under his arm and walks to the gate. “McTavish, Scotland”, he says,

“Discus” and in he walks. The Englishman picks up a length of scaffolding and slings it over his

shoulder. “Waddington-Smith, England” he says, “Pole Vault” and in he walks. The Irishman looks around and picks

up a roll of barbed wire and tucks it under his arm. “O’Malley, Ireland”

he says, “Fencing”.

Please mention The Village Link when responding to adverts 9

Travel editor Stephen Dent tells you what to see and where to stay

Families are particularly well catered for too. Each hotel offers complimentary access to the Bob Marlin Miniclub designed for 3 to 12 year olds. The Troux Aux Biches and Le Victoria Hotels also offer a teenager’s club during busy periods.

If you’re a keen golfer, I recommend staying at Paradis or Dinarobin where the golf club is literally on your doorstep. Alternatively, you can take advantage of two further 18-hole golf courses just 20mins drive away from Paradis and Dinarobin and enjoy VIP treatment. The Shandrani Resort & Spa also offers a pitch & putt 9 - hole course which is great fun. For those with a bit more energy, many land and watersports are included free. Sailing schools, deep sea fishing and scuba diving are available at certain hotels for an extra cost. For the romantics amongst us, marry at any of the Beachcomber hotels and Beachcomber will guarantee yours will be the only wedding in the resort that day. With dedicated wed-ding planners in Mauritius and a wedding planner here in the UK, Beachcomber promise you the wedding of your dreams. Each hotel comes with a magnificent spa or impressive wellness centre. Discover fine inviting Clarins Spas at Royal Palm, Dinarobin, Paradis, Trou Aux Biches and

Having recently returned from the beautiful island of Mauritius as a guest of Beachcomber, let me share with you the delights

of the island with its endless silky white beaches, sparkling waters and welcoming locals which make this paradise island a perfect destination for a dream holiday or honeymoon.

Established over 23 years ago, Beachcomber were the first hotel company on the island of Mauri-

tius, therefore having the pick of the prime locations and beaches. All eight of the luxurious Beachcomber Hotels on Mauritius are designed to make the most of their magnificent surroundings, letting you soak up the unique Mauritian atmosphere whether you are stretching out on the white sands, teeing off beside the sparkling Indian Ocean, or lingering over a chilled drink at sunset. Each hotel is as welcoming as the next, and offer the same exemplary level of service. There are so many extra touches and thoughtful details included when you stay at a Beachcomber hotel in Mauritius. All inclusive is now available at four hotels - Shandrani Resort & Spa, Le Victoria, Le Canonnier and Le Mauricia. In my opinion, the Shandrani Resort & Spa is fantastic - it offers the island’s finest all-inclusive package with champagne by the glass (from 6pm), a la carte dining and much much more. A complimentary 45 minute massage is included for all adults staying all inclusive at the Shandrani.

Shandrani Resort & Spa. For a limited time only - *Classic Wedding Package only £350.00 at selected hotels for June / July 2013 and June / July 2014. Air Mauritius offer non stop flights from London Heathrow taking approx. 12 hours. Emirates offer regional departures with connections through Dubai. There is no ‘best’ time to take your Mauritius holiday due to the islands sub tropi-cal climate, meaning it is warm all year round. The busiest times are Christmas and New Year, Easter and the school holidays. It might be worth you booking early if you are looking at travelling over these periods especially at Christmas and Easter to avoid disappointment.

The Mauritius weather is ideal with average temperatures rarely dropping below 24 degrees Celsius. Mauritius does have rainfall year round, but it tends to fall in short, sharp showers. The sea temperature remains warm enough to swim in throughout the year.

*Correct at time of writing. Can be withdrawn at any time.

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MANY THANKS TO: Damon Lloyd Jaguar, Carlisle 01228 888000

A recent survey revealed the average age of owners of 800 different car models from 90 different manu-facturers. The manufacturers with

the oldest drivers are Volvo (42), Mercedes (43) and Jaguar (47). Not surprisingly, the typical age of a Toyota Prius driver is 50. The average Porsche owner however is a youthful, vibrant 39 years old - with the Cayenne, Boxsters and 911 all typically owned by someone just about to turn 40. [ahem, February 5th 2014 to be precise]. These stats confirm my thoughts about this new F-Type Jaguar. It has been compared to the Porsche Boxter, which I like, and not to sound too like Aldi, I like this Jaguar too.

This new Jaguar F-Type is jaw droppingly beautiful. From every angle this car is stunning, especially the back of the car with its broad width and thin red light strip it almost hints at the BMW Z8, but really the shape and style reminds you of the F-Types bloodline, its most iconic predecessor the E-Type. On ignition, it gives a rifle shot of noise as it bursts into life, and a simple squeeze of the throttle gives your ears a treat with a guttural roar and then a final sharp crack as the revs settle back down. On the ‘S’ Models, a button can be pressed to alter the exhaust note, so if you don’t want to give someone a heart attack as you

ROAD TEST

F-Type JaguarWhich Model? V6 S Verdict? Better than a Boxster

drive through a sleepy village you have the option of turning the noise down….[yeah, right]. The F-Type I test drove was the V6S, which has a 3 litre Supercharged V6 engine which delivers 375bhp giving you 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds. Theatricals of exhaust noises aside [reminiscent of November 5th at Bitts Park] the F-Type is a really easy car to drive and the brakes are very reassuring. The way you can quickly shift through the 8 speed gearbox is a joy and how finely balanced the car is makes you want to throw it into every bend possible without the fear of ending up into the nearby hedgerow. The passenger can partake in this white knuckle ride too with grab handles on the centre console, alternatively, suggest both arms are elevated skyward. Once you have finished your journey, you can impress your co-pilot by announcing how many G they have just endured via the touch screen information panel, and once you switch the Air-Con on, the air vents rise up out of the dash, switch the fans off and they quietly disappear out of view, very CSI.

Jaguar have every right to be very proud of this car. It is an exceptional sports car, full of life and in the best sports car to emerge from Britain in a very long time. I handed it back, and quietly got on with my mid-life crisis.

Written by Andrew Corrie [Editor]

Please mention The Village Link when responding to adverts 11

Cycling tips and advice from sport editor Gary Dickson

On Your Bike

Things are changing. In the past bike shops were primar-ily the domain of men, but this is definitely no longer the case. These days many

women are “into” bikes in a big way and the trend is growing fast. This is increasingly driven by high achieving women cycle athletes that are appearing on national news and who are the focus of cycling magazines.

Also the general awareness and interest people have in health & fitness is encour-aging a wide interest in cycling that keeps growing year on year. Manufac-turers see a huge growth area in the women’s market and

continue to bring out top performing products with

women in mind.

When you walk onto the showroom floor of many a bike shop the vast majority of bikes you’ll see are designed around the proportions of the average man. Women are built differently, and this is where WSD comes in. WSD is short for “Women’s Specific Design”.

On average if you are a woman and want a great fitting bike you need a bike that has been specifically designed with you, its rider, in mind. It’s not just a case of build a smaller frame and that’s the job sorted. On average women have shorter torsos, shorter arms, and longer legs than a man of the same height. Often when women sit on a man’s bike they find the reach to the handlebar is an uncomfort-able stretch. As you probably guessed there are a lot of other differences between men and women and these

need attention too when designing a great bike that feels comfortable and handles well. Again, on average, women have smaller hands and feet, narrower shoulders and wider hips. All these differences are taken into consideration in a truly WSD bike. Below are a few of these differences:-

• FRAMEAlthoughtheframemaylooksimilar to that of a man’s bike it has been totally redesigned including a top bar which is shorter enabling a more comfy reach.

• HANDLEBARS&STEM The handlebars are smaller (narrower, shallower drop, and shorter reach). The stem may be shorter and more upright to reduce reach to the bars.

• BRAKES&GEARSThesearesizedsmaller for smaller hands

• SADDLEWhenapersonisinaseatedposition, his or her weight typically rests on a section of bone called the ischial tuberosity. Put simply a woman’s sit bones are wider so a WSD saddle will be wider at the rear to accommodate this.

It’s not just bikes that are fully female

friendly, today there is abundance of clothing, shoes, helmets, gloves, etc, that are all designed with women in mind. There is a load more technical stuff that can be gone into regarding this subject, however if you are a woman wanting a comfy bike with outstanding performance make sure you have WSD in mind. If you are just getting started on cycling your local bike shop will be happy to give assistance so you get the most suitable products. The better the fit, the greater your comfort, stability, power and control. A great-fitting bike with the right kit is a joy to ride.

“I’ve invited a friend home for tea, dear” said the husband to his wife. “What? Are you crazy? The house is a mess, I didn’t

go shopping, all the dishes are dirty, and I don’t feel like cooking a fancy meal!”

“I know all that”. “Then, why did you invite a friend for supper?” “Because the poor chap is thinking about getting married.”

A look into Carlisle’s past with history editor David Ramshaw

History Matters

Ring 01228 562904 to advertise or email: sales@village-link.co.ukRing 01228 562904 to advertise or email: sales@village-link.co.uk 12

PC Fortune, went alone after the men. At Rome Street he saw three men and caught up with them near Bog Road road-bridge. He called out “Hello chaps, what’s up here at this time of the morning?” He got a good

look at their faces before a fourth man struck him

over the head. He sustained a savage kicking and was left for dead. On regaining consciousness he crawled to the signal box at Rome Street, where the signal-man, Thomas Evans, first heard and then saw the officer. He thought that PC Fortune had been struck by a train, so badly was he injured. Eventually PC Fortune made his way back to the police station in West Walls (no ambulances in those days). The criminals were not seen again until the following evening at Plump-ton railway station, asking about trains to London. Told there were none till next morning, they went into the village. The village policeman, Constable Byrnes, was advised by messenger, that the three men, were at the station. When he ar-rived, the men had left, so he returned to the village. Meanwhile, the suspects were seen

going into the Pack Horse Inn. As they left, at about half past

eight, Constable Byrnes challenged them and

was callously shot through the head and thrown over a roadside wall into a field. He was found about an hour later and taken into the Inn, but died at

1am next morning.

That day the guard on a freight train travelling south saw three men climb into a wagon as he was leaving Penrith. He kept them under observation, whilst dropping messages from his moving train. The train stopped at Tebay just as a telegraph signal was received in response to his messages. Gaddes quickly got several railway workers and searched the train. On finding them a revolver was drawn but railwaymen, armed with make-shift weapons, struck down two of the gang,

lashing them to posts until the police arrived to take them back to Carlisle. Baker escaped and clambered back on board but he was arrested at Lancaster. He was returned to Carlisle where a large excited crowd had gathered. As the police dragged Baker along the platform, the crowd surged forward with the inten-tion of lynching him. The police had to draw their batons and beat off the crowd. At Cumberland Assizes, the prisoners were

charged with the murder of Constable Byrnes and with attempting to murder Sgt. Roche and Constable Johnstone at Kingstown and Constable Fortune in Carlisle. They pleaded ‘not guilty’ but Constable Fortune positively identified all three as the men who had at-tacked him. Outlining the circumstances of PC Fortune’s case, counsel said, “He was fear-fully beaten by an iron instrument and thrown down an embankment … a pistol shot would have roused the neighbourhood.” All three were found guilty and sentenced to death. Judge Day told them, “You have no hope of a pardon …

not at the hands of man.”This is only a brief synopsis of the story. Read it in full in ‘Watching Over Carlisle, the his-tory of Carlisle City Police Force’, available from www.p3publications.com

Inspector Roche

(wounded)

In October 1885 Netherby near Longtown, the home of the Graham family, was the scene

of a robbery which led to the murder of a Carlisle police constable. The criminals concerned were known as the Rudge, Martin and Baker gang.At 8.15pm, a housemaid passing Lady Gra-ham’s bedroom door noticed that it was closed and found it to be locked. She knew it had been left unlocked and reported the matter. Sir Frederick discovered that his home had been burgled, by the bedroom’s open window and its door secured from the inside. Valuable jewellery had been stolen. It was likely that the offenders had been disturbed by the housemaid, so the police at Longtown were

informed and details were telegraphed to nearby police stations, including Carlisle. Some three hours later, Sergeant John Roche and Constable Jacob Johnstone intercepted four men on the Scotland Road at Kingstown. Both officers were shot by the men, Johnstone sustaining serious injuries. The assailants made off towards the city. PC16 Christopher Fortune was on the Denton Holme beat and

about 2.30am, next morning he was sent to Dalston Road level-crossing in case the fleeing felons had escaped via the ‘goods’ line which circled the centre of Carlisle. The gate-keeper said he had seen three men going towards Den-ton Holme a few minutes earlier. Very bravely

Netherby Hall with inset of Geddes, the goods guard

Constable Johnstone (severly wounded)

(severely beaten)

Citadel Station as it would be when Baker was nearly lynched

13The Village Link - supporting local businesses

Editor’s Review...

The Village Link - supporting local businesses

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Ella McGregor Emma Watson

readers lettersWe know that the letters page ain’t what it used to be. If anyone has something to say they have a blog, and audiences and communities are found on Facebook. The sense of reader community that you found in print is all but gone at most publications..but not here at Village Link.We welcome you to get in touch... rewarding the writer of the Star Letter we print.(Find the Village Link post or email address on page 3)

Congratulations to all my friends who were born in the 1930’s 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos... They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos... Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn’t open on a Sunday, somehow we didn’t starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.

We ate fairy cakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren’t overweight because........ WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

A LANCASHIRE PAST

WE WAS BRUNG UP PROPER !

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY, no video/dvd films, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents. Only girls had pierced ears! We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time... We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn’t have to go to work to help dad make ends meet because we didn’t need to keep up with the Jones’s!

Not everyone made the rugby/football/cricket/netball team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT! Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and throw the blackboard rubber at us if they thought we weren’t concentrating. We can string sentences together and spell and have proper conversations because of a good, solid three R’s education.

Our parents would tell us to ask a stranger to help us cross the road. The idea of a par-ent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! Our parents didn’t invent stupid names for their kids like ‘Kiora’ and ‘Blade’ and ‘Ridge’ and ‘Vanilla’ and ‘Tiger’ . We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL !

Maureen, via email

WIN

The Solway Aviation Museum based at Carlisle airport is run by volunteers and is a not for profit organisation dedicated to the preservation of our aviation heritage, we find the cost of advertising is very prohibitive in most publications.

We would like to make a special offer to Village Link Readers of one free entry for each full paying visitor. Please could you print a voucher in the Village link, to be presented at the museum?

David, via email

I write in approval of your local magazine. It is a very interesting, local and well presented product. You and your team are to be congratulated on the varied content of local news and information. I hope you achieve the success you deserve.

In a former business capacity, I could well have been pleased to have given practical/financial support. Now in my 9th decade, I’m hoping that my recent efforts will interest you. I originally came to Cumbria 55 years ago, with Rolls Royce, to work at Spadeadam. My name is still known locallyby so many who worked both with, and for me there. Sadly for me, events be-yond my control led to my departure after 7 years. Delusions of grandeur followed. Directorships of another Company and, suddenly, after 10 years, recognition dawned that the most rewarding period of our lives had been in Cumbria. Resignation followed, and a return North. Disillusioned departure from industry, to share with my wife the purchase and eleven year operation of the Angus Hotel in Cumbria. Despite two years of devoted parental home-nursing of our daughter, she was lost to leukaemia. My wife, devastated, relapsed into Alzheimer’s. For

five years she was nursed at home by author, sadly widowed 2008. Cathartically, I then wrote an autobiography of my early life in Lancashire.

James, via post

Editor: Thank you so much for a copy of your book. It is beau-tifully written - you can really picture life in those times.

One free entry for each full paying visitor

Solway Aviation Society, Aviation House, Carlisle Airport, Crosby-on-Eden, Cumbria, CA6 4NW, Tel: 01228573823

www.solway-aviation-museum.co.uk

A Lancashire Pa�

A Lancashire Pa�

J . W . F O U L D S

J.W. FO

ULD

S

A F A M I L Y L O V E S T O R Y

This book concerns a vanished world.

From 1926 birth, the year of the General Strike in the UK, the life of, and signifi cant infl uences on, a working-class boy.

Industrial Lancashire location bordering the Yorkshire Dales. Family struggles in the cotton industry and a World War

I diversion.

Active participation in Trade Unionism and local Labour party by Father and Grandfather. Father, ex offi cio.

Three siblings, all soon initiated into the connection between work and money, coupled with the necessity for food

production from hens, allotments and the countryside.

Parental marriage breakdown. Rescue by loving, extraordinary grandparents. Overcrowding and a nomadic lifestyle.

Father, increasingly politically active. Secretary of local branch of Communist party. Author, soon a trusted messenger.

Surreptitiously collecting correspondence ‘offi cially’ considered seditious and earlier feared intercepted by 1930s’

Special Branch.

Family habitually and totally committed to the open air and associated rural pursuits. Rambling, cycling YHA. And at a time

long before total motorised domination and ecological concerns.

Blessed with an above-average brain, selected at ten years for grammar school education, in a pioneering wave of local

working-class children thus ‘privileged’.

An educational system and atmosphere unprepared for and unwelcoming to the children of artisans.Enthusiastic sporting

commitment, mirroring the wider family involvement.

A stubborn adolescent, determined to resist family wishes and pressure to follow higher education, joining the war-time

labour force aged sixteen.

Working-class Lancashire; born 1926 in a cotton textile town.

Original family was of fl exible character, possessed sporting abilities, and held free-thinking

social values, passed down to descendants.

A childhood of rural wanderings in Lancashire/Yorkshire borders.

A scholarship grammar school education was abandoned at age sixteen to join the World

War II workforce.

Engineering apprenticeship, on the, then, secret and revolutionary Whittle jet engine.

Higher education continued by day-release and extended night classes.

Married at twenty-one to talented local dancer spasmodically attached to London blitz escapees, Sadlers Wells Ballet

Company. A marriage lasting sixty-two years.

Together shared thirty-fi ve years life of developing progress at successive RR factories to senior management level.

A family of one daughter and one son.

Left RR for directorships at the UK base of a Swiss company of precision machine tool manufacturers. Simultaneously an

evening, senior visiting lecturer in management subjects at a nearby college of further education.

Disillusioned departure from industry, to share with wife the purchase and eleven-year operation of a small, private hotel in

Cumbria.

Sold the hotel and for seven years jointly operated a business of antiques and collectables. Associated wide caravanning tours

of the continent seeking stock for the home business.

Despite two years of devoted parental home-nursing of daughter, lost to leukaemia. Wife, devastated, relapsed into

Alzheimer’s. For fi ve years, nursed at home by author. Widowed 2008. Cathartically wrote this story.

Son and daughter-in-law, both graduates, with one daughter. An accomplished dancer, including ballet, she is following in

the footsteps of her grandma.

A Lancashire Past (Paperback)

by J. W. Foulds, Published by

AuthorHouse, www.authorhouse.com

READERS OFFER

STARLetter

Crossword No XC248505

ACROSS 1 Darling, principally I’m a comedian but

I’m not very bright (6) 5 Editor in charge absorbed by manuscript

for doctors (6) 9 Old mule spilled sulphuric acid (5) 10 See 25 Down 12 Scary story from German poet needing no

introduction (7) 13 See 8 Down 14 Backward boy Edward pried (5) 16 Thus a popular time is needed for TV

series (4-5) 18 Her voting changed in a short space of

time (9) 21 Some frown at allegation of birth (5) 22 Crazy for fruit (7) 24 Reaches a turbulent river second (7) 26 Henry’s first pal made off with car part

(8) 27 Bird starts to collect eggs from here (5) 28 Son wastes talents (6) 29 Former model’s show (6)

DOWN 2 Old tribe bringing diamonds to Northern

Ireland (5) 3 Where racketeering goes on in the courts?

(9) 4 Wot’s up? A road’s approaching (7) 5 Girl’s aimless wandering (7) 6 Tea towel perhaps is not so damp (5) 7 Con men opt out in part (9) 8,13 Across “Surely you jest?” famously

addressed to judge in court (3,6,2,7) 11 Settled Sheila’s debt somehow (11) 15 One US writer or another by stream (9) 17 Now his rep gets busted for possession (9) 19 They talk incessantly of balloons (7) 20 MP later resolved to tread roughly (7) 23 Boy, a new rising 3 Down champion (5) 25,10 Across Evening Star is going to set out

aims for 3 Down champion (5)

ACROSS1 Darling, principally I’m a comedian but I’m not very bright (6)5 Editor in charge absorbed by manuscript for doctors (6)9 Old mule spilled sulphuric acid (5)10 See 25 Down12 Scary story from German poet needing no introduction (7)13 See 8 Down14 Backward boy Edward pried (5)16 Thus a popular time is needed for TV series (4-5)18 Her voting changed in a short space of time (9)21 Some frown at allegation of birth (5)22 Crazy for fruit (7)24 Reaches a turbulent river second (7)26 Henry’s first pal made off with car part (8)27 Bird starts to collect eggs from here (5)28 Son wastes talents (6)29 Former model’s show (6)

DOWN2 Old tribe bringing diamonds to Northern Ireland (5)3 Where racketeering goes on in the courts? (9)4 Wot’s up? A road’s approaching (7)5 Girl’s aimless wandering (7)6 Tea towel perhaps is not so damp (5)7 Con men opt out in part (9)8,13 Across “Surely you jest?” famously addressed to judge in court (3,6,2,7)11 Settled Sheila’s debt somehow (11)15 One US writer or another by stream (9)17 Now his rep gets busted for possession (9)19 They talk incessantly of balloons (7)20 MP later resolved to tread roughly (7)23 Boy, a new rising 3 Down champion (5)25,10 Across Evening Star is going to set out aims for 3 Down champion (5)

CrosswordFor the answers to this crossword, email: editor@village-link.co.uk

I tried to catch some fog. I mist.

All the toilets in Carlisle’s police stations have been stolen. Police have nothing to go on.

People call me a Hypercondriac. They have no idea how

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Bear is a keen rambler but with a poor senseof direction (stuffingfor brains!), and hasgot lost again. However he has his phone with him and has sent this photo of what he can see.There is a £25 cash reward

IF YOU GO & RESCUE BEAR* When you have rescued bear and you have him safe in your home, email us at bear@village-link.co.uk, leaving your name and address and we will be round to collect bear and hand over your cash reward!

Well done to Abigail and Millie who found bear in Heads Nook

TO MAKE IT FAIR FOR ALL, BEAR WILL NOT BE HIDING DURING THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF THIS ISSUE...PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY TO LOOK FOR BEAR SOON x

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