August 2001

SIR PAUL POPS THE QUESTION AT ULLSWATER - Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney announced his engagement to Heather Mills following a romantic two-day stay at the Sharrow Bay Hotel, on the shores of Ullswater, near Howtown. Hotel proprietor Brian Sack said they were a wonderful couple and he was delighted for them. Sir Paul, 59, gave Heather 32, a sapphire and diamond engagement ring he had bought in Jaipur, India.

July 2002

FAMILY IN ULLSWATER DRAMA - A father and his two children, from Tyneside, were rescued from Ullswater after their cheap inflatable raft "exploded" in the heat of the sun. Howtown Outdoor Centre instructors Mo Samson and Liz Farthing spotted the emergency from a nearby hillside and went to the rescue. The children were frightened and the father shocked, but no hospital treatment was required.

LOVERS OF ULLSWATER - Yachtsmen recall a lifelong champion of the beauty of the Lake District by competing for the Birkett Trophy, a competition organised by the Ullswater Yacht Club, which took place recently. The spectacular annual event is the club's way of honouring the memory of Lord Birkett, whose last great speech, in the House of Lords in 1962, was made in the cause of safeguarding Ullswater against Manchester's first proposals to use the lake as a source of water supply. "Charm and oratory apart, it was a superb speech, full of wisdom and moderation," said the Herald of Lord Birkett's contribution to the debate. He pleaded with such sincerity and eloquence that the House rejected the Manchester bid in 1962 (though a modified scheme was later accepted). Triumph turned to tragedy, for, inside two days, the great orator was dead. Not surprisingly, there was an immediate call for a local memorial to Lord Birkett and, in fact, there are three. As well as the annual yacht race, Nameless Fell was renamed Birkett Fell and an inscribed tablet of Lakeland green slate was affixed to Kailpot Crag, rising sheer from Ullswater at the foot of Hallin Crag, near Howtown. The inscription says: "In memory of Norman William Birkett, Baron of Ulverston. He loved Ullswater. He strove to maintain its beauty for all to enjoy." Among those present at the unveiling of the tablet in July, 1962, was another leading campaigner, the Earl of Lonsdale, to whom the Herald paid a tribute at the time, saying that he had been "a sort of liaison officer between Lakeland and London in the preceding weeks (before the big debate), undertaking a tremendous amount of preparatory work and rounding this off with a most able and effective contribution to the debate". He was a great stalwart on the side of Ullswater, as Lord Birkett, generous-hearted man that he was, would have been the first to acknowledge.

Sepember 2002

DROWNED POLICEMAN'S BODY FOUND - The body of a former policemen, 46-year-old Clifford Purdham, from Hethersgill, near Carlisle, who drowned while diving in Ullswater four years ago has been recovered by members of the team which found the remains of Donald Campbell's Bluebird speedboat in Coniston. Mr. Purdham was a member of the Scottish Sub-Aqua Club.

November 2002

MARTINDALE - Concern about the future of Martindale's herd of red deer was expressed by Dr. Peter Delap, Appleby, when he spoke at the annual meeting of Eden Field Club. The herd, once hunted by King John, had declined greatly in the past few years, he said.

February 2003

PLEA FOR A LAKELAND "JEWEL" - A PLEA by a former chairman of the Friends of the Lake District to save the "pristine jewel" of remote Sandwick, the Ullswaterside area of the Martindale valley, swayed planners to reject a scheme to turn a barn into a cafe. The tenants of Beckside Farm, which is owned by the Lake District National Park Authority, wanted to create a 16-seat cafe which would also seat another 50 people outside. However, Robin Barrett, who lives in the area, said Sandwick was an area of outstanding beauty which could easily be spoiled for ever. Maureen Colquhoun, Ambleside, a member of the park authority, said: "Sandwick is a world class landscape which will be totally destroyed if we allow this scheme."

June 2004

SHELLS FOUND ON ULLSWATER FELLS - Bomb disposal experts detonated an unexploded Second World War tank shell which was found on the fells above Ullswater. A group of walkers from North Yorkshire raised the alarm after discovering a large cone-shaped metal object in the High Street-Barton Fell area near to Arthur's Pike, alongside the course of the ancient Roman road at the top of the fell. A bomb disposal team was called in but was unable to locate the device, so Penrith mountain rescue team members attended. They managed to find the object, subsequently identified as an 18lb armour-piercing shell of the type fired from a Second World War tank. Sergt. Chris Partridge, also a member of the Penrith policing team, said the site was cordoned off and members of the 521 EOD (bomb disposal) Squadron from the Royal Logistics Corps at Catterick, North Yorkshire, were able to safely detonate the device on the fell top around lunchtime on Wednesday. Three more 18lb shells were located later that day by the team but found to be inert. "Older residents will remember this area being used as a training area for armoured tank crews, based at Lowther Castle, during the war," said Sergt. Partridge. "Every now and again shells are found by ramblers and my message is not to disturb them, but simply report the location as accurately as they can to police and, if they can, place a distinctive marker nearby."

April 2005

TICKLING THE TASTE BUDS - For lovers of good food and wine, there is no better time to visit Cumbria than this May. The county celebrates its rich culinary tradition with more than 80 events taking place across the region during the 2005 Food and Drink Festival, running from 30th April to 8th May. Penrith's North Lakes Hotel will be joining the festivities and celebrating the opening of its new Martindale restaurant with a special 'Cumbrian Feast' menu, which has been created by Mike Haddow, the hotel's executive chef, in conjunction with local food suppliers.

December 2005

STEAMERS TO THE RESCUE - Ullswater Steamers, a family-run tourism business which is a member of the Tourism and Conservation Partnership in the Lake District, donated funds raised during the 2005 season to assist with conservation work in the Ullswater Valley. In the last year £2,600 has been raised from adult ticket sales on the Glenridding to Howtown steamer service. This will be targeted on improving the lakeshore footpath on the eastern shoreline, which is often enjoyed by steamer passengers.

June 2006

END OF ROAD FOR POSTBUS - A postbus service which operated twice daily runs for both parcels and passengers between Penrith and Martindale has been withdrawn by Royal Mail following a lack of local support. Post office bosses described the “sad end to an era” after nearly 30 years of service but said it was no longer viable to operate the postbus, as it was so poorly supported. Mail will, however, continue to be delivered to the Martindale area.

August 2006

TRIBUTES TO MOTORWAY CRASH VICTIM - A former pupil of Penrith’s Ullswater Community College, who worked for a Cumbrian newspaper after leaving university, died as a result of a motorway crash on Tuesday. Toby Tweddell, aged 25, was on his way to work in Liverpool when he was in the middle of a multi-vehicle crash on the M62. It took fire crews more than an hour to cut him free from his car. Surgeons at nearby Whiston hospital battled to save his life, but he died that afternoon from his injuries. Toby, who was the youngest of son of Monica and Nic Tweddell, and had an older sister, Tamsin, and a brother, Tom, grew up at his family’s home in Martindale, attending schools at Yanwath and Penrith. After graduating Toby joined the Kendal-based Westmorland Gazette, where he initially worked as digital assistant before becoming deputy press co-ordinator. He also wrote for the newspaper and its website.