News and Views - Penrith and North Lakes U3A

www.penrithandnorthlakesu3a.org.uk
Newsletter 135
April / May 2014
News and Views
MONTHLY MEETINGS
2.15pm, Thursday May 15th
CENTENARY CUMBRIA POET NORMAN
NICHOLSON CELEBRATED AND REMEMBERED
A talk by members of U3A Literature 1 group
The poet Norman Nicholson (1914-1987) was born and lived virtually all his
life in the once industrial coastal town of Millom, south Cumbria. Here he
wrote vividly, entertainingly and movingly of the town's variable fortunes, its
hinterland of fells and farming, memorable chance meetings and his own
outlook in a lifetime of indifferent health.
This celebration, presented by Robin Acland, Angela Davies and Maurice Payn, will feature favourite
poems, the poet's own voice, pictures of the stained glass memorial window in Millom and personal
memories based on experiences of working with the poet in educational ventures. You will also receive a
pamphlet of twelve poems to take home.
Following 2.15pm AGM, Thursday 19th June
THE ASSISI STORY
An illustrated talk by U3A member
Cynthea Rhodes
Cynthea writes, "This illustrated talk will begin with a
brief account of the history of this beautiful medieval
town, and retelling the story of St Francis. Then the
focus will be on the great Franciscan church on the
hillside and its amazing art. Yes, there will be some
frescoes by Giotto and his contemporaries to look at in the upper church, but also the even more glorious
Simone Martini frescoes of the life of St Martin in the lower church, and not forgetting the work in the
upper church by Cimabue who decorated the vault above the intersection of nave and transept. Sadly this
no longer exists, as it collapsed in the earthquake of 27th September 1997. I and 22 others were staying
in the very centre of Assisi at the time. We were among the last people to see the vault on the day before
it crashed down in a million dusty fragments, as the second major quake occurred that unforgettable
Friday morning. The story of this disaster and its impact on Assisi and its people will round off the talk."
Coaches for all Occasions
Penrith and North Lakes
U3A is a Registered Charity,
No.1073281
www.reays.co.uk
016973 49999
ONE-OFF AND SHORT-RUN PROGRAMMES
BASIC NAVIGATION SKILLS FOR WALKERS
Interested? Then come along to Glenridding Tourist Information Centre, Ullswater, on Saturday
17th May 2014, 10.00am to 4.00pm and enjoy a course which will teach you how to use a map and
compass. The course is for U3A members only at a reduced price of £10 each, which will include the
loan of a map and compass plus several handouts to take away.
After spending an hour indoors looking at the theory, the rest of the day will be spent outside practising
how to navigate a walk. With only 3-4 people per trainer (and a maximum of 12 participants), the aim is
to teach some navigation 'tools' that will enable you to plan a route, know how long it will take to walk it
and to safely navigate your way home. Although the day is all about navigation rather than climbing
mountains, members will cover about 3 miles on footpaths during the day and must therefore bring
walking boots (or appropriate footwear), warm clothes, a waterproof and a packed lunch.
Car sharing to the venue is encouraged or alternately the 508 bus leaves Penrith bus station at 9.18am
and arrives in Glenridding at 9.57am. (The start time of the course is slightly flexible to coincide with the
bus arriving.) The return 508 leaves Glenridding at 4.50pm (time for a cup of tea at the end of the course)
and arrives in Penrith bus station at 5.29pm.
I am a U3A member and Lake District National Park Voluntary Ranger. Please contact me to book a
place. I will be pleased to answer any questions or listen to suggestions as to how we can make this an
enjoyable U3A outing. Contact me, Tricia Brown, on 01768 867687 or email at Triciabrown@talktalk.net
FIRST AID FOR ALL
You don't need to miss this course, which was advertised in the previous newsletter. It has attracted a
good take-up, but there are places still available if you'd like to sign up now. Just get in touch with Eve
now.
U3A groups meet almost every day of the week. How would YOU cope with an emergency within the
group? Whose responsibility would you assume it was? What would YOU do whilst waiting for the
ambulance to arrive, or whilst stuck on the hills with a walking group? If you are not certain, be sure to
reserve a place on the first U3A Heart Start First Aid Course to be held at the Fire Station in Penrith on
Monday morning 12th May from 10 a.m. - 12.00 noon.
There will be no charge for this session. But please don't just turn up without contacting Eve
Knafler first, preferably by email: eve.k@btinternet.com If you contact by telephone on 01768 840040
please leave a clear telephone number on the answer phone and I will reply asap.
U3A SUMMER EVENT
APPLEBY CASTLE AND AN EVENING MEAL
Arrangements are in progress for a conducted tour of Appleby
Castle on Thursday 17th July, probably at 5.00pm, to be followed
by a two- or three-course meal at the Royal Oak Hotel in the town.
The overall cost will probably be in the £30 region.
Full details, including menu choices, will be available in the June
newsletter, when places will be bookable on a first-come-firstserved basis, to a maximum of around 30. So no action is needed
now; just fix the date in your diary.
Appleby Castle, the keep, late C12.
The photo is a little more recent,1936,
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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be held on Thursday 19th June 2014 at 2.15pm
at the Playhouse, Penrith
AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence
2. To appoint two tellers
3. Motion: that the minutes of the AGM held on June 20th 2013 (see below) be adopted
4. Chairman’s report
5. Financial report
6. Motion: that the accounts for 2013-2014 be adopted
7. Motion: that proposed changes to the constitution (see separately in newsletter) be adopted
8. Elections: Chairman, Vice-chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Committee (maximum 8 members)
9. Independent financial examiner
10. Any other business
11. To confirm 18th June 2015 as date of next AGM
If you would like to propose any member for a committee position, propose a motion, or
have items for AOB, please contact the Chairman, Mike Head, by 31st May
Please note that a proposer and seconder are required for committee post nominations.
Committee vacancies this year are: Treasurer and two other members; nominations are in hand for
all these but others will be welcome.
Members may also like to attend committee meetings in an observer capacity.
Report of the AGM held on 20th June 2013 at the Playhouse, Penrith
A quorum was established which enabled the AGM to take place.
Apologies:
John Rodgers, Val Bowen, Linda Huddleston, Gwen Pearce, Anne Watson, Gerald Watson.
Tellers
2 were appointed: Gillian Stoddart; Angela Davies. (Proposed, Val Martin; seconded, Robin Acland)
Minutes
The Minutes and reports of the AGM held on 20th September 2012 were adopted as correct.
(Proposed, Gillian Stoddart; seconded: Barbara Smallwood). Motion carried
Chair’s Report
- This has been a full year. We have over 500 members with 52 interest groups. Groups are where the
real activity takes place and provide challenging and interesting times. Thanks are due to Carol
Mitchell for all the work she does in helping to co-ordinate the groups. Co-ordinators had two meetings
during the year to make sure groups have the best experiences they can. The short programmes remained excellent. There was an Introduction to Philosophy and USA 1840 - 1930. The high quality of
monthly meetings continued. Thanks are due to Barbara Smallwood and Sylvia Kidd for helping to arrange them.
- Your committee has worked hard behind the scenes - six meetings this year. Thanks to Judith
Markey and Val Bowen who retire after years of valuable service. We welcome two new members, Andrea Willett and David Robinson.
Treasurer’s report
General account
- Income on General (or the central administrative) Account rose sharply last year by over £1,600
mainly as a result of the rise in the annual members’ subscriptions from £11.50 to £13. There was also
a rise in rise in receipts of Gift Aid from HMRC to over £1,000.
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- At the same time there was a rise in expenditure on standard run-of the mill items such as stationery, postage, and the newsletter. There was also a rise in spending on monthly meetings of some
£570 as a result of a Committee decision to maintain or raise the standard of presentations. And our
payments to National Office – mainly the capitation fee – rose sharply by £430, or nearly 25%,
though it should be noted that the £88 insurance premium is now subsumed in the capitation.
- Depreciation, which is not a cash expenditure (it was a cash transaction at the time of equipment
purchase) fell back as our equipment has now been written down in the balance sheet to zero.
- The exceptional expenditure item last year was the so-called Funding to Groups which the Committee had introduced in order to keep reserves to a minimum at a time of exceptionally low interest
rates. (Indeed the rate on our CAFCash accounts has recently been reduced to zero by the Charities Aid Foundation Bank.) Of the £1,000 allocated by the Committee for this, some £659 was applied for and granted to nine Groups.
- As a result there was still a surplus on General Account last year of some £400.
Groups’ and social accounts
- While turnover on General Account (the average on income and expenditure) rose last year by
£1,900, that of interest groups fell sharply from over £17,000 to under £5,000. A small rise in expenditure on the annual social event made little difference to the overall result.
Reserves
- The overall outcome was therefore that, with a further surplus on General Account, net current Reserves rose by over £1,100 and with turnover falling heavily, the end-year ratio of reserves to turnover shot up from 59% ( the recommended minimum is 50%) to nearly 100%. This implies that we
are well placed should turnover return to previous levels, or higher.
Standing orders
- A new feature of the year was the introduction of the option of paying annual subscriptions by
standing order. This proved to be well timed in that the Bank has now introduced charges for cheque
transactions over a certain number. It should also simplify the procedure for members and lighten
the work-load of Committee members who deal with membership matters – not to mention your
Treasurer. On the whole, despite some glitches with some banks, the new arrangement went well
and it is to be hoped that it will run smoothly from now on. Take-up by members was good but I
would urge others to make use of the new option.
- In the same vein I would encourage all tax-paying members to sign up to the Gift Aid scheme: It
already brings us in over £1,000, but it could be more.
- Finally my thanks as usual for the help and support I have received form my fellow Committee
Members especially those – Angela Davies, Val Smith, and Gillian Stoddart – who deal with membership, and particularly this year my thanks to Lance Greehalgh for his sterling work in improving
the membership database.
Motion: That the accounts for 2012 – 2013 be adopted.
The accounts were previously circulated to all members and were accepted and adopted.
(Motio proposed, Andrea Willett; seconded, Pat Winn.) Motion carried.
Elections
Officers and members of the committee were proposed by Sylvia Kidd and Seconded by Margaret
Swaffer. The vote was taken en bloc and was proposed at the meeting by Val Martin and seconded
by Maureen Osbourne.
The following were elected for 2013 – 2014
Chairman: Mike Head. Vice-chairman: Robin Acland. Treasurer: John Bispham. Secretary: Sue
Crothers
Committee members: Angela Davies, Judith Markey, Carol Mitchell, Barbara Smallwood, Val Smith,
Gillian Stoddart, Andrea Willett
Motion carried unanimously.
Independent Financial Examiner
The Independent Financial Examiner, Saint & Co was recommended by the Treasurer and proposed
by Gillian Stoddart and seconded by Barbara Smallwood.
Motion carried unanimously.
Date of next Annual General Meeting was confirmed as Thursday, 19th June 2014.
Meeting closed at 2.30pm
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Amendments to 2007 constitution of Penrith and North Lakes U3A to be
proposed at AGM in June 2014
The following amendments recommended by the Committee would bring our constitution into line
with U3A National Office recommendations. You can see the current constitution at monthly meetings in the blue lever-file or on request to the Secretary (sucro@btinternet.com or 01768 210631) or
via any Committee member.
Organisational membership
To Clause 5 (i) add: “Membership shall likewise be open to any corporate body or unincorporated
association approved by the Committee.”
To Clause 5 (ii) add: “Each member organisation shall have entitlement to receive notice of general
and other meetings open to the full membership and for one member of the organisation to attend
these, but without voting rights. Organisational membership shall not provide entitlement to attend
group activities.
At Clause 5 (iii) insert phrase here italicised: “The Executive Committee may and for good reason
terminate the membership of any individual or member organisation if [etc]”
Identification of financial year
To Clause 9 add: “(v) The financial year shall end on 31st March each year.”
Arrangements for group finances
To Clause 9 add: “(vi) Each constituent group of the U3A shall maintain accounting records for the
group to conform to the U3A year start date 1st April, and in a form confirmed with the Treasurer, to
whom accounts at agreed times shall be provided where required.”
Procedures at formal general meetings
To Clause 15 (iv) add: “In the absence of the Chairman the Committee shall have the power to elect
a chairman for the meeting.”
Procedures if Committee seriously failing
To Clause 6 add: “(viii) All members of the Committee shall resign immediately if a motion of No
Confidence in the Committee is carried by a majority of two-thirds of the members present at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. A new Committee shall be elected at the meeting in accordance with Clause 7 below. Otherwise two of the former Committee members shall be
elected as temporary trustees, to administer and manage the U3A until a new Committee is elected.
Any Committee member removed by the vote of No Confidence may stand for re-election, including
temporary trustees.
At Clause 7 (i) insert phrase here italicised: “ …Annual General Meeting of the U3A, or at a Special
General Meeting if necessary following Removal of the Committee as provided for in Clause 6 (viii).”
At Clause 7 (ii) insert phrase here italicised: “ … Annual General meeting, or the Special General
Meeting, if applicable.”
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CHAIRPIECE
Co-ordinators have been looking at how best we communicate with members and their thoughts
have been sent to committee who will be taking action over this in the months to come. We
hope we will also be able to alert you to items of general interest.
We now have nominations for a full committee, but are still able to take people if they are interested to see how committee works and decide whether this is for them in the future.
Penrith and North Lakes U3A was sad to learn of the death of Richard Clark. He was a loyal
member who helped make things happen and will be sorely missed.
Mike Head
NOTICEBOARD
O DUO
Annie Mawson’s Sunbeams Music Trust
Presents O DUO - former BBC Young Musicians of the Year Oliver Cox and Owen Gunnell,
Wednesday 23 April at 7.30, Tirril & Sockbridge Reading Rooms. Suggested Donation £10. To
book please call the Sunbeams Office 017684 83035 or Kathleen Brown 01768 891119.
Maulds Meaburn Village Institute
Rory Stewart MP for Penrith and the Border will be speaking at our Village Institute at 7.30pm
on Friday, 6th June 2014. 'Borderlands: a walk through the vanished Middlelands of Great
Britain. The history of the Border and some comparisons with Central Asia.' Advance
booking: please ring Ron & Sheila Smith: 01931 715 509. Tickets are £8 (£4 for under 18s).
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL REMINDER
Many thanks to those of you who have already renewed their membership.
This is a reminder to the rest of you to renew as soon as you can please. Otherwise we
will, regretfully, have to remove you from our database on May 31st and you will be unable to partake further in U3A activities. Neither will you receive the June Newsletter.
If you decide you do not wish to renew, or you have a query about your membership I would be
most grateful if you would phone me on 016974 75217 or email to angeladavies099@gmail.com
Angela Davies. Renewal Officer
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EVENT REPORTS
DROVING AND DROVE ROADS IN CUMBRIA
At the February meeting, member Ruth Ansell-Davis passed these tolls and toll booths in order to
introduced her presentation by saying that for centu- save money. In time cattle breeds had been
ries livestock has been moved around the countryside improved and they were worth a lot more
-- following good pasture, finding their way to distant money. Licensing was introduced and in due
markets, not to mention being driven across the bor- course drovers were allowed to carry firearms.
der by Reivers.
Cumbria is at a
Scottish clans ofcrossroads in the
ten stole cattle and
routes that the anithere was a great
mals were taken,
deal of movement
and at the height of
backwards
and
the droving trade in
forwards
across
the 18th and 19th
the border. The
centuries,
sheep
Highlands and Isand cattle were
lands were overwalked from the
stocked with aniHighlands & Ismals and from
lands of Scotland
time to time the
via Cumbria to East
excess
we re
Anglia, where they
driven down to
were fattened up
Crieff where a
before being driven
large and imporonwards to the
tant cattle market
London markets.
was held every
Very little is known
October.
Cattle
Old Scotch Road on Left
about droving. Records that do
and sheep were shipped from Iresurvive only report issues when drovers came into land to the mainland at Portpatrick and on to
contact with the law. There are a few folk songs that Dumfries and Carlisle, where there is still a
feature drovers and Peter Dicken sang a song for us large cattle mart today. Cattle were also driven
which was delightful.
down the country from the north to Norwich in
East Anglia. Norwich market was a large and
crowded place, but important for trade. Some
Some form of drovers’ roads existed in Roman times,
droving routes went over the Pennines, down
for example Fairmile which runs from Tebay to Sed- to the present day A66 at Kirkby Thore, then
burgh and can still be seen clearly. Rural England, following this route over Stainmore. Penrith
Scotland and Wales are crossed by numerous drove
had a large cattle mart and fair every April.
roads, some of which can still be seen. These are often recognisable by wide swards where livestock
Cattle began to be raised for trade and during
could graze for free. Dogs were used to help control
the cattle or sheep. Sometimes these would be sent the Industrial Revolution as more people
back home alone after the stock had arrived at their moved into the cities more food was needed to
destination, stopping at the same inns as on the jour- feed them. East Anglia had rich pastures to
ney forward, their masters having paid for their food in feed the cattle and fatten them up. Cattle were
advance or when they returned with another consign- robust and easily turned poor grazing into
quality meat. Cattle were looked after, as disment of stock.
ease and death would mean the loss of money
to a drover. From here they were driven slowly
It took a lot of expertise and authority to control a herd to London’s Smithfield Market as well as to
of cattle or sheep and although droving was a dirty
other large cities.
and hard job and many drovers were illiterate, it
should be remembered that it was a skilled occupaGeese, ducks and turkeys were also driven to
tion. Journeys could take up to 3 months to complete.
market and needed to have their feet protected
from walking on the metalled roads. Their feet
As time went by regulations were devised and tolls would be dipped in tar and then in sand to help
brought in. Drovers needed to know routes that by7
protect them. Cattle and horses would have metal shoes fitted. Farriers would live alongside the
droving routes to facilitate fitting and repairs.
The rise in growth of droving and cattle markets led in part to the rise of banks and banking. Instead of exchanging large amounts of cash, promissory notes were issued and a number of
banks were established. Many pubs and Inns along droving routes reflect names such as the
“Drovers Arms”, the “Highland Drove”, “White Ox Inn”, indeed, in Penrith we have a Drovers
Lane and a White Ox Road. Droving declined in the 19th century due to the introduction of the
railway and agricultural changes as well as changes in the breeds of cattle.
Ruth brought us up to date by ending her talk by telling us that the sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy,
built a temporary series of Drove Arch Folds along the droving routes between Dumfriesshire
and Lancashire.
Sue Crothers
POWER FROM THE FELLS
Andrew Lowe delivered an enthusiastic and
entertaining presentation on water powered
industries in Cumbria at our March meeting.
He is a former Building Conservation Officer
for the Lake District National Park Authority
and an evening lecturer on Traditional Buildings and the Industrial Heritage.
As Cumbria is a very damp county (pause
for audience agreement!), every mill had to
have a kiln attached to dry the crop being
milled. Many old mills have been refurbished and are now used for other purposes. The best stone crane in Cumbria is
sited at one mill and was used to lift and
dress the grindstones in the mill.
He began by showing a slide of Kentmere reservoir built in 1844 to provide water for the textile mills in Staveley and Kendal. At Staveley
there is a “man-made” weir to add power to the
mills. Here, there were 2 mills on each side of
the river, a textile mill and a corn mill. When
there was a shortage of water, the corn (or
grist) mill was given priority.
Coniston was known as an area where
many copper mines were sited. Many of
these mines ran from 1599 – 1915. At one
time there were 200 water wheels operating
and 600 people working there. The water
wheels were able to operate winding cables
that lifted the man cages up and down the
mines. They could also work machines to
crush the rock and pump water out of the
mines. They were even used to compress
air to work the air drills. Later, water was
used to work turbines for a more efficient
use of power.
There were different types of mill, the horizontal wheel mill called a Norse Mill for grinding
and different types of water wheel, such as
undershot and overshot. Mr. Lowe showed
some diagrams of the constituent parts of a
wheel pointing out names such as “gudgeon”
and “flaunch” which amused the audience.
Wheels had “buckets” to catch the water and
enable the wheel to turn. There is an old corn
mill dating from 1800s at Ambleside and there
was also a bark mill close by. Bark mills
ground bark to provide a fine powder for the
tanning industry.
Water wheels could also provide power for
smelting and enable a trip hammer to beat
sheet metal. Many forges were situated by
rivers or ponds.
The Furness peninsula became very important to the iron industry in the 18th Century
due to plenty of woodland to supply charcoal for smelting. The Duddon iron furnace
1736-1827 used water wheel driven leather
bellows for smelting the iron.
Water wheels on the outside of buildings were
subjected to vagaries of the weather and, in
time, these were often housed under a cover
or inside the building. There are mills of this
type at Witherslack and Crosthwaite that has
had a mill on site since the 12th Century.
As the Industrial revolution took place and
textile mills expanded, many bobbin mills
were built and there were many in the
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county especially around Staveley. As the textile industry grew it needed thousands of bobbins to
hold the threads. There were also gunpowder works in the south of the county around Sedgwick,
Low Wood (Haverthwaite) and Langdale. A vast amount of water was needed to run hundreds of
heavy water wheels involved in the industry. At Backbarrow the famous “Reckitt’s Blue” dye was
produced and the mill employed a large number of children who worked over 90 hours a week.
Many old maps show the sites of mills and Mr. Lowe encouraged us to look at these and the landscape more keenly to spot the sites of many mills that are no longer there.
Mr. Lowe is very enthusiastic for us to use more waterpower and not go along the wind power route.
Water is plentiful in a county like ours and water power is very efficient and should be used more
often. Small communities should investigate harnessing water for a generator to provide power for
their use. It is a renewable and efficient energy source that we should make more use of.
Sue Crothers
ARCHITECTURE GROUP OUTING TO BROAD LEYS
He was much more interested in form and function
than in ornamental detail and used only the finest
construction materials, mainly local stone and solid
oak, and his finishes were natural and unpolished.
Many thanks are due to Gillian Stoddart and
the Architecture Group for inviting the two Art
Appreciation Groups to join them for their
outing to Broad Leys recently. We had a
highly successful morning looking round this
fine Arts and Crafts
house, which stands
in its own grounds
on the banks of
Lake Windermere.
This is one of Voysey’s finest houses. It is
L-shaped in plan with a
roughcast exterior, stone
dressings and a hipped
slate roof. It has wide
eaves and gutters on
slender curved brackets.
Broad Leys is home
to the Windermere
The somewhat modest
Motor Boat Racing
entrance leads into a
Club,
a
private
spectacular panelled hall
members club which
with an enormous bay
does not normally
window overlooking the
open to the public.
lake.
It features the
We were very fortuoriginal stone fireplace
nate in that not only
and an enclosed balcony
were we allowed
on braced beams with
access, but we
Broad Leys overlooking Windermere
two
grotesque corbels.
were given a guided
This
is
the
focal
point
of
the
house
from which lead
tour by the architect, Alan Rhodes, who had
the
downstairs
rooms
and
the
staircase
to the upbeen responsible for the restoration of the
per
floor
and
the
bedrooms.
The
house
retains
house since the 1970s.
almost all of its original fittings such as the fireplaces, panelling, window catches and ventilation
Broad Leys was originally designed in 1898
grilles which were particularly attractive.
by Charles F A Voysey, an architect famous
for a number of notable country houses in
Broad Leys was commissioned by Arthur Currer
the Arts and Crafts style. He was renowned
Briggs, a colliery owner from Leeds. It was refor his unique designs which favoured simquired both as a holiday home for himself and his
plicity over decoration, horizontal lines over
family, and as a place suitable for entertaining his
vertical lines, and large sharply pitched roofs.
9
friends and business colleagues. Anyone wanting to emulate such guests may do so, as the Club
offers accommodation on a Bed and Breakfast basis, in rooms brought well up-to date whilst still
retaining original Arts and Crafts features.
The morning was rounded off with lunch at the nearby Blackwell, itself a famous Arts and Crafts
house, where those of us with enough time spent the afternoon. It was certainly a day to remember.
Felicity Kay
Copy deadline for the next issue is Monday 9th June
If you would like to receive any part of the Newsletter
in LARGE PRINT, please contact the Editors.
Editorial Team
Contents
Monthly meetings
1
One off and shortrun programmes
2
2014 AGM, and report on 2013 AGM
3-4
Amendments to
5
Groups sheet, also the Monthly Meeting and Short-run/One-off ProConstitution
grammes: Robin Acland, Chapelside, Mungrisdale, Penrith CA11 0XR,
Chairpiece, Notice017687 79672 rtacland@googlemail.com
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board, Renewals ReRemainder of News and Views: Chris Wilkinson, 10 Hall Grange, Bolton, minder
Appleby CA16 6WA 01768361819
Droving and Drove
Roads
newseditor@penrithandnorthlakesu3a.org.uk
7
Power from the Fells 8
10
Broad Leys
9
Contents
10