Two artists, who will be following the footsteps of famous puppeteer and showman Walter Wilkinson, are looking for people who saw his performances or met him when he toured parts of Cumberland and north Lancashire in the 1930’s.

Vagabonds (credit Steve Barber)

Gary Bridgens and Phill Gregg of Headzup Theatre in Barrow will travel about 100 miles, mainly on foot, through the countryside of the Lake District and South Cumbria, performing along the way.

Their specially created show, called Vagabonding, will feature songs, stories and puppetry inspired by local history and folklore.

The performers will collect stories from the places they visit, sharing them with new audiences each day.

Walter Wilkinson – Puppeteer

Walter Wilkinson toured the UK and the USA during 1920s and 1930s.

He carried a small cart, which doubled up as a puppet booth and set up his show wherever he could find an audience.

He wrote travelogues of his experiences, which became a series of popular books.  The author DH Lawrence, said of one of Wilkinson’s books that ‘It reveals England better than twenty novels written by clever young ladies and gentlemen.’

Wilkinson visited what is now know as Cumbria in the early 1930’s, during what he described as the wettest summer for 40 years.  He battled through storms and driving rain to visit Coniston, Grange over Sands, Cartmel, Ulverston and Kendal, where he wrote   ‘There was no doubt about the audience; we have seldom met better.  They threw a good deal at us, but only in the shape of applause, and it was obvious that the people of Kendal have very good taste’.

His trip to the area was part of a tour of Lancashire and was described in his book Puppetts Through Lancashire, which was first published in 1936.  The book also describes his visit to Lancastrian towns such as  Preston and Lancaster.

Gary and Phill are hoping that they can meet some of the people who saw Walter Wilkinson’s shows all those years ago, hear some anecdotes about his visit to the area and maybe even unearth one or two photos of the performer.

Gary Bridgens says:  “As performers, we are fascinated by Walter Wilkinson.  He is a real inspiration to us.  We would have loved to have seen some of his shows and it would be fantastic for us if we could meet anyone who had seen him perform and could tell us what he was like.  Alternatively, people could just send us their memories of him.  It’s a long time ago but we’re hoping that there are one or two people who saw him and his shows.”

Gary and Phill’s tour starts at Piel Island and stops along the way will include Ulverston, Grange, Kendal, Windermere, Kirkby Stephen, Dalton and Barrow.

Vagabonds (credit Steve Barber)

As well as performing for people they meet on their travels, Gary and Phill will be doing free outdoor shows at fixed times in each place they stop.

They will also be recording their experiences on a blog, and on Facebook and Twitter so that audiences from far and wide can share in their journey.

Lakes Alive

Vagabonding has been commissioned by Lakes Alive, Cumbria’s programme of world-class outdoor arts events.  Lakes Alive is the county’s unique contribution to the Legacy Trust UK programme, which was set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The programme of events is created and directed by Kendal Arts International with Manchester International Arts.  Julie Tait, the director of Kendal Arts International, says:

“Gary and Phill’s journey will take them through many of the communities in South Cumbria giving lots of people the opportunity to see the show. I’m sure it is something that everyone will enjoy and I hope that when people see Gary and Phill passing through with their cart,  they will come out to meet them.”

For more information on Vagabonding and other Lakes Alive performances visit www.lakesalive.org.

Do you have any memories about Walter Wilkinson?

If anyone wants to contact Gary and Phill about Walter Wilkinson they should email mail@lakesalive.org, telephone 01539 720252 or write to  Lakes Alive, Kendal Arts International, 22 Riverside Business Park, Natland Road, Kendal, LA9 7SX

With the store closure timetable being published another icon is set to be removed from the British High Street.

Woolworths - Carlisle

Famous for Pick ‘n’ Mix Sweets, Woolworths or Woolies as it is often known, is a familiar monument in almost every major town centre across the UK.

 Something about the red illuminated signage, the silver door handles and the cream coloured tiled floors just invokes memories  of  growing up.

Woolies has been a store for life, it has captured through the items in store, the timelines of so many people.

• The first 45rpm single for a girlfriend.
• Pots and pans for the home.
• Bulbs and plants for the garden
• The first clothing for a child.  
• Cards for anniversaries.
• Decorations and eggs for the annual festivities. 

and we must not forget the glue for repairing shoes when times were hard, cycle tyre repair kits and the gift tokens for loved ones far away at birthdays and at Christmas.

800+ stores to close

Woolworths will limp into 2009, however it may not manage to get the badge for trading 100 years in the UK unless a buyer for the brand can be secured.

The Administrators have agreed a store closure programme and all 27,000 permanent and temporary staff will lose their jobs unless a last-minute buyer can be found.

Woolworths operates 9 branches in Cumbria and all are set to close over the next few weeks.

• Carlisle store to close on  27 Dec 08
• Workington store to close on  27 Dec 08 
• Penrith store to close on  27 Dec 08
• Whitehaven store to close on  27 Dec 08
• Ulverston store to close on  29 Dec 08
• Keswick store to close on  29 Dec 08
• Kendal store to close on  2 Jan 09 
• Maryport store to close on  2 Jan 09
• Barrow in Furness store to close on  2 Jan 09

Many of the Woolworth stores occupy buildings known as Woolworth Buildings like the one in Carlisle on English Street.

           

Woolworth Building – Carlisle

Completed in 1933 the building has stamped in stone above the main building facade the words ‘ Woolworth Buildings’.  

Could this be the lasting legacy of the Woolworths name in the Cities or will planners allow demolition for redevelopment?

Tens of thousands of square meters of prime retail area will be made available as a result of the many stores closing and some may see this as a chance to take advantage of the opportunities this may provide.

It will be interesting to see if the brand is secured and the unique opportunities now offered with the land, properties and prime town centre locations are seized or just wasted to become yet another ‘tat shop’ on the high street.

Gallery

From a time when motorways were a dream and drivers could read the time from a clock at the side of the road comes the Kendal Leyland clock.

Leyland Clock

Originally sited on the A6 at Shap the clock was moved to the Kendal Brewery Arts Centre in 1973.

Confusion exists as to how many of these clocks were installed at various locations around the UK.

Some reports indicate 11 being installed and some indicate only seven or five.

Leyland Clocks were located at prominent positions on major UK roads in the 1930s by Leyland Motors Limited.

The towers were designed by Franco Reflex Signs of London and the mechanism by William Potts and Sons Limited, clockmakers of Leeds.

The location was chosen to mark the half-way point between Lands End and John O’Groats.

Lenore Knowles recalls the harsh winters of many years before and tells the story of her family’s role as keepers of the Leyland clock – a former landmark on the A6 north of Kendal. The Jungle Café was a popular transport café on this stretch of the A6.  Hear her memories here.

The outer shell of the clock was removed and preserved in the 1970s. But the clock’s innards were only found after an appeal by local enthusiasts.

A £2,500 restoration project was funded by Cumbria Steam and Vintage Vehicle Society after an appeal by local vintage vehicle enthusiast Tim Holt.

The clock now has pride of place at Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre.

A retired GP from Carlisle discovered the missing workings of the clock in items left to him by a former patient 20 years ago.

Leyland Clock - About

At the foot of the clock’s stand is a slate plaque explaining it all.

Other Leyland clock locations include

In England:

• On the top of Shap
• halfway between Catterick and Boroughbridge
• The Bath Road, 3 mile E of Calne
• the London Basingstoke road, 39 miles from London, 7 from Basingstoke
• the Great North Road, 70 miles from London.
• close to the Shack Café on the A30 at Hook in Hampshire
• Here is a photograph of the one situated on a roundabout in Leyland

Update – Oct ’08

The Cumberland News is reporting that the clock is undergoing further restoration.

The work is being carried out by volunteers from Cumbria Steam & Vintage Vehicle Society.

‘It is the latest move in a £2,500 restoration funded by the society, which will see the monument fit for another 75 years’ service’  the article goes on to say.

Repainting the clock faces is shown in this BBC slideshow

Leyland Clock – Restoration update Oct 2010

The BBC is reporting that the Leyland Clock is being re-installed after restoration.  A ceremony is due to take place on Sunday, 31 October 2010 at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal.

Lenore Knowles, who for many years wound the clock on Shap, will be one of the guests of honour.

As part of the celebrations a number of vintage vehicles are to travel from Carlisle to Kendal.  They are to stop at the top of Shap fell around 10.30am before continuing to the Brewery Arts Centre.

The original workings have been stored away from the clock ‘for safe keeping’.  It is thought that they maybe going on display in the Lakeland Motor Museum in Backbarrow.

A second set of workings have been restored and returned to the clock, to allow it it to tell the time for visitors.

The restoration of the clock follows a £2500 fund raising campaign.

Brian Ellis has sent in his list of clock positions

The Lostock Hall Clock:
This was the prototype ans was sited on the A5083 (then known as the A667) south of Lostock Hall in Lancashire at the juction with Cuerdale Lane in early 1930. this clock was removed in the early 1960s.

The Lea Clock:
This one was sited on the A583 at Lea in Lancashire near the Lea Gate Hotel. This was the first of the ‘proper’ clocks. It was originally trialled near the Leyland Motors South Works for six months until being moved to Lea in 1931.

The Shap Clock:
This one was located on the A6, north of the Jungle Cafe approx. one and a half miles south of Shap summit. It was removed in 1970 and kept in storage in Kendal until it was re-erected in the yard of Kendal Arts Centre.

The Healam Bridge Clock:
This one was at Healam Bridge near Leeming on the A1. It was removed to Plawsworth on the A167 in 1955 and when finally dismantled was sent back to Leyland Motors. It was subsequently overhauled, then packed & shipped to the main Leyland agents in Sydney, Australia.

The Cherhill Clock:
This clock was sited near on the A4 near Calne in Wiltshire near to the Cherhill White Horse ancient monument. It was removed when the A4 underwent widening works in 1965.

The Hook Clock:
This clock was sited on the corner of the grounds of the Shack Cafe on the A30 near Hook, Hampshire. It is believed that this clock was removed in the late 50s – early 60s and is now on display in Cobham Bus Museum.

The Alconbury Clock:
This was sited on a low hill known as ‘Vinegar Hill’ on the A1 at Alconbury in Cambridgeshire. It stood in the grounds of a private house and disappeared when the then owner moved out. It was eventually traced to Rushden in Northamptonshire and is now in the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

The Daventry Bypass Clock:
This clock was located on the A425 Daventry Bypass at its junction with thw A45 near the Maple Leaf Garage. It was removed in 1966 to a garage in Salford where it is believed to remain.

The Capetown Clock:
This clock was originally sent to the Leyland Motors Ltd Service Centre in Capetown, South Africa in 1934. Not much is known about this clock (including its ultimate fate) apart from the fact that it was electric rather than mechanical like all the others.

The Centenary Clock:
This is a replica of the Shap Clock which was built as a show piece for the ‘Leyland 100′ celebrations on 2nd June 1996. The clock now stands on the roundabout at the intersection of Hough Lane, Churchill Way, Chapel Brow, East Street and Turpin Green Lane in Leyland, Lancashire.