Members from the north side of the River Derwent continue to have difficulty attending events in Workington. Disabled members of the public still experience difficulty due to access restrictions, even after the temporary pedestrian bridge [named Barker Crossing] was installed in the park by the army.

However, we successfully pressed for the ancient wall round Hall Park, opposite Hall Park View, to be reinstated to its original style, and also supported the request that the river bank area be returned to its former state when the army reclaimed thier bridge after the temporary road bridge was opened. The temporary road bridge incorporated footpaths on both sides of the roadway, greatly improving access for everyone on both sides of the river.

OTHER EVENTS OF NOTE DURING THE YEAR

A digital version, plus the handwritten original book by film buff, Reg McCallam, was donated to Workington & District Civic Trust and has been archived at Helena Thompson Museum.

The former Opera House Bingo hall was closed down when the new Bingo Hall was built beside Wilkinson's. Digital photographs of the interior wer taken by photographer Les Black, who donated these plus the prints, to Workington & District Civic Trust. They are also stored at Helena Thompson Museum.

Tess Murray's historical papers were lodged at Helena Thompson Museum where members fo the public could inspect them prior to their being donated to the County Records Office, Whitehaven.

Workington & District Civic Trust member, Alan Sewell, researched the history of Hall Park. This material was used in support of a bid for Village Green status. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful.

After lengthy investigations into the background of the former Gas Works Offices in Stanley Street, and a series of communications over 13 months, English Heritage finally refused to grant Listed Building status for the façade because exact dates could not be found and it had a modern roof. However, we have photographed it for posterity.

Instead of joining the new national body, "Civic Voice," following the collapse of "The Civic Trust," the former national body, Workington & District Civic Trust became affiliated with the North West Association of Civic Trusts and Societies, NWACTS, which is the umbrella group for northern societies. We believe our interests will be best served at present by a more local body.

Above: wrought iron lamp over the Park entrance at Horsefield Close

Above: Friar's Well

This year saw the launch of WORKINGTON HERITAGE TRAIL. A free leaflet funded by Workington Regeneration and researched, illustrated and designed by members, was produced by a local firm, Firpress Printers. It illustrates the heritage and history of the area around Workington hall, the ancestral home of the Curwen family. Included are brief descriptions of ten sites of note and an outline map of a walk linking them all. These are being placed in Tourist Information Centres and other public outlets.

Earlier this year we were disappointed to learn that the national body, 'The Civic Trust', to which we were affiliated, had gone into administration. Work is going on to try to initiate a replacement, but there is no information on progress yet.

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS event on 11th to 13th September 2009 is set to exceed our first year's success, with thirteen venues open to the public providing information with displays and activities, free of charge. English Heritage again produced a booklet listing all the venues open in each town in the North West area, and provided funding for us to produce a Workington leaflet with more details of what is on offer and where. It includes a map showing the various venues so that visitors can plan their route. Workington Transport Heritage Group offered to provide free transport [voluntary donations appreciated] between the venues using a vintage bus and also have their workshops open during the event.

Films and videos of old Workington have been forwarded to North West Film Archive, where they are lodged in controlled conditions at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Heritage Open Days were a great success: 1,700 visits were recorded at 14 venues. Transport Heritage Group provided a vintage bus to run visitors between the sites.

Workington & District Civic Trust donated £500 from funds to the Workington Flood Appeal.

The wrought iron lamp over the Park entrance at Horsefield Close has been refurbished due to our efforts.

A survey of Friar's Well, located in the bank opposite the police station, revealed that it was starting to lean, the door was off and the metal gargoyle was missing. We were unable to get it listed by English Heritage as there had been too many changes to the structure, and not enough was known of its history. Do you know who owns it? Please let us know. The Listing Group would love to hear from you.

THE FLOODS

Four bridges were damaged in Workington during the November 2009 floods, including Northside Bridge where PC Bill Barker lost his life trying to protect the public.

Workington Bridge was in a dangerous condition [see right]. The central pier was very badly cracked and dislodged. Engineers were unsure whether it could be repaired.

A footbridge at the harbour, Northside road bridge, and Navvies Footbridge [see views of damage and replacement] were beyond repair.

MORE PHOTOS

A large collection of photos of the various Workington bridges before, during and after the floods, as well as photos of the floods themselves, can be seen on Ally McGurk's photostream on Flickr. See links below.

• Barker Crossing (temporary footbridge).
• The opening of the new Navvies Bridge
• Damage to Workington Bridge
• Damage to Northside Bridge
• The construction of the new Northside Bridge
• The 2009 floods around Workington

PAINT THE TOWN RED

A celebration was held in the new town centre which was widely enjoyed and supported by businesses and other organisations. Members enjoyed taking turns to man a stall promoting the work of Workington & District Civic Trust throughout the day.

One of the highlights of this year was taking part in the Heritage Open Days event, held annually in early September, and co-ordinated by English Heritage and The Civic Trust across the whole country. Venues not normally open to the public or which usually charge admission are thrown open to the general public who are able to enter free of charge. This year, our first, nine venues opened their doors in Workington and entertained and informed a total of 713 visitors.

Workington & District Civic Trust is active in promoting a pleasant environment. To that end, the local and county councils are lobbied strenuously to back a 'clean up campaign'. The local press publicised this initiative and support has been sought from the 'Keep Britain Tidy' campaign group and also CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which is headed by famous author, Bill Bryson. Several members also do their bit by taking bags along on their favourite walks and picking up litter. Contact has been made with local schools and the community police to try to educate young people about the negative effect of littering and vandalism.

Our views are sought on the continuing regeneration of the town centre, and members are invited to attend consultations with interested parties.

Undeterred by our Carnival entry in 2006, several members turned out in costume again to ride around the route in a vintage bus provided by Workington Transport Heritage Group at the Town Carnival. With a combined age of 750 years [not sure if that includes the age of the bus], we won second prize again.

ENVIRONS AND TOWN CENTRE ARTWORK Together with Workington Regeneration and Cumbria County Council we worked on ideas for possible artwork at the start of the improved C-2-C cycle route at Workington shore.

We also helped research and worked closely with local artists from Knutwood Associates, on a mural painted on the gable end of a property which looks down Wilson Street, depicting the people and buildings of the old 'High Market' in the town. The original mural on this gable, long since painted over, was an advertisement for 'John Peel Ale', a local beer which was produced at the brewery nearby. The Lamport Fountain is visible in the foreground.

We were actively involved at the consultation stage of a £2.74 million artwork on Washington Street. The feature is called Coastline and includes benches in granite on paving in the shape of the local coast. The benches float on a bed of resin, a technique pioneered by the Somerset based sculptor, Simon Hitchens, and are lit at night, to give a 'hovering' effect.

We worked closely with Workington Regeneration Team on plaques and signage for the new town centre streets. Names had been chosen by the general public for the four 'spokes' branching out from 'The Hub'. We then contacted relatives of the four men honoured and researched information for their plaques.

Several intrepid members entered the Town Carnival. They came second in class, losing out to a group from a retirement home. There was an opportunity to hand out flyers advertising our forthcoming Garden Party at the Helena Thompson Museum during the parade.

LOTTERY AWARD - WE JOIN THE DIGITAL HIGHWAY We applied for, and were awarded a Lottery Grant through the 'Awards for All' initiative. Webmaker Ally McGurk of EweSoftie Web Design has produced these pages from our text and photos.

On 1st April 2005 Allerdale Borough Council accepted a business plan produced by The Workington Heritage Group Ltd., who then took over the running of the Helena Thompson Museum from the ABC. Together with this group, and ABC and other partners, we sit on the Steering Committee, working on a feasibility study into the possible conservation and restoration of Workington Hall. We are registered with the national body - THE CIVIC TRUST. Membership of this body provides us with access to expertise on our main objectives - to record, protect, and publicise our local heritage.

ANOTHER SUCCESS - Schoose Farm has been raised to Grade II * (star) listing following lengthy correspondence. John Christian Curwen, who built the farm, was the 'Father of Modern British Agriculture in Cumberland, being a pioneer of new methods of farming. He died in 1828.

However, our requests for Grade II listings for the Low Station and the Bus Station, the first purpose-build covered Bus Station to be constructed in England, were finally refused over the Christmas period.

Comments that the Railway Station did not retain sufficient original features, and that there had been too many alterations so the original character of the Bus Station had been seriously compromised, have been sent to the Planning Department, ABC, for their information. This might, hopefully, influence the criteria for granting planning permission in respect of buildings of historical or architectural interest.

In APRIL 2004 the Jubilee Group registered as Workington Heritage Group, a company limited by guarantee. [NOTE: It became a registered charity in 2008.]
Shown in the picture to the right are: Back Row - Irving C Scott, Peter Hall [museum staff]; John Cook Esq, Lord of the Manor of Workington; Middle Row - Sheila Richardson, Marie Brown, Pat Hall, Pat Evans, Mary Ann Lancaster, Harold Martin; Front Row - Derek Woodruff, Pat Martin, JMercia Haughan.

MAY 2004 Success! The Peat Memorial Obelisk has been granted Grade II listing. The Memorial had been paid for by public subscription and was erected in Portland Square in honour of Dr. Anthony Peat, 1819-1877, who was of great service to the poor of the town.

SEPTEMBER 2004 - FILM FOUND We obtained a grant towards the cost of transferring rare images of old Workington from unstable film onto safety reels. This film was shown as part of the Centenary Celebrations of the Carnegie Theatre, Finkle Street, and later David Eve, who owned it, donated it to the Workington Civic Trust.

The film contains footage from 1913 and shows an Uppies and Downies Easter ball game and Workington Horse Show, among other scenes. A master copy has been depositied with the County Records Office at Whitehaven.

NOVEMBER 2004 . . . but we didn't succeed with every project Although Cumbria County council declared the lane at High Church Street a public footpath (after we demonstrated that it was a Right of Way), part of the lane remains closed off, following an appeal which was upheld at a Public Enquiry.

IN 2003 THE TRUST BECAME A REGISTERED CHARITY. Members of the Listing Sub-Committee continued to record and preserve some of the heritage of the town by photographing buildings before they were changed or demolished.

JOHN THOMAS COOK, Esq., Lord of the Manor of Workington, accepted our invitation to become the first President of the Workington and District Civic Trust. He has given us and the town a great deal of support, and has donated some fine crystal to each retiring Workington Town Mayor and a splendid blue crystal bowl for the people of Workington.

THE JUBILEE GROUP sub-committee was set up to try to save the HELENA THOMPSON MUSEUM on Park End Road from closure by Allerdale Borough Council (ABC). Working with Friends of the Museum and ABC, they obtained a licence to hold marriages in the museum.

THE SPIRIT OF WORKINGTON: THIS BLUE STUDIO GLASS BOWL was conceived by John Thomas Cook, Lord of the Manor of Workington, "to enhance people's sense of their historical past, their place in the continuity of things, and to help develop the community's sense of purpose in going forward into the future."

It is letter-engraved by its designer, Peter Furlong, with texts from the poem by T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets. It is one of the largest and most elaborate glass bowls ever made under studio glass making conditions in the North East.

Workington Civic Trust has an annual programme of talks, town walks and events, mostly free to members, and an annual trip. The public are welcome to attend for a small fee. Members are also invited to accompany other Civic Trusts on their outings. Details in our latest newsletter

After Christmas we organised a competition involving local schools, for a suitable logo incorporating Workington past-present-future. The winner, Shaun Smith, Lakes College, West Cumbria, was presented with a cheque for £50 and a copy of a book written by local artist, Percy Kelly.

Workington and District Civic Trust officially began, following an inaugural meeting held on 17 October 2001, where a list of projects for working parties in the future was devised.

• Refurbishing monuments and memorabilia in the area
• Restoring historic inscriptions
• Installing signage and information plaques in the town, etc
• Recording, collecting and storing historical photographs, mementoes, writings etc.