Aikton, Cumbria

I have fond memories of Brookfield School, Wigton.

I was a foreign exchange student at Brookfield School in 1984-85. Coming from Mexico I found the place to be a  completely different planet from what I was used to at home. I must say that year was one of the happiest and most exciting in my whole life. I am now 40.  I was there when the school was taken... [more]

wigton boy

I was born in wigton in 1951.  We lived at 19 Brackenlands, a friendly housing estate where everyone knew everyone.  My early years were spent at Saint Cuthberts school and at the age of eleven attended the secondary modern or affectionately called the whitewashed cow shed.  The school has been replaced by houses now.  On leaving school I went to work... [more]

Early years!

I lived in Wigton for the first 8 years of my life, so 1955 is a mid point!
I have happy memories of the town.  We lived in West Avenue when it was known as 'the avenue' - an unmade up road and for years I thought that if a road was called 'avenue' it was full of puddles when it... [more]

That was home

My grandmother, Margaret Flint, was landlady of the Greyhound from sometime during WW2 until 1954. I lived there from 1944 until she retired. Being a publican meant grandmother was entitled to more than the normal rations in the immediate post war era since she was required to provide food to any traveller. Travellers were few and far between... [more]

LADY PUBLICAN

In the UK Census of 1881 it shows the publican of the Bridge End Inn to be a Jane Rayson aged 68 years old. She lived with her sister Margaret aged 52 and her nieces Emma aged 15 and Fanny aged 32. Fanny's occupation is shown as "invalid".
Also shown as residing in the property was Jane Ashburner whose occupation is... [more]

A visit

My father was raised in Bowness on Solway. His father lived in the cottage in the street. My grandfather, Mr John Stafford, was one of the men who used to go 'Haafnet fishing' so it was good to visit and stroll down the same roads my ancestors trod.

Great grandmother's burial

My paternal great grandmother Mary Annie Hutchinson was buried at St Michael's church on March 26th 1945. There is a reference to it in the church's Monthly Magazine for May 1945. Also referenced in the same magazine is an acknowledgement of donations to the churchyard fund in appreciation from her children, Mr C Hutchinson, Mr G Hutchinson and Mrs S Thirlwell.... [more]

"Snowed In"

If my memory is correct it was the winter of 1940/41 when I was a teenager, working for a long distance transport company from the midlands. We had left Carlisle on our way south via Shap Fell when we were caught in a blizzard and the roads were impassable. Our lorries had to be left on Shap and somehow we got... [more]