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Carlisle memories

Here are memories of Carlisle and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Carlisle or a Carlisle photo.

"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 back to Carlisle and I think for about two whole weeks or so we were marooned there. Fortunately we found lodgings with the Harrison family at either 3a or 4a West Tower Street. I have never forgotten the kindness shown to us by the mother, Mrs. Harrison and her daughter Nora. If any of that family are still around I would love to get in touch with them so if anyone reading this has information on them please get in touch at dnr55@shaw.ca

Barclays And Taylors of Tarraby Farm

My mother Gladys Taylor (nee Barclay) and father James Taylor married and lived at Tarraby Farm, Carlisle in 1927. My mother's parents were Alexander and Isabella Barclay, who lived and worked on the the farm. My grandfather was originally from Nigg, Aberdeenshire, where he was headmaster of Cove Bay public school, till approx 1918. My father was from Great Strickland, his parents were James and Barbara (nee Gowling). My eldest brothers Maurice and James (Jim) were both born at Tarraby. If anyone has any more information on my family or of Tarraby Farm at that time, or photos, I would be grateful for any more info.

Memories of Cumbria

Early Childhood

After retiring from the RAF, my father was with Air Ministry Constabulary and we moved to Stanwix in 1938 when my father was posted to 4 MU. We lived in Knowe Park Avenue and I attended Stanwix School. My sister attended the Margaret Sewell School for Girls. I was five years old when we moved to Stanwix and ten years old when we left. World War 2 began soon after we arrived but we did not have many air raids there except when the Lake District was bombed. My childhood years in Stanwix were very happy and I loved the school. After we left Stanwix, we moved back down south to Middlesex. I met up with my childhood best friend from Stanwix when we were both in our fifties and we reminisced about those happy times.

Margaret Sewell Girls' Selective School, Carlisle

A cousin of mine, Winifred Dogherty, was appointed Head of this school in 1933 and I believe stayed there until her death in 1952. She lived at 3 Beech Grove North, Stanwix. Some of her family joined her in 1937/8 and seemed to stay until after the War, when they moved in stages to Surrey, the last to leave being her mother, Annie Dogherty, wife of John Edward Dogherty, Headmaster in Newcastle upon Tyne from 1895 to 1924 at the same school as his father had run from 1864 to 1895. This man became President of the National Association of Headmasters in the 1920's. Does anyone know any more about this lady and her career, or about the school?

The Mission Hall

I was born in Caledonian Buildings on Etterby Road...what a wonderful place it was to play, with all the green grass, trees, and horses, our imaginations would go wild. The best days were when there was a wedding in the Mission Hall and we would sit outside waiting for the men to throw us some pennies, we would then go and spend our money at Copelands sweet shop. Further down Etterby Road there were flats that had become empty due to refurbishing, in those days the windows and doors didn't need boarding up, so we would climb through a window and play amongst the 'rubbish'...it did feel very scary, maybe it was the worry of being found out! I loved my childhood in Etterby and maybe one day I will knock on the door of the house where I was born...

Garden Terrace

My grandmother, Nora Green, lived in Garden Terrace, Lower Cumbersdale and raised 9 children there. I remember visiting often, walking over from Denton Holme by the river. Lots of happy times. If anyone has any memories of the Green family I would love to hear to hear from them. I know my grandfather, Robert, worked as a screen printer and died in his 30s.

Family History

My name is John Coulthard. I live in Scottsdale, Arizona U.S.A. My father Alfred John Coulthard spent his whole life researching the family's history back to the mid-1100s, He left me all his research including a book "A COULTHARD" which includes about 150 family genealogy charts and includes original material related to Cumwhinton. This starts with some background on a Richard Coulthard who apparently moved from Hallburn to Cumwhinton in 1750. It provides significant detail about his son Robert Coulthard and his sons, one of whom ran away to Gretna Green to marry an Elizabth Milburn. Robert at one time had the title of Yeoman of Cumwhinton. The documents include hand drawn maps, wills and genealogy charts of descendants who lived in Cumwhinton or left for other parts of the U.K. I wonder if there is anyone still living in Cumwhinton who is either a Coulthard or a descendant of Richard Coulthard who would be interested in these documents?

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