Warcop, Cumbria

The Bridge Inn Brough

I was born in the Bridge Inn, Main Street, Brough, Westmorland, on December 6, 1927. My mother recalls the weather to have been very stormy with heavy falls of snow. My father, William Norman Stell, was the manager of the inn & the licencee was his mother, Elizabeth Ann Stell. My mother was Sarah Martha Stell & had two other sons, John Walter Stell & William Norman Stell ,aged 6 & 4, who went to the local school. My father was a talented pianist & also ran a band. We moved to Durham City in 1930 where my father & mother were stewards of the Conservative Club.
In both photographs the very substantial building on the left is clearly the Bridge Inn. I am very grateful to have these photograhs to add to my family history portfolio.

Mining at Hilton 1948 - 50

In 1948 I started my career as a Mining Engineer working as a miner at Bill Wharton's barytes mine on Long Fell and worked there for three months, living in lodgings at Rose Cottage in Hilton, before leaving to commence my studies at the Camborne School of Mines. Bill, who lived with his wife at Townhead Cottage, was quite a character and one of my first mentors; he employed about 10 of us, some from Hilton and others from Brough.
I don't think the mines could have been very profitable - I suspect his wife's hairdressing business in Kirkby Stephen paid our wages more than once. The mineral was hauled down from the mine and washed at a rudimentary plant just above the village using water from Scordale Beck. Afterwards the washed mineral was sent to Glasgow. Bill also had the license covering the old lead mines up Scordale. I surveyed these old workings starting in 1948 and continued this work in 1949 and 1950 after Bill sold his mineral rights to Laporte Chemicals who operated the nearby Silverband Barytes Mine up on Dun Fell, above Dufton. Bill arranged for me to work for Laporte Chemicals at this mine during my vacations. On weekends, together with some chaps from Hilton, we recovered very beautiful mineral specimens from some of the old Scordale workings, selling them to a collector in Penrith. I have very fond memories of Hilton and have been back a few times. Its not the same now. Then its habitants were real Cumbrians who worked the land or in the mine. Now its more of a weekend retreat for city dwellers. I hope they enjoy it like I did.
I left the UK and emigrated to Western Canada in 1951 but kept in touch with Bill Wharton until he died. After selling his mines he went back to Workington, where he originally came from. I live in Spain now, retired after starting up and then managing a couple of big lead-zinc mines there.

The Bridge Inn

My mother, Joyce Hogg, whose grandparents were Egglestone of Culgaith, used to tell us that her relatives, two aunts, used to run the Bridge Inn at Kirkby Thore in the 30's, 40's or 50's. Unfortunately I do not know their names or surnames. Can anyone help me with my family history? Other family names are Tallentyre and Jennings, so this may be useful to anyone with possible information.
Thank you.

Howgill Parish Church

Visited church and local area to see for myself where my ancesters lived over one hundred years ago. They were Robert Gibson and his son, also called Robert, both of them farmers. I first discovered Howgill and Sedbergh back in 2002 and was amazed by its beauty and peacefulness.  This area has made a lasting impression on me that I shall never forget and I will always regard Howgill as my special place.