Press day again and luckily it's raining so the prospects are looking good! What a wonderful Indian summer we have been having with weather that makes it a crime to be indoors until it is dark. Then it's time to eat (if you are lucky!), bath and bed. Certainly there's no time for writing. That reminds me of an old Tom Lehrer song, 'The Leaping Nuns', where their days ended with Evening Leaping, Vespers, and Bandaging! Does anybody else remember that one?
  At our October meeting our appreciation of our gardens was greatly enhanced by John Mounsey's illustrated talk about the Wildlife in the Garden (grandchildren excepted!). John explained at the outset that his intention was not to tell us how to make our own patches more wildlife friendly but merely to show us what is already there. His own excellent photographs opened our eyes to so much, from bugs to butterflies, from birds to bats, from ferns to flowers, and lots, lots more. It is always particularly rewarding to learn about what is here for the looking, and to be shown by a local expert. Thank you, John.
  By the way, we have another wildlife spectacular coming up in January when Nick Henderson from the Corio-Raptor (Birds of Prey) Centre at Settle will bring falcons, owls and hawks along to our meeting. We already have several hawks and some owls among our members so the birds should feel quite at home! We hope that many of you, young and old, male and female, bandaged and unbandaged, will show fellow feeling and come and join us for this special meeting. You might even have the chance to sample one of Shirley's famous cakes! Details to follow in the next issue.
  We had a 'back to front' meeting this month with our speaker first and business to follow. November 14^th at 2-00pm is our AGM when we foregather to elect our committee for next year. We are looking for some more eager volunteers, otherwise it will be a case of You, You and You! So please roll up.
  Our teatime was brightened yet again by a birthday celebration and accompanying cake. This time our congratulations were for Mary Bateman's 80^th birthday. Well done, Mary! How did it get here so quickly?  We are also happy to be welcoming Avril Hobson as a new member and look forward to her company.
  Mary Tallon won the raffle for an address book and pen, and the competition victor, for a picture of a bird, was Barbara Kooper with a photo of a Mandarin Duck which she took in Moscow. Stylish!! And clearly no racial discrimination! Perhaps next month's competition, for a pressed leaf, will be won by a Japanese Maple!  WFU

  On some Saturday nights when most of us will be tucked up in our beds some young people are out and about on the streets of Lancaster with the aim of talking to other people about Jesus, some times they are listened to, sometimes they are shouted at and made fun of but they keep going back for more. Why? Perhaps because they take the command of Jesus "Go out into the world." very seriously. Will you support them by your prayers or at least think of them as you tuck yourself up in bed. LD

  Michael was born in Halifax, Yorkshire in 1933. His Father was MD of family engineering firm of Sagar Richards.
  The following are some notable events in his life.
Educated at Rishworth School followed by a commission in the Royal Artillery and TA. Took degree in Metallergy at Imperial College, London and Rowed in IC 1st eight in the Head of the River Race. Awarded Charlton Prize for the Most Outstanding Student of the year in 1957. President of the Royal School of Mines students' union. Awarded a Management Training Scholarship with Tube Investments followed by management positions in the Francis Group. Joined BICC and became MD of Pakistan Cables followed by MD of Conductores Electricos Roque in Spain. Returned to UK and was Chairman of an emerging technology group. Set up the West Lancs. Enterprise Trust based in Ormskirk offering expertise to new business ventures. Retired to Burnt Mill, Sedbergh where he became Secretary of the Art Society, edited the Lookaround local newsletter and was a Trustee of the United Charities.
Whilst resident at Weavers Court, Kendal was a Director and Chairman of the Management Company before moving to Grange over Sands. He was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in March and died in St Mary's Hospice on 11th September leaving his wife Joy and two married daughters. Elder daughter Louise a GP Trainer in Oxford whose husband Nick, is a Consultant Oncologist, has two daughters, Felicity and Vicky. Younger daughter, Leonie who followed her father's footsteps into engineering, has set up a Consultancy company in New Zealand with her Dutch husband, Rob, who a drilling engineer.
  Michael was instrumental in helping to keep the Lookaround going with the Lookaround Support Group when I was moved away from the area in 1988.
  Sadly, Sedbergh has also recently suffered the loss of another hard worker with the Passing of Carol Dawbarn. Carol did quite a lot of work behind the scenes for The Audio Lookaround.
  Both Michael and Carol will be missed.

  For more than a decade now an oral history group, now known as the Dent Oral History Project, has been recording the voices of people recalling their memories of Sedbergh and Dent. We have collected over seventy recordings and these are now being made accessible to everyone, at Farfield Mill. In Room 2K on the Heritage Floor we have installed a computer where, at the touch of a button, visitors can hear  these fascinating accounts for themselves.
  It's easy to take change for granted but, as they look back over the twentieth century, our interviewees tell us of some truly momentous changes in their time. They experienced for themselves the impact made by the national grid and mechanised transport, by the changes in education and health care. Farmers have described the difference tractors and milking machines made to their lives. Housewives have told what their daily round was like before vacuum cleaners and washing machines. People told us how, with the growth in car ownership, their shopping habits were transformed, so that the delivery boy on his bike became a thing of the past and farming folk no longer bartered their butter and eggs for a sack of flour or cattle feed. People still alive today remember when the Sedbergh Workhouse shut its doors and when the isolation hospital was no longer needed. So many changes, and all in a lifetime.
  It is thanks to Neville Allen, our technical adviser, that the recordings are now available via a computer.  By following a set of simple instructions visitors can choose an interview from the index. Many of the interviews have been transcribed, so people will be able to read the text as well as listen to the voice of the interviewee.
  There are also instructions on how to research a particular topic. We hope people will enjoy using the archive, we would like to think it will be a present attraction as well as a future historical resource.
  An official opening of the room will be held on 29^th November, from 11 am to 4 pm. The press will be invited, along with all who have contributed to the Project including interviewees, interviewers and committee members past and present. If you happen to be visiting Farfield that day, you will be welcome to drop in.
  On behalf of the Dent Oral History Project I thank everyone who has helped us and made our work possible.  We are specially grateful to Colin Barnett for his most generous donation, also to Eliza Forder for allowing us to reproduce photographs from her books, to the Sedbergh and District History Society for the use of their pictorial archive and to Shirley Tebay for her work on the visual display.  Thank you to Kate and Jock Cairns and Mike Tebay for the enormous effort they put into cleaning and painting Room 2K, and to all the members of the committee for their unflagging and invaluable support.
Anthea Boulton,  Dent Oral History Project,  antheaboulton@compuserve.com

  The Chamber of Trade held its AGM on October 16 at the White Hart Sports & Social Club.  The event was very well attended and the enthusiasm was infectious. Reports were heard from the various C of T initiatives groups. Garth Steadman gave a review of the Twinning which he stated has gone from strength to strength. There are ongoing student exchanges from and to Settlebeck School and a Choir is visiting over Christmas. The membership is increasing as many people from the town and district visit Slovenia.
  The August Bank holiday Charter Market was also deemed a success and the organisers of this year's market acknowledged the good work of the earlier organisers. This work enabled and contributed to the smooth  running of the 2006 event.
  The Gala Group have made a donation to share payment for the new stalls which proved so easy to use at the Charter Market. This sharing of equipment is another step toward the community pulling together for the common good.
  David Collier explained further about the Sedbergh Web Site. This site is due to go intergalactic and to have its own server. This will enable business users to update their sites themselves all of which will link in to a all encompassing web site for Sedbergh and District. This is an amazing opportunity for business large and small to really get their wares into cyber space. The cost will be linked to the size of the business and it's particular needs. The C of T offers it's thanks to David for funding the Sedbergh Web Site for so long but now it is to be updated the
cost will have to be spread.  However the C of T hopes that the scheme will break even or perhaps make a small profit in the long run.  Contact David Collier or Sam Rusling for further information.
  The highlight of the evening was a speech by Mark Westwood. Mark has been here two years now and owns the book shop at the junction of Main Street and Long Lane. He told the C of T how pleased he was with how his business was going. He also mentioned that other book sellers in the town had all seen an upturn in trade, some as much as 20%.
  More good news is that there are to be more shops opening on Main Street and Back Lane. All agree that the Spirit of Can Do seems to have settled into the town. In short the whole place seems to be much more lively and prosperous.
  Other issues discussed were the litter around town and that the Udale's building is still an unfortunate eyesore. We should all be vigilant about litter and try and keep our town clean for ourselves and our visitors.
  All the officers were returned unchanged apart from Nigel Close who now takes over as membership secretary.  The evening ended with a convivial glass of wine and delicious nibbles.

  Support your independent Tourist Information Office. Christmas Shopping with a difference.
  As you all know the Tourist Info Office is now run for the town as an independent business. As things run down on the visitor side for the winter we want to take the time to try to get to know everyone in the town better.

  Our plan is to invite every club and group in the town to come along to the TIC in the evening when we will offer refreshments, a short introduction to the work of the TIC and what we might be able to do for your group or business and THE CHANCE TO DO SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AT DISCOUNT PRICES. We have a fascinating selection of goods in the TIC - books obviously both new and old, cards and souvenirs and local products of all types.
  If anyone reading this is a local producer of craft products such as jam, or cards, or pottery or jewellery etc., would you like to have a shop in Sedbergh selling your goods? The TIC can offer you a place to display your products which we will sell for you on a commission basis. Please contact the TIC on 015396 20125. Remember we open seven days per week right through the winter and, of course, there will be our special LATE NIGHT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EVENINGS.
  Initially we are planning to be open late on 8^th - 22^nd November and of course 14^th December. On these nights we will open until 9pm. But if your group would like to come along and enjoy our facilities on any other evening we will gladly arrange something just for you.
  We would also like to take this opportunity of telling you about the Friends of Sedbergh Book Town. This group exists to help the book town along in whatever way they wish, but because they have joined the group members enjoy excellent discounts on tickets to events and books in all participating shops in Sedbergh, plus other special events just for the Friends. Application forms are available at the TIC.
  Please support Sedbergh's TIC. Although we do have some grant aid we only receive 26% of what we spend! So if we don't spend anything on promoting Sedbergh we don't get a penny back! Not what is generally understood by "grant" money is it. So your purchase of some Christmas cards, a tweety bird or a packet of sweets really makes a difference to us and will ensure that we are here to offer a service to Sedbergh and its visitors for a long time to come. SEE YOU SOON!

  The September meeting was held on 19th September with 12 members present. We were given a talk about Marie Curie who was born in Warsaw Poland 1867. The Marie Curie nurses work mainly nights in the patients home to sit with them to help the relatives.
  A Jacob's Join supper and then our annual general meeting followed this. Mrs Jean Dobson to be our new President for 2007 taking over from Mrs Sandy's Clarke.
  At the October meeting, a wine tasting evening was given by Glynn from Kirkby Lonsdale Booths. He gave us a short talk telling us about Booths, which was founded in 1847 by Edwin Henry Booth who was an apprentice tea maker. He opened his first tea house (China House) in Preston. In 1849 opened his second shop in Blackpool. In 1964 Booths changed from teashops to grocery stores now having 26 and are committed to selling fresh local produce from the area. The Kirkby Lonsdale store opened in 2000. He brought us two different wines to taste, the first was a white sparkling wine called Cloudy Bay from New Zealand, the second was a red wine called Red Casillero del Diablo from Chile (Cabernet Sauvignon). This was followed by cheese tasting of Swaledale cows cheese, then Toppings chicken & ham pie, also rhubarb & ham pie with an assortment of different flavoured crisps.
  As not enough interest was given for our Charity Event it was decided to cancel it.
  Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday November 21st in People's Hall Committee Rooms at 7.30pm where Mrs Farnell will be demonstrating table decorations and making truffles.