We all thought the Spring Show of 1996 was going to be a one off! At the follow-up Committee Meeting there was much discussion about whether or not another one should be held. Everyone now knows the answer.
  That year the Show was opened by Lord Whitelaw and 130 adults entered 400 items, and goodness knows how many children entered another 400 items. The judges really complained. Judging so many entries in such a short time they found almost impossible. But they did it!
  The Show was the brainchild of the Sedbergh and District Buildings Preservation Trust Support Group who had been given the task by the Trust of publicising their Farfield Mill Project of and raising funds for it. The idea of the Show seemed to fit perfectly. The Farfield Mill project was to be about professional arts and crafts, so the Trust was the ideal organisation to promote amateur skills in the arts and crafts as well as the often unrecognised domestic skills of flower arranging, home baking, knitting and sewing.
  It would bring the Trust into contact with many other Sedbergh organisations and to the first Show Group meeting came representatives of the Parish Council, the WIs, the Flower Arranging Group, the Art Society, the Chamber of Trade, the Cumbria Wild Life Trust, the Schools as well as Dennis Whicker from Lookaround and a professional potter, Graham Glynn who made us our first large 'Spring Show' signs (still in use!). Although not present at that first meeting we also asked help and advice from the musical groups in the Sedbergh area including the Pepperpot Club and at that first Show, Helen and David Beare played for us, and the Ladies Section of the NFU did the refreshments. Not all of these people were prepared to come to regular meetings to do the spadework of the actual organisation, but over the years all these people and organisations have been involved in one way or other and we offer them our thanks.
  There were doubts that first year about the financial cost of the Show as no one could guarantee a profit. However as a registered charity, the Trust was able to secure some small grants and individuals, local businesses and the Parish Council came up with money or gifts. It was largely thanks to the local banks that money was found to buy the first silver cups and Croppers provided the paper for the tables, which has lasted us till now. We are pleased to say that although never raising large sums, the Show has never actually run at a loss, although if it had the loss would have been shouldered by the Trust. It is true that the entry fee for the competition has gone up from 25p to 31p which is the cost of a First Class stamp, and perhaps we should apologise that the prize money has remained at £1 and 50p!
  At the very first meeting when it was decided to hold a Sedbergh and District Spring Show no-one had any idea about how Shows were run. The last time Sedbergh had had a Show was some 20 years before and it had been run by the British Legion. As we could not find anyone who remembered much about it, except that it was held at the Auction Mart, someone had the bright idea of putting a suggestion box in the Halifax Building Society.
  There was not a huge response, but there was one beautifully written letter. In the Minutes of the next Support Group meeting, it was recorded, "There is a very comprehensive letter from a Mrs Margaret Milburn. She was very knowledgeable"! Sometime later we unearthed a press cutting from 1974 which showed that even then she was winning prizes and had been awarded the silver cup for the most points in the Handicraft Section. Margaret was immediately drafted onto the Committee together with another veteran of village shows, Betty Hartley. Perhaps it was no surprise that the press release for the first Show reads, "There was a hushed silence as it was announced there was just one point between two competitors for the 'Best in Show' trophy given by the Sedbergh Chamber of Trade. The winner turned out to be Margaret Milburn and the runner-up, Betty Hartley". Both served on the Committee for a number of years and Margaret is still its Chairman.
  The earlier Chairman was Ronnie McInerney who, with her partner, worked so hard for many years to make the Show a success, until they moved to Australia. A pillar of support is Roger Underwood, for some years Chairman of the Sedbergh & District Buildings Preservation Trust, who from day one has been an impressive and remarkable Master-of-Ceremonies, and who was able to keep in order not only the Sedbergh crowd but all the 'openers' from Lord Whitelaw in 1996 to Tim Farron MP in 2006. He had most difficulty with Ken Dodd in 2000, who as usual was unpredictable, but he used his charm very effectively on Thelma Barlow in 1998. In 2004 we were most pleased to have Jacky and Dennis Whicker to open the Show. They have done so much for the town and have supported the Show from its very first meeting, even presenting the Show with two silver cups for adults' and children's 'Best in Show'.
  There are so many memories of successful Shows over the years and one sad memory, in 2001 when we had to cancel because of the Foot and Mouth crisis. I think the Trust is justified in saying that reviving the Show was a good idea, and we hope it also demonstrates that the Trust has had the welfare of Sedbergh at heart. We have been supported over the years by so many people, from many walks of life. Neither they, nor the back-room boys of the Spring Show Committee (as well as all those in Sedbergh who organise things such as the Gala or the running of the Peoples' Hall nor any of the many, many voluntary organisations) do it for money or for the glory, but I can vouch for the fact that it gives considerable personal satisfaction.

Maureen Lamb

Footnote
Everyone at Farfield Mill and the Trust has enjoyed and appreciated being part of the first ten Spring Shows, and is grateful to Maureen for her idea and all she and the Trust Support Group have done. We are glad the Show has taken root once again and is flourishing. It is, therefore, now the moment for The Spring Show Committee to become independent of Farfield Mill and the Trust. We wish the Committee every success in the future.

Richard Thomas,  Chairman, Sedbergh & District Arts & Heritage Trust, Farfield Mill

  Some photo's of the Sedbergh & District Horticultural Show in 1956 and 1974 have been received from Mrs Hutchings of Cambridgeshire (formerly of Thornsbank) but the quality is not too good. I am therefore trying to obtain better qualities and they will appear in a future issue.
  Does any other reader have any stories or photo's from previous Shows that they would like to Share with Lookaround?                                           Ed.

Today Sedbergh, tomorrow the world
  Howgills Harmony have continued learning new songs and consolidating the old ones through the spring, and now with a good collection of songs we can all sing in three and four part harmony, are taking off on our annual summer walks. The first one was at the end of May through the bluebells, wood sorrel and wild garlic of Barbon Woods with special permission from Lord Shuttleworth. And then throughout June we'll be singing in caves, by waterfalls and on fellsides throughout the area. Anyone is welcome to join us - to either sing with us, or to just come and listen. Shared lifts can be arranged.
  Our songs are from all over the world, but especially from countries where most people sing as naturally as they talk, and where harmony singing is easily available for those who have no musical training. As well as songs like the South African national anthem, Appalachian gospel, Slovene love songs, and German rounds, we sing Georgian healing songs. On a walk through the Lake District last summer we stopped to sing at the Black Sail Pass and watched the mountain rescue bringing a man with a broken leg down off the fells. It was suggested we should approach them with: "Stand to one side - we're harmony singers" and burst forth in full voice in faultless Georgian, the climber then leaping off his stretcher and jogging back onto the mountain.
  Some of the singers only started a few months ago, introducing themselves as not being able to sing - so it's a real pleasure now to see them really enjoying being part of the harmonies we produce.

  Once we've finished wandering South Lakeland, we're going further afield - to sing in Zrece at the beginning of August. We'll be staying at Skomarje and singing in some of the mountain-top churches there. And also visiting the "Ethno-music festival" at Bled. There are still one or two places if anyone wants to join us. We have learning CDs with all the songs with their parts on and written music can also be provided for those who need it. Flights are still quite cheap but prices will rise nearer the day.
  We are also very pleased to report that Darja and Katja, two of the students who came with the singers from Zrece in December to join our Slovene and English folk carol festival (they also sang for Tim Farron at Farfield Mill), and who made us so welcome in Slovenia at Christmas, are coming to Sedbergh in August for three weeks.
  They are students of English at Ljubljana university and when I was working there in January, they said how much they loved Sedbergh and found the people here so pleasant and kind: "We've been learning about the English way of life for some time but the reality is even better than we could have imagined. Now we want to come and work in Sedbergh and experience life in your town for ourselves."
  They say they are happy to take any work. They speak English fluently - as well as German, Italian and Spanish - and have wide ranging IT skills, as well as experience of working in cafes and shops. (If you can help, please get in touch.)

  We've just heard that the fabulous male voice harmony trio Coope, Boyes and Simpson - who are performing in Sedbergh on September 3 - are returning in November to sing another of their shows involving singers from community choirs.
  Many of you will remember the wonderful Christmas Truce 1914 concert a few years ago where over 80 singers joined the men in bringing to life these songs which celebrated the truce brought about by the ordinary soldiers.
  Their new show - The Toiler's Gift - celebrates the enormous amount of musical talent amongst working agricultural and industrial labourers over the past three hundred years. Although folk song collectors like Ralph Vaughan Williams managed to save many hundreds of songs for posterity, they often wrote their own harmonies for these songs believing that the working class singers weren't capable of such musical prowess. Many other songs just faded into obscurity.
  This show celebrates this enormous hidden talent with songs by CBS and the choir as well as readings. Singers are invited to join the show with two rehearsals in October, led by Jim Boyes and Janet Russell, and a performance in Dent on November 11. If you are interested in joining us, please get in touch.                                                                                                                                                                                                               David Burbidge

  It is understood that a Chain Letter is in the area purporting to have started in 1996 and if it continues till Winter 2006, it will appear in the Guinness World Records ™ which is not the case.
  The following announcement has been received from Guinness World Records ™ .
  "Guinness World Records™ does not recognise or verify chain letter world record claims under any circumstances.
  Any correspondence alleging Guinness World Records™ is currently supporting an attempt to break a chain letter world record is false.
  In 1989 a chain letter record-breaking attempt was supported by Guinness World Records ™ to help generate the most amount of get-well cards for a sick youngster. Thankfully the boy recovered from his illness, which resulted in the record attempt officially finishing several years ago.
  Chain letters are no longer recognised by Guinness World Records™ no further claims will be accepted (whether they are requesting cards, compliments slips or any other items). People will not have their names published in any Guinness World Records book by participating in a chain letter."

Dear Editors,
  I am sure I am not the only person to be amazed that Sedbergh Parish Council paid £900 for the Mayor of Zrece and ten other people to stay at Thorns Hall.
  Have Sedbergh Parish Council money to spare and nothing to spend it on in the parish?                                                                               Judith Kliszat

  As a result of the recent elections the membership of the Parish Council is :-
Allan Pratt - Chairman
Dorothy Blair  - Vice Chairman
Ann Allan
Margaret Gorst
Sarah Hirst
Hillary Hodge
Vic Hopkins
Kevin Lancaster
Steve Longlands
Eileen Scarr
Roger Sedgwick

  The Home fixtures for the Club now appear in the Diary of The Lookaround. All Matches start at 2pm.
  New Players and all spectators are very welcome. Please contact John Hyde on 25503 for more information.