Windermere lad who fought on D Day remembered.
Last autumn, the Town Council put out a request for pictures of family members who had fought on D Day eighty years ago. Kathleen Strickland of Windermere was kind enough to get in touch with the story of her brother-in-law Alan Strickland. It seems very appropriate that we think of him and our other brave soldiers as we light the beacon on the summit of Orrest Head so near where he grew up. Alan Strickland was born in Christopher North’s Cottage at the foot of Orrest Head. He was the third child and oldest son of Arthur and Annie Strickland. By the start of the war the family had moved to 21, Havelock Road. Alan worked as a gardener at Mawson’s. By 1944 he had signed up and joined the 8th Battalion Kings Liverpool Irish. The battalion was chosen to be part of the 7th Beach Group to land with the 3rd Canadian Division on Juno Beach. The conditions encountered by these young soldiers as they came ashore was one of almost indescribable horror. Alan was 19 years old. The 8th Battalion suffered such losses that day that it was subsequently disbanded. Alan was posted to the East Lancashire Regiment. He was wounded while fighting in Normandy. After he recovered, he was then posted to the 9th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). He crossed the Rhine with them, and Lance Corporal Alan Strickland was killed in Germany on 30th April 1945 just a few days before Germany’s surrender on May 8th. Kathleen had never met her brother-in-law, as he died many years before she married his younger brother. But she, and the rest of his family never forgot the sacrifice he made. So, on the 80th Commemoration of the D Day landings we too remember the sacrifice made by Alan and all the others who served the cause of freedom then and now. Everyone is welcome to join the Town Council at our D Day Commemoration on the summit of Orrest Head by 9pm on Thursday 6th June. The Mayor’s tribute is at 9pm followed by the lighting of the beacon at 9:15pm. (Picture from the Westmorland Gazette 1945) For some time now Windermere & Bowness Town Council have been concerned by antisocial behaviour in Bowness. They have worked with partner organisations such as Westmorland & Furness Council, Cumbria Police and Windermere and Bowness Bar Watch to gather data and look at strategies which may assist in reducing incidents of public nuisance and help both residents and visitors to feel safe.
A grant from Westmorland & Furness Council has been awarded to fund a trial of Street Support Officers for central Bowness and the Glebe over the evenings of the busiest summer weekends during bank and school holidays this summer. The two experienced and professional support officers will be provided by Tactical Security, who worked successfully with the Town Council to provide Covid Marshalls during the pandemic recovery period. They will be there to help the public and will welcome the opportunity to engage with residents and visitors. Additionally, we hope they will provide a deterrent to antisocial or illegal behaviour and provide a vital role in gathering data about the situation on the ground. Their aim will always be to de-escalate a situation and call in the support of the emergency services should it prove necessary. The following shifts have been initially identified as a priority for the Street Support Officer operation: Fridays 7pm till 1am (6 hrs), Saturdays 5pm till 1am (8 hrs), Sundays at Bank holidays 6pm till 11pm (5 hrs). The initial period will be the two May Bank Holidays -3,4 & 5 & 24, 25 & 26 May 2024 and the weekend at the end of the local half term break 31 May and 1 June 2024. After this a review will be held where initial results will be examined and any adjustments to the scheme made. The Street Support operation will resume over the seven school summer holiday weekends - 19 & 20, 26&27 July, 2&3, 9&10, 16&17, 23&24, and 30&31 August (note: this does not currently include the Sunday of the August Bank holiday). As this is a trial, the dates and times may vary slightly as we find out when they are most needed. More dates will be added should more funding become available. Any changes will be advertised on the Town Council Facebook page and website www.windermere-tc.gov.uk. The Town Council would like to thank Westmorland & Furness Council for their financial support of this trial, the Police for their advice and guidance, Barwatch for their input and support and Tactical Security for helping to make the trial possible with the funding available. Windermere Gateway Project Community Consultation Response.
The Town Council used their Facebook page to inform the community of the recent Gateway Project Consultation Event. This event generated a great many comments and questions on that page. We felt they were important questions which needed answering. The Town Council Communication Team took the key issues and questions that had been made by residents on this page and put them into a document which we sent to the LDNPA explaining what the Windermere residents wanted to know. The various organisations involved, Urban Splash, National Trust, Westmorland and Furness Council and LDNPA, have used our submission and the responses to the drop in event to compile a list of FAQs which they have attempted to answer in as much detail as they are able at this point in time. This document is available as a PDF here. These FAQs are also shared on the webpage of each partner, which are linked below: Urban Splash https://www.urbansplash.co.uk/windermere-infrastructure-planning-consultation Lake District National Park Authority www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/windermeregateway National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.uk/windermere-gateway Westmorland and Furness Council https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/business-and-licensing/business-support/town-and-village-projects/windermere-gateway These FAQs do not represent the views of the Town Council who will continue to ensure that the voices of residents are heard and that information is shared as widely as possible. At the meeting on 18th January 2024, the Town Council unanimously agreed to adopt the following position as the best way to safeguard the future of Lake Windermere. Windermere & Bowness Town Council fully support any project or initiative that will stop all sewage discharges into Lake Windermere. In particular, we welcome the “Lake Annecy Solution” proposed by United Utilities in their email to customers on 30 November 2023, and urge all relevant parties to progress this project speedily. The document describing the Lake Annecy solution is available on our website here (see pages 5&6): action_plan_for_windermere_-_united_utilities.pdf We know that the quality of the water in Lake Windermere is of huge importance to our residents as shown by the questions at our Annual Parish Meeting last April. Since then, the Town Council has set up an advisory group to lead their work on the matter and has been working with a network of other organisations to prioritise the health of the lake. Additional details of the proposed scheme, along with maps detailing the possible route of the pipes have been provided by United Utilities:
Feasibility Review Summary: Between July and December 2023, a team of 15 engineers, from multiple disciplines, conducted a high-level feasibility assessment to understand how all discharges within the Windermere catchment could be diverted and taken to a notional treatment facility at Grange Over Sands. The review has accounted for known factors, such as topography and areas of ecological importance - to develop a detailed proposal for a scheme of this magnitude would require further detailed investigation, however the assessment undertaken to date has demonstrated what a theoretical view could entail, summarised as follows:
Good evening! It was a fabulous night on Thursday 19th October 2023 at the 10th Windermere In Bloom annual award ceremony! The evening started with a report from Deputy Mayor Lisa Greasley reporting back on the success of the Town Council at the Cumbria in Bloom Awards: The Town Council's work in Elleray Woods and Orrest Head was judged to be "Outstanding" rating Gold for Biodiversity and Woodland. The developments at Jubilee Garden in Bowness was also judged to be "Outstanding". The Town Council are very proud to have provided these outstanding spaces for the residents to enjoy. After that it was on to the main event handing out certificates and trophies to the people and organisations throughout the Town who had created such wonderful gardens this season. A huge congratulations to all the amazing trophy winners for so much hard work creating all their beautiful gardens and displays! A big thanks to Deputy Mayor Lisa Greasley, Cllr Christine Hallatsch and the Mayor Leith Hallatsch for organising everything, a lot of hours went into this event and it was not an easy job to judge so many beautiful gardens and displays. The Town Council hope you all enjoyed yourselves, many thanks to everyone for coming! Windermere in Bloom Awards Evening19th October 2023:
The annual celebration of our fantastic gardeners who help make our Town such a colourful and biodiverse place to live is coming up soon. The awards evening will be held at the Marchesi Centre at 7pm on Thursday 19th October. If you have received an invitation please RSVP to Cllr Christine Hallatsch as soon as possible as we need to know the number of people attending for catering purposes. Thank you to all the members of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir from Bolton, London and beyond for sharing their culture with us in a spectacular procession in Bowness this morning. Mayor Leith Hallatsch enjoyed the additions to his mayoral chain of office. Windermere & Bowness Town Council are happy to have supported the fundraising dynamo and 8 year old double amputee Tony Hudgell as he summitted Orrest Head today. He and his crowd of supporters got to enjoy magnificent views from the Wainwright summit owned by the people of Windermere. For more information visit the Tony Hudgell Foundation . Pictures of Tony crossing the finish line. The service will be held at Windermere War Memorial at 2.30pm on Sunday 13th November. All welcome.
After losing 20% of their volunteers during Covid, the store in Bowness really needs your help. Even 2 hours a week would be hugely appreciated and of enormous impact. Just pop in to the shop on Crag Brow or visit https://myvolunteer.bhf.org.uk/register
The Christmas Markets on Bowness Glebe will be held this year in late November and on Sunday 4th December. For any further information, please contact [email protected]
This will take place on the weekend of Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th December this year, in central Windermere. For any enquiries, please contact [email protected]
The Summer Music Festival takes place in July & August this year. The events that are local to Windermere are listed on the attached programme. ![]()
At the AGM on 4th May 2022, Cllr Kate Tripp was elected as Town Mayor and Cllr Leith Hallatsch as Deputy Mayor.
The Town Council is inviting bids from local individuals and companies for its contracts for toilets cleaning and maintenance. The contracts are for 5 years and the specifications are shown below. Candidates can bid for one or both contracts separately. The deadline for return of bids is 14th January 2022 usign the form attached. . If you need any further information, please contact the Assistant Town Clerk, Rebecca Pinder on [email protected] or call on 07922 086978 ![]()
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There will be a small wreath laying ceremony held at the War Memorial at 11am on Thursday 11th November 2021. Please note that there will not be a parade this year.
Latest Updates: as at 21 May 2020:
Approach to schools reopening Following the Prime Minister’s announcement that schools could begin to reopen from 1 June, the county council has been working closely with schools and Trade Unions to understand how this should happen in Cumbria. Given the wide diversity of schools in Cumbria there will not be one single approach to reopening that applies to all schools. Instead, individual schools, and school clusters, will make their own decisions following a risk based assessment process. Support will continue to be available to schools from the council and from public health experts to complete this assessment. This will enable schools to consider the potential risks and issues carefully before reaching a decision. This includes things like: how social distancing can be implemented, site safety, the availability of staff and resources, safe transport, emergency procedures and supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), mostly in the form of hand sanitiser, gloves and face masks The council’s key message for parents is that there will be different arrangements in different areas and it is vital that they carefully read the communications from their child’s school about what is happening locally. Cllr Sue Sanderson, Cabinet Member for Schools and Learning, said: “The council has worked closely with schools to provide support and guidance all the way through this situation and the approach to reopening builds on that good work. “There is such wide variety in our schools in terms of their buildings and the communities they serve that it is sensible for each to make its own decision about reopening, supported by expert advice from the council and public health. ‘Respect our communities’ message repeated for bank holiday Visitors to South Lakeland are being urged to behave with respect towards local communities as we look ahead to the bank holiday weekend and school half-term next week. The new national guidance around travel restrictions now permits unlimited travel time to exercise and unlimited exercise time. Cumbria’s multi-agency Local Resilience Forum, which includes SLDC, is repeating its calls for people to stay local for their exercise and not rush back to the Lake District just yet. The messaging appeared to have worked well last weekend and the Resilience Forum reported that the impacts were not as bad as feared. Areas including the Glebe at Bowness and Tarn Hows were busy and there were high numbers of motorbikes in some areas, but monitoring by LDNPA suggested overall numbers in the national park were lower than expected. In response to the new government guidance, SLDC has made a number of changes to car parking arrangements, has re-opened its marina facilities at Ferry Nab, Bowness-on-Windermere, and has updated guidance on use of public open spaces managed by the council. The overall message remains ‘Please don’t head back to the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales just because you can, we are not ready for you yet.’ Nearly all attractions, shops, public toilets and accommodation providers are closed, for now. For those that do decide to visit the area there are three key messages: RESPECT our communities - Be considerate and don’t do things that increase the risk or cause problems for local people, particularly the vulnerable. For example, avoid using paths through farmers yards, park considerately, keep your dog on a lead and take your litter home. - Plan ahead and avoid busy places. - Consider the lack of toilet and washing facilities and don’t behave in an anti-social manner. RESPECT the risk - South Lakeland and Cumbria continues to record new cases of the virus every day and the threat has not gone away - Don’t take risks on the fells, on the water or on the roads. Stay within the limits of your ability and equipment at all times. - If you get into trouble, help may take longer to arrive and you will put unnecessary additional pressure on local health and emergency workers as well as volunteer mountain rescue and coastal rescue services. RESPECT the rules - Observe all social distancing rules - The government guidance is clear that there should be no overnight stays, no camping, no visiting second homes - Avoid crowds - Wash hands regularly Car parking To help manage visitor car parking, agencies that operate car parks in the national parks, including the National Trust, United Utilities, local councils and both the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, have agreed to re-open any closed car parks and re-introduce parking charges where they had been suspended to support key workers in the Coronavirus response. This is to remove the incentive of free parking that may attract more visitors, but also to provide adequate parking to avoid vehicles being left on grass verges or in side streets or residential areas. SLDC has reintroduced parking charges on all its car parks within the Lake District National Park. Parking charges will continue to be suspended on SLDC car parks outside the national parks (in Grange, Milnthorpe, Kirkby Lonsdale, Kendal and Ulverston) until June. NHS staff, care workers and NHS volunteer responders involved in the Coronavirus response will be able to obtain a key worker parking pass from their employer under the government guidance, which will allow them to park for free on all SLDC car parks. Passes are available through NHS Trusts, local authorities and the Royal Voluntary Service. For further details visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-health-care-and-volunteer-workers-parking-pass-and-concessions Any SLDC parking permits that expired at the end of March can still be used until the end of May. Revised signs have been erected in car parks to ensure social distancing and signs in car parks where charges have been reintroduced will strongly encourage pay-by-phone and contactless payments to reduce risk of virus transmission. A new web page is being promoted by the LDNPA www.saferlakes.co.uk which encourages people travelling to the Lake District to park safely and avoid the more popular destinations. Parks and playgrounds Government advice is that the risk of infection outside is significantly lower than inside, and has updated its rules so that, as well as exercise, people can now also spend time outdoors. SLDC has put up new signs in parks and public spaces that it manages urging compliance with social distancing guidelines and use of personal sanitisers after contact with any shared surfaces. SLDC is reminding everyone that play areas managed by the council will remain closed in line with the government’s latest guidance. Ferry Nab Marina, Bowness Clarification received from government has confirmed that all forms of water sports practiced on open waterways, including sailing and windsurfing, are now allowed. As a result SLDC has re-opened its marina facilities at Ferry Nab, Bowness. Signage has been erected urging users of the facilities to observe social distancing guidelines and to use personal sanitisers after contact with any shared surfaces. More details about specific Covid-19 arrangements at the marina, including about arrangements for launching boats and staying overnight on boats, can be found on the SLDC website: https://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/leisure-culture-and-events/windermere-lake/ferry-nab-coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/ For more details on messages for visitors to the Lake District, see: www.saferlakes.co.uk Handyperson scheme resumes A scheme that supports elderly or vulnerable residents with practical help around their homes is re-starting after being suspended due to Coronavirus restrictions. South Lakeland District Council’s (SLDC) Handyperson Scheme offers assistance with small jobs around the home to help people maintain independent living and quality of life. When running normally, the service provides help with anything from changing a lightbulb to putting up shelving, installing hand rails and small repairs such as unblocking sinks. The work is free of charge and only materials need to be paid for. The scheme was suspended in line with government guidance following the Coronavirus outbreak, but following a review this week in light of new government advice SLDC has decided to partially reintroduce the service and accept referrals for external work only. This would include jobs such as clearing gutters on bungalows, fitting outside grab rails and installing a key safe. No work will be undertaken at the current time that would require entering a resident’s property, even if that is just to access the back, for example to fit a grab rail on the outside back wall of the home. Each request through the Handyperson Scheme will be carefully screened by council staff to ensure the job can be carried out in accordance with these restrictions and while observing social distancing before the job is passed on to the contractor. Assistance under the Handyperson Scheme is available to people who are unable to undertake the task themselves and have no other person available to help them with the task and reside in the South Lakeland area, who: · are aged 65 and over; or · have a disability or are vulnerable; or · are being discharged or have recently been discharged from hospital; or · are at high risk of falling due to a medical condition; or · potential victims of crime, who are referred by the police Works are limited to a maximum of three hours on site if one handy person visits, or 1.5 hours if two handy people visit. The scheme is supported by Cumbria Constabulary and Age UK, and the fitting of minor security measures is also included in the scheme. Windermeals Update (11th May)
Please see the update from Bowness & Windermere Community Care Trust: Thanks to the continuing generosity of all of the organisations and companies who are now helping fund this project recipient numbers have been growing every week. Since the project started on the 17th April we have now distributed over 813 Windermeals on the seven delivery days involved. On Tuesday this week 165 portion of soup and fresh bread rolls were distributed and yesterday 220 Afternoon Teas were provided to add a special something to help those shielded in their homes during VE Day celebrations. This one off special was kindly additionally funded by the Roselands Trust but would not have been possible without all of the support that your organisations are providing in making this project deliverable in our community. Every Afternoon Tea was accompanied by a Union Flag, a little addition to help the celebrations along. We expect to reach our initial target of 400 soup deliveries per week by next week. Additionally we are now intending to add a hot meal offer to the soup deliveries following support from Windermere Town Council. We are hoping to commence this extension of provision on May 15th. For those of you that utilise Facebook please visit our new Facebook page (search on Facebook for Bowness and Windermere Community Care Trust) or just click below: https://www.facebook.com/yourBWCCT/ I would also wish to recognise the growing group of socially distancing volunteers who help ensure the efficient distribution (and always with a smile) and last, but not least, to the team at Lamplighter Dining Rooms for their tremendous work in producing Windermeals. NHS Recovery Centres:
Considerable progress has been made by the NHS and partners to provide beds at the following locations:
The intention is to first use the significant extra capacity created in our main hospitals through cancelling non-urgent treatment. The Recovery Centres will be used for patients who are medically fit for discharge and are well enough to leave hospital, but need a little extra support to get back to their home. Recovery Centre beds will ONLY be used if needed. We are continuing to work with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and NHS England to ensure the care in the units will meet the required standards for this type of provision. We know that we will need the support of many volunteers to make this happen. They will be vital to support the organisation of the centres, building and maintaining the facilities, ensuring patients are served food and drinks and providing a friendly ear. So there is some work underway to recruit people with the skills who are able and willing to help at this time. We will update you on our progress in the days ahead and are planning work with the media as the work progresses. Anyone interested in volunteering should register an interest here https://supportcumbria.org.uk/ Grants now available to small businesses: SLDC have launched the application process: SLDC has today announced the launch of its online application form for Government business grants for businesses affected by COVID 19. Businesses who meet the eligible criteria can now apply. There are two grants available: - Cash grant for retail, hospitality and leisure - Small Business Grant Funding Go to the SLDC website for the eligibility criteria and online form. PLEASE NOTE YOU WILL NEED YOUR BUSINESS RATES REFERENCE NUMBER WHEN APPLYING FOR GRANTS. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria or you are seeking additional support measures, all the latest up-to-date government information can be found at Gov.UK Business Support The sites below also have helpful up to date information and advice. Cumbria County Council Updates Cumbria Tourism Updates Or email requests can be made for help to [email protected]. C. General Guidance on support available in Cumbria: See useful guidelines on the PDF document below D.Grants now available to charities and individuals from the Cumbria Community Foundation: See advice on how to claim in the PDF document below. ![]()
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E: Cumbria Police Statement on how they will approach those who are out and about helping others: ![]()
It should be noted, that, in the light of the announcement made on 23rd March by the Prime Minister, most visitor facilities are now suspended in the Lake District. The Town Council has closed its public toilets facilities today, as it is impossible to guarantee the safety of the cleaning and coin collection staff. Cumbria will wlecome back visitors as soon as circumstances permit but, for now, it is best that we all follow the government guidelines and stay at home.
SLDC have set up a strategic group to manage the challenges from the virus outbreak and the impact on local communities and council services. See briefing note attached. ![]()
50% off for all residents of LA23 during this week! Use Code "resident 2020" when booking.
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