Breast cancer charity Paddlers For Life (PFL) hopes to stage Cumbria’s first dragon boat event to raise awareness of the disease and build community partnerships.

The week-long Celebration of Life event would cost £400,000 to stage and could draw 65 dragon boat crews from across Europe, North America, Canada and South Africa to Windermere.

The PFL committee – which consists of just three part-time members – will compete against dozens of international dragon boat groups to host the event in September 2014.

“We want this area to become a centre of excellence for dragon boating in Cumbria,” said PFL secretary Louisa Balderson, who travelled with the group to the International Dragon Boat Festival in Canada, in June.

During a meeting with Mrs Balderson, SLDC leader Brendan Jameson said the event could coincide with the Olympic Torch Relay if the Cumbria Olympic Steering Group wins its bid to have the torch pass through the county.

“We need to keep our profile up as an outstanding area for outdoor festivals,” he said. “I feel so optimistic that this will take off in a way we never expected. It’s a huge opportunity and one we must not miss.”

SLDC chair Sylvia Emmott also offered her support and promised to hold an event to raise money for a third dragon boat for PFL members.

PFL Windermere also hopes to stage a £10,000 dragon boat festival with 30 teams on the lake next June.

Organisers are currently seeking support from local organisations including South Lakeland District Council, English Lakes Hotels, Dragon Boats Events Ltd and Cumbria PCT.

Mrs Balderson said her ambition is to set up a parent dragon boat racing organisation in the Lake District which could aid groups across the UK.

Lynn Shamel, 56, from Ulverston, was one of the first breast cancer survivors to join the Windermere group.

“We’ve certainly got the enthusiasm to encourage dragon boating in other areas of the country and Windermere is the perfect place for an event like this,” she said. “You make wonderful friendships, it is good exercise and great to be part of a team. It’s just an amazing feeling, I would encourage anyone to try it.”

Hindus pay homage to leader in Bowness

A BLAZE of colour and hum of Asian pipes filled the streets of a Lake District town as hundreds of Hindu worshippers headed to the area for a pilgrimage to their religious figurehead.

The holy day in memory Gurudev Adya Acharyapravar Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa – founder of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan – saw a procession through Bowness, a ceremonial tree planting and a picnic.

The event commemorates his visit to the Lakes on August 30 1979 and his death later that same evening.

Centre stage, in the form of a swan float, was his heir and the head of the religious group, Acharya Swamishree, being led through the procession with a line of followers behind him dressed in bright orange clothes to symbolise their devotion to him.

Acharya Swanistree’s float, which represented all that was good in nature, was in the middle of an array of musicians including Dhol drummers a Gadi pipe band, with worshippers singing in front and behind the float.

People of all ages and from all over the world descended on the town for the 31st anniversary of the pilgrimage.

One of the organisers, Fahesh Varsari said: “For us Windermere is considered sacred. We come here ever year to remember our leader and what he stood for – peace and compassion.”

Windermere’s Mayor, Coun Bill Smith, described the event as “excellent” in terms of welcoming other cultures to the town and celebrating their message.

Town centre manager, Paul Holdsworth said: “It puts Bowness on the map. It’s great for local businesses to have hundreds of people coming into their shops and it’s also good for spreading the message of peace and love.”

After the procession the crowds went on a boat ride on Windermere where a plaque incorporating a picture of Swamibapa was added to the front of the boat.

One of the organisers, Vanita Vekaria, said: “This is a most important event. This is our chance to see our leader who always comes here in the summer.”

Over 300 trees were planted as part of a ceremony which Shushita Shaushan, who tavelled to the day from Bolton, said had been the most exciting part of the day. “Its just a really nice thing to do, its great to remember our leader in this way,” she said.

A special home-cooked Indian vegetarian picnic was also held on the Glebe.

Tourist Joe Hill, of Newcastle, said: “It’s just a fantastic sight. I have never seen anything quite like it. It’s a shame that we don’t get to see this type of thing more often because it’s brilliant.”

Feeding the orphaned donkeys at Orchard Donkey Sanctuay at The Country Fair at Torver.

A POPULAR South Lakeland show that has been blighted by weather problems in the past staged a successful event at the weekend.

The 2008 renewal of the Lakeland Country Fair in Torver even had to be cancelled because of poor conditions underfoot, but organisers this year ran out of programmes as the glorious weather attracted thousands of visitors.

Conditions were so clear that people could see fell runners at the top of Coniston Old Man in a race won by Howgill’s Carl Bell 56 minutes and four seconds. Last year’s winner Ben Abdelnoor, from Ambleside, finished second. First home in the women’s race was Karen Robertson.

“It went really well,” said Alison Bolt, show secretary. “If you can’t do well on a day like that then when can you? It was just perfect. We get on average 3,000 people but they kept coming and we got a good mix of local people and visitors.”

The only disappointment on the day was that a paragliding display had to be cancelled because the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

Winner of the J Olstead Trophy for overall dog winner was a Foxhound called Tulip, from the Mellbreak hunt, based at Lawton, near Cockermouth.

Many Lake District skills were on show, including stickmaking, sheepshearing, spinning, weaving, woodcarving, beekeeping, fly tying, taxidermy, ferret racing and a horn-blowing competition.

For the first time this year, a display of working horses and ponies wowed the crowds as well.

Pursuit of pine marten begins in Grizedale

THE pursuit of one of England’s rarest mammals has started in South Lakeland.

A coast-to-coast 15-day search across northern England aims to track down the rare and elusive pine marten.

As many as 200 volunteers could be getting involved in the search, which began in Grizedale Forest. The pursuit, involving a mix of hiking and 4×4 travel, will then pass up through sites in West Cumbria, North Cumbria and Northumberland, before going down through Durham and finishing in the North Yorkshire Moors on Wednesday, August 25.

The group have so far visited forests in Thirlmere and the Eden Valley among other locations in a bid to find the rare creature.

Volunteers and scientists with the Herefordshire-based Vincent Wildlife Trust are setting up remote cameras to try to capture footage of the rare animal. They are also using cameras with scent and sound lures to attract them, while groups are searching for pine marten droppings and are erecting and surveying den boxes at woodland sites.

Although no pine martens have been found yet, morale is high among the searchers. “I’m really enjoying the pursuit – it’s been brilliant,” said Lizzie Croose, administration and field assistant with the trust. We’re still very hopeful of finding one and the weather has been fantastic so far. Pine martens are really rare. We know they’re surviving in small pockets and one of those pockets is in the Lake District. We need to know what’s going on with them, find out why they’re not recovering and see what we can do to help these small populations that we have got.”

The pine marten had become extinct throughout much of Britain by the early part of the 20th century because they were killed off by foxes, who compete with pine martens for food, and humans, who used the creatures’ fur for clothing.

Small populations survived in Wales and the Marches in Lanark, Scotland, and in areas of northern England. Relatively strong populations are still to be found in some parts of the Scottish Highlands where persecution pressures are less.

If anybody spots a pine marten, they can report the sighting to the trust on 01531 636441, or complete an online form from www.vwt.org.uk.

Walking drawing to be created on Bay sands

HUNDREDS of people are being invited to take part in the creation of a major piece of public art on two Cumbrian beaches.

London-based artist Everton Wright will be creating a Walking Drawing on the sands of Morecambe Bay on September 16 and on the shoreline at Silecroft on September 15.

A walking drawing is created using a combination of freehand and mechanical tools on a vast landscape of at least a quarter-of-a-mile in the early hours of the morning.

People of different ages, genders and cultures all dressed in black are then led onto the drawing and invited to walk its lines in various formats and patterns. The entire process will be filmed and photographed for a new art film installation to be shown at venues and festivals around the country.

Queens Guide to the Sands, Cedric Robinson is working with Evewright Studios, of which Mr Wright is the director, on the project to include a Bay Walk across Duddon Sands.

Explaining why he chose Morecambe Bay as a venue for the work, Mr Wright, who pioneered Britain’s first ever online social network for black British culture and has won awards for his artwork including the People Choice Award at Morley Gallery for his sculpture of actress Fiona Shaw, said: “Quite simply because it is an area of outstanding natural beauty, not often recognised as such. It is also one of the few places in the country that has such a large expanse of sand, vast enough to produce a walking drawing. W alking drawings create stunning and significant visual art that local communities can be involved in, which at the same time subtlely raises awareness around pertinent issues in our society, from climate change to human rights. The entire process (creating the drawing, the various walks on the drawing through the day) is filmed, photographed and then shown in venues and art festivals as an art film installation.”

Susannah Bleakley of the Morecambe Bay Partnership said: “I’m delighted that Everton Wright has chosen this area for his next walking drawings. The scale and grandeur of Morecambe Bay make it a fitting stage for a walking drawing performance.”

Hundreds flock to Rydal Sheepdog Trials

SHEPHERDS’ whistles, barking dogs and monsoon-like rain all served to ensure a treasured Lake District event was a memorable one.

The 107th Vale of Rydal Sheepdog Trials and Hound Show took over Rydal Park, Ambleside, thanks to Richard Le Fleming and tenant farmer Chris Hodgson, who gathered the sheep down from the fells for dozens of dogs to fetch and gather.

The day-long contest was strong, with triallers from as far away as Scotland showing their skills – among those in the Le Fleming Stakes was Arthur Temple, from Holmrook, on the west coast, with his four-year-old Bob and two-year-old bitch Meg. With the help of Bob, he managed to pen the four edgy sheep, and afterwards he said: “This was his first time on the course and he did well, but there were just too many bends in his run out, so we will lose points for that. The sheep were a bit testy.”

Cath Flynn had travelled down from Lockerbie to take part in the historic event for the first time with her two-year-old border collie Killibrae Willow, who got so hot during the proceedings that she could not resist taking a dip in the pond on the competition field in order to cool down. “She’s a young dog and I was very pleased with how she did out there,” said Mrs Flynn. “It’s a difficult course – it looks easy but it is not. The sheep were also very touchy and you had to be very gentle with them. I decided to come here because of the appeal of being in the Lake District, which I love. This is my hobby and I enjoy working with dogs.”

The winner of The Le Fleming Stakes was Alan Temple of Holm-rook, with Meg, on 79 points, just edging out Richard Briggs, of Wennington, with 78.

Winner of the open hound trail was Glen, trained by 13-year-old Jenny Bland who was ‘as pleased as Punch’ with the performance of her dog, who followed the aniseed from the showfield across the fells and back again, in just over 30 minutes. “I’m really glad he won,” she beamed. “He was here a fortnight ago at Ambleside sports and won then too. My whole family trains hounds and I enjoy the thrill of getting them running well and watching them finish. It was quite tense at the end of the race because it was quite close.”

Chairman Bert Metcalfe said he was delighted to see so many people enjoying the show at Underley Park after three years of difficulties – including a foot-and-mouth scare in 2007 and two years of bad weather.

“It’s been a difficult few years for us but we finally feel like we’re getting back on track – the numbers were up in every category.”

He added: “We were forced to cancel two years on the trot – in 2007 and 2008 – so it’s taken a while to get the support back but I think this year everyone has really enjoyed themselves.”

In the cattle section the supreme champion prize went to 13-month-old limousin, Netherhall Elderberry.

The cow’s owner David Kelly of Nether Hall Farm, Mansergh said: “Elderberry also won the best beef cattle category so it’s been a really good day for us.

“We’ve been working with her for weeks now, walking her around and training her. We’ll be taking her to the Westmorland Show next.”

A nine month old British Blue calf – Lune Valley Ego – was another star of the cattle section, winning the best bull of any age category.

Owner Thomas Althams said: “There’s been really good compeition today and Ego has only been away from his mother for two weeks so it’s an unbelievable achievement to win. Next year he’ll be a bit bigger then he’ll come back and do the business!”

For the second year in a row the supreme sheep prize went to a Suffolk Blue owned by Allen Blair of Thornton Cleveleys.

The Blair family also came away with five other first prizes for their Suffolks, including the best breeders group.

Aside from the animals, there was lots to keep children entertained with a traditional Punch and Judy show by Tony James and a parade by the Lune Valley Hunt.

Glen Dodd, whose shire horse Browsmarie won the best heavy horse category, said she had really enjoyed the day, but it would have been nice to have younger ones showing off their animals. “I would have liked to have seen some more younger faces. It really is such a good experience – leading your animal round and showing it off. It teaches them responsibility, manners and better behaviour and it’s a really enjoyable thing to do.”

The iconic tower, on top of Hoad Hill, will be officially unveiled by Sir Anthony Barrow, the seventh Baronet of Ulverston, on Sunday, August 22.

A gala of songs and stories has been organised at Ford Park by the Ford Park Community Group, a barn dance will take place at Lanternhouse, The Ellers, and fireworks will be let loose at the monument to round off the day.

The event celebrates the joint initiative between South Lakeland District Council, English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Cumbria County Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Ulverston Town Council.

Coun Colin Hodgson, who has helped organise the event, said in a town council meeting: “We’ve been given every assurance that all the main work has now been done and it’s looking very well.

“It will be a credit to the town and the contractors. Working on this project has been good – I’ve enjoyed it. I just hope for some fine weather on the 22nd now.”

The landmark, which was originally built in 1850, was closed in 2003 for a £1.2million makeover.

Countney Jackson 1st Prize Longest Runner Bean.

MORE entries than usual came flooding in to Ambleside’s Summer Flower Show and Craft Fair.

It left the organisers in the big marquee hunting for extra tables for the bumper entry of home-grown flowers, fruit and vegetables, wines, eggs, cookery and crafts.

Show president Peter Howarth predicted there could be even greater numbers of exhibitors in the next few years to make local shows ever more popular.

Ambleside’s Summer Show returned to the rugby ground after six years in other venues, and the quality of entries impressed both visitors and judges. Homemade wine judge Edwin Booth, chairman of the Booths supermarket chain, said the selection of wines ranging from gorse to hawthorn was not only the most diverse but also the best batch he had ever tasted.

But overall it was not an easy year for vegetable or flower growers, with a six month drought giving way to weeks of rain. However, every cloud has a silver lining, and damp, shade-tolerant shrubs such as hydrangea flourished happily under the summer’s grey skies, with colourful vivid yellow and scarlet begonias, ruby red dahlias and deep purple buddleia.

Previous competitors who had not shown for a few years made a welcome return, competing with first-time gardeners and experienced stalwarts including Ronnie Holmes of Natland, Clifford Atkinson from Langdale and wine-maker par excellence, Betty Taylor.

A perfect trio of small dahlias from David Johnson, Coniston, earned him the Blue Ribbon for best exhibit in the show. Although floral display classes showed a drop in WI and club entries, the men-only floral class entitled “big boys’ toys” gave ingenious Luke Todd the chance to incorporate a military tank into his entry, while elsewhere everything from the humble dog bowl to a teapot provided a host of unusual containers and displays.

“This show is all about having plenty of imagination and good presentation, and it’s often the simplest of ideas that are the most effective”, Lakes Parish Council Chairman and long-standing show supporter Leslie Johnson said. “What comes out more clearly than anything at Ambleside is the incredible amount of imagination, persistence and dedication that people have.”

Junior entrants included fourth-generation exhibitor Courtney Jackson and her prize-winning fuschia with younger brother Alex. The children’s classes were very well supported, as were handicrafts, woodwork and photography.

With over 50 people waiting to start work on their new allotments in Ambleside alone, the potential for new exhibitors is exciting the local societies: “It could be a bright future for our show with such a real enthusiasm for allotments in Ambleside, Windermere, Kendal and all around,” Mr Howarth said. “As a society it would be a wonderful thing to liaise with them, and get allotment holders right on stream with display and presentation skills – we’re looking forward to their first entries very much.”

Abstract wartime painter and Dada collagist Kurt Schwitters worked in the Merzbarn building as a commissioned artist for the New York Museum of Modern Art.

English Heritage are opening his workplace, situated in remote Langdale woodland, from 9 – 12 September, as part of their national Local Heritage Open Days.

For more information visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk