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.”

Councillor Graham Vincent, portfolio holder for Economy and Enterprise, Michael Keane, Assistant Director Social Enterprise and a larger than life mobile phone (Laura Bell SLDC Communications Manager).

A PIONEERING pay by phone car park system is being trialled in the Lake District.

The new scheme – which runs alongside the traditional pay and display option – is being tested at the Glebe Road Car Park in Bowness.

Users of the car park are able to use their mobile phone to pay for parking. If they decide to stay for longer, they are able to top up the extra time using their mobile phone without having to return to their car.

To use the system, motorists have to ring a number displayed in the car park and on ticket machines and register their details. They can park as often as they like and use the number to pay via their credit or debit cards.

Speaking at the launch, Coun Graham Vincent, South Lakeland Distrcit Council’s (SLDC) portfolio holder for economy and enterprise, said:“We want to use modern technology to take the hassle out of parking. People will no longer have to worry about staying longer in the car park than they originally planned or have to search for change on arrival. Customers will be able to organise their parking requirements with just one simple transaction that allows flexibility and is easy for them to use.”

Over the past couple of weeks, a trial of the pay by phone system has been in operation at Braithwaite Fold Car Park in Bowness and so far over 90 people have signed up and used the new system.

Pay by phone systems have been tested by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) and Allerdale Borough Council and customer feedback has been positive. After the trial has been carried out a further report will be brought back to the council’s cabinet and if the new pay by phone scheme proves a success, the council will then look to purchase the system jointly with the LDNPA to be used in all SLDC car parks.

But car park users are not convinced the new system will bring any benefits. James Gardner, 43, from County Durham, said: “I can’t see the attraction personally. It doesn’t save you any money and tourists who use the car park will not be bothered (to register) as they are only likely to be here once.

Grasmere shop launches 'Leave No Crumbs' fundraiser

ONE of Cumbria’s oldest food producers is urging visitors to the Lake District to go green by eating a tasty residue of its traditional baking process.

The 156-year-old Grasmere Gingerbread Shop is selling bags of its much sought-after crumbs to raise money for conservation projects.

Called ‘Leave No Crumbs’ the campaign hopes to raise thousands of pounds for charity Nurture Lakeland over the next few years.

“Chefs, local restaurants and regular customers have always asked us for crumbs for recipes. They are a natural by-product of our baking process,” explained Joanne Wilson who manages the shop.

“The idea of ‘Leave No Crumbs’ started out as an anti-litter message therefore leaving the landscape as you found it.

“We were then approached by Nurture Lakeland to support its work in conservation and it seemed a great way of helping them to protect the national park which so many of us rely upon for our livelihoods.”

The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop sells bags of crumbs for £2. From now on they will donate £1 per bag to Nurture Lakeland.

“I’ve been asking the bakers to work out how many bags of crumbs we generate in a year,” added Joanne. “They are still doing the calculations but it is certainly more than 1,000.”

Celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver and Cumbria’s Peter Sidwell, as well as local restaurants The Wild Boar and Log House use Grasmere Gingerbread crumbs in dishes.

Tiffany Solender of Nurture Lakeland said: “As a charity working with visitors and tourism-related businesses it’s fantastic to have one of our most iconic brands on board.

“Their corporate membership of Nurture Lakeland is a great a boost for us and I hope it encourages even more local businesses to sign up to a fantastic cause.”

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.

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.”

Photo by Milton Haworth

THIRTY spectacular birds of prey have been released into the heart of the Lake District.

The release of the red kites by the Forestry Commission has taken two years to plan, and is the first phase of the landmark final reintroduction of the birds in England.

Taken as hatchlings from a Forestry Commission site in Northamptonshire, the red kites have spent the past month growing in a specially constructed pen hidden at a secret location within Grizedale Forest.

Forestry Commission wildlife ranger Iain Yoxall released the birds along with Karl Ivens, Forestry Commission chief wildlife ranger for the Northamptonshire and Sherwood Forest district.

“It has gone very well,” said Mr Yoxall. “There were some reluctant birds but they came out soon enough and the birds reacted just as we thought they would. This is a real conservation coup for the Forestry Commission and for the area to bring back a species that has been missing for so long. I’m really proud.”

Another 60 birds will be released over the next two years Around half a dozen of the kites released at Grizedale are carrying radio transmitters. This will allow the forest’s wildlife rangers to monitor their progress and help judge the scheme’s success.

The quake, which registered at 1.7 in magnitude on the Richter Scale, rumbled from an epicentre at Windermere just after 1am.

It was also felt in Staveley and Kendal but no damage was reported around the area.

Wendy Chandler, aged 70, from Watchgate, Selside, was awake when it happened, and said: “I heard an enormous bang, a bit like a cannon – it didn’t sound like any normal traffic noise. The window vibrated as well. It certainly felt like an earth tremor.”

A spokesman from the British Geological Society said these types of shakes happened about 45 times annually in the UK. He said: “The Lake District is quite an active area. Another one could happen tomorrow – you just can’t tell.”

Hundreds of Hindus to converge on Bowness

A HINDU pilgrimage will see hundreds of worshippers flock to a South Lakeland beauty spot this month.

Dhol drummers and Asian pipe bands will pave the way for followers of the Hindu faith Shree Swaminarayan Gadi.

The group will lead a procession up to the Glebe in Bowness to commemorate the life of a religious figurehead who brought his message of peace from India to the Lake District 30 years ago.

Gurudev Adya Acharyapravar Jeevanpran Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa was the founder of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, the worldwide centre for spiritual, cultural and social welfare.

He toured Windermere on a cruiser boat and held an assembly on the Glebe with hundreds of followers on August 30 1979, but died later that evening.

His spiritual heir His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj plans to come back to the Glebe to re-enact Swamibapa’s last day.

The site has become one of upmost importance for the Shree Swaminarayan Gadi faith, with Windermere’s waters considered to be as purifying as the water from holy rivers in India.

Worshipper Mahesh Roshani, of London, has made the trip back to the spot every year since the group first gathered on the Glebe.

“I’ve never missed this event – I was only nine the first time but I still vividly remember being on the hill with everyone,” said Mr Roshani. “Because this was the last place people saw Swamibapa we regard this as a sacred place – it’s holy for us, not just a tourist spot.”

A tree planting ceremony, colourful Indian procession and free homecooked Indian vegetarian picnic will take place on the Glebe on Monday August 16.