Doves at Kendal Calling. Picture by Martin Woodhead.

WHEN Kendal Called, thousands of hungry music fans roared back.

Kendal Calling, a boutique festival, nestled in the breathtaking surroundings of Lowther Deer Park, went off with a bang last Friday afternoon as Dub Pistols kick-started the Main Stage with a bombastic set of dub, ska and rap.

“We love Cumbria,” announced singer Barry Ashworth, while perched on top of an amp. “This part of the world is going off and we’re delighted to be part of it.”

It was a sentiment adopted by the 8,000 revellers who descended on the beautiful Lakeland setting during a weekend of live bands, DJs and caberet.

Electropop superstar Calvin Harris – whose pal Dizzee Rascal played the festival two years ago – headlined the main stage on Friday night backed by an impressive light show.

He played a multitude of catchy hits, including Ready For The Weekend and Acceptable in the Eighties, prompting a mass rave in the picturesque Eden setting.

Over at the Glow Tent, DJ Yoda proved too popular for his own good as hundreds of desperate fans queued outside as he delivered his exciting cut and paste mash-ups.

The hoards returned early on Saturday as Morecambe four-piece The Heartbreaks took to the Main Stage. The seasiders powered through an exciting set of melancholic, sing-a-long indie, winning a new legion of fans with their catchy riffs.

They were followed by the optimistic feel good pop of OkGo, Sunderland favourites The Futureheads and Mancunian indie heroes Doves.

But it was Kendal’s very own Wild Beasts that proved to be the highlight. Playing their first gig since their Mercury nomination, they drew huge crowds of proud Cumbrians to the Main Stage.

The atmosphere reached fever pitch as the Lakeland romantics raced through stirring beautiful songs including This Is Our Lot, Hooting and Howling and Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants.

On Sunday, Badly Drawn Boy encompassed the family appeal of the festival by bringing his daughter on stage to play a set of undeniably pretty songs.

British Sea Power’s brooding soundscapes drew a distinctly smaller crowd to the Main Stage than fellow Kendalians Wild Beasts, but their set was laced with favourites including Remember Me, Waving Flags and the ever beautiful No Lucifer.

Proving themselves to be true pedellers of grassroots music, festival organisers had hand picked an exciting clutch of new bands to play the Calling Out stage.

Seal Cub Clubbing Club packed out the tent with a vibrant performance of their surreal pop, The Crookes continued that Sheffield tradition of excellence and Deathretro impressed with their psychedelic-tinged electronic rock.

Sunday’s Main Stage headliners The Coral played their usual brand of Sixties style, sing-a-long indie, but it was frenetic pop-punks Dananananakroyd and funk and soul hero Craig Charles who created the buzz needed to close this truly eclectic event.

Before Kendal Calling, Cumbria was crying out for a festival to call its own. Five years on and the event has garnered a reputation to belie its youth.

Co-director Ben Robinson said: “It’s been absolutely amazing, all the hard work has been made worthwhile. Five years ago we just had 800 people and now it’s 8,000 and moved to this fantastic site. We’re really starting to appreciate what we’ve done. I do feel like now we’ve got to five years, I can imagine it going for ten.”

L - R: Thomas Noblett and Andrew ('The Admiral') Tighe.

A FEARLESS team of monster hunters will set sail on Windermere in a fresh search for ‘Bownessie’.

Lakeland hotelier Thomas ‘The Gladiator’ Noblett and celebrity psychic Dean ‘Midas’ Maynard will embark on their second journey into the depths of Windermere in search of the fabled monster.

The two men led a team of investigators to the lake to look for evidence last year but returned empty handed.

“Since last year, a lot of local people have told me they have felt something in the lake but have been too scared to say anything,” said Mr Noblett, owner of the Langdale Chase Hotel. “There is obviously something large in there. You just have to look at the depth, width and length of it to know that.”

Bownessie was first spotted by tourist Steve Burnip in 2006. Mr Burnip described a serpent like creature, around 15-feet in length, at the north end of the lake.

Mr Noblett was prompted to prove the existence of the creature when he was hit by a three-foot wave whilst swimming on Windermere last year.

“A lot of people boo-hoo it but they are mainly people who have never set foot in the Lakes,” said Mr Noblett. “Those who have seen it describe it as a very long and eel-like. One sailor told me he saw what looked like a big slab of meat roll past his boat and disappear underneath the boat. It could be a very large catfish that has just grown to be really big. Some of those fish do live for a very long time.”

Mr Noblett and his crew of three will set out on a £300,000 yacht using sonar equipment to try and track Bownessie.

They will explore the deepest part of the lake and sail to a spot near Gummers Howe, where the creature was snapped by Winderemere photographer Linden Adams in 2007.

“Whenever I swim across the lake I always get the heebys jeebies at that part. There is a real eerie feeling around there.”

Mr Maynard said: “The last Bownessie investigation was very memorable and we are hoping to have the same if not better results this time around. Since last year I have been contacted by many members of the public who have told me that they have also witnessed seeing something large in the lake over the past few years and we hope to get more evidence to back up these claims.”

The Bownessie hunters will set sail on September 11.

The event is to take place over four days in September at some of the Lake District’s most dramatic locations.

Cyclists will be challenged to ride up The Struggle – the notorious one-in-four 1,489-feet climb to Kirkstone Pass – and there will be major trail and fell runs as well as an open water swim and bushcraft foraging walks.

Besides all the outdoor events, there will also be plenty going on under cover, including photographic exhibitions and a film festival, along with talks from guest speakers such as mountaineers Sir Chris Bonington and Doug Scott.

Ambleside Outdoor Festival starts on Thursday September 16 and will feature dozens of events at different locations in, around and near the central Lakeland town through to Sunday September 19.

Ambleside Outdoor Festival organiser Chloe Booth, of Kendal-based Adventure Challenge Solutions, said: “Ambleside is right at the very heart of the Lake District but has never had an outdoor festival of its own – until now. Thanks to the tremendous support we have received from sponsors and other backers, we have been able to pull together a very varied list of events which should appeal to a wide range of people of all ages and interests.”

The major events include: The Great Langdale Trail Run (10am Sat) L Kirkstone Struggle Hill Climb Time Trial (2pm Sat) L Ambleside Fell Run (9am Sun) L Ambleside Openwater Swim at Waterhead (3pm Sun) Other headline appearances will be made by British climbing champion Drew Haigh and pro mountain bike rider Paul Errington.

The festival will also feature an open day, book launch and photographic exhibition to mark the 40th anniversary of the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team. An exhibition of photographs called The Crux will be held at the Parish Centre in Ambleside by The Mountain Heritage Trust, as well as films at Zeffirellis.

Among the other scheduled activities are: guided outdoor climbs and walks, guided mountain bike rides, paddle board practice sessions, stretcher lower demonstrations by Ambleside and Langdale Mountain Rescue Team, gorge scrambling, orienteering taster sessions for children, bike maintenance clinics and a charity bin the boots day!

For further information, go to www.amblesideoutdoorfestival.co.uk or ring 07919 368050

The entire national park has been confirmed as one of this country’s 38 contenders for the status, conferred by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Culture ministers now have the task of reducing this to a shortlist of 10 locations for submission to UNESCO.

If successful, the Lake District will enjoy the same status as the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and tourist numbers could rise significantly.

Britain has 28 World Heritage sites, including Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the Tower of London and Fountains Abbey near Ripon.

The Lake District’s natural beauty and the area’s cultural heritage could also be a vital element in its World Heritage bid. In particular, its links with William Wordsworth and other Lakeland poets are likely to be seen as significant.

Richard Greenwood, development director at Cumbria Tourism, said: “We are surely one of the main contenders to make the shortlist that government will submit to UNESCO next year. The Lake District is England’s largest national park and is one of the most widely recognised UK destinations on a worldwide scale. If, and there is evidence to suggest that it could, World Heritage status reinforces this and adds kudos on an international stage, then we certainly welcome this and the economic benefits that it could potentially bring. However, we still maintain that widespread involvement of industry and community is needed throughout the process to enable everyone to have their say.”

Other sites hoping for a place on the shortlist are Blackpool, the Norfolk Broads and the Forth Bridge in Scotland. The UK bids will be considered by UNESCO next year.

The Herdy Company, which sells ‘ethical’ gift products inspired by the Lake District’s Herdwick sheep, was named Small Company of the Year at the Business in the Community (BIC) awards last week.

Company director Diane Hannah said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised on a national level for what we’ve achieved. We took a sustained approach to corporate responsibility and integrated it into our business strategy from the start. From the outset we recognised the importance of the Herdwick sheep in maintaining the Lakeland landscape and therefore made supporting the Herdwick and upland fell farming central to our company’s mission. We love giving something back to the region which inspired the Herdy brand and our customers love it too.”

Prince Charles, who has been BIC president for 25 years, handed over the award at a ceremony in the Royal Albert Hall which was hosted by the actor and QI presenter Stephen Fry.

The BIC awards recognise and reward businesses which demonstrate the positive impact they have had on society and also the business benefits that can accrue from an ethical and responsible approach to trading. The Herdy Company demonstrated this through its cultivation of the UK marketplace, with 80 per cent of its product range sourced in the UK. It also impressed the BIC judges by the way it promotes and supports sustainable upland fell farming through donating a percentage of profits to the community via the Herdy Fund. Despite the recession, The Herdy Company says it has continued to support its local economy, forgoing higher profits in order to focus on its community responsibilities.

Richard Cree, editor of The Institute of Director’s magazine, Director, said: “The Herdy Company has so much authentic passion, and for such a small, young company it is amazing to see the extent of its impact on the local economy.”

‘SALE VALUE’: Thorney How hostel, Grasmere

COMMUNITY leaders are seeking an urgent meeting with the Youth Hostel Association after it announced the shock closure of two South Lakeland youth hostels.

Holidaymakers, community groups and local politicians expressed outrage at the plans to close the Kendal and Grasmere Thorney How hostels in the autumn.

The move is part of a decision to sell eight hostels and invest the money into facilities in London, Southsea, Berwick on Tweed and Derbyshire. YHA say the hostels were chosen because of their potential sale value.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said the closures would be a ‘kick in the teeth’ for an area which has helped YHA flourish. “It is outrageous and we should fight it,” he said. “YHA has built up its strength and popularity on the back of the Lake District as it is such a popular destination. It is an insult to the area. It’s also very stupid because both areas have a lot of visitors and it would be foolish to close hostels in honeypot sites. It makes the Lakes a less attractive place to stay for people visiting on a budget. I think it will cost us significantly.”

Mr Farron said the closures would impact on the whole community, including the homeless. He said: “If someone comes to my office without a place to sleep, as a last resort, we often give them £10 to stay at the youth hostel – especially in Kendal. We have had to do that at least six times in as many months but now we will have to find an alternative. YHA need to be mindful of their impact and commitment to the community. They form a very important function.”

Mr Farron hopes to meet with the chairman of YHA, Chris Darmon, to persuade him to rethink the closures.

Cumbria Tourism chief executive, Ian Stephens, said the move was ‘extremely disappointing’ and he planned to organise an emergency meeting with YHA officials. He said: “While we understand the need for YHA to become more financially sustainable and to raise money to modernise the properties it does provide, it is extremely sad that Kendal, the main gateway town and point of arrival for many visitors to the Lake District, may not have a youth hostel in future. We will be seeking clarification on what the rationale is for choosing these particular hostels and what level of consultation and research has taken place to arrive at this decision. Hostels are a vitally important part of the accommodation mix and we hope that an alternative provider can be found to run them independently.”

YHA national operations manager, John Connolly, said both hostels would stay open until the end of September. The remaining 25 Lakeland hostels were unaffected. He said the hostels hosted a ‘pleasing’ 15,500 visitors on overnight stays last year but confirmed that the decision was final. “Grasmere and Kendal have been chosen because of the possible financial returns,” he said. “Over the last 12 months YHA has been considering investment required to ensure long-term success and unfortunately, remorsefully and reluctantly we will have to close these hostels in order to re-invest.”

He did not rule out future investment in the remaining Lakes hostels. The closures will affect five staff who will be offered alternative jobs at other hostels.

A lorry got stuck on the top of Red Bank Road, Grasmere, on Tuesday.

A HUGE lorry blocked a narrow Lakeland road for more than five hours yesterday (Tuesday) when the driver followed satellite navigation directions.

Police were called to assist the driver of a Co-op lorry when the vehicle became stuck at the top of Red Bank Road, in Grasmere, at 10.30am. Officers cleared the road at around 4pm.

Leslie Johnson, chair of Lakes Parish Council, said the council have been working with Cumbria Highways since October to put warning signs in place at the bottom of Red Bank Road.

He said: “This is far too common an occurance and we as a council have contributed money for signs and we are all very stroppy about the long delay. It is just one long procession of vehicles using sat navs and going towards the Langdales. It’s a problem that councils are struggling with all over the country.”

Ben Meller, of Cumbria Police said: “Police would urge motorists to take a common sense approach to the use of Sat Navs, as they do not take into account the size or weight of your vehicle, or weather conditions.”

Bev Dennison, owner of Broadrayne Farm and Hostel, in Grasmere said: “I believe that this is not the first time that a Co-op lorry has done the same trick. New road signs are due for the Grasmere side of Red Bank. The road has 25 per cent gradient with narrow S bends above this point.”

The Armitt Museum fund-raising committee celebrating.

A CASH-STRAPPED Lakeland treasure has been thrown a lifeline following a campaign in The Westmorland Gazette.

Blackburn College has promised a no-strings-attached £10,000 to the Save the Armitt campaign, which will enable the Ambleside museum and library to re-open at Easter.

The five-figure sum achieves the Gazette’s campaign target but will only bridge the funding gap while the trust continues with its appeal to put the reference library and museum on a firmer financial footing and secure its future.

College principal and chief executive Ian Clinton said that as a South Lakeland resident and reader of The Westmorland Gazette he was concerned to learn about the difficulties that the Armitt was facing.

But the Armitt’s appeal for further donations goes on.

Armitt Trust chairman Peter Jackson was delighted with the news and grateful to the Gazette for its help. Mr Jackson said: “This is great news so early in the Gazette campaign and will be a real boost for the appeal. “I feel confident that this donation, together with other generous gifts from the public now beginning to arrive, will give the trust confidence to re-open the Armitt. But we continue to need support for the appeal to help to build a secure future.”

Mr Clinton, who lives near Kendal, said: “I have visited the Armitt on a number of occasions and have been greatly impressed with the work a small group of committed people continue to achieve despite setbacks. “As an educationalist, I believe it is essential that such a valuable collection as housed at the Armitt remains together and in Cumbria.”

Mr Clinton said it was important to stress that no taxpayers’ money was being used to fund the offer. He pointed out that the donation was from the college’s commercial and international contracts that generate more than £1million each year.

Within the Armitt’s purpose-built walls are 10,000 books and more than 25,000 photographs and glass slides, including images by J W Brunskell, Herbert Bell, and the Abraham Brothers. Works by leading 20th Century German artist Kurt Schwitters are featured, and in 1943 Beatrix Potter bequeathed her collection of more than 450 fungi, natural history and archaeology watercolours to the Armitt, and its library includes some of the tomes of John Ruskin.

The charitable trust has been dogged by money problems for several years and Mr Jackson said that if the short-term target had not been reached by March 19 then the temporary closure – due to floods – would become permanent and the collection would have been broken up and dispersed.

Blackburn College is the second largest provider of university education in a further education college in the UK with more than 3,000 FE students. It has a Beacon Award for its excellence in teaching and learning. Students take degrees in English literature, arts and photography and attend college from across the globe.

Grappling with rules at Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling event

THERE are just days to go until one of Cumbria’s biggest sporting events gets under way – and a row has already broken out in the wrestling ring.

A competitor has threatened legal action if judges are not banned from adjudicating family members in bouts of Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling at Sunday’s Grasmere Sports. Former Lakeland Sportsman of the Year, Joe Threlfall, 46, says relatives cannot be unbiased and should be barred from matches involving family members.

But match organisers say there are too few people involved in the traditional sport to prevent it. “When there is prize money involved there are ethical and moral issues to think about,” said Mr Threlfall, who is from Preston but has been competing in Cumbria since 1969. “I have spoken to Grasmere Sports and I have told them in no uncertain terms that I will take legal action if they don’t put a stop to it (letting relatives judge). I am very, very annoyed.”

Chairman of the Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling Association, Jim Bland, who will be among the judges at Sunday’s sports, said rules had been changed to prevent immediate family refereeing relatives but that uncles and grandparents were still free to take part. “Years ago there were many more competitors and it was easier to ensure families didn’t cross over, we don’t have the same number of people involved in the sport,” he said.

Over in the sheep tent, there were cheers of delight as staff from Greenland Farm showed off their French Quessant’s. Measuring up to just 45cms, the world’s smallest breed of sheep proved to be a popular attraction. “We’ve got about 200 on our farm,” said Craig Walker, of the Tewitfiled based farm. “We’re trying to get numbers up as there are only about 400 in the country. “Nobody can believe that a sheep can be so small.”

Elsewhere in the sheep tent, Ulverston farmer Andrew Butcher, was celebrating his overall champion win with his Texel Ram. Mr Butcher also scooped the Geoff Butcher Memorial Challenge Trophy – in memory of his father – for the best group of three female Texels. “I’m very pleased,” he said. “The quality of stock at the show was exceptional yet again. It’s one of my favourite shows and the memorial trophy for my father means a lot.”

Meanwhile, over in the cattle tent, Emma Cooper, aged 10, of Stank Farm, at Barrow, was celebrating a win with her champion dairy calf.

Throughout the day the show drew people from across the county, including John Harris and his granddaughter, Jessica. Mr Harris won overall champion working bitch with border terrier Maisy. “This is our very first time at the show but it’s a great atmosphere and a good place to bring the family,” said Mr Harris. “I’ll definitely be back next year to defend my title.”

Julie Newsham, from Urswick, won overall champion in the Working Hunter Horse category with her gelding Chester. “I always come. It’s a nice friendly show,” she said. “And we’re not fair weather riders so a bit of rain doesn’t put us off.”