Winter 17

New Year’s Dip is Set to Make Waves in Whitehaven

The annual New Year’s Dip is set to make waves in Whitehaven once again. Looking to celebrate the New Year with a splash? Here’s one for you. Put on your wackiest fancy dress, march down to Golden Sands and plunge into the sub-zero waters as 500 people look on. And do all of this to […]

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West Cumbria’s Christmas Past

For the last 60 years, local photographer Ivor Nicholas has been capturing our region’s best moments. Here he has kindly shared with us a few photos of west Cumbria’s Christmas past. From parties and nativity plays to full-blown white christmases, can you spot anyone you know?  

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New Exhibition Will Celebrate Keswick’s Inspirational Women

By Sarah Sinclair A new exhibition will showcase Keswick’s history through the eyes of its inspirational women. From Wainwright to Wordsworth, the Lake District is often lauded for its great men, while relatively little remains widely known about the remarkable women of the region. The town of Keswick, for instance, has a history rich with […]

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REVIEW: The Secret Garden at Theatre by the Lake

A much-needed breath of fresh air, The Secret Garden brings a little bit of magic to Theatre by the Lake writes Sarah Sinclair. I can remember reading The Secret Garden as a child. I’m told we had a collection of classics at home growing up, however, it is Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel which thrives fondly […]

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A Grand Discovery of Forgotten Whitehaven Artist

Social media has helped uncover the forgotten work of a Whitehaven artist, 10 years after his death. The daughter of a Whitehaven painter was scrolling through Facebook when she spotted one of her dad’s prints on a local interest page. The image, a painting of Whitehaven’s Grand Hotel in 1940, dusted in snow, had struck […]

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Theatrical Treats In Store At Theatre By The Lake

Theatre by the Lake. Photo by Cactus Creative Theatre by the Lake revealed plans for their 2018 Season at a Season Launch , at which they revealed that they would be staging a diverse range of home-grown productions over the course of the year, alongside a programme of visiting work. Artistic Director, Conrad Lynch, said: […]

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West Cumbria Guide 07 Issue December / January 2018

A Word from the Editor This time last year we were full of excitement, anticipation and admittedly, a few nerves, as we prepared for the first ever West Cumbria Guide to hit shop counters. It’s one year on since we merged two of our publications, to instead, bring you the very “best of the west” […]

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St Bees

Cumbrian Coast: St Bees

Paul McGuirk explores why this coastal resort is the Bee’s knees all year round. As the starting point for Wainwright’s coast-to-coast walk, there’s a common misconception that if you’re heading away from St Bees it means that you must be going in the right direction. While this may be the case for those enjoying the […]

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Caitlyn

Caitlyn’s Borneo Expedition

A local student is fundraising for the trip of a lifetime to help developing communities in Borneo. In 2019, Whitehaven Academy student, Caitlyn Pickering is hoping to embark on an exciting four week expedition. One of the world’s natural gardens, Borneo boasts a unique landscape of vibrant jungle and tropical wilderness. As part of the […]

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Capturing The Cultural Zeitgeist: The Expressive Art of Barrie Baker

By Paul McGuirk Travelling the world and having work displayed throughout the country is a dream-come-true for many, but one Cumbrian artist is ready to return to his roots with a brand-new gallery residency just a stone’s throw away from where he spent his formative years. In many of his works, Barrie Baker takes inspiration […]

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