CAN Cumbria take any more outside pressure? City slickers in faraway places try to interfere with local government and mess about with the county police force by making it part of a neighbouring constabulary.

And now, in a sweeping reorganisation of television, ITV boss Michael Grade wants to merge Border TV with north-east neighbour Tyne Tees, thereby depriving the county of Lookaround, the half-hour news and views program, screened each weekday evening.

Underpopulated Cumbria is clearly seen as a soft touch by uncaring men in high places.

Let’s be honest, Lookaround has its critics, mainly because county news often seems to be overshadowed by stories from the South of Scotland and the Isle of Man.

But it is still a valuable contributor to media coverage of the county, a mouthpiece and a prober of local issues. Viewers switch over to Border at six o’clock, expecting a trustworthy news service, and they are seldom disappointed.

And there is a gentle homeliness about the presentation which most Cumbrians appreciate. Alex Cleaver and Eric Wallace, among others, set the style and Tim Backshall and Fiona Armstrong are worthy successors, as the axe of abandonment hovers over Lookaround, awaiting a final decision from the TV regulators.

Thank goodness we can switch over to the BBC, as we wipe away the tears at the sad loss.

CELEBRATING SUPER SEASON

Penrith cricketers must be running out of superlatives in celebrating a season which has seen the centenary of their Tynefield Park ground and the first team winning the Sowerby Cup and gaining promotion as champions to the top division of the North Lancashire League.

Junior sides added to the glory by winning five trophies, with success at under-11, under-13 and under-15 levels.

“Fantastic,” said club chairman Andrew Hall — and in this case the word was fully justified. Even an understatement?

At tonight’s end-of-season party, questions may well be asked about past achievements and seasons to remember.

There have been many such glory years, with 1958 outstanding for a double success — the championship of the Cumberland Senior League and the first-ever winning of the county’s top trophy, the Meageen Cup, at the expense of a powerful Workington eleven in the final, before a massive crowd on the West Cumbrians’ ground.

The victorious side, led by Harold Millican, advanced to the stronger North Lancashire League in 1959 — a new era for the club.

Some other stalwarts of 1958-59 are still remembered at Tynefield, among them Peter Sarjeant, Fred Birtle, Mike Burrow, Harvey Askins, Brian Parker, Ken Shaw, L. W. (Bunny) Thompson, Bert Newton, Arthur Hillman, Terry Mullen, Ernie Dalton and Charlie Varty.

Tonight’s celebrants are their successors and part of a noble tradition.

MARATHON BOY OF 1941

Former world champion Steve Cram praised Penrith Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for achievements in the sport of cross-country running.

His words were well deserved, but how would the old ace have reacted to the shameful story of the junior marathon in 1941?

The course for the event, since largely obliterated by a new road system, lay along the field path to the top of Kemplay Bank. Runners then followed the sloping A6 before turning right into Skirsgill Lane, along which they trotted before taking the old path across the Horse Shoe pond fields, past Skirsgill Gardens and so to the school playing field and the finishing tape.

The race of 1941 was extraordinary because, on turning into Skirsgill Lane, the leading runner jumped aboard a waiting delivery van, driven by his older brother, and “got a lift” over the next 100 yards or so, leaving his rivals far behind, and galloping on to a comfortable victory.

So a 66-year-old secret is out, for back in 1941 the race organisers and others in authority at QEGS remained blissfully unaware of the winner’s ingenuity.

The story can be related with absolute accuracy because this columnist, then aged 12, was in the leading group, finishing a poor fourth.

The winner later gave exemplary service to British Rail and occasionally sends greetings to old buddies from deepest Scotland.

“CHEK IT OUT”

To be absolutely sure, a dictionary was consulted for the spelling of “check”.

Just checking because in Penrith’s excellent health centre are display racks of patient information, which invite people to “Chek it out” by taking one of the leaflets on offer.

Whether callers are pregnant, diabetic, arthritic, constipated, have arms in slings or suffer from bad heads, they are mystified by the spelling mistake.

Heads are shaken and eyebrows raised in disbelief. The question is asked a dozen times a day: “You don’t spell check like that, do you?”

Surely, the use of “chek” should be checked.