Warcop & Sandford Exchange

Saturday 10th September 10-12 noon in Warcop Village Hall.

Produce exchange - do you have any surplus produce from your garden? Perhaps a few too many fruit and vegetables for you to consumer by yourself? Or some plants that need thinning out? Other people in the community may benefit from your surplus produce. Bring along to the exchange or advertise at the exchange for people to come and collect.

Free range eggs. Bargain toilet rolls 4 Andrex Velvet for £1.50.

Book & Toy Exchange.

Tea, coffee, biscuits and lively conversation.

I Knew My Place

Cover Photo: Horse Fair at Kirkby Stephen
Copyright Kendal Library, Cumbria County Council

Edward Short's book about Warcop, entitled, "I Knew My Place" is a must-read for anyone who lives in the village. It is not particularly easy to find a copy, even online, but there is a copy in the Warcop Archives (The Gregson Collection) and a comfortable sofa on which to read it!

Ted Short was born and grew up on Brookside, Warcop. He became Postmaster General in 1967 and then Chairman of Cable & Wireless. Now Lord Glenarama, he is the second oldest peer in the House of Lords and his political career has been illustrious. He will be 100 years old next December.


The back cover blurb reads:

Warcop in the Twenties was still a feudal pyramid with the Lady of the Manor sitting on the top like a cock on a farmyard midden, and the tenant cottagers at the bottom of the socio-economic heap. Everyone had his place in the structure and knew it; few aspired to to change their place and even fewer were successful in doing so. But we were an independent lot, everyone regarded himself as being as good as, perhaps better than, the next one, not in an arrogant way but with a fierce belief that what he did was as important in the village as what anyone else did. Jack Watt, the rabbit catcher who came down from the fell each morning (when there was an 'r' in the month) with his bicycle festooned with rabbits, was as proud of his calling as the vicar and a good deal more successful with rabbits than Mr Shaw with sinners.

Warcop author goes to Milan

Quite an interesting experience this week for a Warcopian. I've been to Milan to launch a book at the Fibre To The Home conference.

A very surprising relief was bumping into Tom Woof from Kirkby Stephen at the hotel reception and feeling a little less out of my depth 30 minutes into Italy!

The conference was enormous - over 3000 delegates - and although this is not my first time there, it is always somewhat difficult to find your feet.