Whitehaven – Summer 2024 –

It’s been a busy, if rather rainy, summer so my famous yellow mac has had more than its fair share of outings. Here I am catching up on Whitehaven news with Graham Roberts, Lord Mayor of Whitehaven, at the Westminster Cafe Bar on Lowther St. I was taking time out from working in the Cumbrian archives for “The Shackletons of Chapel St” which is currently with my editor for her approval.

Then it was catching up with Pete Moon at Moon’s bookshop on Lowther St. where I was dropping off some signed copies of “The Shackletons of Coates Lane” and adding to my collection of antique books.

www.facebook.com/michaelmoonsbookshop

I especially like books awarded as school prizes.

These ones are “Lorna Doone” 1807, and “Early Italian Painters” 1873 which I’m delighted to be bringing back home to Stamford. (See imprint on front cover of book)

I dropped in to see Gerard Richardson – Deputy Lieutenant for Cumbria and he presented me with a copy of “Nostalgia“. https://www.richardsonsofwhitehaven.co.uk/

Calling in at Richardson’s will be a regular feature from now on as they sell, amongst other goodies, the most delicious Malbec.

I’m rather fond of a glass of red.

Then it was on to J.B. Banks & Son in Cockermouth.

Their shop and Heritage Museum was a real treat.

(No need for the yellow mac that day!) /www.jbbanks.co.uk/

If you think a hammer is a hammer – you’re wrong! To name a few at J. B. Banks & Son – there’s a cobbler’s shoe hammer, a tinsmith’s for panel beating, a ball pein hammer (which means it’s got two heads, one flat and the other round).

Just one of the fascinating displays in the heritage museum. I’m saving more images for promoting my next book.

In Coates Lane I met up with Lara Schwab and her sister Natasha Sparks who are part of the Whitehaven Ship-Shapers, a group that help tidy up Whitehaven Town Centre and surrounding areas. They do brilliant work, all voluntarily, sweeping, weeding, planting, and litter picking. This ship was presented by Energy Trust Coast UTC aided by Forth Engineering. Currently the Whitehaven Harbour Youth Project members are painting a mural in School House Lane of books which will have appropriate Whitehaven titles.

After this we went up to Scotland to visit friends near Perth, and here I am on the way back.

The rest of the summer was spent mostly indoors finishing “The Shackletons of Chapel St” which I’m hoping to publish in November. That’ll depend on my editor – let’s hope she likes it.