2017-01-01 Barrotarian1

The Barrotarian
The Barrow Rotary Club’s Newsletter
Jan 2017
President Alf Hadley
The History of Further Education in Barrow 1874-2017
By Ed Elvish
B
arrow Rotary Club
welcomed on Jan 3 rd 2017
as its first guest speaker of
the new year Mark Nicholson,
Deputy Principal
of Furness
College, to talk
about about how
further education
had developed in
the town over what
is nearly 150 years
since its inception.
Mark began by
explaining how what was to
eventually become Furness
College had started in 1874 in
Barrow Working Men’s Club and
Institute, the so called House of
Lords recently in the news in less
happy circumstances.
Barrow Working Men’s Club
and Institute, Abbey Road.
The first staff had all been from
Scotland and Sir Alfred Barrow
stated that their teaching was
‘given with a minimum of
apparatus and equipment but with
a keenness and enthusiasm all of
their own’. By the 1890s it had
Ramsden Baths building,
Abbey Road
become Barrow School of Science
and Art housed in the now
Ramsden Baths building and was
run by the Borough Council for
those over the age of 13 at which
point compulsory schooling
ended. Employers were
encouraged by the Town Clerk to
‘impress upon their apprentices
the importance of attending
evening classes at the school’.
The early curriculum had included
typing and shorthand, magnetism
and electrics, metallurgy and
chemistry, hygiene, cooking, music,
animal physiology and, from
1897, flour milling.
By the turn of the century plans
were well advanced to build at an
estimated cost of £9,000 a new
school of science and art on a site
donated by the Furness Railway
Company. A design competition
was won by a Manchester
company, Williams and
Willoughby, and, when in 1902
school boards were abolished, the
Barrow Local Education
Authority was established and
took over control of the project.
The new building was opened by
Princess Louise, Duchess of
Argyll on 25 th August 1903 on the
same day as the launch of HMS
Dominion. The final cost of the
new school had risen to over
£30,000, but Mark contrasted that
with the final cost of Dominion at
£1,453,718 ! As he pointed out,
the concept of on time, on budget
was clearly something for the
future.
The first principal was a Mr
G.Grace from Doncaster on a
salary of £350 per annum. The
total enrolment in 1907 was 564,
of whom over half were
mechanical or electrical engineers,
50 were naval architects and 70
commercial. After closure during
the First World War, the school re
-emerged alongside a junior
technical school for boys and
eventually led to the opening of
the John Winnerah Institute in
1938 on the jute works site.
School of Science and Art, Abbey
Road. The foundation stone
was laid on 26 May 1900. Now
Article continues on Page 2…….
Page 1

History of Further Education in Barrow 1874-2017 (Part 2)
By Ed Elvish
Barrow Central College of
Further Education Howard St.
Following the 1944 Education Act
and its far reaching consequences
for both pre- and post-compulsory
education, it was not until 1955
that the first part of a new Barrow
Central College of Further
Education opened at Howard
Street, and a further 10 years
before the County Technical
School for Boys followed.
Together they were intended to
provide some coherence in the
provision and training of present
and future employees of the
town’s major employers.
Mark then explained how this
expansion of apprenticeship
numbers through nationalisation
of key industries led to increased
full-time provision and the need to
use additional accommodation
throughout the town. After the
1987 relocation of workshop
provision to the former steelworks
site, the appointment of Maggie
Chadwick as Principal coincided
with the move to Channelside of
construction, to be followed
shortly afterwards by engineering,
motor vehicle and science.
Furness College - Channelside
gained chartered college status
in August 2016.
Barrow Sixth Form College. It
merged with Furness College in
August 2016.
In giving a vote of thanks to Mark
for his engrossing talk, Ed Elvish
congratulated him on the
considerable amount of research
and planning which had obviously
gone into it. Indeed, it had been so
well-received that there seemed
every justification in wondering
whether it might be extended into
a fuller written account or format
to take it to a wider audience.
Thorncliffe School (Barrow
Technical School 1970 -
2009)
Here is a joke sent in by Bob Herbert
In 1993 the college was
incorporated and left Local
Authority control, as did all FE
and sixth form colleges (the latter
in Barrow having recently
acquired a fresh faced principal
from the North-East). The two
colleges in the town were then
given autonomy but, as elsewhere
in the country, on the
understanding that they would
adopt strategic planning which
ensured co-operation and
complementary provision.
The Advanced Manufacturing
and Technology Building,
Channelside
Three tourists were driving through Wales. As they were approaching Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town’s name.
They argued back and forth until they stopped for lunch. As they stood at the counter, one asked the blonde
employee, “Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce where we are
… VERY slowly?”
The girl leaned over the counter and said, “Burrrrr, gerrrrr, Kiiiiiiing.”
Page 2

B
ill Jones received correspondence
from IT Schools Africa
recently together with their
2016 Winter News Letter. Here are
both for your perusal.
Dear Bill,
Happy New Year from the lT Schools
Africa team! We are delighted to
send you our Winter Newsletter - just
click on the attachment to read the
latest updates from Africa. We also
have some exciting news from our
UK community programme too. lf
you would like to hear more regularly
about our work why not follow us on
Facebook or Twitter? 2017 looks set
to be a busy year for ITSA and we
look forward to hearing from you
soon,
Best wishes. Louise
THE WINTER NEWS LETTER
50,000 computers sent to Africa
We have reached another milestone;
after 12 years of receiving donations
of IT equipment from schools, businesses
and the general public, we are
delighted to announce that we have
now sent over 50,000 fully refurbished
computers and laptops to
schools in Africa!
We couldn’t have achieved this without
the help of our many supporters,
so on behalf of all of the team at
ITSA, a very ,very big THANK
YOU!
“It is wonderful that a long-term
dream has now been accomplished
and I look forward to reaching our
next target of 100,000 computers;
always working towards the improvement
of children's lives in Africa.”
Michael Ratcliffe, Chair.
Requirements
Winter News Letter 2016
Do you have unloved IT equipment
taking up space at home or work?
Donate it to us and we will use it to
transform children’s lives in Africa.
We are passionate about sending out
good quality, working equipment
which is why we unfortunately we
are unable to accept: broken equipment,
white/discoloured computers
and monitors and computers and
monitors older that 6 years.
As part of our refurbishment process,
we securely wipe all data using specialist
approved software. If you are
not sure please give us a call! 01242
228800
Computers to Cameroon!
In November we saw our first consignment
of computers and laptops
off to a new programme in Cameroon.
This marks a new era for
ITSA, as we look forward to developing
the relationship with our new
partners, Organization for Gender,
Civic Engagement And Youth Development
(OGCEYOD) who work
closely with the British High Commission
in Cameroon.
OGCEYOD supports vulnerable
groups in Cameroon particularly
women and children, helping to provide
sustainable educational initiatives
to aid their development.
With a population of over 20 million
there is much need for computers,
many of the schools have no IT facilities
so it’s impossible for students to
benefit from IT Education. We hope
this is the start of a successful programme
so we can continue with our
goal of transforming lives in Africa
through e-Learning. Watch this
space!
New ITSA Film
We wanted to show our supporters
how our operations work in the UK
and Africa, so we have created a
short film clip which we hope explains
it all!
Made by a digital media student it’s
another great example of IT Schools
Africa offering great educational
experiences to students worldwide.
You can watch it on the IT Schools
Africa YouTube channel.
Please Help The Final Push For A
New Forklift!
We need a replacement forklift as
our current one is becoming old and
unreliable. The forklift is essential to
the everyday operation of the charity
whether for off-loading deliveries,
movement of stock between the
warehouses and above all for shipment
day. We have been actively
fundraising and are almost there. We
just need another £4,000 to reach our
target . Can you help us in any way in
this final push? Please donate on our
Virgin Money giving page to help
keep our UK operations on the move.
Or by cheque to IT Schools Africa
If you can’t help now but are interested
in future fundraising we are always
looking for supporters. For
more ideas about how you can help,
search for http://
www.itschoolsafrica.org/
fundraise.html
Editor’s note: The ITSA’s 2016
Winter News Letter continues on
Page 4…………..
Page 3

Wonderful Ways to Reuse Your
Old Equipment
Our wonderfully creative ITSA team
have been busy transforming broken
electronics into household items!
Inspired by our project earlier in the
year with Product Design students
from Stroud College members of the
ITSA team have been creating fun,
quirky upcycled clocks, plant pots
and more!
Take a look at some of the amazing
items they’ve made using old, broken
equipment!
OUR PROJECTS IN AFRICA
Puteya Secondary School IT Lab
Puteya Secondary School is in a very
rural part of Malawi and has 600 students.
Many of the students travel
20kms a day on foot or bike to get to
school. The school had no IT facilities
so the students could not learn
about computers or sit their IT exams.
Thanks to funding from the
Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust we
have installed a fully equipped computer
lab for the school with 50 computers.
This will have a great impact
on the school, with very limited facilities,
it does not even have a room
for assemblies with the children
gathering under a tree.
IT SCHOOLS AFRICA (2)
2016 Winter News Letter
“And here we are!! We are rich. We
have never seen such a beautiful
computer lab as Puteya Even in the
universities you will never see a
computer lab as this “ Mr Akimu D
Konzekan, head teacher
Health care in Sierra Leone
The Princess Christian Maternity
Hospital (PCMH) is the largest maternity
hospital in Freetown, Sierra
Leone. With one of the highest rates
in the world for maternal deaths the
hospital has to cope with thousands
of women, many of them pregnant
teenage girls, coming through the
doors every year. With severely limited
resources the hospital often
struggles to meet the demand for its
services.
Now ITSA has donated laptops
which will help improve women's
healthcare through postgraduate
training, the students and doctors
will now be able to access electronic
textbooks and resource materials
relating to women’s healthcare. The
donated laptops will support the hospital
in becoming accredited as a
teaching hospital which will train
local doctors to become obstetricians
and gynaecologists.
IT Education in South Sudan
Ibba Girls School in South Sudan,
the world’s newest country, focuses
on girls only because so many girls
miss out on their education, or drop
out around the age of 10. The country
has suffered enormously through
the ongoing conflict and currently
has a literacy rate of just 27%.
To help ITSA have now donated 24
laptops to the school, which will give
the girls a better IT Education and
understand the benefits of IT in all
areas of their life. This will enable
them to be better equipped and qualified
to go on to higher education at
university or college – or to further
professional or vocational training.
Get involved, volunteer with
us!
ITSA relies on the support of our
volunteers to be able to ship over
5,000 computers every year. Our
volunteers come from all walks of
life, each bringing a unique set of
skills. This not only helps us with
processing the computers it gives us
an opportunity to help teach individuals
as well as supporting them with
valuable life skills, often giving them
the confidence to either find work or
improve their education.
Case study on volunteer Ben
Fed up with his job in banking Ben
took the brave decision to change his
life and follow his dream to study IT.
After completing a 12 week course at
Gloscat, Ben came to ITSA for more
experience. He says of his time here,
“Learning how to build up a computer,
the ins and outs , has been invaluable
to me. You need the foundation
and IT Schools Africa offers
that” In February 2017 Ben starts an
Open University degree in IT. Good
luck on this exciting new chapter!
Give As You Live
Signing up to “Give as you live” is
one of the easiest New Year resolutions
you can make! Use Give as you
Live to do your shopping on line.
Total Raised So
FAR £611.84 ,
Thanks to your astounding support
and spending sprees you have managed
to raise enough money to give
IT training to 10 African teachers.
Acknowledgements We would like
to acknowledge with grateful thanks
all of our fantastic donors for supporting
IT Schools Africa in 2016. It
is only through your commitment to
our work that we can continue to
offer brighter futures to African
school children.
Best wishes, the IT Schools Africa
team.
Page 4

Don’t become a Victim of Fraud
by Steve Murray
Did you know
Currently one in ten people are
victims of Fraud.
Online fraud is now the most
common crime.
Cyber offences are now thought
to account for almost half of all
crime in the country, so says
the Annual Crime Survey of
England and Wales (ACSE).
Fraud is linked to international
Terrorism
Stop and think
1. Never disclose security details,
such as your PIN or full banking
password
2. Don’t assume an email, text or
phone call is authentic
3. Don’t be rushed – a genuine
organisation won’t mind waiting.
4. Listen to your instincts – you
know if something doesn’t feel
right.
5. Stay in control - don’t panic and
make a decision you’ll regret.
Protect yourself from Fraud
around the 5 key enablers.
1. Telephone.
2. Internet ( Computer).
3. Smartphone/Mobile.
4. Letter Box.
5. Doorstep.
Fraudsters can keep a telephone
line open for 10 secs. Hang up on
cold callers, take five minutes to
make a cup of tea, and think what
to do before ringing a trusted
number - not the one given to you
by a cold caller email or text.
Fraudsters are professional
sounding, well scripted criminal
monsters!
Trust your instincts hang up on
cold callers - Never trust caller id
Fraudsters highjack your texts ,
they look genuine & could be in a
trusted thread #dontclick links or
call number given in a text. #tell2
Fraudsters can pretend to be anyone,
any business, any text, email
or call. Never assume contact is
genuine, fraudsters deceive and
purport to be a genuine business.
Delete do not click.
Romance fraud is often internet
enabled. Never send money to
someone you've not met and protect
your personal data.
Think it might not happen to you?
Then I would urge you to Google
takefive-stopfraud.org.uk and
watch scam academy a couple of
clips involving celebrities.
You can forward on all suspected
#phishing emails to :- NFIB-
Phishing@city-of-london.pnn.
police.uk
If you are on twitter follow
@DurhamFraud for more informative
crime prevention advice
More than 3.6 million fraud offences
took place last year according
to the ONS Credit: Martin Keene
Victims of online fraud are often
targeted by criminals based overseas
who use a variety of sophisticated
techniques to gain access
to their bank accounts or credit
card details before plundering
their savings.
Many of those who suffer losses
are elderly or vulnerable people
who fall victim to so-called phishing
scams in which they are persuaded
to hand over passwords
and bank account details.
But such is the scale and extent of
online fraud that anyone who uses
computers to bank, shop or even
communicate with friends could
be a target.
Lucy Hastings, Director at the independent
charity Victim Support,
said: “We know that cybercrime
and fraud can have a devastating
impact, both financially and emotionally,
on victims’ lives”.
"Many victims blame themselves
or feel too embarrassed to come
forward and get help but this
shouldn’t be the case”.
"We want to encourage people to
seek the help they may need and
get the justice they deserve."
While traditional crimes such as
burglary and car theft continue to
fall, almost ten per cent of the
adult population reports having
been a victim of some form of
cyber crime.
Continued on Page 6 ……...
Page 5

Don’t become a Victim of Fraud (Part 2) by Steve Murray
Overall crime has almost doubled
as a result of the inclusion of
cyber offences in the data Credit:
Dominic Lipinksi/PA .
It is the first time that the Office
for National Statistics (ONS) has
included online offences in the
annual survey and the result has
seen the overall crime figure
almost double.
John Flatley of the ONS said: "In
the past, burglary and theft of
vehicles were the high-volume
crimes driving trends but their
numbers have fallen substantially
since then.
When the Crime Survey for England
and Wales (CSEW) started,
fraud was not considered a significant
threat and the internet had
yet to be invented.
"Today's figures demonstrate
how crime has changed, with
fraud now the most commonly
experienced offence."
But despite the scale of the problem
more than 80 per cent of all
fraud offences are not reported to
the police, meaning many of
those responsible can operate
without fear of ever been caught.
While the CSEW figures suggest
there were 3.6 million cases of
fraud last year, police only recorded
622,000 such offences.
Chief Constable Jeff Farrar, from
the National Police Chiefs'
Council acknowledged that under
reporting was a problem.
He said: "These latest figures
show that there were 1.9 million
cases of fraud on UK-issued
cards, which is an increase of 39
per cent on the previous year.
The vast majority of these are not
reported to the police, who have
only seen a 3 per cent increase in
fraud offences."
He added: "The ability to commit
crime online demonstrates the
need for policing to adapt and
transform to tackle these cyber
challenges."
Rather than reporting offences to
Action Fraud, which is the police
body that coordinates the fight
against cyber crime, many victims
simply take the issue up with their
bank in a bid to recover their
losses.
But a spokesman for Action
Fraud, which is run by the City of
London Police, said it was vital
victims reported crimes so that
work could be done to bring those
to justice.
The ONS report also revealed
that police recorded an annual
rise of 22 per cent in violent offences,
although that was said to
be largely driven by the inclusion
of harassment offences and
online trolling in that category.
However there was a "genuine
but small" increase in the number
of knife related offences, prompting
the outgoing Met Commissioner,
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe
to say "warning lights were flashing"
and appeal for frontline services
to be protected.
Other figures released by the
Home Office also showed which
crimes were increasing and which
were decreasing.
While modern slavery was up almost
300 per cent, trafficking for
sexual exploitation fell by 91 per
cent.
Homicide, was up 22 per cent but
much of that increase was down
to the inclusion of the 96 Liverpool
football fans who died at
Hillsborough in April 1989.
They were included in this year's
statistics after an inquest last year
concluded that they had been unlawfully
killed.
I asked the speaker Gillian Guy
on Feb 7th how fraud effects Citizen
Advice customers, she said it
is massive they are seeing about
12 victims every week of all ages.
Wine Corner
Page 6

Edith Walker – Local Co-ordinator for Help for Heroes - Talks to
Barrow Rotary
Speaker Host Bill Jones, speaker
Edith Walker and PE Mike Lovell.
Edith Walker came to tell Barrow
Rotary about her special personal
involvement in the Help for Heroes
charity. Her story was sad, touching
and yet very uplifting and it
was told by someone who had been
involved, through her son’s injuries,
with this excellent charity.
Edith's son Charlie joined the army in
2006 and was sent out to fight in Afghanistan.
One day out on patrol he
stood on a improvised explosive
devise (IED) which did severe damage
to both legs. Contracting meningitis
resulted in the loss of both his
legs.
Edith mentioned the various organisations
set up to help soldiers after life
changing injuries; Defence Medical
Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at the
Headley Court in Surrey (relocating
to Stanford Hall in the East Midlands)
it provides high grade treatment for
all of the armed services and all
ranks, dealing with injuries which, in
many cases, would have been fatal
even a decade ago. Micky Yule, a
double amputee, had over 45 operations
to get him back to health before
transferring to Headley Court to start
the long rehabilitation procedure. He
became Captain of the Invictus
Games GB Powerlifting Team and
won a gold medal. Edith also mentioned
The Phoenix House Recovery
Centre, Catterick, which is run by
Help for Heroes and supported by the
Royal British Legion and forms part
of the Defence Recovery Capability.
The Centre aims to inspire those who
have been wounded, injured or become
sick while serving our country
and enable them to lead active, independent
and fulfilling lives.
Edith’s son Charlie played wheelchair
volleyball for GB in the Paraplegic
Games in 2012, Warrior Games in
2013 and the London Invictus Games
in 2014. He won a total of three gold
medals and is now looking forward to
Toronto next.
About Help for Heroes (H4H),
H4H was created in 2007 as a direct,
practical response to the urgent need
to help those suffering due to their
service injuries.
The vision is very simple; they believe
that any serviceman or woman
who suffers life changing injuries or
illness in the line of duty deserves the
very best support. They are nonpolitical
and non-critical - and simply
want to help.
Their aim to 'inspire, enable and support'
is achieved today through a national
network of financial support,
recovery services and specialist charity
partners, based around four strategically
located H4H Recovery Centres.
Support services focus on a personally
tailored recovery programme built
around the five pillars needed for
general health and happiness: Medical,
Mind, Body, Spirit and Family.
Everyone at H4H understands the
recovery process is daunting - even
the strongest person can find the journey
long and complicated. The wars
may formally have ended but thousands
of men and women face their
biggest battle yet; the battle to recover.
With help from generous people,
we can ensure they don't face this
battle alone. An amazing 97 per cent
of all funding comes directly from the
public, so please accept our thanks
for considering joining our volunteer
team; your support is as appreciated
as it is vital.
H4H Mission and Aims
Our mission is to inspire, enable and
support our wounded, injured and
sick servicemen, women, and veterans
to lead active, independent and
fulfilling lives. We want them to be
able to fulfil their potential and to be
there for them and their families as
long as they need it.
Our aims are to deliver a recoveryfocused
service supported with grants
to individuals and organisations
working to our charitable objectives.
Our mission and aims are supported
by key infrastructure, including Recovery
Centres and highly trained
staff to deliver these services.
Volunteer for H4H in your local
area
Our volunteers are very important to
us and provide a personal link and
support to the public in their fundraising
efforts. Quite simply, we can't do
it without them.
We make volunteering with H4H
easy, fun and hugely rewarding. Everyone
gets the chance to be part of
something special, creating incredible
memories whilst making lifelong
friends. H4H is full of passionate and
committed people who know that
everything we do is all about one
thing - it's about 'the blokes', the men
and women of our Armed Forces. lt's
about ensuring that they and their
families get the best support possible,
for life. We very often achieve the
impossible because of everyone's cando
attitude.
Who can volunteer?
Anyone can become part of the team.
You don't need experience - all we
ask is for you to be committed, passionate
and enthusiastic in all the
wonderful events and fundraising you
choose to get involved with.
What support will you receive?
You will be part of a UK-wide community,
supported by local Coordinators
and the National Volunteer Team
based in Tidworth who are there for
you when you need them.
Join the Team and do your bit!
Call: 01980 840220. Go on Line
www.helpforheroes.org.uk/getinvolved
Page 7

Ryan Postlethwaite is Awarded The Philip Geddes
Memorial Prize
By Ed Elvish
O
n 4th January 2017 at the
Barrow Sixth Form College
Awards Evening an
annual prize sponsored by Barrow
Rotary Club was presented to a
second year A level student, Ryan
Postlethwaite.
The award is in memory of Philip
Geddes, a former sixth form college
student, who was killed in
1983 when a bomb was detonated
by the I.R.A. outside one of the
entrances to Harrods in London.
Philip had graduated from
Cambridge University and was a
promising journalist with a national
newspaper who was at Harrods
at the time as part of his work. He
was highly thought of, and confidently
expected to be extremely
successful in his chosen career.
Philip was the son of Michael
Geddes, a Polish immigrant, who
was a well known tailor in Barrow
and was an active member of the
Barrow Rotary Club during the
1970s and early 1980s.
In remembrance of Philip, the
Club supports the award which
takes the form of a literary competition
within the college where students
are invited to submit, as part
of their course work in Media
Studies or English, a written piece
in the style of a newspaper article.
The photograph is of Ryan with,
in President Alf Hadley’s absence
through illness, Ed Elvish after the
presentation of the award by Jackie
Arnold, Head of Strategy, BAE
Systems Submarines.
Ryan Postlethwaite & Ed Elvish
Grey Games success against Furness Rotary Club
By PE Mike Lovell
Roose Conservative Club
hat a victory! On Jan 9
W 2017 our Club met Furness
Rotary Club in the 3rd Round at
Roose Conservative Club. We
fielded a quality side and it soon
became apparent that they were
simply no match for us. It would
be unfair to single out any of our
team but I have got to say Bob
Herbert in the dominoes was awesome
and received a standing ovation
from the admiring onlookers!
A good night of fun and fellowship,
their hospitality was excellent.
We are matched against Ambleside
Kirkstone (AK) in the 4th
Round. I have booked the Roose
Conservative Club for Monday,
Feb 6th and hope for another
good turn out. AK have beaten
Windermere on their way to this
round so we had better bring our
'A' game to the table!
Full details will be circulated when
known. Let's hear it once more for
Bob!
Mike Lovell
Sports Chairman
Page 8

Gill Gepson’s take on Furness Abbey & The Furness
Abbey Fellowship
President Alf and Gill.
About Gill Gepson
Gill is a teacher and author of children's
books which are unique to
our area. She also has great
knowledge of promotional videos
and material and is an historian
working with school groups, promoting
education and the history
of Furness Abbey. Gill is also
Chair of Furness Abbey Fellowship
supporting development of
education and promotion of Furness
Abbey, working in partnership
with English Heritage to provide
events and raise awareness.
She specialises in author visits to
schools and the provision of child
focused local history projects to
extend knowledge, appreciation
and pride in the local environment
and to discover the journey from
past to present.
The talk
Gill to came to visit Barrow Rotary
on 31st January to give an
overview of the history of Furness
Abbey and provide an insight into
the work carried out by the Furness
Abbey Fellowship.
History of Furness Abbey
The Abbey was founded in 1127
by monks of the French Order of
Savigny. Early on the Savigny
Monks merged with the Cistercian
Order and this had a huge impact
on the lives of local people and
shaped the landscape around it.
The Cistercian Monks were great
sheep farmers and developed the
wool industry. They built a large
fortified warehouse on Piel Island
for the wool they produced. The
monks grew corn and had water
mills for grinding the grain. They
also had mineral rights over a
large area of north Dalton and produced
charcoal for smelting iron.
The monks sold wool, iron, salt
corn and malt to the Isle of Man
and Ireland.
A Land Endowment was granted
by Steven later to become King
Steven of England which meant
that the Abbey became the main
landowner in Low Furness. In
1322 the Abbey was attacked by
the Scots but survived by buying
protection. The dissolution of the
Abbey was carried out in 1537 by
Henry V111’s men. At this time
Furness Abbey was the second
richest Cistercian abbey in England,
Fountains Abbey being the
richest, and was one of the great
power bases of the middle ages.
The Furness Abbey Fellowship.
The Furness Abbey Fellowship
(FAF) is a small charity established
in 2012 to support the work
of English Heritage in promoting
and raising awareness of the culture
and heritage of Furness Abbey
and its surrounding area. This
is achieved by educational visits to
schools and at the Abbey.
Gill said she is involved with various
events held throughout the
year leading up to the Medieval
Fair in September. All events raise
funds to finance projects promoting
the Abbey.
English Heritage is carrying
out emergency conservation work
to stop the ruined Abbey church
sinking into the soft ground. This
follows earlier routine inspections
which revealed serious cracks in
the walls. Medieval masons used
large pieces of oak in the foundations
and after 500 years, this timber
is now gradually giving way.
Work has now finished replacing
the original foundations. Large
frames are in place to monitor
movement of the Abbey walls.
The A frames are not supporting
the walls but checks are carried
out to ensure the clearance between
the walls and the frames do
not change over time. Once proof
that the walls are stable i.e. that
the walls are not moving relative
to the frames, the frames will be
removed.
Gill told us about the amazing discovery,
during renovation work at
the Abbey in 2010, in the Presbytery
of an Abbot buried with his
crosier and ring. One of the first
aims of FAF was to assist English
Heritage in retaining this treasure
at Furness Abbey. This was
achieved by a massive local fundraising
effort, led by FAF to purchase
a bespoke cabinet for the
crosier and ring. The cabinet,
which is environmentally controlled
can be seen with the treasures
in the Abbey Visitor Centre.
Join the FAF! visit website:
www.furnessabbeyfellowship.org
Or phone: 07814324190
Gill with her new book Out of
Time - Cistercian Conspiracy.
Page 9

Launch of Cumbria No Cold Calling Zone Toolkit
Further to the talk given by Steve
Murray, which unfortunately I did
not see, covering high level fraud
this article covers a fraud more
close to home. Cold calling. So I
thought that I would highlight a
new initiative in Cumbria which
maybe of interest to members.
Cumbria Trading Standards have
officially launched a self-help tool
kit for establishing No Cold Calling
Zones. The toolkit, which has
been produced to assist residents
and local communities set up their
own zones, includes a step by step
guide to follow along with door
stickers and signage for the zone
area.
The idea behind these zones is
about local residents or communities
having the confidence to say
“No” to uninvited salespeople and
to warn rogue traders and cold
callers that they are being
watched. They have also proven
effective in reducing overall
incidents of rogue trading and distraction
burglary.
Hundreds of zones are now operating
successfully across the UK
with reports of significant crime
reduction and a greater feeling of
security amongst residents.
Incidents where people have lost
thousands of pounds to rogue traders
are now not unusual. The
Zones are an initiative that helps
to provide support to residents and
sends a clear message to rogue
traders that they are unwelcome
and their trading practices will be
investigated if they cold-call residents
within the designated area.
Three new zones have recently
been launched in the South Lakes
area, using the new toolkit with
the help of Low Furness Councillor
Janet Willis, who is also Cumbria
County Council Cabinet
member for Trading Standards.
Janet said:
“For a long time the residents of
Kirk Flatt, Urswick and the Park
Field and Park View areas of
Swarthmoor have been asking for
a no cold-calling zone to reduce
the number of uninvited traders
calling at their homes. Working
alongside Cumbria Police, the
council’s Trading Standards team
have provided guidance to help
implement the new zones, which
have been warmly welcomed by
residents.”
John Greenbank, Trading
Standards Manager at Cumbria
County Council, said:
“It’s great to see that communities
can now be empowered to take the
fight against rogue traders into
their own hands. These zones have
proved to be a great deterrent for
bogus callers in Cumbria.”
If you or your local community
are considering setting up a zone
the tool kit can be found on the
website at:
http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/
tradingstandards/consumers/
nocoldcallingzones.asp
Here are some more paraprosdokians from David Parsons !!
Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.
Ever stop to think and forget to start again?
Women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men spend thinking.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
Is it wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly ?
I was going to give him a nasty look, but he already had one.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
I was going to wear my camouflage shirt today, but I couldn't find it.
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
Sometimes I wake up grumpy; other times I let him sleep.
If tomatoes are technically a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie ?
Money is the root of all wealth.
No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
Page 10

Barrow Rotary Club’s Three Monthly Diary
For full information of the club’s events see our Website barrowrotary.org.uk
February 2017
Tue 7th
Tues 14th
(12.30 - 14.00) The Citizens Advice Bureau - The Chief Executive of the Barrow office
tells us about the services offered at their Abbey Road headquarters.
12.30 - 14.00) Mary’s Meals - John McGill and Val Robinson tell us about the work of
this charity which is supported by Rotary.
Mon 20th
Tues 21st
Tues 28th
(19.00 - 21.00) - Club Council Meeting.
(12.30 - 14.00) - Hawcoat Park Sports Club - Director Paul Burns tells us about the club
and its plans for the future.
(12.30 - 14.00) - Business Meeting.
March 2017
Tues 7th
Tues 14th
(12.30 - 14.00 ) - Local historian Rod White tells us some of the tales of Barrow
Cemetery and the story behind the stones
(12.30 - 14.00 ) - The Brathay 10 in 10 Sonja Forster tells us about this testing event.
Tues 20th
Tues 21st
Tues 28th
(19.00 - 21.00 ) - Club Council Meeting.
(12.30 - 14.00) - Heidi Bowron tell us about building of a new Maternity Unit recently
started at Furness General Hospital, and about the launch of an appeal and charity
office. .
(12.30 - 14.00) - Business Meeting.
April 2017
Tues 4th
Tues 11th
Mon 17th
Tues 18th
Tues 25th
(12.30 - 14.00) - Cumbria Community Foundation. Chief Executive Andy Beeforth tells
us what it's all about.
(12.30 - 14.00) - Annual General Meeting.
(19.00 - 21.00) - Club Council Meeting.
(12.30 - 14.00) - Guiding in Armenia. Girl Guide Gwendoline Milne tells us about her
visit to Armenia.
(12.30 - 14.00) - Business Meeting.
Page 11

Editor’s Notes
I
wish all our readers a happy
New Year and look forward to
2017. As I am sure you are all
aware, 2017 is a special year because
it is the centenary of Rotary
Foundation which was founded by
Arch C. Klumph. His motto was
“We should not live for ourselves
alone but for the joy in doing good
for others”. A fine sentiment and I
am sure one that we all try to emulate.
T
hank you to the members
who have provided input
into this edition of the
Barrotarian; Ed Elvish for his
excellent articles on the history of
Furness College and the Philip
Geddes Memorial Prize, Bill Jones
on the update of “Computers in
Africa”, humour from Bob Herbert
and Dave Parsons, and Ron
Duxbury for proof reading this
issue of the Barrotarian.
C
ontinuing with the theme of
the centenary of Rotary
Foundation. The Rotary
Club of Furness Peninsula have
made arrangements with Roger
Frank to bring his 'Iron Lung' to
Barrow on Polio Day - 24th February.
Furness Peninsula will
have members at the Town
Square (at the Town Hall) to help
from 10.00 a.m. until 3.00
p.m. They have also arranged a
licence for a public collection
which will go towards the eradication
of Polio. “End Polio Now”
Barrow and Furness Rotary Clubs
have been invited to join them on
the day. They are currently working
on getting a press release to go
out in the next week. I have said I
will attend as Barrow’s Foundation
Chair and would welcome
other members to join me on the
day to support this worthwhile
event.
R
e Ed Elvish’s article on the
history of Furness college
and the merger of Barrow
Sixth Form into the mix.
The history of the Furness College
education system has a special significance
to me because of my involvement
from 16 to 21.
Furness College was an integral
part of my life during the time of
my engineering apprentiship.
Looking back it was a perfect mix
of practical skills learnt in the
workshops and drawing offices of
Vickers and the academic studies
carried out at Furness College.
Being an apprentice in Vickers
Armstrong (Now BAE Systems) I,
like all the other apprentices, spent
time in the Furness College system.
I spent one day a week at
Barrow Central College of Further
Education in Howard St., three
nights a week at the School of Science
and Art in Abbey Road (now
the Nan Tait Building) and during
HNC spent time studying heat engines
at Ramsden Baths building
(now home to Citizen's Advise
Bureau ), Abbey Road where there
was a fully working steam turbine
engine.
devolved mayor.
Mr Skidmore said: “I was impressed
by the level of debate and
interest shown by Cambridge’s
college students today. This
government is committed to a
democracy that works for everyone
and this means understanding
the needs of young people, and
other under-represented groups, on
their own terms.
What has this got to do with us
you ask? Well the girl on the left
next to Chris Skidmore is my eldest
granddaughter who is studying
politics A Level at Long Road
Sixth Form College in Cambridge.
It only seems like yesterday I was
pushing her around in a pram.
B
ob
Herbert's joke (Page 2)
was followed by a note
which I am sure will be of
educational interest to our members,
it read
“Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychw
yrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
also known as Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll
or Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, is a
large village and community on
the island of Anglesey, situated on
the Menai Strait next to the Britannia
Bridge and across the strait
from Bangor.
The name translates as “The
church of St Mary in the hollow of
white hazel trees near the rapid
whirlpool by the church of St
Tysilio of the red cave”.
It is also the longest railway station
name in the world.
So now you know.
W
hen
S
ticking with education and
sixth form colleges, a headline
in one of Cambridge's
news papers read “Government
minister was put in the hot seat
at a Cambridge college this
morning (January 26), as he was
grilled by sixth-formers.”
Chris Skidmore, minister for the
constitution, visited Long Road
Sixth Form College Cambridge,
where he spoke with students
about our democracy, and encouraged
them to register for the upcoming
mayoral election.
In May, people across Cambridgeshire
and Peterborough will go to Dave Simm - Editor
the polls to elect the region’s first
I arrived home from
the Tuesday’s club there
was a large box to greet
me in the porch. You’ve guessed
it! The club is now the proud owner
of 1300 yellow plastic ducks’
My grandchildren are desperate to
number them. I will keep you informed
of their progress.
Page 12