Latest news with #Westmorland
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Thousands of travellers descend on Appleby Horse Fair with gypsy wagons, trailer trucks and caravans sparking traffic chaos and clogging up roads
Thousands of travellers have descended on a village in Cumbria in their horse-drawn wagons ahead of the annual Appleby Hose Fair. The six-day event, which takes place every year, sees as many as 10,000 people flock to Appleby, Westmorland, for a fair featuring horse riding, horse trading, traditional music, dance performances and shopping stalls. The major event will commence on Thursday, June 5 this year, although many have already sparked traffic chaos and clogged up roads in a bid to arrive before thousands of others. Videos posted by travellers on social media show people flocking to the area with their horses, slowly moving along country lanes. Meanwhile, other footage shows row upon row of caravans parked along grass verges as travellers race for the good spots ahead of kick off on Thursday. One person uploaded a video captioned 'not long now Appleby', showing their journey through a stretch of parked-up mobile homes. Another video titled 'why be sad when it's Appleby this week' shows carriage after carriage running along the road. A special police task force has so far dealt with offences of burglary, criminal damage, racist abuse, knife crime and faced a torrent of criticism after finding it necessary to handcuff a 10-year-old boy. The surge in crime around quaint Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria is causing anxiety among locals because the fair isn't even due to start until Thursday. So far local sporting venue, Kirkby Lonsdale Cricket club, has seen its pavilion smashed up, as no windows remain in the wooden structure. There has been petty vandalism at a campsite and a knife waved during a confrontation between locals and traveller children. All the complaints have led the police to the makeshift camp in a layby at the town's Devil's Bridge where dozens of caravans have congregated ahead of the fair in Appleby, which is 40 miles away. A field has been handed over by the town for the gypsies to graze their horses as a safety measure to make sure they aren't causing a hazard tethered on roadside verges. Locals said they have never seen so many Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) people descend on the town so early. And that may well be down to the successful clampdown in nearby Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria's Eden Valley. For years the town was the focus of the pre-fair gathering but in the recent past locals have fought back, closing down services and pubs and shutting off the places where travellers would usually set up camp. One Kirkby Lonsdale local told MailOnline: 'They seem to have descended on us this year and have come earlier and in bigger numbers than we have seen before. 'There have been problems caused by gypsy children in the town centre and closer to the camp they have set up in a layby.'
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Warcop wildfire burns for eight hours in woodland
A wildfire blazed across woodland with fire crews battling for eight hours to bring it under fire, near Warcop at Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, was reported at 13:46 BST on fire engines along with four specialist wildfire teams managed to bring the fire under control but have continued to monitor it in case of further Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the fire is not yet known and remains under investigation. It comes after the on-call watch manager at Appleby fire station Neil Aitken told the BBC how wildfires can take a toll on people's livelihoods, obliterate wildlife and put firefighters' lives at has been hit by a number of wildfires this year as hot dry weather persists across the county. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Kirkby Stephen garden opened in memory of councillor
A new public garden has been opened in memory of a councillor who championed her community for three memorial garden in Silver Street in Kirkby Stephen has been dedicated to former councillor Joan served on Kirkby Stephen Town Council for 30 years and worked as its chair for 11, and died in 2021 aged husband Stuart Johnstone officially opened the garden at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and said it was a "special place for a special lady". "What a wonderful way to remember her and for all the work she did to make this town so special," he said. "[It is] somewhere we and many others can always come and remember her and this beautiful place." The memorial garden project aimed to create an appealing green space in the heart of the garden's boundary wall was lowered to improve visibility and encourage people to use it. The park area was also extended and new sitting areas were is one of a number of projects made as part of the Kirkby Stephen Town Centre Improvement Scheme, which is being carried out by the town council in partnership with Westmorland and Furness Council. Councillor Adrian White said the garden was a "fitting tribute" to Mrs Johnstone."It will be a wonderful place for residents and visitors to visit and to enjoy," he Stephen Town Council chairman Paul Richardson said: "I am proud too that we have had the opportunity to remember my predecessor, Joan Johnstone, who made such a huge contribution to the life of the town by dedicating Silver Street Gardens to her." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'I fear my son will never be given a school place'
The mother of a boy who has been out of mainstream education for nine months said she fears he may never be offered a suitable school place. Victoria Dean's nine-year-old son Alex has a diagnosis of autism, ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder - a behavioural condition which means his default position is to refuse anything, even the offer of something nice like an ice-cream. He attended a school in the Eden area of Cumbria, where the family live, but struggled to cope. Mrs Dean's request to move him to a special school was turned down by Westmorland and Furness Council. The authority said it did not comment on individual cases, but that parents had a right to appeal through a tribunal. "I'm terrified he won't get a school place, that's my ultimate fear," said Mrs Dean. "He's going to have challenges as it is and he's already missed nearly two and a half terms of education." Alex has an education, health and care plan (EHC), meaning his needs are assessed regularly. At the last review, Mrs Dean told the council Alex was not coping in school and his attendance was low, but he was assessed as suitable for a mainstream setting. She added: "He's really tried, but he's been crying and sitting down on the pavement. "He's been biting himself and hiding his clothes and his shoes so he didn't have to go." Mrs Dean said Eden was a special educational needs (Send) "desert", with few special schools available. A report last month by Westmorland and Furness Council found a need for as many as 264 extra Send places in the area to reduce the reliance on private and independent special schools. The authority told the BBC it was "seeking to expand specialist provision". Alex had been offered a place at the fee-paying Cambrian Whinfell specialist autism school in Kendal, but with the council turning down the request to move him Mrs Dean said she felt "in limbo" while she waited for the outcome of her appeal. "I don't know how long the appeal will take, but I've heard about a year," she said. "It's a tough one, I realise there isn't an easy answer, but equally I've got a nine-year-old and there's not a lot else I can find for a child with his needs. "I'm in a hard place." In the meantime she is home schooling Alex without support, but she wants him to return to school. "I think the world of Alex, I love being with my son, but I think for him it's hard because he misses the routine and he misses other company. "Because of my disabilities - I'm in a wheelchair - there's not a lot of physical activity I can engage in. "He needs a lot of walking, running, cycling, and unfortunately I can't do that." Westmorland and Furness Council said it had "robust and proper channels" for people to raise concerns and encouraged anyone unhappy with the support they received to contact them. A spokesman added: "We are keen to improve experiences and outcomes for all of our children with identified Send and are currently seeking to expand specialist provision." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Funding pressure as special educational needs rise Concern over new SEND school location Westmorland and Furness Council
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Family-run Gloucester Services ranked top EV hub across Europe
A SERVICE station in Gloucestershire has been named the best electric vehicle hub in Europe. Gloucester Services, owned by Westmorland, narrowly missed out on the global title, coming second to Shell Recharge at Bao'an Airport in Shenzhen, China. The international accolade was awarded by Global Convenience Store Focus, which aims to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and improve the experience for EV drivers. The services, which are located on the M5, have 24 EV charging points and 16 Tesla charging points. Nabil Subuh, CEO of Westmorland, said: "In our industry, Westmorland is a small family-owned independent business, delighted to be recognised for doing business differently. "Electric vehicles are the future for our business and we're investing in that future, creating unique places to stop and recharge with proper food that reflects the flavour of the locality." The services, which celebrated their 10th birthday last year, have created more than 400 jobs and invested nearly £5 million in local community charity partnerships.
