Friday 8th April 2011 Carlisle station revamp complete
A major revamp of Carlisle’s Citadel station has now been completed.
The six-month, £500,000 project saw the installation of new platforms
for the Settle and Carlisle and Hadrian’s Wall Country lines.
Improvements were also made to the seating areas. Passenger comfort
has been further enhanced by work designed to stop draughts caused by
the wind tunnel effect of the original station design. Local MP John
Stevenson unveiled a plaque at a ceremony to mark the completion of
the work. Cumbria

Wednesday 30th March 2011 Keswick flood defence work set to begin
New work to protect the Lake District town of Keswick from future
flooding is set to begin. The £6m project begins with tree felling to
make way for the flood management scheme. Flood defences will be
strengthened in a bid to avoid a repeat of the damage and devastation
caused by previous flooding, such as those that occurred in Cumbria in
November 2009. The Environment Agency plans to build a new wall on
High Hill as part of the scheme. Cumbria

Monday 28th March 2011 New High Sheriff for Cumbria
Iona Frost-Pennington of Muncaster Castle will be inaugurated as high
sheriff of Cumbria at the end of March. The traditional ceremony will
take part at Carlisle Castle on 30 March. The office of high sheriff
is the oldest in the country after the monarchy and dates back more
than 1,000 years. Mrs Frost-Pennington said: "It's a great honour to
be appointed Cumbria's new high sheriff and I'm really looking forward
to taking on the responsibility of the role. Cumbria

Thursday 24th March 2011 Wordsworth property damaged by fire
A house in Grasmere, Cumbria, that was once home to William Wordsworth
has been damaged by fire. The property, at Allan Bank, is a National
Trust property but is not open to the public. The Trust will be
assessing the damage caused by the fire as soon as it is safe to do
so. The property was built in the early 1800s and Wordsworth and his
family resided there between 1808 and 1811. The trust said in a
statement: "There was a fire at Allen Bank in Grasmere last night and
we are pleased to report none of the tenants were injured. Cumbria

Wednesday 22nd December 2010 Cumbria shaken by earthquake
First it’s snowstorms and now it’s earthquakes. Winter of 2010-2011 is
shaping up to be something special and as if to make a point the very
land itself has been shaking. Cumbria was the epicentre as the
North-West rattled to a minor earthquake, measuring just 3.6 on the
Richter scale, at 2300GMT on December 21, 2010. The quake was felt
across Cumbria, Lancashire, south-west Scotland, parts of Yorkshire,
Northumberland and the Isle of Man. There have been no reports of
injuries or any significant damage to property as a result of the
seismic activity. Cumbria

Tuesday 14th September 2010 Metal detector unearths Roman helmet in Cumbria
A metal detector enthusiast made the discovery of a lifetime in
Cumbria when he dug up a rare Roman bronze helmet complete with
face-mask. The helmet is believed to be one of only three of its kind
to be found in Britain. Experts believe that such helmets would have
been worn as a mark of excellence by Roman soldiers at sport parades,
possibly decorated with colourful streamers. The item is now expected
to fetch £300,000 at Christie's Antiquities auction in London on 7
October. The treasure has been named the Crosby Garrett Helmet after
the hamlet in Cumbria where it was found in a field in May. Cumbria

Wednesday 7th July 2010 Hosepipe ban hits Cumbria
After suffering devastating floods just a few months earlier, the
residents of Cockermouth, Workington and Keswick must be dismayed to
find that they are now under a hosepipe ban. The temporary
restriction, which will affect millions of householders in the region,
is being introduced in most of north-west England. The ban is the
first in the region for 14 years. United Utilities said the measure
will help "safeguard essential supplies" after water levels in
reservoirs and lakes dropped to less than half their capacity after
the driest start to the year since 1929. Anybody caught flouting the
ban may face a fine of up to £1,000. Cumbria

Wednesday 16th June 2010 Noisy toads return to Cumbrian salt marsh
Natterjack toads have returned to the RSPB’s Campsfield Marsh nature
reserve near Bowness on Solway. The tadpoles, one of the UKs rarest
and noisiest amphibians, were re-introduced to the site as tadpoles
three years ago. The toad’s decline has been blamed on changes to the
drainage of its natural coastal habitat.

RSPB warden Dave Blackledge said: "After the breeding season
natterjacks can wander a mile or more from the breeding pools to find
a place to hibernate. People living near the Cumbria coast should keep
a look out in garages and sheds in the autumn for toads looking for
somewhere to spend the winter." Cumbria

Monday 3rd May 2010 Cockermouth on the up after flood devastation
Cumbrian town Cockermouth has bounced back from last November’s
devastating floods. One of the ways it has recently marked its
resurgence is by holding a Georgian fair. The event on Saturday
attracted hundreds of people to witness the marching bands,
traditional dancing, street theatre and enjoy craft exhibitions. The
event’s organisers were heartened by the efforts of the community and
traders.

Stuart Wiltshire, a member of the organising committee, said: "A lot
of people have come on board this year and taken it on as a town
event. Certainly a number of traders and businesses have seen the fair
as a focal point to aim to get their business up and running again.
The community of Cockermouth and its surrounding area have come
together in the face of adversity. They see it as their Dunkirk event.
This was the worst flood in living memory. The fair helps people to
look forward and see that the past is behind us and we are starting to
see the recovery." Cumbria

Tuesday 23rd March 2010 Bassenthwaite ospreys to be satellite tracked
For the first time ever osprey chicks hatching at Bassenthwaite Lake
in Cumbria this year will be fitted with tracking devices. The Lake
District Osprey Project will use satellite trackers to follow the
movements of the osprey chicks as they migrate south for the winter.
Tagging chicks which hatch this year will help them to find out for
the first time where the birds go for the winter months. The project
is part of a bid to help the return tot he area of the protected birds
of prey. Back in 2001, a male osprey became the first of the species
to nest in the Lakes in 150 years. It has returned to Bassenthwaite
each year and has raised nine broods of chicks with two different
mates. The adult ospreys usually arrive at Bassenthwaite in March or
April but have yet to return for the 2010 season.

Project member Nathan Fox and the team of volunteers were watching the
skies anxiously. Mr Fox said: "When we come to ring the chicks,
assuming we get a successful brood, we'll be fitting satellite
trackers to them. Then hopefully we'll be able to see the birds as
they progress through their migration south." Cumbria